Wedding Planning

I feel like I've finally got the big stuff under control for mine and Robby's wedding reception!
We have:

Scheduled and reserved a sealing room at the Salt Lake Temple

Booked Wheeler Farm for the reception

Created the centerpieces

Booked the Photographer and scheduled our engagement session
Purchased my wedding dress
Figured out the food and beverages


Decided on rentals

Created our Wedding Registry

and
Found what to wear for our engagement pictures

I'm feeling so much more relaxed about wedding plans and life in general -- especially after a nice, long Christmas vacation.

Happy Day!

I Miss my Sparkle

I took my ring back to Shane Co on Friday to get re-sized. It won't be ready to pick up until Tuesday. I hate not having my ring. :( I feel so naked without it. I wore a fake ring Saturday and Sunday cuz I couldn't stand not having something on my finger, but I knew I would be moving boxed and other things today at work in preparation for the move so I didn't put a ring on. It just feels like something is missing.

I miss my ring. Tuesday can't come fast enough.

I Do Believe in Fairies

I had just about given up on the idea of getting a wedding dress with sleeves. All the modest dresses I saw online just looked to boring and -- frankly -- depressing. I figured I'd just get a strapless dress and a little jacket to wear with it to make it modest. I had almost decided to get this dress from the Perfect Dress:

I knew I was kind of rushed to get a dress because I new it would need alterations (I'm a good 6 inches shorter than the models they use), and also it's Chinese New Year right now. And I guess most wedding dresses come from China so you'd be hard pressed to get a dress from them in time for a March wedding. (Yikes!)

So, just as I had decided to call The Perfect Dress and order the afore-mentioned gown, my mom convinced me to call Fairy Godmother Bridal and ask if they had any similar dresses. I called Fairy Godmother on Sunday -- just expecting to leave a message and hear back from her on Monday. But she actually answered! She was so sweet and helpful. I told her what I was looking for and she made some suggestions of what she had in stock that she thought I might like. She seemed like she really understood my style and I thought: "What the heck! I'll just try her out." So I made an appointment for Monday at 6:30!

I got to her house (she's in the process of moving so she's just working out of her home right now) with my mom and brother, and she ushered me and my mom to the back room. John had to stay in the living room.

She was just amazing! First thing she did was to put a lovely necklace around my neck. She then gave me a lace bustier and shorts to put on. Then, basically all I had to do was stand in front of the mirror while she threw dress after dress over my head. I must've tried on at least 10 dresses. I had two favorites (the 2nd and 3rd dress that I tried on) in that time. So after I had tried on all the dresses she thought I would like, we went back to the two dresses I loved.

This was the runner up, but in ivory.
I won't show you a picture of the dress I ended up getting because the picture of it online just doesn't do it justice.

But I just have to say, it's beautiful!!! And she had already ordered it for her stock so it will be here before Christmas so I don't even have to worry about complications with Chinese New Year. Whew!

I just have to give a shout out to Fairy Godmother Bridal. Judy (the owner and wonderful lady that helped me that night) is just what every bride needs. She truly is like Cinderella's Fairy Godmother and she made this little scullery maid feel like a princess.

Gingerbread Wars

For FHE this Monday; Robby, my Mom, Brother, and I built Gingerbread House. We totally went old school on this and made them out of milk cartons, graham crackers, and candy.

Look at that spread!


John and my Mom were on a team and Robby and I were on a team.

John loves making gingerbread houses.

A lot!

This was their house

Complete with fountain and gargoyle

Robby and I made the Gingerbread Pentagon

The President is out front (in Red) with his body guard. There are two guards at the door

Some guards hidden behind trees and bushes, and even a sniper on the roof!


Santa had to hide behind behind the chimney for fear of the sniper


And Santa had every right to be scared, for just as he was about to descend the chimney to deliver presents, someone tried to break into the Pentagon.
But the sniper got him.

I think it may have been a terrorist from John's gingerbread house, because soon after the attempted break-in, All-Out War began!
There were Marshmallow, M&M, and Peanut-buttercup cannonballs launched from spoon catapults. The destruction was unimaginable. Christmas means Carnage!

But dang was it fun!

Or, at least, I think we all had fun ;)

Sparkle

As per request, here is a better picture of my beautiful ring! :)

But even this doesn't do it justice. You should see how this baby sparkles in real life!

Dream Come True

A few months ago, Robby and I had been talking about previous dating experiences and I told him I'd never been to Prom. He thought this was a crime, so to make up for it, he asked me to "prom" last week. He told me to get a fancy dress and he would take care of the rest.

Saturday night, He picked me up at my apartment (he even got me a corsage that matched my dress). For dinner, he took me to the Cheesecake Factory (can you say Yum!!!). He had Tomato-Basil Pasta and I had the Chicken Bellagio (breaded chicken on top of basil pasta, topped with prosciutto and arugula). And for dessert, we shared a piece of Reese's Peanut buttercup cheesecake. It was fantastic.

