Bring Back Amaretto Ice Cream

This is my plead to Cold Stone Creamery to bring back Amaretto ice cream. I have $35 in gift cards that I would gladly spend on it since my current favorite, cake batter with cookie dough is listed as the worst thing to eat there in the book, "Eat This, Not That." How come everything that is bad for you, tastes so good?

Bountiful Cold Stone has been promising that they'll bring it back, they just haven't had enough room for it with all the holiday flavors. Come on, Gingerbread and Egg Nog? Those are the two worst ice creams EVER.

For those of you who haven't tasted the masterpiece of Amaretto with brownie, you're missing out! Everyone has loved it at first bite. Most people don't know what Amaretto is, I only do because my drunken roommate introduced me to it (the ice cream, not the liquor) and I was hooked! If you can get your hands on it, savor every moment.

Saturday was my final shower. It was for my relatives on my mom’s side and dad’s side. I think the best part was when my 92-year-old grandma who has a bit of dementia pulled me aside and whispered (loudly), “So you’re going to take the big dip huh?” LOL. My poor mom came down with the flu again and started puking as we were walking out the door so we made her stay home. She was so sad, but I just wanted her to get better before the big day in 17 DAYS!! Our “groomals” are posted online at dezemberphotostore.com (the same place where our engagements are). I was quite pleased with them. It always takes me a couple looks before I think I don’t look too dumb.

Well, as exciting and mostly great as 2008 has been, it’s also sucked big time. I’m really excited for the New Year. More than I have been ever before. Mainly just for a new start at everything. A new life, a new job, etc. So I hope it has a lot of wonderful things in store because minus Dallin and all the wedding stuff, I’m not sad to see 2008 go. With the wedding so soon, I’ve never been so excited for January to come my whole life!

Here Comes 2009

The lack of postings lately have been due to the sheer busyness of my life as of late. We are three weeks away from the Big Day and had a wonderful Christmas.

Yesterday was an awesome day. Dallin's family and I were able to talk to his brother who is currently serving in Argentina and has been out for about 7 months. It was so much fun to feel of the missionary spirit and see his family (and Thomas) so happy he is involved in the Lord's work. It also brought back some really happy memories from my mission too.

Dallin and I were super spoiled by his parents and mine. We were able to open presents at both places and it was so much fun! I got a Wii and lots of things for our new place and my parents are taking us (and the whole family) to Cancun in June.

One of the best Christmas presents we got though was the official word that we have a place to live! I know it'll be sad for Ted's family to see him go but it has been such a huge blessing in our lives to have such a great place to live and it was the last big thing to be crossed off the wedding list. Now we're just into the details and I'll have plenty of time to get organized when I'm done with work next Wednesday.

Dallin and I took our "Groomals" (bridals with the groom) on Tuesday and he looked so handsome in his tux. It was so fun to get all dressed up in our wedding attire and take pictures. It was also a great dress rehearsal for the big day and I think we got some kinks worked out. A cute little girl was staring at me at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and her dad came up to me that she had whispered to him, "Daddy, look, a princess!" It was fun to feel like one for that day. We then proceeded to pick up our marriage license and go to my family's Christmas party. We had a lot of fun spending the day together and laughing.

My hunt for a job continues. If any of you know anything in Salt Lake or Davis counties in Public Relations, Marketing, Communications, Editing or Human Resources, I have recent experience in all and would appreciate any leads. I'm not looking to work until February but I'm open.

I hope you all had a joyous holiday season and had a wonderful time with your family and friends, basking in the season of our Lord. Be careful in the snow, and if you're some place warm, I'm super jealous.

Shower of Presents

My future mother-in-law and sister-in-law were so sweet to kick off the wedding festivities this week by throwing me a Mexican Fiesta Shower where I got to be the Hot Tamale Princess. I got tons of recipes and ingredients and kitchen stuff. It was so fun. It's so great to celebrate your wedding for more than just that one day.

