October/November

Things have been crazy!
We flew out to Arizona to help Holly move to Orem (to an apartment found by yours truly I might add! you're welcome!) The night before we had our own little pre-adventure when I forced my mom and Brian to apply a demi-color to my hair, because I was not about to walk into Tiffany & Co in Scottsdale with unblended roots. They were troopers and did a pretty good job! We flew out bright and early the next morning. I hate flying. I really really hate flying. And that body scanner that I always have to go through.
Anyway, we landed and went to go pick up our rental car which was definitely a Lincoln Town Car - Mafia Edition. The thing was black and black leather, had a glove compartment that could easily accomodate your tommy gun, and a roomy truck that could fit 5-6 bodies comfortably. We were pretty embarrassed to drive off in it. After some light packing and planning we all piled into the Godfather-mobile and drove out to Sedona to see the beautiful scenery and have old gypsy women read our futures.
We decided to pass on the gypsies and take some weird-angled pictures next to the garbage can by the public bathrooms...we were really tiredI really don't remember why or how we took this picture. I'm just surprised my dad didn't make it any of the other 5 shots I have of this exact pose.
The next day the guys went golfing at some ritzy place they were definitely not dressed for and we headed off to Scottsdale to shop and pick up cupcakes from Sprinkles for later. (yummy!!!) I'd like to take this opportunity to start a petition to bring Charming Charlies to Utah.
Seriously.
We should all write letters to get this accessory shop here as soon as possible.
After meeting back up at Holly's apartment for a cupcake break and some light packing, we went out for even MORE shopping. Poor Brian thought he had gotten out of it, but no. He at least got rewarded by going to Lucille's for some tasty BBQ after. Sooooooo good!!!
The next day was moving day. The moving truck got picked up, the boxes got loaded, and we were on our way by early afternoon. Brian and I were the lucky drivers of the Budget and took advantage of our chance to be truckers!
Ok, so 44 oz cokes and junk food was as trucker as we got, but we had planned on hats, sunflower seeds, and walkie-talkies. We drove to Vegas that night and Holly got her first taste of sin city. Pretty much all that happened was that I got us lost in Ceasar's Palace and we ate at the Cheesecake Factory. Whoo-whooo!
The next day we drove to Orem and unpacked the truck, then Brian and I headed off to Riverton for our first 'slow move-in' weekend. We couldn't move from Provo until the last week of October, so we decided to spend weekends at the house trying to get things semi-ready for us to move in. We are living in the basement while finishing it, which is its own little adventure. In the 2-ish months we have been working on it we have finished the outside entrance, framing, wiring/plumbing, insulation, and as of tonight I officially have drywall on the ceilings and 2 large walls. I talk about all that like I actually had some part in it. I didn't.
Our goal (which I was reminded of by Brian's falsetto rendition of "If you like Pina Coladas" from the chair behind me) is to be finished with the basement by our cruise in February, so we are double excited for that vacation!
Speaking of Brian, while I was packing I took the opportunity to go through all of Brian's boxes that have been packed since before we got married. The contents of one box were pretty interesting -

a LARGE flashlight with dead batteries

Bullets


Fireworks


Equipment for 5 different sports(not pictured - one sad looking mostly deflated volleyball)


one sock


construction books


dryer sheets


an unopened disposable camera


full camo


a hand-crank flashlight


a plaster replica of his upper jaw (who keeps these things?!!)



one 2002 olympic sockstrange, since Brian was in Brasil during the olympics



2 functional calculators and 1 nonfunctional



a knife, 2 sets of keys, a wrench set, tape, and, of course, Mardi Gras beads


hand warmers


wooden pen in wooden box


floss, naturally


A sticker from the 2007 playoffs


and, last but certainly not least, a single use drug test
when asked about this, Brian claimed he was saving it to test me

I don't know why these items were all kept in the same box or what he could possibly be saving them for. Living in the woods to escape arrest? World-wide epidemic? Breakdown of civilization as we know it?? Zombie Apocolypse???

I don't know, and I choose not to think about it anymore - especially that drug test.
Whatever it is, he's prepared.

chugging along

I am awesome at posting. Maybe if there were something exciting to post about I'd be better.

