Memorial Day Weekend.

By complete and utter chance, Nate got half the day Saturday, Sunday and Monday off call!! We made a quick trip to Boise with it and took our engagement pictures (and downed an entire pizza on the drive)!!! I am so excited and relieved they are done! We can't wait to see the finished products, I know there are some super cute ones, and probably some not as cute ones too! It was a great weekend and I was just loving having Nate around. I don't realize just how much I miss him until he's gone! I also seem to forget just how cute my nephews are!

 driving to Boise! It had been 19 days since I'd seen this boy!

just trying out the ties we ordered...still not totally sure what we think.

the cutest nephew in the world wearing Nate's boots...watching him walk in them was the best!
Our drive back was fantastic, we had a really great conversation concerning church and family, including our future family, and building and maintaining our relationship. We covered a lot and I am so glad we are on the same page about raising a family, staying married, etc.
I am so grateful for Nate and for the way he was raised. More importantly I think, I am grateful for the way he came to be. His story of gaining a testimony and wanting to live better really inspires me. I've heard it multiple times and we've talked in depth about it, but for some reason it just really hit me this time that he really is amazing and nothing will stop him from doing and getting what he wants. There has clearly always been someone looking out for him and watching over him and pushing him to do better. And for that I am truly grateful because I think he turned out just right!
And then there's me...I'm turning into such a baby! I was completely fine up until the point he got into his truck to head back to Utah and then I couldn't help it, i bawled (:
145 days.

day 4.

the laundry room debacle.

Friday May 18, 2012

Well I thought that it was going to be another boring night at home watching One Tree Hill. And boy was I wrong!
About 9:30pm I decided I should do some laundry. I have only ever done laundry here one time prior to this. But the dirty clothes pile was stacking up, so I decided to do 2 quick loads. I did some whites just fine and then made the terrible decision to start a load of darks (first mistake). I shoved the clothes in, poured in detergent, started the washing machine, and closed the door (second mistake).
Let me explain our laundry room real quick, its just a small room. The door opens inward from the right. Up against the right hand wall is the washer and then the dryer is next to it in the back corner. There's a shelf above for all our detergent, and thats the whole room.
Back to the debacle.
I start the dryer of whites and then the washing machine with darks. I go back upstairs where I'm in the zone working on wedding invitations! I can hear the washing machine downstairs spinning very loudly, but didn't think much of it (you got it, another mistake).
Finally, about 10:45pm I go downstairs to change the laundry. I try to open the door and wont open! What the heck?? I push with my whole body and it opens about 3 inches. Enough for me to see in and see the the washing machine shook so hard it has moved up from against the wall and is now in front of the door blocking it from opening!
This cannot be good, I think to myself.
I reach my arm through the 3 inch opening and try to push the machine back against the wall but alas, it is old and HEAVY and I can't even move it one centimeter! My first idea is to get the broom and try to push it back with the handle. I am pushing will all my might and it is not moving. Then I realize that the lip around the top of the washing machine is stuck on the other side of the doorknob. I realize I must take the doorknob off to even be able to have a shot at this.
Now, allow me to digress for a moment and tell you how the Lord totally played a part in this.
So I have a tackle box in my room that I've carted around with me since I graduated from high school. It is home to all sorts of odds and ends that one might need when living away from home; needle and thread, paperclips, thumb tacks, hammer, duct tape, measuring tape, and USUALLY a screwdriver. Well earlier in the day I was at work and one of the girls knew I kept a volleyball in the trunk of my car and wanted to play. So I got it out and she noticed two little bags and asked what they were. One was a first aid kit and one was an emergency roadside kit. We went through both and randomly my screwdriver was in he roadside kit. I even commented that it was weird and I never would have known it was in there if she hadn't wanted to look. It meant nothing at the time but meant EVERYTHING when my laundry room door wouldn't open more that a few inches!
It was by now at least 11:15pm. My only thought is that I must get the doorknob off! I go upstairs to see if i have another screwdriver in my box. Hello! It's dark outside and I'm a girl ALONE! The last thing I want to do is go out to the dark parking lot, by myself! No luck, the only screwdriver I know of is in the trunk of my car (and yes, I searched my WHOLE house looking for another one). I run out to my car and grab it as fast as I can and then run back inside and lock the door! Ok, I can totally do this!
3 things make this feat of removing the doorknob a little more challenging than originally anticipated:
1. the screws are on the inside. Therefore I cannot see what I am doing.
2. I am left handed. Because the doorknob is on the right I have to do this with my right hand and no visual.
3. the screws on the door are for a phillips screwdriver. All I have is a flathead.
Ugh.
20 minutes later = SUCCESS! I got the knob off!
I reached through the crack and pushed some more. It was now sooo much easier to push until...I push it as far as I can with my arm. I cant reach anymore to push and the door is still blocked by about 1/2 inch of washing machine!!
It's now 11:45pm and in walks my roommate. Our conversation went something like this:
her: uhh...watcha doin?
me: oh, go ahead and try to get in the laundry room
her (pushing on the door): what the hell?!
me: yup.
then we both just stood there and stared.
and then she busted up laughing as i tell her what happened and how long I've been working on this for.
she tries to reach to push and cant reach either.
I get the broom again and push and it moves a little but not enough. She grabs on and helps and FINALLY success! The door swings open!
I am beyond relieved! Not to mention my arms are both all sorts of scraped up, hurting, and red. But I am sweating hardcore too. That was a tough job!
I spent the next 20 minutes trying to put the doorknob back on which, surprisingly, was a lot easier when i couldnt see it!
Moral of the story: never close the door when doing laundry, no matter how loud it is!