By the way - can I tell you how much I love winter this year so far? I hope the sunshine, clear roads and Autumn leaves continue all season. If it has to snow, it should just stay in the mountains. We'll steal our water from there anyway. I hope this delayed Winter doesn't mean a delayed Spring or Summer.

Where Did November Go?

This month just FLEW by! I got a lot done and I have a lot to be grateful for. I was NOT grateful for the flu on Thanksgiving but it helped me from over-eating.

We went on a big group date this weekend to Body Worlds with some friends. I'm glad my nausea had subsided mostly since Grey's Anatomy makes me sick. I am thankful I made it through the exhibit without puking and was still able to eat a hearty amount at Olive Garden afterward. The human body is amazing though. But I think I could have told you that without seeing the insides.

And to kick off the holiday season, the lights at Temple Square. Downtown was a mad house and the lights seem to get less and less every year, but it was fun to keep the tradition alive.

Now it's on to all the holiday parties and craziness. I feel like December is already over too! 7 more weeks that I think will feel more like 2!

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

So the good stuff first. My brother so kindly donated his Carrie Underwood tickets to me and Dallin last night since he was too sick to go. Too bad he didn't know how AWESOME his tickets were! We were on the 24th row on the floor, right next to the stage she came out on into the audience. So we were feet from her! Dallin had never heard Carrie Underwood, but sported his big belt buckle just for the heck of things anyway. He looked so cute! I'm not a country fan - at all - but I must admit that I do love Carrie (being the huge American Idol fan that I am) so I have her CDs and she was spectacular! I'll post pictures soon. This made up for, in a little way, Celine cancelling her concert tomorrow and rescheduling for a SUNDAY so I got a refund and don't get to see her even though I had the tickets for a YEAR.

The bad and ugly...Well, you know when things in life are all happy and perfect, it's inevitable to get a curve ball thrown your way. So there you have it. Life is good and life sucks. It's made me realize the point of the Gospel more in that this life is miserable with little snipets of happiness and you have to hang on to those. And that's the glory of the Celestial Kingdom, eternal happiness with no suckiness. :)

Happy Anniversary

One year ago today my life started to change for the better. I didn't know it would turn out like this but I was secretly hoping that when I opened the front door, it would be my last first date; and it was. Now I get to date Dallin for eternity.

I really hated dating before I met him. But with him everything changed and I enjoyed the things we did together. Every day is better with him in it and I'm so excited to marry him and share even more time together. Happy 1 year anniversary babe.

Our engagement pictures are posted! Go to
http://www.dezemberphotostore.com/pickpic/gallery/jump.php and use my last name as the password and enter your email address. Let me know what you think!

Engaged in Pictures

Dallin and I took our engagement pictures on Tuesday, which we had off thanks to the Veteran's. We took some on Pierpont Avenue and then some alleys by the Gallivan Center. I must say I was exposed to parts of Salt Lake I didn't even know existed. The weather was pretty nice and not too horribly cold. We did step in a huge load of bird poop though, it smelled so nasty.

Hopefully our photographer will send us the link to the pictures tomorrow. If you'd like to see them, let me know. Due to copyright reasons, I won't be able to post them on the blog for a while.

Props to Pro 8

For those of you who are very opinionated and get easily offended or for those of you who oppose Proposition 8, I suggest you skip this post and wait for my next one.

10-0 Baby!

Dallin will be very sad that I said this but....

GO UTES!!!

After successfully giving me a headache from lack of oxygen from holding my breath, and also putting me on the verge of a heart attack, my team came away victorious with BCS hopes alive. I was on the mish during the 2004 Fiesta Bowl run so this is my payback for missing it. Bring on BYU.