So pretty much we're just slowly making our way through our time here in Provo. Its an exciting life. I asked Brian if there was anything exciting that happened that we should post about and after a lot of thought he told me that nothing exciting or good ever happens to us. Little melodramatic there Bri, but true.
Its been life as usual around here, Brian has been working, I've been going to school. I've been trying to rack up as many hours as possible so I can graduate by the end of August. This means I've had to help out with a couple of Design Team events, exhausting but so much fun! Two weeks ago I got to go to the South Towne Expo for Women's Night...Pampering...whatever they called it. We were there doing hair, make up, and nails. Needless to say we met a lot of characters, one of which being Mary from TLC's 'Sister Wives'. She came with her sisters and mother, and man alive they were a hoot! (also fun to spy walking around to different booths. so weird to see them out of their...natural environment?) They also had some amazing booths that we got to walk around in their spare time. My favorite was a place called M.Bellish'd. Google them. They have super cute watches, belts, and a hat that I NEED (and yes, the all caps was neccessary). All the booths had such good deals! I want to go again next year, and actually bring money to spend. They also had a zumba class that funny Judy, the teacher in charge of the design team, forced us all to participate in. Forced as in grabbed us all by the arm and dragged us over. Train wreck, let me tell you but soooo funny. They also had a pole dancer (WHAT?) that was demonstrating moves strictly for exercise and trying to sign people up for classes. Judy made us Zumba, so we made her pole dance. Oh that Judy...Somewhere there is an incriminating picture of all of us around a pole.
Last week i agreed to help out with a fashion show last minute put on by the Head Start Foundation. They have a yearly fundraiser to benefit the many awesome programs they have going that help children from low income families go to school. This was the first year they decided to include a fashion show in their fundraiser and it was a huge success! It was also a great experience for all of us!!! We got to work on professional models and some super cute kidos who got to represent Head Start. This year they were raising money for their new Magna facility, and we were able to help them raise over $20,000. Such a fun opportunity and an amazing cause. Loved it!

Besides that life has been pretty ordinary! We've just been working, schooling, and watching enough animal planet to make me terrified of at least 8 states and 12 different countries. Word of advice - do not watch 'Infested'. I can never live in Oregon now, Never. Arizona is also ruined for me. What is it about these shows that pulls me in? Who's the nerd that is super-geeked-out-excited for the 'Whale Wars' premiere coming up? That would be me. I love those crazy hippies! Also 'River Monsters'.
Well thats a lot about my embarrassing T.V. obsessions. Good talk everyone...and by everyone I mean mom. (Love ya Nanners!)

Sentimental

I am not often a sentimental person. When I have sentimental thoughts, I don't often share them. Maybe I'm evolving as a human being, maybe being surrounded by constant chemicals every day is getting to me, but here goes -
A couple weeks ago I was sitting at the front desk running tickets back to the clinic floor and I was thinking "Holy crap! Tomorrow I will have been married for a year!!!" In all honesty it feels so much longer than a year. Brian and I have seen each other on an almost daily basis since September of 2007. When I met him my first thoughts were, no joke, "he doesn't look as old as he is" (he was 26 at the time)
My roommate Jenny and I quickly became friends with him and his roommates. We pretty much did everything together. We watched Lost and Prison Break, watched random movies, went swimming at the hotel one of my roommates worked for, supported them in their basketball games, we were even in the same FHE group that we tried to get out of on a weekly basis since most of our activities involved 'Catch Phrase' or '2 Truths and a Lie'. From the first week of knowing Brian I knew I wanted to be his friend. He is just one of those people that gets along with EVERYONE. He was really one of my best friends. I knew I could trust him and that he'd do anything he could to help me if I needed it because thats what he did for all his friends. Our relationship slowly evolved to what it is today. Even though a lot has changed, most of the time I still feel like I'm over at apt 46 hanging out with my best friend.

So a couple weeks ago between running tickets and greeting guests, I was thinking about how much and how little has changed when I had a thought that made me have to fight back the tears pretty hard. Right before I packed up and left for college, my bishop had me come in for a little interview. We talked about where I was going and how my life was going to change, all the normal stuff. Then he asked if I was dating. I said that I wasn't at the moment and to my surprise he said was happy with that. He told me that I didn't need to be dating right now and not to stress out about it. He told me to just do what I knew was right and things would work themselves out. His exact words were "some day you'll find someone and you'll love to hang out with them, and he'll ask you to hang out forever." At the time I thought this was incredibly sappy and an awkward way for the bishop to try to use teenaged terms to better relate to me. I didn't really think about it again until now. That statement, which I shrugged off at the time, ended up being entirely true and, I believe, inspired. As sappy as I still think it is, I'm so grateful it worked out that way. I can't imagine it working out any other way for me. I don't think I could have handled it any other way. I really did get to marry my best friend.