The Simple Life
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Worst, BEST day of my life
It was definitely not a fairy tale wedding, but at the end of the day, we had attained eternity. It all started the night before. I should have been relaxing at home and looking forward to the next morning, but instead I was trying to conquer my last minute to-do list. Nothing could be easy about these simple tasks. For instance, half way through weaving some extra blonde into my soon to be sister's hair, the power went out due to the storm. Have no fear however, we finished by flashlight. Then, at 1 am, it was finally time for this bride to hit the sack.
With fours hours to go before it was time to wake up, I finally drifted off to sleep. It was rest well deserved until about 3 am. I woke up, and physically felt ill. There was no going back to sleep, I was up for the day. So I double checked everything before the wedding, and I set out at 445 to meet the fabulous Emily Wrathall for hair and makeup. When that was done, I was ready to head to the temple. As I walked outside, the cold morning weather was bringing me a nice surprise... Rain. Thank you Mother Nature.
I got to the Temple right on time. I headed inside and started to look for John. I didn't see him in the lobby. I stepped outside and called him. He was on his way, but he would be late because there was an accident on the freeway that had stopped traffic. It was clearing though, and he was on his way again. I sat and waited, and welcomed my family as they arrived. As more and more time passed, I started to worry. Where was he? Was he alright? Did he suddenly realize he didn't want to marry me? It was almost an hour later than it was supposed to be. I was on the brink of melt down, when I thought, "go get some air." As I walked toward the doors, I realized I was shaking. This really could be the worst day of my life.
Then a vehicle, that I had never seen before, pulled up, and John hopped out. The truck had stopped down the hill, and John had been walking up the mountain to get to the wedding. I had turned my phone off earlier and had missed all of his calls. Relieved, I took John's hand, and we walked into the temple together, sure that nothing else could go wrong.
Wrong again... The records that we needed hadn't been transmitted, and we were told that we wouldn't be able to be married. Luckily because we had been in the Salt Lake temple the day before, the stamp on our temple recommends was enough to get us through.
Before the wedding, I was reminded that John had literally climbed a mountain to marry me, and I thought about that through the whole ceremony. We made some amazing promises to each other in the presence of our friends, family, and our Father in Heaven. It was beautiful. I will never forget the look in John's eyes as we knelt across from each other at an alter, and covenanted for Eternity. I have never felt a more peaceful feeling.
The peace didn't last for long. As we walked outside the temple for pictures, we could see that Mother Nature had given us another gift. It was now snowing. By the time we had finished with our pictures, my hands were frozen, my teeth were chattering, and I was ready for a nap. We headed to the luncheon, and were not surprised when we found out the food was not there, the building was locked, and there was not a single soul there to let us in. After another fairly long delay, We were finally getting our luncheon started.
The Luncheon was great despite it's late start. The food was good, family and friends mingled while they waited, and everyone had a good time. It was finally time to tackle the big task of the reception. This had the potential of being horrible if everything didn't fall into line.
Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, we headed to the reception site. We got there, and were pleasantly surprised that everything was in order. The cake arrived, and was set up. The food was there, the beverages were ready to go, and all of the tables were set, and ready for guests. For all of the lack of direction, things were amazing! the reception went well. It was no surprise that people loved the photo-booth, and the music was fab. We mingled with everyone that came to wish us well, and best of all, we didn't have to stand in a formal line!
When all was said and done, it was a difficult day for the two of us, BUT we were married. I can't express how much it meant to me to be able to say at the end of the day that I would spend forever with John. And, Our pictures didn't turn out too horribly either.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Service from a Stranger
Isn't it your dream to kick off your weekend with an out of the blue service project that involves cleaning a perfect stranger's house? It's not mine either.
This past week, as we were getting ready to move into the house in Fruit Heights, we encountered one BIG problem. It wasn't clean. It was a disaster zone. Everything that the Landlord had promised would be done, wasn't. I could go on forever telling you about all of the things that hadn't been done, but I won't. I'll put up one picture of what we walked into, and let you imagine it yourself.
Now that that is taken care of, you can feel our pain. We were supposed to have taken the house on the 18th, but here it was, the 25th, and we still couldn't move in. We couldn't wait any longer either. The boys had given their notice to the current Landlord, and had to be out by the 30th. All of the storage units, that the rest of the family was using from their move had to be emptied by the 28th, and we couldn't move anything.
When we realized that we couldn't start our long weekend of moving until the house was clean, we made the obvious choice... We set out to do it ourselves. We were not at all thrilled, but we had no other options. We bought the cleaning supplies and prayed for the best as we started out.