Ol' Hallows Eve

Dallin and I found the greatest costumes for couples; Sesame Street does not disappoint (even though the costumes were hot and itchy). We had a great time at my ward Trunk or Treat in the Avenues and Dallin was quite the hit as Elmo. He was definitely the most popular character among the kids and had the Elmo voice down. I even felt straight-up gansta when we stopped at Chevron and these gangster guys were like, "Oscar the Grouch, that's off the CHAIN!" ha ha

We were wondering how we're going to celebrate Halloween next year when it's just us and we don't have a kid to take around and get us candy. If anyone is having a cool party, please invite us!

Sticky Buns

So my first attempt at a spray-on tan did not turn out quite as disasterous as Ross Gellar's but I do think I look a little funny. And something no one told me, you have this sticky film on you that you can't wash off for 6-8 hours! I HATE BEING STICKY! Ever since I was little if I got sucker on me, donut frosting, whatever it was, I can't be sticky. It was torture!

Anyway, I was horrified when I woke up this morning, but luckily all the brown that had seeped into my pores washed away. I still ended up looking like I spent two straight weeks in the sun in Hawaii (and for those of you who know me, I don't tan) so I don't think I look like myself. This is why we practice before the Big Day people.

Three Months From Today!

The wedding plans are coming along fabulously. I got a lot done over the long weekend. Invitations are in process, flowers and centerpieces are on order, I’m closing in on a dress decision, photographer is booked and honeymoon just needs to be booked! Now it’s time to focus in on the nitty-gritty details. Who’s going to go get my bouquet? What do you need for a marriage license? It’s all coming together, and nicely I’ll add. I hope you guys can all be there to share our special day.

I am so excited to marry my best friend. And most of all, I won’t have to pry his death-grip off my leg when I’m tired and have to go home to go to bed. I won’t have to pry myself free – forever. We’re both really excited and I can hardly contain it!

As a side note – I love cheese. I realized this quite recently. I’ve never thought of myself as a cheese lover, mainly because I don’t like eating cheese sticks which I find to waxy and hard to chew. My family likes cheese sticks and I never wanted to cut off a piece of the block and just eat it plain. But I love cheese on anything. Pizza, sandwiches, pasta, burgers, etc. Just plain cheese for me! I know it’s not healthy, but if there is one thing to put on food that automatically makes it more tasty – it’s cheese.

Decisions

So somewhere in the last few years, I lost all decision-making skills. I think I started on the decline during my mission when I had one focus and very few decisions that weren't already made for me. Wedding planning is not for the non-decision-making kind. Thankfully, my decision to marry Dallin was a no-brainer or we'd still be waiting around!

My indecisiveness was manifest today as I couldn't decide between two wedding dresses and put a down payment on both to order them in my correct size. Thankfully, this is buying me precious time. One dress should be here in 4 weeks, the other in 8. That's around Christmastime people! Guess my bridals will be last minute.

Another near disaster was registry shopping last night. Dallin is so laid-back he's not too into decisions either and the thought of having to coordinate colors and tables and lamps and pictures for a house/apartment we don't even have yet was overwhelming to us both. "Do we need that table/pillow/curtain when we don't know what our place will look like and if it'll match?" I think we did decide on a monkey bathroom for future children though.

Every day I'm faced with billions of decision, most of them being wedding-related now. I do feel grateful for agency as I can decide what colors I want my kitchen and whether I want to show up to work or if what I'm going to eat tonight. Hopefully Dallin or I will be able to step up and decide. I vote for him since he'll be the patriarch but we both want the other to be happy so we're willing to sacrifice our own opinions. :) It could be worse - at least he's not controlling!

Diamond in the Rough

So having a job and trying to plan a wedding (which is like a full-time job) isn’t that much fun. I’d much rather be planning my wedding and thus haven’t been the model employee last week. Just some small mistakes, but for my perfectionistic attitude, any mistakes are not acceptable. So it has been a really good learning experience for me! To not get so down on myself and realize, even though I have a good excuse, a lot of people make mistakes without excuses and it’s ok, it’s just a part of life. Funny it’s taken me this long in my life to realize that, and I’m still a work in progress. It’s almost freeing to realize that if I make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world and we move on.

