I just realized that I probably should have posted a link to my NEW blog on my OLD blog.
I started a new blog to document my summer fun in Montana...

www.amandamarshallphotography.blogspot.com


So for those who have been lamenting my lack of blogging, there is hope! It lies at the above address. :)

Anxiously Awaiting Phase 4

Over the past few months, McKay and I have been referring to our life in "phases". I think partially because it helped us to organize, and partially to keep us from losing our minds.

Phase 1: COMPLETED
Organize, pack, stack, and move various bits of stuff that make up our material goods. We have learned for the 8th time in our 5 years together that moving blows. And we have very limited possessions. We don't keep stuff. Moving 8 times will do that to you. What was tricky about this move is we had three locations: storage, McKay's temporary residence with friends, and my temporary residence in Montana. It took so much more brain power than I was expecting. But thanks to good friends, the recycle dumpster behind Fred Meyer filled with excellent Starbucks boxes, and teamwork, we got it all done. Sure, it took us until about 3am a few nights in a row, but by golly, we got it all done.

Phase 2: COMPLETED
Take my loving little dogs to Brookings, Oregon, meet up with Mom and Dad, and hand over my cuddly little companions for the summer. This was no easy task, I must say. Especially seeing Sam's sad little face through the rear window, watching the car carrying my puppies drive away. So sad. I know they will be fine, I know my parents will take good care of them, if for no other reason than because they fear my wrath if something happens to my dogs. Whatever the motivation, I'm sure they will be okay.

Phase 3: COMPLETED
Drive to Missoula, Montana and set up camp for 11 weeks. We made it here Friday night in really good time. The drive was beautiful and on the way up McKay and I stopped off several times to take some pictures and enjoy the scenery. I moved into the cozy little room I'll be using for the summer and I think it's going to work out great. I have plenty of space and the woman who owns the house and lives downstairs is very kind. I'm sure we'll get along swimmingly. Saturday we unpacked, bought groceries, got the oil changed, and of course, found the Target. Want to hear something really pathetic? In all of the stress and chaos of this past little while, I actually felt calm when I stepped into Target. You know how they say the church is the same wherever you go? The same can be said of Target. The smells, the merchandise, the red and khaki adorned employees. It soothes me.

By far the toughest part of Phase 3 was the goodbye I have been dreading most. I just dropped McKay off at the airport and all the way home was totally befuddled by the fact that I did all of this voluntarily! I chose this. And right now, it feels like it was kinda stupid. I mean, when I'm thinking clearly and remember all of the great reasons why I'm here, it makes sense. But right now... not so much, no.

But after Phase 3 comes Phase 4. And Phase 4 is totally going to rock it. In Phase 4 I will acquire a vast amount of knowledge in photography and will be ready and anxious to use the skills I have fresh in my mind. In Phase 4 McKay will fly back to Missoula, where we will have a perfectly joyous reunion and will prepare for our awesome camping trip in Yellowstone National Park. In Phase 4 we will meet yet again with Mom and Dad, and my little doggies will be safely returned to us. After that, who knows. By the time Phase 4 is complete, I'll be pretty content.

Endings are sad.

A conversation I had with Bryn today... Bryn is five years old and has been my buddy, along with her sister Audrey who is 3, for the past two years. Every Monday through Thursday we hang out.

Bryn: "Amanda, why do you have to go far far away to school? Can't you just go to McKay's school?"
Me: "No...McKay goes to a different kind of school."
Bryn: "Oh. Only for computers and stuff."
Me: "Yeah."
Bryn: "But I will miss you."
Me: "I will miss you too."
Bryn: "Will you call me so we can talk about how many new freckles I have?" (An after bath activity we've had for a while now. I count the freckles on her nose and always announce the newest addition).
Me: "Of course."
Bryn: "I'll have to talk on the phone in the bathroom, so I can see my freckles in the mirror."
Me: "Sounds good."
Bryn: "Amanda?"
Me: "Yeah?"
Bryn: "Are you SURE you have to go?"

I was invited by Kristen Jane Powell Keough to do this, so here it is.

4 Jobs:

01. UA Cinemas: Concession/Box Office
02. Fresno Community Hospital: Financial Rep
03. FBL : Assistant to Dwight
04. Nanny extraordinaire

4 Movies to Re-watch

01. Dan in Real Life
02. Pride & Prejudice
03. Stranger Than Fiction
04. Empire Strikes Back

4 Places I've lived

01. Clovis, CA
02. Laie, HI
03. Beaverton, OR
04. Portland, OR

4 TV Shows

01. The Office
02. Seinfeld
03. Lost
04. CSI

4 Places I've Been

01. The Hawaiian Islands (Oahu, Maui, The Big Island, Kauai)
02. Chicago
03. Los Banos
04. Seattle

4 People Who I Talk to On the Phone (regularly)

01. Leanne
02. Laura
03. McKay
04. I'm better with email.

4 Favorite Foods

01. Pasta
02. Haagen Dazs
03. Popcorn
04. Fruit

4 Places I'd Rather Be Right Now

01. Disneyland
02. Italy
03. On a beach
04. On my Yacht

4 Things I'm Looking Forward to this Year

01. My photography program in Montana
02. McKay graduating from school
03. Berry season in Oregon
04. Meeting my new niece/nephew!!