With everyone working, and going to school, it was left to John, Jared and me to get started by ourselves. After four hours of unsuccessfully trying to clean the kitchen, we felt defeated. There was no way we would be able to get it done on time. We took a break to get some lunch, and then we headed back to it along with John's mom who was now off of work.
Minute after precious minute raced by, and it seemed like we were still hardly denting the dirt. Only a miracle would help us now.
Then we heard it... A knock at the door... Who could it be? We didn't know anyone in the area, and yet there it was, a knock on the door. We opened the door to find a pleasant looking woman with a smile who said, "Hi, I'm from next door. Are you guys moving in?"
We so didn't have the time for this, but we continued the conversation with smiles, "We are. We're working on cleaning some things before we can move in though, and we have to finish it tonight," desperately trying to hint, subtly that she needed to leave.
"You shouldn't have to clean to move into a house. It should be cleaned for you."
Of course we realized this, and knowing what a predicament we were in, again tried to hint to the nice woman that she leave, "We know, but here we are. We've really got to get back to it."
Peering from around the door, the woman asked, "Would you like a hand or two? I'd be glad to come over and help."
Embarrassed by a mess that wasn't ours, we calmly declined her offer, and added that she didn't need to help us. This was not what she wanted to hear. After a few moments of debating back and forth, it was agreed that the woman could help us if she really wanted to. She came in and quickly surveyed the situation. "Let me run to my house and grab a few things. I'll be back in just a few minutes."
Moments later, she returned, and with her she brought a bucket and some more cleaning supplies. "where should I start?" she asked. "I called some of the other women from the Relief Society as well. They should be here soon." She added.
We were blown away. Within thirty minutes, over twenty new smiling faces were in our house, and were working away at cleaning the mess that was neither our nor their's. It was amazing! A couple of hours later, and most of the work was done. Bathrooms had been cleaned, the laundry room had been vaccuumed out, and scrubbed. Walls had been washed, cupboards had been scrubbed and disinfected, and all of the windows had been washed, inside and out. There were only a few smaller tasks left, and we could finish them ourselves.
With smiles and welcoming words, they each left a few at a time. All we were left with was a much better outlook on the job at hand, and an overwhelming feeling of love.
This act of love exemplifies a quote from Spencer W. Kimball, which says, ""Service to others deepens and sweetens this life while we are preparing to live in a better world. It is by serving that we learn to serve. When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves! In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves!" -Speaks Out on Service to Others, New Era, Mar. 1981, 47.
I don't even have the names of these wonderful women, but I know that they each understand the meaning of service. These women are righteous examples of losing oneself in service. I am so grateful that they are the kind of women that we are surrounding ourselves with, and I hope that I can have the opportunity to serve each of them in return.
What a way to meet the Relief Society!
This past week, as we were getting ready to move into the house in Fruit Heights, we encountered one BIG problem. It wasn't clean. It was a disaster zone. Everything that the Landlord had promised would be done, wasn't. I could go on forever telling you about all of the things that hadn't been done, but I won't. I'll put up one picture of what we walked into, and let you imagine it yourself.
Now that that is taken care of, you can feel our pain. We were supposed to have taken the house on the 18th, but here it was, the 25th, and we still couldn't move in. We couldn't wait any longer either. The boys had given their notice to the current Landlord, and had to be out by the 30th. All of the storage units, that the rest of the family was using from their move had to be emptied by the 28th, and we couldn't move anything.
When we realized that we couldn't start our long weekend of moving until the house was clean, we made the obvious choice... We set out to do it ourselves. We were not at all thrilled, but we had no other options. We bought the cleaning supplies and prayed for the best as we started out.
With everyone working, and going to school, it was left to John, Jared and me to get started by ourselves. After four hours of unsuccessfully trying to clean the kitchen, we felt defeated. There was no way we would be able to get it done on time. We took a break to get some lunch, and then we headed back to it along with John's mom who was now off of work.
Minute after precious minute raced by, and it seemed like we were still hardly denting the dirt. Only a miracle would help us now.
Then we heard it... A knock at the door... Who could it be? We didn't know anyone in the area, and yet there it was, a knock on the door. We opened the door to find a pleasant looking woman with a smile who said, "Hi, I'm from next door. Are you guys moving in?"
We so didn't have the time for this, but we continued the conversation with smiles, "We are. We're working on cleaning some things before we can move in though, and we have to finish it tonight," desperately trying to hint, subtly that she needed to leave.
