Eight

...reminds me of the magic 8-balls I used to play with as a kid. You know the kind you relied on to tell you your future, so I asked questions like, "magic eight ball, will I marry georgie some day?" and then having my dreams shattered when it answered, "don't count on it." Oh the small dreams of elementary years.

Today I was able to check into our apartment. YES, the SPEAR residence. Wow, that sounded pretty cool. I stuck the key in, turned it, and opened the door to an empty one bedroom apartment which smelled...funny. (Go figure) I thought the place looked pretty good, but then upon closer inspection, realized how gross it really was. I just KNEW there were some places that hadn't been cleaned in years. And the toilet! Don't get me started...but I really believe that when you leave a place, you leave it better than when you found it, which is why I went to work for a few hours and came back to clean...and clean...and clean. I spent an hour and a half just on the stupid tiled tub. (I swear there were boogers still crusted on the tile...) Anyways, I'll save you any other details to the uncleanliness of our new apartment. But just know, that by the time I'm through, you'll be able to eat off the floor in safety. It really was exciting to be in our new place though. Crazy, but wonderful. It still hasn't hit me I'm getting married.

Daniel got off work early, packed up the car with our new (yet, old) full sized bed and drove his little hiney up to Provo. (Which made us both deliriously happy.) I showed him the new place, he didn't think it was too bad, and thanked me for the wonderful cleaning job. Then, I told him about the leak under the sink...and the fact that we had no hot water or hot air...he said he would fix that. I love my man.

Oh, and I made another cake. I think that makes like...6?

Nine

Did any of you ever see the movie 9? I remember being so excited to see it, and then coming out thinking..."what the heck?" But then, I remembered it was a Tim Burton movie and the world was right again. (Thank goodness for those people that think of the craziest ideas.) Anyways, I just remembered that movie when I was writing this post. It really has nothing to do with what Daniel or I did today.

Well, my boss came in yesterday and told me that he wasn't coming to work today due to the insane-ness of Women's Conference so he didn't expect me to come in either. (I have a wonderful boss.) So, I took full advantage of the morning and went running with my sister. I did a wonderful 3 miles, before I decided I was done for the day. I also made another cake (whoopie! I'm on to like 4 now.) After that, I headed on over to the good old dentist to get some more cavities filled. (but good news, the dental assistant said I must have been born under the lucky starts because I only have 3 wisdom teeth instead of 4. Wow. I'm SO lucky. Funny...I think being lucky would mean that I didn't have ANY.) I then struggled to eat anything for the rest of the day.

Daniel, being the live-wire that he is, worked...pretty much ALL day.

Ten

I decided to do a 10 day count down until Daniel and I are married...meaning, I'll just write what we did the 10 days leading up to the end of our single lives as we know it. Exciting, right? Well...I guess we'll just have to see. It is quite the adventure for sure. Today is April 28, 2010. I worked, made a cake (did I mention I'm making 15 of them for my own wedding?), and talked longingly on the phone to Dan. (I hate this long distance thing.) Dan pretty much did the same thing except making a cake, and probably did some yard work, or some TV watching. Poor kid, he's just so lonely with out me.

On the more interesting note, my boss finally got back from England and gave me some delicious toffee. In fact, it was probably the best toffee I've ever had. Thank you, boss.

Ragnar Relay

I'm a little bit excited because today I hit a pretty big milestone. I ran 4 miles, which is farther than I've ever run before. You might ask, Why? Well, I'll tell you. A couple of months ago, me, my sister, and my sister-in-law were looking for a half marathon we could run together. But because of my wedding, we couldn't find one that fit all of our schedules. Then, one day, my sister and I found out about the Ragnar Relay - 2 days, 188 miles, from Logan to Park City in teams of 12 people. You could say we were pretty excited about it, even though it sounds a bit challenging. I agreed to do it, even though I was busy with school, didn't know I'd be getting sick, or having surgery, and knew I was getting married a month before the actual race. Let's just say, I'm a little bit behind in training. I'm so grateful for a sister who pushes me to do more than I thought I was capable of. So, on June 19th and 20th, I'll be running a little over 16 miles. Call me crazy, but I think it sounds like the funnest, most amazing accomplishment. And come on, what's more exciting than driving in a van with others who love running just as much, or more than you for two days, catching some rest in parks along the way, and just being on a team? Um...maybe Disneyland...but that's out of my budget until Daniel and I become millionaires.

Daniel, who is the awesome future husband he is, volunteered to be a van driver so he can be with me every step of the way. Now how's that for committed? I love him muchly. I can't believe that in two weeks, we'll be sealed for time and all eternity. I couldn't be more excited, or happy. I've never felt so right about anything in my life. I'm always surprised by how similar Daniel and I are. I love it. Thank you St. George for spitting out the man of my dreams.

Next week: running down provo canyon for almost a full hour...wish me luck.

"Bridezilla"

Yes, apparently I have become what I most dreaded. Sorry everyone for my short temper, stressful aura, and wanting things "my way." Is it too late to elope? It is? Well dang. I'll be better. I promise.