After dinner, we went back to his apartment and he had turned the second bedroom into a winter wonderland. He had decorated the room in Christmas twinkle lights and silver garlands and had even made a photo backdrop in the closet door. :)

He turned on a wonderful playlist of the best love songs and we slow-danced in that little room. It was the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. He had his camera propped up on a shelf at the opposite end of the room so we could take pictures too. Just like prom!




When the playlist ended, he got out his ukulele. Years ago, before we dated the first time, he hadn't been able to fall asleep one night. And so, at 2 in the morning, he had written a song about me.

Phosphorescent stars glow on the ceiling.
I enter a land of dreams, but I'm not sleeping.
I was trying to go to bed but I lost my way
I forgot how to get there I'd like to go back someday
because it's two o'clock and my mind just won't stop.
I've been thinking about you and me and how it would be
But you and me only happens in my dreams. Only happens in my dreams.

... but then he totally surprised me with a new ending to the song. I don't remember all the words but it was about how he's now wide awake but the girl of his dreams is real. My favorite line was "you have a beautiful soul and your love makes me feel whole."

I started crying. Then when the song ended, he got down on one knee.


and asked me if I would marry him. Of course I said YES!!!


We're getting married March 12th in the Salt Lake Temple!!!!!!!

If you would like a wedding invitation, please leave your name and address in a comment. Thanks!!!

Robby Got the Job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cottonwood Creek Retirement Community gave Robby the job on the spot!!!! He starts on Monday!!!

Fingers Crossed

Robby has a job interview today with Cottonwood Creek Retirement Community. I'm sure praying that this is a good experience for him (whether or not he goes with this job). I remember how horrible job hunting was and I just want him so much to feel encouraged and hopeful about getting a job down here. Also, I really hope he gets a job down here soon so we can stop having a long distance relationship. It would be amazingly wonderful to live in the same town again and be able to see each other on a daily basis instead of just on weekends.

So fingers crossed for him!

I Should Be Committed

To all my married friends:

Did the thought of getting married every scare you? Maybe it's just me. But sometime the concept of marriage and being married totally freaks me out.

Maybe it's because I hear of experiences where the husband did a complete 180 after the honeymoon ended. He stopped talking; he stopped helping; he stopped listening; he stopped caring.

Maybe it's because so many couples focus on the bad. Even the wives of my current bishopric tend to lean heavily on the frustrations in their marriages.

Maybe it's because I work at a battered women's shelter and see a lot of domestic violence cases with women who are beaten and bruised by their husbands.

Maybe it's because I've never really had to be committed to anything in my life (except family and the gospel). But my life has always been very fluid. I've changed schools. I've changed states. I've changed majors.
I've had numerous apartments and roommates. A hand-full of different wards. My jobs have never really been the "long-term career" type. So maybe the concept of being with one person day in and day out for eternity puts my stomach into knots.

Hopefully I can overcome this fear someday.

777,600

That's how many seconds are in 9 days.

Why 9 days? Well, excuse my mushiness, but that's when I get to see Robby again. He's been working the sugar beet harvest up in Idaho since the end of September, so I haven't seen him since September 26th.

It's been so rough. I miss him so much. It feels like part of me is missing. After we started dating back in May, we never went more than 2 weeks without seeing each other. Often times, we'd see each other every weekend. But now it's been more than 3 weeks since I've seen my best friend and I hate it.

At first, it started out ok. I missed him a lot (of course) but we'd text throughout the day. Then we'd both get home from work at about 5 and skype on and off until 9 when we could talk on the phone. We'd talk for a couple hours until bedtime and then first thing in the morning I'd get a text from him and the day would start again.

Then his hours started getting longer. Soon he couldn't get home until 9 so we'd talk at 9:30 or so. Then we'd still have an hour to talk before bedtime and we could still text during the day. But then, his phone broke.

We still talk every night (his sweet mom lets him borrow her phone), but he works so long and is so exhausted by the end of the night that he usually calls at about 10 and we talk for maybe a half hour before he starts to drift off. And we can't text at all during the day. But being the amazing guy that he is, he sends an email to my work every morning so I still feel a bit more connected to him during the day.

So, all things considered, it's been the best long distance relationship I've ever had. But still, I absolutely hate it! I miss him so much that sometimes if feels like someone has punched me in the stomach. And I can't wait until this horrible month is over and I get to see my best friend and love of my life again.

9 more days.

Blessed

I am grateful for (in no particular order)...

Robby
My job
Mom
Giggle fits
Christi
Pie
Fresh-baked bread
John
Good Music
Hot showers
Fuzzy socks
Dad
Love notes
Daydreams
Chocolate milk
Thunder storms
Camp outs
Best friends
Late-night talks
The scriptures
My car
Dish washers
Warm blankets
Inside jokes
Chapstick
Sunday naps
Evening walks
A healthy body
Hugs and kisses
Neck rubs
Learning experiences
Shoulders to cry on
Second chances (and third, and fourth, and fifth)
My education
Peppermint gum
Text Messages
Engaging Books
Brownies
Pumpkin Spice
Indoor plumbing
Temples

What are you grateful for?

Temper Trap

I went to the Temper Trap concert at The Depot last night with my friends: Robby, Elisa, and Alex. It was a pretty good show (especially for only $5).