"You shouldn't have to clean to move into a house. It should be cleaned for you."
Of course we realized this, and knowing what a predicament we were in, again tried to hint to the nice woman that she leave, "We know, but here we are. We've really got to get back to it."
Peering from around the door, the woman asked, "Would you like a hand or two? I'd be glad to come over and help."
Embarrassed by a mess that wasn't ours, we calmly declined her offer, and added that she didn't need to help us. This was not what she wanted to hear. After a few moments of debating back and forth, it was agreed that the woman could help us if she really wanted to. She came in and quickly surveyed the situation. "Let me run to my house and grab a few things. I'll be back in just a few minutes."
Moments later, she returned, and with her she brought a bucket and some more cleaning supplies. "where should I start?" she asked. "I called some of the other women from the Relief Society as well. They should be here soon." She added.
We were blown away. Within thirty minutes, over twenty new smiling faces were in our house, and were working away at cleaning the mess that was neither our nor their's. It was amazing! A couple of hours later, and most of the work was done. Bathrooms had been cleaned, the laundry room had been vaccuumed out, and scrubbed. Walls had been washed, cupboards had been scrubbed and disinfected, and all of the windows had been washed, inside and out. There were only a few smaller tasks left, and we could finish them ourselves.
With smiles and welcoming words, they each left a few at a time. All we were left with was a much better outlook on the job at hand, and an overwhelming feeling of love.
This act of love exemplifies a quote from Spencer W. Kimball, which says, ""Service to others deepens and sweetens this life while we are preparing to live in a better world. It is by serving that we learn to serve. When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves! In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves!" -Speaks Out on Service to Others, New Era, Mar. 1981, 47.
I don't even have the names of these wonderful women, but I know that they each understand the meaning of service. These women are righteous examples of losing oneself in service. I am so grateful that they are the kind of women that we are surrounding ourselves with, and I hope that I can have the opportunity to serve each of them in return.
What a way to meet the Relief Society!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Trials and Testimony
In getting ready for the wedding, I’ve been doing a lot of things to prepare for the Temple. I’ve been meeting with my Bishop, and working on reading my scriptures daily. I’ve been trying to grow closer to my Heavenly Father, and my Savior through prayer, and I have come to realize that on a lot of levels, I fall short of what many expect of me, but as I have tried to better prepare myself for the promises that I will be making, I have come to realize a few things:
1. I don’t need to be concerned with what the world thinks of me.
2. I don’t have to be perfect only willing to try.
3. I won’t fall short of my eternal potential if I just keep pushing forward.
4. There will be opposition in all things, and that’s good for me.
To expound… At the end of the day, the most important relationship that I can hope to nurture, other than the relationship with my eternal companion, is my relationship with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. I don’t need to worry about whether or not people think that my life is on the right track, or whether or not they accept my decision in my faith. I don’t need the people who would question my friendship, or my goodness as a person because of how I choose to worship. There are many different faiths, and they work for many different people. If they make them better people then, that’s what matters. This is the faith that I choose to make me a better person. I believe with all of my heart that I have made the choice to join the most correct church.
I don’t have to be perfect. Many people would get hung up on the scriptures in Matthew 5:48, and 3 Nephi 12:48 that ask us to be “PERFECT” like our Father. The perfection being referred to is Man’s potential to become like God. One of the things that I have come to love as I read the scriptures is the fact that my understanding of what is asked of us in this life has become clearer. Often times we dwell on the words that seem impossible. To ask anyone on this earth to be perfect would be setting them up for failure. An example of this is the sacrament prayer (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77). In the blessing said over the bread many people would say that we are promising to do four things: 1. Take upon themselves the name of the Savior 2. Always remember him 3. Keep the commandments 4. Always have the spirit with them. These are great principles, and principles that we should always be striving to abide by. The most important word in this verse (to me) is the word willing. We promise to be willing to do the four things mentioned above. I will admit that throughout my life, and my day to day tasks, and errands, I sometimes have things on mind that I allow to come before my remembrance of the Savior. I get angry, and am unable to have His spirit with me at all times. I am human. I break commandments from time to time, BUT I know that because I am willing to try to do all of those things, because I am willing to try again to do them when I fall short, by taking the sacrament, that I will be blessed. I know that it gets easier over time to DO the things that I say I am willing to do.