I also need to get my ring appraised so I can get it insured. I have a tendency to drop expensive things (that’s why my phone looks like an old man phone with sleeves and covers on it). So I even wake up in the middle of the night making sure the ring is still there. Sierra- West (where we bought it) wanted two weeks to appraise it because they send it somewhere. That’s exactly what I want, send my ring where it can get lost before I get insurance on it. And why would I want to give it to you for that long? So I called OC Tanner and they’ll do it in 45 minutes and for cheaper. Good choice!

But I’m having a grand time planning my wedding. I may have it all planned by Thanksgiving, which is the goal, but there is a TON left to do. I still only have the temple and reception site reserved but I now have appointments with my event coordinator at the JSMB, flowers, dress shops and hopefully will nail down some photographers this weekend. I love planning though, anything and everything! I’m so in my element right now. But so much for a relaxing long weekend. I’m lucky I have Monday off though, so I gotta make the most of it. Thanks Columbus!

Falling Into Place

So we booked the temple on Tuesday. They told us to choose a time so I'm hopeful they're not going to be too busy that day. We picked 11 a.m. since that seems like a decent enough time.

I was stressing because I found out the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and Lion House are closed that whole weekend for a bridal fair. HELLO! The bride is right here! I'd had it all planned out in my head so I went back to the drawing board. I started calling all these places and no one would call me back (don't you want my money?) or were rude to me so I was getting super discouraged and stressed, even though I have time. People kept telling me that January is filling up fast so I was trying to act fast.

I finally got holds placed on Rice Eccles Stadium and The Point and made an appointment with Canterbury Place in Bountiful, then my wonderful, spectacular, popular father stepped in. He made a call to his friend who is the president of Joseph Smith Hospitality and they opened up a room just for us citing, "it is no longer needed for the bridal fair." SO I GOT THE JSMB! I could have cried! Thankfully my dad is more active in planning my wedding than he was in planning his own. :)

I wouldn't have been the end of the world to find another place, but this fit right within my budget and they can do everything on-site if I choose. I felt like this HUGE weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. Especially since Dallin and I are going out of town with my family this weekend and I'm booked every Saturday until November so I had no idea when I was going to find time to visit all these places and my work projects were suffering - oops.

So rest assured, I have my sealing, my building, ideas galore and my almost-husband. Not too shabby for being engaged for 5 days.

January 16, 2009

I know you all have been patiently waiting - thank you! It has been a CRAZY past couple of days. :) Thank you for all your love and support!

Dallin and I went to my work party at the Grand America on Saturday. It was a big fancy to-do (that's why we're dressed up) with great food, gaming tables, prizes, etc.

Afterward he said he had a friend waiting out front and there was actually a big, black limo waiting for us. We jumped in and it took us to a park in the avenues overlooking the city all lit up at night. It was really beautiful and he helped me out of the car and we walked into the park and he said some really sweet things and got down on his knee and asked me to marry him! I said yes of course, I made sure to say yes! My ring is so beautiful and we're so happy! It was such a fun, perfect night.

We tried to call the temple today but they were closed so plan on the 16th but we still have to book the SL Temple. We're already realizing what hard work it is to plan a wedding but I'm definitely up for the challenge. I think Dallin is ready to elope. :) But we're going to have fun in the process and celebrate us for the next 3 1/2 months. With the holidays and everything, I'm sure it'll be here before we know it.

Here is a picture of my ring. There are two wedding bands that go with it, one on the top and one on the bottom that have diamonds all around it. There are 182 diamonds to be exact on the ring! He did a beautiful job picking it out and it is so sparkly! I wake up frequently during the night just to make sure it's still there (we don't have insurance on it yet).

But I am so excited to marry Dallin. Amid all the hoopla I'm trying not to lose sight of the real reason for the celebration. It's like Christmas when you're a kid though. Hardly sleeping because you are so excited. My parents woke up all my siblings to tell them the good news at 1 a.m. and it is centered around Christ and the Gospel. I heard "Families Can Be Together Forever" on the radio yesterday and it made me tear up because I'm starting my forever family and it can't come soon enough!