Here's a not very good picture of my arm and hand the next day. Too bad you cant see all the little cuts and scratches!

I also have bruises on both my elbows but didnt take pictures of those.
AND today I woke up with VERY sore muscles throughout my shoulders and hands.
Quite a nice spontaneous workout that I'd like to never do again :)

Mother's Day.

I know mother's day was technically yesterday, but this weekend was just a little too crazy at the parents house, but I knew I at least needed to acknowledge my mother.
We've never had the best relationship, but we've never had the worst either. I think now is the closest I've ever been with my mom. When I go home to visit on weekends, all I want to do is hang out with my family (can honestly say I never thought that day would come).
With all the stress of tearing up the backyard, buying a new car, and still doing all the other motherly things she does, my mom has still been so on top of this wedding and it makes me so happy that she cares so much. She has checked out books from the library and even bought me a book about wedding! She has not only LOOKED at all my pinterest ideas, or other random ideas, but she even liked one of them and wanted to take on the task of making the cake toppers herself!
She's also helped make up the mock announcements and bought the stamps that made it happen! :)
My mother has always been there for me and I know that, but I am so much more thankful that she's been excited to help with this wedding, and has gone along with pretty much any idea I've wanted!
My mom is the best and I love her!
heres the most recent family picture...braydens on the other side of the computer:)

SERIOUS BRIDES ONLY!

So I had a rather unpleasant experience today that is rather funny, however also a bit insulting.
Here is how it all went down:
A friend and I planned to go to IF to look at wedding dresses on Saturday. She had just picked out her dress and it was waiting at Margene's Bridal for alterations. We decided we might as well look there because I wanted to see her dress, and they also carry modest dresses! It was a win-win.
I called the store to make an appointment and this is how our conversation played out:
Lady: Margene's how can I help you?
Me: Hi, I just wondered if I could make an appointment to look at dresses for Saturday afternoon?
Lady: Oh, can I have you hold on for 2 seconds? It will just be 2 seconds, I'll be right back!
(wait on hold for 2 minutes)
Lady: Ok, you want to make an appointment to look at dresses?
Me: Yes.
Lady: Well...so...uh...have you looked at dresses before?
Me: Yes.
Lady: So have you looked around? Are you still looking around or you're ready to buy?
Me: Um...still looking I guess?
Lady: Have you been to Margene's before?
Me: Yes.
Lady: This location?
Me: No, in Boise.
Lady: Recently?
Me: No.
Lady: Oh! Have you been to the new location (wait, didn't I JUST answer this)? It's gorgeous, and such a great location! Do you have a date already?
Me: Yes, October 20.
Lady: And where are you getting married?
Me: Arizona.
Lady: Not in Boise?
Me: No.
Lady: Are you from Arizona?
Me: No, he is.
Lady: Who is?
Me: My fiancee is.
Lady: Oh, right the Boise temple is closed.
Me: Uh, yea (only in my head I'm thinking, who's to say we're even getting married in the temple?! And actually it WILL be open by then thank you!).
Lady: Well, Saturday's are really reserved for our serious brides. The one's who are ready to buy their dresses. It's already so late in the game (I'm getting married in 5 months and 15 days, I wouldn't call this late in the game) so we couldn't even order you a dress and have it be here on time. I actually have a dress for a girl that's stuck in customs. They just wont let it through, it's just sitting there waiting, we're not even sure if she will get it by her wedding, she has to come up with a backup plan, blah blah blah (lady, why are you telling me this?) blah blah. So you see Saturday's are just so busy-
Me: Ok, well then I will just go somewhere else.
-click-

I was a little thrown off by this, what wedding dress shop, or wedding anything turns away business?? I thought that was nuts! She never asked my schedule or if there was another time I could come in, she didn't try to accommodate me at all. She didn't know my schedule and that I get 1 Saturday a month off, or that I live an hour away and work 2 jobs from about 8-9am until 7-8pm at night.
I understand that Saturday is their money making and busiest day, but you'd think they would want as many prospective buyers as possible. More prospects = more possibly $$
I was just surprised at the way it happened, sure the lady was trying to be friendly, but I didn't want to hear about some other brides dress fiasco when you aren't even going to try to help resolve mine.

Thanks Margene's Bridal, but no thanks. You've officially lost a customer.



(p.s. like I did with Coldstone, I sent an email :)