I also know that there will always be opposition in the things that I do. I know that the closer I get to my Heavenly Father, the harder the Adversary is going to try to stall my progression. I know that that is the way that it starts. It starts with a stall. By definition, stalling is the stopping of a moving force. It is very hard to turn an arrow around 180 degrees when it is traveling on a set course. Something must first slow, and then stop the arrow before it can be fired in the opposite direction. It is much the same when talking about reaching for the potential of man to become like God. A person who has a close relationship with the Lord is much harder to tempt and lead astray than a person with no spiritual driving force. The closer I become to my Heavenly Father, the more persuasion it is going to take to make me falter. The temptations of the adversary are subtle. They are as subtle as being idle. In 2 Nephi 28: 21 we learn that the devil will pacify, and lull spirits into a carnal security, and will make them believe that everything is well. This is how we allow, and enable the adversary to cheat our souls and lead us carefully down to hell. It’s not a matter of walking to the edge and jumping off. The devil is careful in leading us away from our Father. The closer we get, the more opposition we will find, but on the same note, the closer we become to our Savior, the more careful and thought out the deceit will have to be.
I would like to share my testimony of the potential found in each and every one of us. I know that we are all choice spirit children of our Father in Heaven, and that there is not a trial or pitfall in this life that we cannot overcome. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the most correct church on this earth, and I know that by striving to be willing to do the things that we are asked by the Lord, we can obtain all of the blessings and rewards of reaching our eternal potential to be like our Father in Heaven.
1. I don’t need to be concerned with what the world thinks of me.
2. I don’t have to be perfect only willing to try.
3. I won’t fall short of my eternal potential if I just keep pushing forward.
4. There will be opposition in all things, and that’s good for me.
To expound… At the end of the day, the most important relationship that I can hope to nurture, other than the relationship with my eternal companion, is my relationship with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. I don’t need to worry about whether or not people think that my life is on the right track, or whether or not they accept my decision in my faith. I don’t need the people who would question my friendship, or my goodness as a person because of how I choose to worship. There are many different faiths, and they work for many different people. If they make them better people then, that’s what matters. This is the faith that I choose to make me a better person. I believe with all of my heart that I have made the choice to join the most correct church.
I don’t have to be perfect. Many people would get hung up on the scriptures in Matthew 5:48, and 3 Nephi 12:48 that ask us to be “PERFECT” like our Father. The perfection being referred to is Man’s potential to become like God. One of the things that I have come to love as I read the scriptures is the fact that my understanding of what is asked of us in this life has become clearer. Often times we dwell on the words that seem impossible. To ask anyone on this earth to be perfect would be setting them up for failure. An example of this is the sacrament prayer (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77). In the blessing said over the bread many people would say that we are promising to do four things: 1. Take upon themselves the name of the Savior 2. Always remember him 3. Keep the commandments 4. Always have the spirit with them. These are great principles, and principles that we should always be striving to abide by. The most important word in this verse (to me) is the word willing. We promise to be willing to do the four things mentioned above. I will admit that throughout my life, and my day to day tasks, and errands, I sometimes have things on mind that I allow to come before my remembrance of the Savior. I get angry, and am unable to have His spirit with me at all times. I am human. I break commandments from time to time, BUT I know that because I am willing to try to do all of those things, because I am willing to try again to do them when I fall short, by taking the sacrament, that I will be blessed. I know that it gets easier over time to DO the things that I say I am willing to do.
I also know that there will always be opposition in the things that I do. I know that the closer I get to my Heavenly Father, the harder the Adversary is going to try to stall my progression. I know that that is the way that it starts. It starts with a stall. By definition, stalling is the stopping of a moving force. It is very hard to turn an arrow around 180 degrees when it is traveling on a set course. Something must first slow, and then stop the arrow before it can be fired in the opposite direction. It is much the same when talking about reaching for the potential of man to become like God. A person who has a close relationship with the Lord is much harder to tempt and lead astray than a person with no spiritual driving force. The closer I become to my Heavenly Father, the more persuasion it is going to take to make me falter. The temptations of the adversary are subtle. They are as subtle as being idle. In 2 Nephi 28: 21 we learn that the devil will pacify, and lull spirits into a carnal security, and will make them believe that everything is well. This is how we allow, and enable the adversary to cheat our souls and lead us carefully down to hell. It’s not a matter of walking to the edge and jumping off. The devil is careful in leading us away from our Father. The closer we get, the more opposition we will find, but on the same note, the closer we become to our Savior, the more careful and thought out the deceit will have to be.