I'M ENGAGED!!!!

More details to come at a more reasonable hour. I can't sleep I'm so happy!!!! :)

Fall Frenze

I’ve been wanting to write on my blog lately but haven’t had much to say. So today I’m just going to type and see what my brain throws up. I bought tickets for Thriller today and I’m super excited. I’ve been wanting to go for years and have never been so that should be fun to see.
That brings me to how crazy life is. I don’t have a free Saturday until November 1, and it’s not even October! I’ve never had a busy October but I’m pretty excited, it’s all fun stuff. Frightmares, wedding receptions, St. George, dinner with friends, etc. I think I’m ready for all the craziness, I just have to stay organized. I feel like the holidays are already upon us (maybe it’s because I’ve already started my Christmas shopping).
Anyway, it’s been a fun few months since I returned from my trip. Things with Dallin have been going along fabulously, I’ve been able to attend a lot of fun activities with family and friends, celebrate my birthday and get involved in football season. My fantasy team is 2-1 by the way! My only wish is that I had more time to spend with you all, double-dating or just catching up. Just because you haven’t heard from me (I’m away on Cloud 9 if you need to get in touch) doesn’t mean I haven’t thought of you often and hope to be in touch soon.

Answer

No, no big news...yet. It was just a really fun weekend at the Colors concert and stuff. Sorry to cry wolf on ya, didn't mean to!

FYI

I pretty much had the best weekend ever. Just wanted to share. :)

Half-Staff

Today I saw Old Glory at half-staff and even thought I knew it was Sept. 11, I guess I’d forgotten the significance of the day for a minute. It saddened me see the flag at half-staff. It’s such a majestic thing that waves overhead, reminding us of what a privilege it is to live in its shadow. But it is still beautiful lowered for those who gave their lives in defense of our country. I hope we can live to see a better world, a more peaceful world, where the flag can fly high in its glory over all of us, never lowered half-way to remind us of the uncertain world we live in.

Wii Will Rock You

I’ve been baffled this week with why I can be totally good on the Wii and not so good in real life. Honestly, I’ve never played tennis my whole life, but I can rock it on the Wii. I played miniature golf and bowled this week and my scores were very similar in the two different sports. Yeah, I know that’s not good. On the Wii it’s the same movements, the same strategy and I’m Tiger Woods out there in virtual land. Just food for thought as to what the big diff is. I’ll take the Wii (and “Wii arm”) any day over sucking it up in real life.

I Found My Half-Orange

In Ecuador they call your significant other your media naranja which translates to half-orange. I guess it refers to how the halves of the orange fit together. I just wanted to say that I found mine. It took me 27 years but it was worth the wait. I don’t think a lot of people have what me and Dallin have and I thank Heavenly Father every day for him.
We’ve been talking a lot lately about stuff which has lead me to think too emotionally and cute Dallin has balanced me out and helped me keep a realistic approach. I am grateful for him for listening to me calmly, drying my tears and giving me a big hug. We are better together than we are apart.

Thanks Dallin, for making my birthday so fabulous.