I invite my sisters to complete this fun little insightful activity.

The Mother of All Posts

Here we go with this month's hodgepodge of events...

First, props to McKay B. Marshall, freelance designer at Nike Headquarters, who exclusively designed the Nike displays for the brand new Sports Authority in the Tanasbourne Shopping Center. This weekend we went to the store's opening to take a few quick pictures of his art. I thoroughly embarrassed him by informing passers by that he was the creative genius behind the display. At one point an employee asked me if I needed help finding anything, and I responded, "We're just here to look at this display. Because my husband here designed it. By himself. He made this." She just nodded and backed away. Anyhoo, here are a few pictures to prove. Oh! And a little video!









Saturday was an exciting day. Not only was it the debut of McKay's big project AND the new Noah's Bagels open down the street, but we also went downtown and I haggled myself a pretty little price for a new camera. That's right. I am now the proud owner of a Canon 40d. I took forever deciding, but finally figured that this would be the best bang for my buck. And I'm happy. What a lovely little camera it is. I'm sure I will be posting pictures from it soon.



An update on the summer plans: I did find myself a place to live. I'll be renting a room out of a woman's house in Missoula. She lives with her college aged daughter and the three of us will be one happy little family for the summer. She seems like a really nice lady and I'm sure it'll work out great. I'm a little relieved to not have to worry about finding a roommate. This way I have my own space and I don't have to worry about late rent payments or weird smells or whatever.

Also, McKay and I said goodbye to our community theater days earlier this month. We opened and closed our little ward production of "Curse You, Jack Dalton," a few Saturdays back, when McKay played Jack Dalton and I played Bertha Blair--house maid/totally hot love interest. It was definitely an experience. Think Waiting for Guffman. Now times that by one thousand. Actually, that's a whole other blog in itself.

Anyway, here we all are...

And finally, I answer the request for a picture of my red hair. Excuse the weird expression on my face. That was picture 8,430 of me trying to find some light (a difficult task in Portland) so you could actually tell that my hair is red, and I really wasn't too concerned about smiling after I'd taken tons.

I still don't know if you can tell it's red. It was a lot brighter a few weeks ago... oh well.

And this concludes this evening's massive post. Thank you for coming.

Love It.

New Favorite Things

1. Josh Kelley. His music makes me a happy camper.
2. Cinnabon. I have just recently discovered the wonders of Cinnabon, and it has become a full blown addiction.
3. Argyle tube socks. Sold at Target.
4. A new season of Lost to enjoy.
5. Lightroom. So much better than iphoto.
6. Scouring the internet for camera equipment.
7. Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist. Total motivation for really living.
8. Checking out movies from the library I used to love as a kid (Swiss Family Robinson, White Fang, Lt. Robinson Crusoe, Anne of Green Gables).
9. Lysol's new line of environmentally friendly cleaning supplies.
10. My H&M black long sleeved tee that I wear under EVERYTHING.
11. My H&M electric blue carpet bag. And my zebra flats...
12. Pretty much everything I bought at H&M over Christmas.
13. Sheryl Crow's new album Detours. Going back to her roots.
14. Having red hair again.
15. Following a wicked awesome presidential race.

Since December

It's been a big couple of months for us. McKay got an internship at Nike and has been collaborating on both national and local ads for the company. He is finally mingling with people in his field and is loving it. We've been really fortunate with the doors that have been opened and connections that have been made. He's worked really hard and so deserves the opportunity.
Wahoo! I'm so proud of my go-getter boy.

This month I decided to make some big changes as well-- In May I am ending my 2 year stint as a nanny and will be going to Montana for the summer to study photography. It is a 3 month intensive program at a school that I have thought about and agonized over for about seven years now (no joke). It became very clear to me very suddenly that it is now or never with this, and this summer just seems all too perfect.

The lame part of this whole thing is that McKay will have to stay in Portland to continue with school and Nike. We are that sickening couple who call each other every day as it is, so I don't know how three months is going to work for us, but he's the best. He's the one who has really been encouraging and supportive of this whole idea. I think he wants this for me just as much as I want it for myself.

I guess I've just realized that this goal, this dream, is never going to come to me. I've got to go claim it. I've got to prove myself. I've got to take the risk. And that scares the crap out of me. But I'm gonna do it. And I'll just keep holding my breath that it all works out for the best.

So there you have it. A 3 month sabbatical from real life where I will work my butt off, and hopefully, come back with some mad skills and the possibility of making money at something that I truly love. And if nothing else, it will be an opportunity that I didn't watch pass me by.