I would like to share my testimony of the potential found in each and every one of us. I know that we are all choice spirit children of our Father in Heaven, and that there is not a trial or pitfall in this life that we cannot overcome. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the most correct church on this earth, and I know that by striving to be willing to do the things that we are asked by the Lord, we can obtain all of the blessings and rewards of reaching our eternal potential to be like our Father in Heaven.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Let’s get Stressy!
I think that there was a definite reason that Miss Frizzle was always saying let’s get messy. For the next little while, I’m going to don the mantle of Miss. Frazzle, and with much conviction declare it time to get Stressy! I’m definitely starting to feel overwhelmed because we are getting into the final stretch of things. It’s alright though, I’ve got my checklist, and we’re checking things off every day.
What is our most recent accomplishment? Today, we picked our invitations up! YAY! Party time!
They are amazing! Thank you again Collette and Beautiful Wedding Announcements. You guys rock!
* If you would like to see what Collette can do for you, please check out the link to the right.*
The hardest thing for me lately is just remembering that I’m not in it alone, that John is there right alongside me, and that I still have time. It’s not too late until it’s over. The most important things are taken care of.
We have a venue for everything that we need. The ceremony and sealing themselves will be in the Bountiful Temple. The luncheon will be it a church nearby, and the reception will be at Wheeler Historic Farm’s Activity Barn. It is a wonderful venue. They are competitively priced for rentals, and they don’t have as many restrictions as many other venues. They don’t have a preferred list for vendors (cake, catering, decorating), and they don’t require you to set up and take down within four hours like many venues. The grounds are great. They are well kept, and maintained daily, and they are vast. You could get lost on the grounds if you wandered away in the dark. No worries though, it would be easy for someone to find you, and it is 100% safe.
I have a beautiful dress, created by Venus. My bridesmaids and Maid of Honor have fabulously cute dresses Custom creations from Kathleen’s Bridal. (I kept in mind whether or not I would want to wear this dress in public when I was choosing the details. They are rockin’.) The color scheme for the tuxedos is taken care of. Now it’s just fittings, and reservations for the boys.
The honeymoon is about to be paid off! That’s a big step. We’re heading out for a nine day cruise to the Mexican Riviera. The reason we chose a cruise was they are all inclusive and inexpensive as far as vacations go. If you are looking to relax, then a hotel or resort may be on top of your list. The only problem I found with hotels is that they are generally not going to include many of the things that you are going to need such as food, and entertainment variety. They usually cater to one form of entertainment or another. With a cruise, you always have a view, you have a pool on the ship, there are multiple lounges that you can go to for entertainment, and if you are feeling extra adventurous, there are shore excursions that they can book for you for a little extra. There is food 24 hours a day, and on top of it all for a 7 day cruise you can find state rooms as low as 500/person on most major cruise lines. Whether or not you want to spring for a balcony, or suite, is completely up to you and your soon to be spouse.
All of the other details like cake, and catering are falling into place. The decorations are fairly set now. Let’s schedule some Bridals, and some spa days, and I should be good. If there are any questions about any aspect of our wedding that I haven’t touched on, by all means, please ask . I would be thrilled to answer them. I do still have some fabulous how to videos coming up, as well as some fab photos of all the goings on in our world right now. I’ll get on posting them, but it has been a semi hectic couple of weeks.
As always, thanks for reading!
I think that there was a definite reason that Miss Frizzle was always saying let’s get messy. For the next little while, I’m going to don the mantle of Miss. Frazzle, and with much conviction declare it time to get Stressy! I’m definitely starting to feel overwhelmed because we are getting into the final stretch of things. It’s alright though, I’ve got my checklist, and we’re checking things off every day.
What is our most recent accomplishment? Today, we picked our invitations up! YAY! Party time!
They are amazing! Thank you again Collette and Beautiful Wedding Announcements. You guys rock!
* If you would like to see what Collette can do for you, please check out the link to the right.*
The hardest thing for me lately is just remembering that I’m not in it alone, that John is there right alongside me, and that I still have time. It’s not too late until it’s over. The most important things are taken care of.
We have a venue for everything that we need. The ceremony and sealing themselves will be in the Bountiful Temple. The luncheon will be it a church nearby, and the reception will be at Wheeler Historic Farm’s Activity Barn. It is a wonderful venue. They are competitively priced for rentals, and they don’t have as many restrictions as many other venues. They don’t have a preferred list for vendors (cake, catering, decorating), and they don’t require you to set up and take down within four hours like many venues. The grounds are great. They are well kept, and maintained daily, and they are vast. You could get lost on the grounds if you wandered away in the dark. No worries though, it would be easy for someone to find you, and it is 100% safe.