Puzzle Pieces

I was thinking about how the Lord has guided my life throughout the years. Mainly, when I got home from my mission I was stuck at a job that I didn’t like for a year longer than I wanted to be there. My job search seemed endless and my self-esteem took a large hit. I really wanted to use my degree and the only thing I’ve thought I was decent at my whole life, was writing. And I continually got turned down knowing my writing wasn’t up to par under the pressure of job interviews and wanting to leave my current job so badly.
Then I ended up in marketing at a credit union. I’d been in the credit union industry for years doing various things and watching my dad work his way up the ladder. It was a fun job, and it was awesome to see my work in print. Last September I was offered a job in human resources there. I was flattered and my initial thought was, “No way, I’m finally doing what I love.” I talked to various people at the company and took the weekend to think about it. I went to the temple and prayed about it and have never felt such an overwhelming confirmation to take the job. So I did.
With the whole mergers of credit unions this past May, if I would have staying in marketing, I would have ended up in marketing and events here and my entire weekends and night would be filled. Making that change to HR a year ago has allowed me to stay on the HR track and keep a normal schedule so I can see Dallin and continue to further our relationship. I’m finally a contributing member to my team here and I really enjoy my job. It’s nothing flashing or too exciting (benefits books, people!) but I can write, be creative and plan events. Plus, my boss is really nice and I have a lot of flexibility in what I do. I’ve been able to go out to branches and get to know a lot of people, and even though the purple wall is my only friend here, I’m happy.
On another note, the credit union made the CEO announcement yesterday. As we already knew, it wasn’t my dad but it’ll be interesting to see how this affects my father. It was a hard day for my family. Lots of anger and sadness overwhelmed us as the reality set in that my dad didn’t get the promotion we so thought that he deserved. So I’m going to pump up my dad a little so you all think as much of him as I do.
My dad has worked at the same company for almost 30 years. He’s from that generation, but that’s still an anomaly in today’s day and age. He has worked his way up from a teller to a Senior VP during that time. I remember some Saturdays him taking me and my brother to his Ogden branch while he worked and we played. My dad has always been a hard worker. I think that is the thing that frustrates him the most about me and my siblings sometimes is just that there is no use in doing a job if you’re not going to do your best job. And I think my dad really exemplifies that.
My dad always has great advice. He keeps a real perspective on things and always strives to let the Spirit guide him. He is a spiritual giant. He has served in many capacities in the Church while juggling the demands of home and family and also work. But I think his good advice comes from having wisdom and experience in life and also a vast knowledge of the Gospel.
My dad loves people – and people love him. He’s probably the most friendly guy you’ll meet and doesn’t get nervous around people. He always has something to say and will put you at ease in conversations. He likes to laugh and likes to chat and get to know the people around him and what is going on in their lives. He knows everyone in his industry and even the owners of the San Antonio Spurs!
See why he’s a great guy? I trust that even though his puzzle pieces didn’t come together in this, there are other pieces waiting to be put into place to make the whole.

Ice Cream & Football

Do you ever think it’s a day that it’s not? All day yesterday I thought it was Thursday, making today Friday (which it has felt like) and really disappointing me when I come to the realization, that it’s STILL Thursday. I hate it when I do that.
This weekend is very exciting for me. Not only is it a three-day weekend (woo-hoo!) but I get to end my ice cream fast. I decided the month of August would be a good trial to leave ice cream behind and lose a little pudge. Unfortunately, my ice cream habit was taken up by a peanut M&M habit where I frequently ate my weight in chololatey, peanuty goodness. So I figure eating an occasional scoop of ice cream is probably better than snacking on M&Ms all day.
So Saturday, my first stop will be Cold Stone Creamery. My favorite flavor there is Amaretto with brownie (only found in Bountiful and Logan) which has been replaced by their “Batters Up” flavors until the end of August. Dallin introduced me to Blueberry Muffin Batter mixed with Cake Batter and graham cracker. Soooo good. That will be my first purchase. It will go perfectly with the University of Utah vs. Michigan game – nationally televised.
That’s right my friends! Football season starts this Saturday. I made the executive decision to not for-go my morals and join Dallin at a BYU game in Provo this Saturday. I was going to go as a one-time, trial basis to see him in all his self-described crazy Cougar glory but he politely discouraged me from being around his even more crazy friends. It’s the home opener, you know. He also told me I couldn’t wear red there which was the only way I’d feel slightly ok with going. Guess my season ticket will go to waste (I did not purchase it). It may be the only way to see him on Saturdays during the Fall so I might have to use it sometime this season.
As you can probably tell, this is one area where Dallin and I are NOT alike. I am an avid Utah fan and he is a rabid BYU fan. It is something we can’t even agree to disagree on. We don’t fight about it but have a grim acceptance of the other’s fan-dom. Come November, I hope we’re still speaking to each other. Go Utes!

