The Friend Files

Amber Murphy

Sooo...I asked each of these friends o' mine to send in a picture of themselves.  I feel like it says a little bit about each of them depending on which one they pick.  So I was not responsible for these....ahem...chunky white arms.  But I love you Amber!  And it was so fun being in her wedding.  ;)

Onto Amber!  Amber is such a dear friend.  We met our freshmen year of college when we lived on the same wing.  We realized recently that that means we have known each other for 10 years in August!  That's just crazy to me.  Time flies I'm telling ya! 

Amber is a talented artsy girl.  We have so much fun talking about that stuff.  She is also a very talented photographer.  Check her out!  She's also a very faithful friend.

So now you can learn some more about her.  ;)  She wins the award for long answers, which are my favorite. 

My full name is Amber Christine Murphy (maiden name Frendt). I wish I could say that I was named after some famous relative or something, but my parents found the name in a baby book, and liked it.  Sorry that's kind of a boring answer =/ As for funny stories... it's funny now I suppose, but you know how people try to shorten names for a nickname? Well, Amber can't really be shortened into anything... and when I was a kid, my classmates somehow came up with the nickname "Ambie-Bambie," which would sometimes be shortened into just "Bambi." Ugh! Needless to say, I hated it.

Also, my maiden last name is very rare, so chances are if you meet a Frendt here in the U.S. we are related!

Oh man. Favorite book? Just one??? I love to read, so I have a lot of "favorites."  If I had to pick just one though, it would be Summers at Castle Auburn, by Sharon Shinn.  It's about a girl named Coriel, who is the half-sister to the next queen.  All of the queens in this kingdom come from the line of Halsing.  So when Coriel is young, she is found by her uncle and brought to the Castle Auburn every summer.  I love it because Corie is a very witty and strong character, who (as she grows older) begins to see life in the castle with clarity.  There is also a love story, which is awesome! I'm a hopeless romantic, so this book rates very highly with me! 

Aside from that book, I really love the Harry Potter books, I'd rate those as second favorite... I just couldn't leave them off the list because they're wonderful!

My favorite place to eat in L.A. is Aroma Cafe.  I love it because the food is excellent, they make a really good cup of coffee, and the place is just so darn cute I wish I could live there!  I really like places with good ambience and decor... and the back patio area of Aroma is just so lovely!  They have all these potted plants and a large table in the back with vintage mirrors and a chandelier... and they have this huge green hutch where all the sugar and creamer and other accouterments are kept that I want to steal someday.  Or buy. whichever. :D Either way, I want one in my future house.  I also really like their pastry display... it's beautiful!  I want to open my own coffee shop someday, so Aroma Cafe is really inspiring to me.

Oh yes. I've definitely left the country... in fact, I lived in another country for 5 years!  When I was in high school my dad accepted a temporary position with his company over in Singapore.  When they told me we were moving and where... I freaked out just a little bit.  Singapore??? Where the heck is that? I immediately pictured living in grass huts or something.  We moved over there the summer I turned 15, right before my Sophomore year in school.  I had a super bad attitude about moving, but it ended up being the greatest thing for me.  Singapore is quite advanced as a country... in fact the entire country/city (it's a tiny island) is a thriving metropolis.  I went to an amazing school, made life-long friends, and grew spiritually as I learned to trust God no matter where I lived.  Now, I actually miss that place!  When we lived there, I had the opportunity to travel to other countries quite a bit as well.  I went to Australia twice, Malaysia a handful of times, and my mom and I went to Italy when I was in college to make up for a trip I missed in high school thanks to 911.  I love traveling, and hope to go many more places in my lifetime!

Haha ok my dream job... I'll give you my DREAM dream job, and then a realistic dream job.  All my life I've wanted to either be a singer or an actress, or maybe both.  I think acting in movies would be just amazing, and it's something I've always wanted to do. Since that isn't something that's very likely to happen, my realistic dream job is being a photographer.  And yes! It's something that I'm doing, and I LOOOOVE it!  I find a lot of joy in creating beautiful images with my camera.  I especially love taking pictures of people, which is why I've put my business emphasis on portraits and weddings =)  I get really excited when I catch a real laugh between a newly married couple, or the sparkle of mischief in a toddler's eyes.

I really look up to my parents.  I think they're awesome!  They have an amazing marriage, and are more in love today then when they got married.  They have always been a great example to me of what a marriage should look like... and what parenting should look like!  They did a great job raising us, and I think I'll look back on my childhood as a guide quite often when I'm raising my own kids. 

Craziest thing I've ever done huh? Hmm. Andrew says to put down "I married Andrew" haha.  But I don't think that was crazy at all :D  I guess the craziest thing I've ever done was that I repelled down into a cave/sinkhole in Australia!  It was kind of scary, because as I went over the ledge, I could only put my feet on the wall for about 10 feet.  At that point the cave wall went too far back to put my feet on. So while the person at the bottom held the rope tight, I let go of the rope and leaned back and yelled "ready" to the person down below.  They loosened up on the rope and I went on a free fall all the way to the bottom of the cave.  It was exciting and my adrenaline was pumping after that!  I don't know if that counts as crazy, but it's the only thing I could think of :D

Oh my gosh haha... the first concert I ever went to was a Steve Green concert when I was like 7. Lol!  Do you remember him? In fact, I even got to go on stage at that concert because he had that song about "keeping your tongue from evil"... or something like that... so he had all these  kids come up on stage and sing with him on one part of the song, and hold our tongues while we sang! Ah Steve Green... good times.

I have SO much to be thankful for.  Above all, I'm thankful that Jesus saved me from my sins.  It's easy for me to look on the world and it's wickedness with frustration, and in those times I always have to remember that were it not for His grace and mercy, I would have been right alongside those who hate Him.  Second, I'm really thankful for my husband, Andrew.  He is perfect for me in so many ways, and I can't imagine my life without him.  Third, my family.  I love them all so much! Fourth, my friends. God has blessed me with a few kindred spirits who are a joy to spend time with, and who are always the most encouraging and just plain fun to be around. Fifth, all the little things... like being healthy, my sweet pet rats, my new camera, sunny days, rainy days, coffee, good food, books that sweep me away, and the rest of life's small blessings.

If I had a baby elephant, I would name it Ellie.  When I was little and learning to read, there was a poem that I really liked. It went like this: 

Elephant elephant elephant Ellie

Eats and eats and eats grape jelly

The more she eats, the more she grows

The more she grows, the slower she goes

But elephant elephant elephant Ellie,

Still eats and eats and eats Grape Jelly

And yes, I just recite that from memory, and I think the last time I read that was when I was like 8! It's funny the things that stick in your head. Anyway, all that to say... I think Ellie would make an excellent name for a baby elephant!

Thanks Amber!  Love you!