I have a beautiful dress, created by Venus. My bridesmaids and Maid of Honor have fabulously cute dresses Custom creations from Kathleen’s Bridal. (I kept in mind whether or not I would want to wear this dress in public when I was choosing the details. They are rockin’.) The color scheme for the tuxedos is taken care of. Now it’s just fittings, and reservations for the boys.
The honeymoon is about to be paid off! That’s a big step. We’re heading out for a nine day cruise to the Mexican Riviera. The reason we chose a cruise was they are all inclusive and inexpensive as far as vacations go. If you are looking to relax, then a hotel or resort may be on top of your list. The only problem I found with hotels is that they are generally not going to include many of the things that you are going to need such as food, and entertainment variety. They usually cater to one form of entertainment or another. With a cruise, you always have a view, you have a pool on the ship, there are multiple lounges that you can go to for entertainment, and if you are feeling extra adventurous, there are shore excursions that they can book for you for a little extra. There is food 24 hours a day, and on top of it all for a 7 day cruise you can find state rooms as low as 500/person on most major cruise lines. Whether or not you want to spring for a balcony, or suite, is completely up to you and your soon to be spouse.
All of the other details like cake, and catering are falling into place. The decorations are fairly set now. Let’s schedule some Bridals, and some spa days, and I should be good. If there are any questions about any aspect of our wedding that I haven’t touched on, by all means, please ask . I would be thrilled to answer them. I do still have some fabulous how to videos coming up, as well as some fab photos of all the goings on in our world right now. I’ll get on posting them, but it has been a semi hectic couple of weeks.
As always, thanks for reading!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Sweet Chaos
I feel like an over used Mr. Clean Eraser (Which are fabulous when they're new by the way). Between working the graveyard shift and trying to get things situated for the wedding, I'm worn out. My feet hurt, my back hurts, I don't sleep, and for those around me, well... I'm sorry I'm such a beast lately. Let's recap what's going on.
First, and most importantly, we're getting ready to close on a house. This can be tedious, but our realtor has made it fabulous! (If you would like his information, feel free to comment, and I'll send it to you. He has been amazing. From finding us exactly what we wanted, to being willing to work with our abnormal sleep schedule, Mike has really gone the extra mile. I would reccomend him to anyone. )
I digress.
Everything is coming together for our house, and we are looking to close next month. The inspection is done, and the offer has been accepted. John and I are about two steps from having a home of our own. Wonderful right? We think so. :)
We've scoped out a lot of houses, and we've come to love this one. I don't want to jinx it too much by posting pictures, so I'll give you just a brief description for the moment. It's a five bed three bath home, that has just be remodled in a spectacular manner. There are so many upgraded features. Granite counter tops in the bathrooms, and brand new tile throughout. Hardwood floors, and fresh crown and base molding. Canned lighting, and new sod. Don't even get me sctarted on the kitchen! It's b-e-a-utiful! Stainless steal appliances, and brand new cabinets! I'm in heaven.
Now you're asking, "why on earth would you buy a house like that right out of the gate?" I will tell you. It is a buyers market! I reccomend going out and buying a house right now! Right this second! Get on it! When you can find great houses like this for the same price as a two bedroom apartment, why the heck not? It just makes sense. Just be prepared to put in the man hours, and don't assume you'll find what you want right away. It can take a little while.
Second, wedding plans. I've been fairly vague about the actual plans because I'd like to surprise every one with how fabulous it is, but let me tell you, there are some fabulous things coming your way.
We have set the date for October 6, 2011. Yes, it's a Thursday, and we can't be more excited! We've picked out a color scheme (pink, orange and yellow) and we've reserved a reception venue (Wheeler Historic Farm). Oh yeah, it's going to be on a farm. I absolutely can't wait to show everyone how rockin' a barn can be. The invitations are almost done, and will be sent out in the next few weeks. It's getting close to crunch time. I'm starting to get those butterflies in the pit of my stomach that make we wonder if it will all work out, but with faith, and a little perseverence, I'm sure that it will be perfect!
I've got to go and get some sleep, but let me assure you that great thing will be bursting from this blog in the next few weeks. From house pictures, to moving stories (John's family is moving back to Utah, and I'm stoked!), and subdued bridezilla-esque rants to DIY videos, it's going to be great, and I can't wait to show everyone how it comes together!
Until the next post, Have a great day!
