a stinker of a day...

Working for a non-profit definitely has it's perks, and one of them is that we get most all holiday's off, most recently-Veterans Day. So, since Spencer and I are a 1 car, 2 bike family, we decided it would be a good day to get a wheel bearing replaced on our car. We have always had our car serviced at the dealership, but this time we shopped around and took it to a little mom and pop place that was recommended to us.

Well, the small wheel bearing problem turned into a large "you need a new transmission" and it's going to cost you $xxxx.xx problem. I called Honda immediately to check on our warranty, which had conveniently expired in August of this year, but after a less than pleasant conversation with Honda, they agreed to look it over and "work with us".

Long story short, we picked it up, drove it to Honda, took a rental car home for the night and were told the next day that the transmission was fine, but BOTH front wheel bearings needed to be replaced and it was going to cost $xxx.xx, still ouch, but not as shocking after the transmission scare.

I hate car problems!

Anyways, to add to the stinkiness of the day, we came home and were making smoothies for dinner when our blender exploded throwing smoothie and chunks of glass all over our kitchen and dining room.

So, I got out the vacuum to clean up the glass from the carpet when it started to smoke and stopped working. Broken belt it turns out but aarrrggghh, i was not happy, and our house smelled of crusty rubber for the next 2 days.

And, to top it off my sweet husband, who i love, forgot to put the seat down...Yep, all the way in.

And then I cried.

26 weeks

i'm 26 weeks today!
for those of you that have asked, this picture should subside some of the curiosity.
i'd say it's official... there's a baby in there.

happy halloween!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays and consequently one of my most homesick. I have such great childhood memories of family and friends gathered snacking on mom's homemade sugar cookies while dad entertained the neighborhood kids with his talking scarecrow.

In attempt to supress my homesickness, we decided to make mom's sugar cookies this year. I'm not sure if they were quite as good as when my mama makes them, but they were a lot of fun and not half bad either.

now this i love!

last week i went downstairs to get the mail and there was a surprise package from my sister.
i'm a sucker for "real" mail and a surprise package was awesome! I tore it open and found this.


not sure if you can make out the card but it reads:
"andi, so i was thinking the other day that being pregnant takes a long time. way too long sometimes. so, i decided that a countdown of sorts would help. watch the mail- something will be coming each month. hopefully having something to look forward to will help it go faster...love, alisa"

she made this adorable little pinafore dress and was so thoughtful to do this for me, especially since she too is expecting. i can't wait for the upcoming months.

love you al!

a little trip to utah

I spent last week in Utah with my sister and her family. They have been there for the past 6 weeks while Andrew has been doing an away rotation for medical school. My Mom and Grandma drove in from Boise for the week, and my good friend Aubry threw me an adorable little baby shower on Saturday. So many of my favorite people are in Utah and it was so fun to be with family and good friends.

Go ahead an oogle over Aubry's shower decorations. She is amazingly creative and wonderful, and the best cook ever! That banana bread I've been craving since I left Rexburg 4 years ago did not disappoint. Everything was just perfect.(and send me pictures if you have them, I ended up without a Shanty girls photo...boo.)

Thanks to everyone who came from near and far to celebrate with us. I just think the world of you all.

I've also attached a few pictures of my niece Ella. I photographed her while I was there and I'd say she's on her way to winning the upcoming Gap-Kids casting call, what do you think?

we're having a...

sweet little girl.


The ultrasound this morning was such a cool experience. Itsy bitsy hands and feet and fingers and toes. We're so in love with her already!
We ran out right after our appointment and started our registry. Can't wait for all the baby shopping!

catching up...

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. July and August have flown by, and the mornings here are seeming more and more like Fall. Just the other day I was telling Spencer that it smells like Halloween outside. (I'm weird, but it did.)

A few summer highlights:
-I turned 26 last month and I got a new Hobo handbag for my birthday. Yeah!
-Spencer and I and Nate and Julie went backpacking a few weekends ago and had a blast. It was fun to be camping again, it's always been one of my favorite Frederiksen past-times.
-I'm finally into my second trimester, about 17 weeks already! I'm feeling really good, just a little rounder, and embracing elastic pants whole heartedly. I'm not nearly as tired as I was in the beginning and I'm so grateful because...
-Photography has been crazy busy. Exhausting, and wonderful all at the same time. (My biggest excuse for neglecting the blog.)
-I photographed two weddings in August, one in Boise, as well as senior photos about every weekday. It feels overwhelming right now since I'm working during the day too, but I think it will slow down a bit since school has started and I'll be grateful to have the daytime work.
-While I was in Boise, Mom, Dad, Tanner and I went to the Idaho State Fair. I used to go every year as a kid and I loved it. It was fun to be back and it brought back so many memories of Katie, Alisa and I: Working the hot dog stand at Les Bois, Trying to break the record for the number of backflips on the zipper, and those wonderfully disgusting "pound-o-fries" at the Jones booth. Yes, a whole pound.
-Spencer is making some great connections with the job hunt, and we're hopeful that he'll find something great...sooner rather than later. We're definitely being blessed along the way.
-We have our next Dr.'s appointment on Tuesday, and our 20 week ultrasound is scheduled for September 19th. A lot of people have asked what gender we think is, and honestly, I haven't had any strong premonitions one way or the other, is that weird? I'm just grateful to have a healthy baby so far, and hope it will continue to be so.