Signs of the Times

Today my thoughts are a little bit turned toward the trials people are going through in their lives. Those affected by deaths, poor choices of others and the weights of the world. My mom mentioned the other day how we need to band together as a family and stay strong and lift each other as the world is becoming more wicked and Satan is working very hard.
I’ve contemplated the Second Coming a lot lately and I’m actually really excited for it. I wish it would come tomorrow but I saw a rainbow last week so I’m holding on to hopes for 2009. Honestly, I know we still have a while to go but I actually hope it won’t take that long because I don’t know how much more wickedness the world can handle. A friend of mine mentioned that our spirits aren’t meant to live in a world like this and sometimes my spirit yearns for peaceful and calmer times.
In lieu of my thoughts about the Second Coming, I turned toward my experience I had in Jerusalem a couple of months ago. It blew my mind to walk the paths the Savior had walked, to sit under the same trees, listen to the birds and smell the same smells. One of our guides took us to the Temple Mount and explained all the things that need to happen for the return of the Savior. How a lot of people believe that the Dome of the Rock will need to be destroyed so the Jews can build their temple and how upset the Muslims would be and that doesn’t align with the prophecies of peace. He pointed out the different spots on the temple mount that geometrically line up with what Orson Hyde predicted and it allows the Dome of the Rock to stay. He also explained to us how the Jews already have the temple built and stored in pieces, just waiting for the word, and the temple will be up within three weeks. THREE WEEKS! And what really struck me, was that Jesus will accept this temple as his own. It doesn’t have to be a Mormon temple, he will accept a Jewish temple. That part stood out to me as to the love the Savior has to each one of us. He doesn’t love us more or less because we’re Mormon or Jewish or Catholic. (Because I’m sure there are some Catholics out there who are better Christians than me!) But the whole point is that Mormonism gives us the ORDINANCES and keys to our Salvation, it doesn’t make us better or more right, just more whole. And maybe in my lifetime, I will see these prophecies come to pass. How cool would that be?
I am just so grateful for my little band of family and friends who help me stay strong and for leaders and a Gospel that inspire me to be better and show me a way to do so. Keeping such strong people around me lets me know there is a way to be the person I want to be and it’s not impossible, even in today’s society.

Tick Tock Tick Tock

My life has been a bit empty this week with Dallin in California with his family. I desperately wanted to go but made the mature decision to stay home since I don’t have any vacation time saved up. Who knows when I might need it? I made a list of approximately two dozen things to do while Dallin is out of town and I can sit down and just DO. Clean out old boxes from college, clean out bedroom drawers, go to traffic court for a speeding ticket four months ago (thanks for making the process quick Taylorsville City :P), hang out with friends I haven’t seen in a while, etc. etc. So I’ve been highly productive, almost to the point of exhaustion, while he’s been gone but it has made the seconds tick a little faster.
It’s pretty lonely without him though. At least I get to talk to him every night. He says this is nothing compared to what I put him through when I took off to the Middle East for almost all of June and could only call occasionally and the only regular communication we had was through email. I was on the other end of things but occupied enough to block the loneliness into little increments. This surrounds me all day every day it seems. Knowing I can’t feel a warm hug tonight or see his smile is so sad! Saturday can’t come soon enough!
We celebrated our nine month anniversary on Friday at Ruby River. Then we did normal couple stuff like go to Walmart. And he was off on Saturday! I have been thoroughly bored at work even though I’ve had things to do, just boring things! Someone please tell me how you make writing about your work’s Cafeteria Plan or Dental Plan interesting. I have had the chance to match employee photos to a celebrity look-a-like program which has been great. Check out the link yourself. http://www.myheritage.com/celebrity-face-recognition
I also finished Breaking Dawn. I enjoyed the book, it was a little drawn out toward the end. And as a venting note, on Friday all the cool sites on our Internet here at work were blocked. We were one of the only places I knew who had Facebook still. I guess some stupid tellers decided to surf all day long and ignored members and instead of reprimanding them, we all got punished. So no more blogging, Facebook, anything good! I guess it’s back to work then…