First, and most importantly, we're getting ready to close on a house. This can be tedious, but our realtor has made it fabulous! (If you would like his information, feel free to comment, and I'll send it to you. He has been amazing. From finding us exactly what we wanted, to being willing to work with our abnormal sleep schedule, Mike has really gone the extra mile. I would reccomend him to anyone. )
I digress.
Everything is coming together for our house, and we are looking to close next month. The inspection is done, and the offer has been accepted. John and I are about two steps from having a home of our own. Wonderful right? We think so. :)
We've scoped out a lot of houses, and we've come to love this one. I don't want to jinx it too much by posting pictures, so I'll give you just a brief description for the moment. It's a five bed three bath home, that has just be remodled in a spectacular manner. There are so many upgraded features. Granite counter tops in the bathrooms, and brand new tile throughout. Hardwood floors, and fresh crown and base molding. Canned lighting, and new sod. Don't even get me sctarted on the kitchen! It's b-e-a-utiful! Stainless steal appliances, and brand new cabinets! I'm in heaven.
Now you're asking, "why on earth would you buy a house like that right out of the gate?" I will tell you. It is a buyers market! I reccomend going out and buying a house right now! Right this second! Get on it! When you can find great houses like this for the same price as a two bedroom apartment, why the heck not? It just makes sense. Just be prepared to put in the man hours, and don't assume you'll find what you want right away. It can take a little while.
Second, wedding plans. I've been fairly vague about the actual plans because I'd like to surprise every one with how fabulous it is, but let me tell you, there are some fabulous things coming your way.
We have set the date for October 6, 2011. Yes, it's a Thursday, and we can't be more excited! We've picked out a color scheme (pink, orange and yellow) and we've reserved a reception venue (Wheeler Historic Farm). Oh yeah, it's going to be on a farm. I absolutely can't wait to show everyone how rockin' a barn can be. The invitations are almost done, and will be sent out in the next few weeks. It's getting close to crunch time. I'm starting to get those butterflies in the pit of my stomach that make we wonder if it will all work out, but with faith, and a little perseverence, I'm sure that it will be perfect!
I've got to go and get some sleep, but let me assure you that great thing will be bursting from this blog in the next few weeks. From house pictures, to moving stories (John's family is moving back to Utah, and I'm stoked!), and subdued bridezilla-esque rants to DIY videos, it's going to be great, and I can't wait to show everyone how it comes together!
Until the next post, Have a great day!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Wedding Plans
I've been finding that the hardest part of planning a wedding is actually deciding what you want. Luckily, John and I have agreed on just about everything. We've got the place picked out. we've got a color scheme. We've got food, decorations, and music. And now we've got a registry or two. Engagement photos have been taken, and the dress has been paid for. The honeymoon is booked, and now it's time to sit tight and enjoy the ride.
For anyone who might be looking for some ideas, I'm going to leave the links to a lot of the sights that I have used over on the side in Notable Links. I'm also going to leave a brief description below so that you can check out the ones that interest you.
First of all, let me throw a shout out to Drake Photography and Design. All of the fabulous photos seen on this page have been taken by RaShea Drake, owner of Drake Photography and Design. She is amazing! If you are looking for somone who is going to go the extra mile to make sure that your photos are fabulous, she is the person to go with. There's no other way that I could get photos like these.
Second, I have to give some recognition to Beautiful Wedding Announcements. Collette is amazing! She is the face of Beautiful Wedding Announcements and can do Fabulous things with anything that you've got to work with. everything she does is totally affordable, and whether you're looking for 50 invitations or 500, one sided, or tri-fold, she's got it!
Finally, (for now) I've got to throw a link out to Express It with Vinyl. Also amazing things! So many fonts, and colors! really go check it out! The possibilities here are endless! I'll attach a facebook page for this, make sure to "like" it!
Alright, same as before, stay tuned and I'll let you in on a few more secrets.
For anyone who might be looking for some ideas, I'm going to leave the links to a lot of the sights that I have used over on the side in Notable Links. I'm also going to leave a brief description below so that you can check out the ones that interest you.
First of all, let me throw a shout out to Drake Photography and Design. All of the fabulous photos seen on this page have been taken by RaShea Drake, owner of Drake Photography and Design. She is amazing! If you are looking for somone who is going to go the extra mile to make sure that your photos are fabulous, she is the person to go with. There's no other way that I could get photos like these.
Second, I have to give some recognition to Beautiful Wedding Announcements. Collette is amazing! She is the face of Beautiful Wedding Announcements and can do Fabulous things with anything that you've got to work with. everything she does is totally affordable, and whether you're looking for 50 invitations or 500, one sided, or tri-fold, she's got it!