The opening act was Butterfly Bones. These guys were like crazy pop/techno/indie artists. Robby and I made fun of the lead singer most of the time. We decided he looked like a mix between Richard Simmons and Napoleon Dynomite. Here, take a look.



I'm totally diggin the tank top! (I think I just threw up in my mouth)


Temper Trap, itself, put on a good show. And the crowd had good energy so they were totally feeding off our vibes. I just have to say that I love Sweet Disposition the most. There was one other song that they played that I loved, but they didn't say the name of it. Anyways, really good show. And I highly recommend you listen to Sweet Disposition sometime.

I Pledge Allegiance

This morning, I noticed that someone had left an American Flag -- haphazardly folded -- on the Business Office counter at my work. I'm not really a politically-minded person, but I do love America. This is the Promised Land; a land flowing with milk and honey; a land of freedom; a land where the people have a voice.

Seeing the flag just left there in a heap seemed so wrong. So I quickly looked up how to correctly fold an American Flag (www.homeoftheheros.com) and had my supervisor help me fold the flag. However imperfect you may feel the government is, this land was built on inspired principles. Let's show our country and our flag some respect.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: One nation, under God, indivisible; with liberty and justice for all.

May God bless America.

Rattlesnake Gultch

For one glorious week, it actually felt like summer! And I whole-heartedly took advantage of it. A couple weeks ago, I went hiking with my Relief Society up Millcreek Canyon. The view from the top was spectacular. Salt Lake City is really a beautiful place.


That weekend, I decided to go hiking again. This time I took my mom with me. We definitely took it at a slower pace, but it was still awfully fun. (And this time, I remembered to take water with me. Thank goodness!)


As you can see, I got a nice little sunburn from the hike. And while that may sound like a bad thing to the untrained ear; when you are so white you glow in the dark, any little bit of color on your face is a wonderful thing.


I can't wait for more summer activities!

A Little Trip Around the World

This weekend was Holi Krishna (The Festival of Colors to welcome in spring). I've always wanted to go to this festival, but I've always been in Rexburg during the festival so it was never an option. But this year (woo hoo!) I was finally able to make it! I went with two of my friends (Elisa and Jacob), my friend's younger sister (Kristen), and Kristen's friend Orlando. We set off from Salt Lake at 2 to pick up Orlando in Provo. That only took about an hour. But the drive from Provo to Spanish Fork (typically a ten minute drive) took over an hour because of all the other people on their way to the festival.

But, thank goodness, we did make it in time. And this is what we saw a we walked up to the Krishna Temple:




It was a beautiful Hindu Temple and thousands of people surrounding it.

It's hard to imagine that this is actually a place of worship because 1) it felt more like a rock concert and 2) they have a gift shop on the first floor of the temple. It was definitely not a place of contemplation and reverance like the LDS Temples. I'm so grateful for our temples and the peace felt therein. This was definitely not a "spiritual" experience for me (even though it was held at a temple); however, that did not keep me from having an absolute BLAST at this festival!


from left to right: Elisa, Kristen, Orlando, Me, Jacob

This was at the end of the festival and we had dusted most of the color off by this point (so you can imagine how bad it was before then)!

We were probably in the middle of everyone right now. So this picture probably shows about a 6th of the people that were there (and this was the second round of the festival)

There was colored dust EVERYWHERE!!!


I love any opportunity to get good and dirty!


After our Hindi adventure in "India", we jetted over to Korean, China, Vietnam and Thailand for dinner (aka Asian Fusion Resturant) -- lots of yummy dumplings and curry.

From Asia, we made our way to Italy to get some Gelatto. I got Almond and Hazelnut. Yummy!
We got lots of interesting looks from the people at the restaurants because, as I said before, it was almost impossible to get all the color off without water. So I still had very pink hair and eyebrows.



From Italy, we returned to the States but stopped in New Orleans first and watched the Princess and the Frog. It was the cutest Disney movie I'd seen in a long time. It had such adorable music and I loved that it was hand-drawn cartoons and not cgi characters. I think I may have to buy it!

I finally got home at about 12:30. There was no way I was going to go to bed with all this color all over me though, so I got in the shower and turned the entire shower pink in the process. But I finally got all the colored dust off and went to bed -- exhausted but very happy.

Halo of Highlights

This morning, while working at the reception desk, I was told by one of our clients that I had such lovely hair; I should be a Breck's Shampoo model.

I'd never heard of Breck's, so I looked up their ads online and this is what I found:


She was SO right! I totally belong in one of these ads!



I mean, seriously! This is how I do my hair every day!







Straight up 1970's! Love it!

In 1936, Edward J. Breck hired commercial artist Charles Gates Sheldon to draw women for their advertisements. Sheldon's early portraits for Breck were done in pastels, with a soft focus and a halo of light and color surrounding the model. He created romantic images of feminie beauty and purity. He preferred to draw "real women" as opposed to professional models. (wikipedia)

*Sigh* If only I'd be born in the 1950's, I could totally be a rich and famous hair model by now.