To those I've offended, hurt, or spoke wrongly to, I am terribly sorry. Sometimes my brutal honesty can get me in trouble, or the fact that I want things "my way." Just please be understanding when I tell you I have way too many things on my plate and way too many people to please at this time...which means I end up pleasing no one.

That's all.

Finals

So things have been really hectic lately with wedding plans, work, group projects, and trying to study for finals. I kinda envy Daniel right now because he only has one final to worry about. But because of that, he's been picking up my slack in the wedding area. He does a lot of stuff I can't find the time to do, and I'm so grateful for him. We only have a few weeks left of this engagement thing, and I couldn't be happier! I'm SO ready to be married. We send out our announcements this week! Daniel and I haven't seen each other since Conference weekend and probably won't be able to see each other until I go through the Temple on May 1st. It's slightly depressing, but he has to be at work, and I have things to do here. We figure once we see each other it will be all the sweeter...right? I'm feeling like I'm going to skip out on a final early just to see him...or skip out on work and spend money I don't have on gas just so I can take a trip down. Talking on the phone doesn't cut it for me. I need a hug. If anyone is reading this who is single, NEVER have a long distance engagement. The end. So here's some pictures my cousin worked on from our engagement photo shoot.

You'll just have to wait and see which ones will be on our announcement!

Bridals

I think I might have had one of the best weekends of my entire life. Yes, I know that's saying a lot, but Disneyland didn't even compare to the happiness I had this last weekend. It just finally seemed that things were starting to click the last couple of days. I haven't felt this good about the marriage thing for a very long time. The mono I was diagnosed with almost 2 months ago is pretty much gone and I've recovered from surgery, so now I can start living my life again! I'll never take my health for granted again.

This weekend I travelled down to St. George for some Bridal shots with my loved one. I mean who can resist dawning their white wedding dress and taking pictures against the beautiful red rocks?! I couldn't, and neither could my cousin photographer who offered to come down. So, on Friday I prepared to take my bridals. I made my own bouquet, of course, and I just wanted to thank Costco for being so wonderfully cheap and having the best flowers. My homemade bouquet looked something like this:

We had some trouble with the weather down there, and so for the first night of shooting we went to one of my favorite places - the Jacob Hamblin home. I used to run there all the time when I lived with my parents. It just so happened that the tree blossoms were in full bloom and it was quite gorgeous! We ignored the many shouts from the cars that drove by and had a fun time taking some bridals. They turned out kinda like this:

LOVE IT! No, seriously. I'm in love with my pictures. And it's not because I like looking at myself. It's because I think my cousin is an AWESOME photographer and can make anything look absolutely stunning. (even me.) So after we got the shots by the blooming trees, we headed over to the St. George Tabernacle and got my favorite shot.

See what I mean? He knows how to make me look good. It's quite amazing.

The next morning we planned to get up before the crack of dawn and head to Snow Canyon to take pictures of the red rock. Little did we know it would be FREEZING cold, and the wind would be worse that morning then it was the night before. But we braved the cold and wind, and came up with these lovely pictures.

Thanks for being a trooper, mom. She was an excellent umbrella holder and gave us all a good laugh.

So there you have it. We got our bridals done, and we had a good time doing it. Here's a big thank you to Michael for being such a fun photographer to work with. I hope we helped you build your arm muscles this weekend.

Not only did we get our bridals done, but Daniel's parents finally met mine! It's been a long time coming but we finally found a time where we'd all be around and everyone was in good health. Daniel and I were a little nervous about the whole thing, but I was just too tired to care after awhile, and he got over it pretty quickly once he saw how our mom's got into easy conversation and our dad's talked about their boy bands from the younger years. It turned out to be a blast. I'm excited to marry into such an awesome family. I love Dan's parents and can't wait to be around them more.

Today I've just had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my family, my friends, and those who are so willing to help with the wedding. Daniel is always willing to make phone calls, go shopping, ANYTHING if it meant that it would make me less worried. While I was at a baby shower on Saturday, he washed my car, filled it up with gas, and then checked all the tires without me even asking. I love how much he cares about me and my safety. I love that he's so protective. During our photo shoot on Saturday morning in the canyon, I started turning blue because it was so cold - he saw how cold I was and said we were going to wrap it up because I was going to get hypothermia, and gave me his jacket while letting me use him for warmth in between shots. I love this kid with all my heart. Okay, enough of cheese. But I really do want to thank anyone who is reading this who has been an amazing friend, a good relative, and a caring sibling. Thank you Susie for helping with all the shopping! It was you who found the perfect tie - Dan loved it. Thank you mom and dad for pretty much everything. I'm amazed at the amount you sacrifice for your children and the well-being of others. Thank you Jay and Kenz for giving me shelter and food. I owe you guys babysitting for the rest of my life. Thank you Daniel's parents for accepting me so readily and working so hard to make the open house wonderful! Thank you Kellen for working hard on the invitations. Thank you Jenny for doing my hair for pictures. Thank you Lindsey for being by my side for the last 3 or 4 years...wait how long has it been? You've gotten me through a lot, and I'm so glad you'll be there at my wedding. Thank you to all those who are planning showers for me in the next month. And last, but not least, Thank you Michael for taking such wonderful pictures and being so flexible! I love you all.