Thanks to everyone that checked in on us. Yes, we are alive and well, we've just had a busy couple of months.

the job hunt...

Some of you have already heard, but Spencer was laid off at the end of June. Not very fun news we know, but he really wasn't happy at work, and was looking at making a change anyways. We're just hoping that the way that the change is happening is a blessing in disguise, because it's not much fun right now. Ughh.
Anyways, we thought it might be smart to get the word out that he's looking for work. He's been wanting to make a career change and is most interested in a B2B sales or marketing position. He's pretty great with people and has enjoyed sales in the past.
We're realizing how important it is to network and wanted to make you all aware in case you hear of any good opportunities. We'd love to stay in Denver, but we're open to Utah and the Boise area as well.
We don't want anyone to worry about us, just keep us in mind if you hear of anything.
Thanks.

spencer's triple bypass

Spencer road in the Triple Bypass on July 12th. It was a 120 mile cycling route that climbed three different mountains: Squaw, Loveland, and Vail passes. At the highest point he climbed to almost 12,000 feet in elevation. He started at about 6:45am and crossed the finish line in 5th place out of his team of 40, some 8-9 hours later. Spencer's Dad came into town to support him and it was a lot of fun to have someone to hang out and photograph the ride with. I've posted a couple pictures here, the majority are on the flickr site we put together for the riders to be able to order prints from.
Way to go Spencer, we're so proud of you!

our little white shanty

After the Oregon Coast trip Spencer returned to Denver and I headed to Boise to spend a few extra days with the family before making the trek to Rexburg for the much anticipated Shanty reunion. I'm sure most of you know, but the Shanty was the house I lived in at BYU-Idaho. There were 10 girls in the house at a time, and it was the best house in town. We had way too much fun together back then and the reunion didn't disappoint. We visited all our favorite spots: Millhollow, Horkleys 40's, Jackson Hole, Idaho Falls, and campus of course. We invaded the house (the door was unlocked...surprise), Robin and I played guitar together just like old times, and we all got to attend the new Rexburg temple together. It was so fun to see old friends and professors, and such wonderfully familiar places.
Thanks Scotty for the great t-shirts, Robin and Aubry for the memory books, Lisa Marie for hosting the BBQ, and Carrie for offering up her house for us all to stay at. Love you all and can't wait to see you again!

...surprise

Our little family is about to get a little bigger.
February 10th, 2009.

oregon coast-june 2008

Spencer and I spent a week at the Oregon Coast with my family this month. We rented a beach house in Rockaway Beach and were able to all stay under one roof. The coast has always been a favorite family vacation spot for the Frederiksens, and it was so fun to be back. Dad got a new kite of course, as is tradition, and we had lots of fun getting pulled around by the 200lb string limit.
We visited Flamingo Jims (a favorite childhood souvenier shop),
we played on the beach, hiked around, visited the Tillamook Cheese factory (a favorite of mine), we went tide-pooling and sea glass hunting, we played games and did puzzles, and hung out in the hot tub. We had 2 campfires on the beach complete with s'mores, music and dancing, and we went crabbing and clamming again. We even made homemade clam chowder. The kids loved uncle Kyle for his pinata party straight from Mexico, and uncle Spencer's "Steve", short for "Stevafina" puppet shows were a big hit as well. We visited a light house, shopped a little, and Spencer and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary on the 19th. We stayed up late most nights talking and just being together. I'm so grateful for my family and for the best friends that they are to me. Welcome home Kyle, and it was so fun to see you all!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

a day in downtown denver

Spencer and I heard about a street chalk drawing festival going on this weekend at Larimer Square, and we decided to check it out. Some of the artists were pretty amazing, others not so much, but it was fun to see so many people out and about, and the weather was perfect! While we were downtown we decided to take a tour of the Brown Palace Hotel (an old hotel that is supposedly haunted). After admiring the tea parties taking place in the lobby, we started our tour. Our tour guide was super obnoxious, and all the rooms were booked so we couldn't see them. A little disappointed, we ducked out early and strolled along the 16th street mall. We got lunch at the Corner Bakery DELICIOUS, and then walked toward the Capitol building. We were surprised to see the People's Fair going on. Live music, and tons of booths and vendors, it was fun to walk around and it reminded me a lot of the River Festival that used to go on in the summers in Boise. The People's Fair took us right near the Denver Art Museum and since Spencer and I haven't been yet, we decided to check it out. We went inside and were excited to find that we were there on a free day, so we spent the rest of the afternoon in the Museum. The architecture of the museum was almost more impressive than the exhibits featured inside. A little exhausted from walking around all day, we wrapped up the night with the new Indiana Jones movie. As cheesy as they all are, we both really liked it. It ended up being a really fun Saturday, and best of all, it was almost entirely free! Yeah for fun on a budget.

an eventful day

June 4th, 2008 was a big day in the Frederiksen family.
Nate and Julie are officially moved to Colorado. We helped them unload the last of their boxes last night! We're so excited they're here, and can't wait to get the summer fun rollin'

and...