Finally, (for now) I've got to throw a link out to Express It with Vinyl. Also amazing things! So many fonts, and colors! really go check it out! The possibilities here are endless! I'll attach a facebook page for this, make sure to "like" it!
Alright, same as before, stay tuned and I'll let you in on a few more secrets.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
If you wondered how it happened
It's not a tragedy like Romeo and Juliet, or Cleopatra and Mark Antony. It's not a forbidden love like Lancelot and Guinevere, or Tristan and Isolde. It's just a story of two friends who fell in love.
It happened one night at ARUP. I was a very new processor (just out of training)and I got a particularly nasty batch of work. I didn't realize that with this particular client, it was easier to take both the frozen and refrigerated portions of the work. I took the refrigerated portion, and had all kids of problems. I had samples with no paperwork, and paperwork with no samples, and I had brought in a test that I had neither a sample nor the paperwork for. I had to find the samples, and the paperwork that I was missing. My search led me to a set of brothers sitting on the opposite side of my row.
At first, I felt a little silly, but then the more mistakes I thought I made, the worse I felt. I ended up beign totally embarrassed. I was sure that this guy was completely annoyed, and probably hated me for making his night so difficult.
I didn't think much of it at the time other than that, because I wasn't on the market. It turns out he wasn't really looking either. I saw a good looking guy, who had absolutley no interest in my ignnorance for the job we both shared, and I was bent on not running into him anymore. He saw a cute girl who (somehow) intimidated and intrigued him, but was already taken.
Over the next few weeks, John and I ran into each other a few more times, and I soon became friend with the two brothers. Over the next few months, the three of us became good friends. The relationship that I was in was sputtering, and eventually ended, but not before John and Justin could start dating sisters. I attempted to date, but it didn't work out too well for me. John and I attempted to hang out a couple of times, and eventually ended up having a movie night at my apartment. It was fun, but John still had a girlfriend (or so I thought). * huge side note here... This is the one time it would have been a great idea to pry into someone's personal life. Assuming that John still had a grilfriend, I started dating someone else. It was only then that I found out John had been single for a little while. I had no reason to dump the guy I had just started dating, so I gave credit to bad timing and thought, "If it's meant to be, it will happen."
A year later, it happened. John and I finally went on a date. From there, everything came together at light speed. We dated, and quickly fell in love. It's been amazing! Of course, there are the less amazing moments, but they are definitely outweighed by the moments when we can just sit and talk. Sometimes, the best moments have no words. Just John and I, together.
It happened one night at ARUP. I was a very new processor (just out of training)and I got a particularly nasty batch of work. I didn't realize that with this particular client, it was easier to take both the frozen and refrigerated portions of the work. I took the refrigerated portion, and had all kids of problems. I had samples with no paperwork, and paperwork with no samples, and I had brought in a test that I had neither a sample nor the paperwork for. I had to find the samples, and the paperwork that I was missing. My search led me to a set of brothers sitting on the opposite side of my row.
At first, I felt a little silly, but then the more mistakes I thought I made, the worse I felt. I ended up beign totally embarrassed. I was sure that this guy was completely annoyed, and probably hated me for making his night so difficult.
I didn't think much of it at the time other than that, because I wasn't on the market. It turns out he wasn't really looking either. I saw a good looking guy, who had absolutley no interest in my ignnorance for the job we both shared, and I was bent on not running into him anymore. He saw a cute girl who (somehow) intimidated and intrigued him, but was already taken.
Over the next few weeks, John and I ran into each other a few more times, and I soon became friend with the two brothers. Over the next few months, the three of us became good friends. The relationship that I was in was sputtering, and eventually ended, but not before John and Justin could start dating sisters. I attempted to date, but it didn't work out too well for me. John and I attempted to hang out a couple of times, and eventually ended up having a movie night at my apartment. It was fun, but John still had a girlfriend (or so I thought). * huge side note here... This is the one time it would have been a great idea to pry into someone's personal life. Assuming that John still had a grilfriend, I started dating someone else. It was only then that I found out John had been single for a little while. I had no reason to dump the guy I had just started dating, so I gave credit to bad timing and thought, "If it's meant to be, it will happen."
A year later, it happened. John and I finally went on a date. From there, everything came together at light speed. We dated, and quickly fell in love. It's been amazing! Of course, there are the less amazing moments, but they are definitely outweighed by the moments when we can just sit and talk. Sometimes, the best moments have no words. Just John and I, together.
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