Kyle got home from his mission late last night. He served two years in the Mexico Merida mission which ended up being more like the Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen mission. He did a great job, saw some amazing country, and we're already talking about a little trip back sometime within the year. Yeah for Andi finally having a reason to get a passport! Welcome home brother! We love you and are so proud of you.

Can't wait for our Oregon Coast reunion in 1 week, 2 days and counting!

summertime!

It finally feels like summer in Colorado, and we're loving the sunshine! Last weekend we strolled around the parks downtown, stopped in at Happy Cakes (the best cupcake cafe), and then went to "The Music of Abbey Road" symphony performance. It was pretty great, who doesn't like Beatles music, and live, with a symphony, was pretty cool.
This weekend we drove to Colorado Springs to bike around "Garden of the Gods." We stopped in CastleRock on the way to deliver a letter order at the Barn and I found the most irresistible little snugglers, I had to share. One day when I have kids they will be perfect in a little nursery. Well, the Garden of the Gods was pretty spectacular to see, and so fun to bike and hike around. We grabbed lunch at Culvers, one of my favorite burger/frozen custard joints that they don't have in Denver. I rarely get to go, and the 30 minute drive out of the way was well worth it. We stopped in to see Spencer's Aunt Jane and her family who live there and then mosied our way back home taking the scenic route. We jumped in the pool when we got home, rented a movie and wrapped up a near perfect summer day.
Yeah for summer!
Oh, and Spencer started a training blog for his cycling, check it out, www.spencerstrainingjournal.blogspot.com

salt lake city!

Spencer and I got back from a long weekend in Salt Lake on Tuesday morning. We were there Friday to Monday for Spencer's Nana's 85th Birthday, Emerson's 2yr. birthday, and an American Le Man series race. We stayed at Nana's on S. Temple with M and D Marshall, and took advantage of the downtown location with morning and evening walks through the Avenues and Federal Heights. Dreamy! Everything was blooming and green. The houses were to die for, and the weather was perfect! I love summer! We saw Ty and Kumari's new house at Thanksgiving Pt. and made a day of exploring the gardens and the other attractions there. We were able to get Cafe Rio salads (a favorite Utah pastime) and we also dropped in at Ikea. We met up with some good friends while we were there. Aubry and I stayed up until 2am one night watching old Shanty videos. And I was also able to meet up with Jen and Mishelle and their husbands at the race, and to take Jen's bridal pictures. Our flight was delayed 2 hours on the way home, so Aubry entertained us with Market Street desserts and a tour of Temple Square. We finally climbed into bed at 2am Tuesday morning, and had a harsh wake up to reality when work rolled around. We had a great time and it was so fun to see family and friends.

feeling a bit refined...

Spencer and I spent 2 nights in a row at the Denver Performing Arts Center last week. The complex itself is pretty amazing and the events were great.
Thursday night we attended a charity dinner and auction for the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center, which is the organization that
Spencer's cycling team is raising money for. The meal was amazing, the auction items were to die for and the speaker was great. Way better than the Greek Toga Party we attended the week before. One of the best
auction items was a trip sailing around the globe, and porting in places like Bermuda, and Dubai. It has definitely been added to my list of things to do before I die...and once I get rich of course.
On Friday night our friend offered us free tickets to attend the Colorado Symphony performance. Kevin is an internationally renowned french horn player that plays in the symphony here. He graduated from Julliard and is leaving tomorrow to tour with the Philadelphia Symphony in Asia. The orchestra was playing with a french/salsa type band called Pink Martini. Sounds a little odd, but they were really pretty great.
On Saturday night we rented "La Vien Rose" and after all this French
music I'm thinking I'd like to learn the language. Maybe I'll stop at that Rosetta Stone kiosk in the mall this week.

random marshall recap

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, so here is a quick recap of the Marshall "doings." Nate and Julie came to Denver the middle of April to sign a lease on an apartment prior to the big move in June. We got to hang out while they were here, eating out, movie watching and hot tubing mostly. We've already talked about summer camping, fishing, and exploring...I love SUMMER, and we're so excited for them to get here!

Speaking of summer, the weather here has been teasing us lately, 75 degree days intermixed with occasional snow, but Spencer and I were able to go out last weekend exploring. We hiked around at Red Rocks, and I'm dying to see a concert there now. It's AMAZING! My camera died so we only got away with one picture,which isn't the greatest, but we're definitely going back soon. We drove up Bear Creek Canyon and looped around to Deer Creek Canyon and explored the "backwoods" of Denver. It was a lot of fun to finally be out and about in nice weather.

This last weekend Spencer and I put together another ward activity and then skipped over to a work event downtown. It was a charity event themed "Toga party" and I've never seen more goofy looking rich people dressed up in Greek garb. There was a silent auction, an incredible dinner and a short program. It was fun to hang out with some of Spencer's co-workers, and it was a good excuse to dress up for a night on the town.

And...photography is officially back in full swing. I've got a full week of appointments starting tomorrow and the following weeks are filling in nicely. Thank goodness! I'm more than ready to say goodbye to this winter temp job.