From Office to Cubicle

If you didn't know, my credit union merged so I have been reassigned to West Jordan, thus doubling my commute. While I am very excited for this change and love the company, I have had to give up my nice, cozy office with a door and a window for a cubicle that stares at a purple wall. Nice trade eh?
I received my 2008 goals from my boss today. I haven't worked here for long so that's why I am getting them the middle of August. I'm still a little scared because I could really use the 8% maximum bonus if I'm going to try and get into a house. I could REALLY use it. So I'm looking for ideas...
What kind of communications needs do you think a branch would have? I need to come up with a way to measure needs, growth and successes to identify future needs as well as the impact internal communications has on business outcomes.
New and innovative communication methods and content to increase branding and consistent messaging. And a way to generate relevant content from employees. YIKES! I don't even know where to start!
So I just wanted to post how much I love Dallin. I know people generally do this on their significant other's birthdays, but his was in July and I didn't have a blog then so this is a belated bday post/our 9 month anniversary on Friday post.
Dallin was definitely on one yesterday. To the point even his parents didn't think he was normal. He was being so funny (even though I'd give him the disapproving girlfriend look). But that's what he does best and I think prides himself on, being the funniest person out there.
Dallin is really the smartest kid I know. And I went to school with people who went to Ivy leagues, etc. He can make stuff up faster than anyone (which can be good and bad when you are trying to distinguish the truth) but he also always has an answer for everything. If he doesn't know, he'll find out. He always has the greatest insight into spiritual things, world things, work things, financial things, etc.
Dallin knows more people than most world leaders. He is the most friendly person I know which makes my life a whole lot easier because all my friends love him and so we can all hang out! (But I think they love him more than me now! Especially my sister...she worships the ground he walks on) I haven't met a soul who doesn't just adore him. (Me included).
He is a great listener. I know it's hard to believe that a boy can be this way, but he really does listen. He pays attention to the things I say and really tries to take my advice if I give it to him and it works with what he's trying to figure out. This goes along with how great he is with details. He remembered the actual day of our first date long before I racked my brain and figured it out. The other day he also informed me of what I was wearing on that date, and the three subsequent dates that followed.
Dallin is honest. This one was hard for me to trust for a while, and distinguish when he really was telling the truth versus when he was really just messing with me, but that little twinkle in his eye gives him away every time.
He is patient. Anyone who sits through the traffic from/to Davis County every day would be forced to be patient but Dallin really is. He has put up with many a temper tantrum from me and still loves me. He's waited for me to figure some things out and been willing to hold my hand and be a great teammate along the way so we figure them out together. He never gets mad when I can't make up my mind as to where we are going to eat and listens to my brothers and sister talk his ear off every time he comes around.
He lets me fly. Dallin never tells me what to do. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't have the same good luck. :) Sometimes I have to beg him for his opinion because he doesn't want to influence me to do something that won't make me happy. He always has my best interest in mind and I strive to make him my #1 priority as a small token of repayment for everything he is to me.
There are a million other things I can say, including him being the best thing that has ever happened to me. Really, I thought about it and can't come up with a single thing. I can think of a lot of great and happy things, but he is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me. He is my best friend. Sorry girls, I got the best one out there. Even if you now have to settle for #2, you won't be doing too shabby.

Parents are Friends

So I had an interesting experience on Saturday that I've never had before. Having my parents meet my boyfriend's parents. Kent & Barb, meet Mike & Mary. It couldn't have gone better. My family had tickets to the Bees game and the Plaizier's had a suite so we ended up using an extra ticket to get the parents to the suite and bribed them with hot dogs and M&Ms. ha ha
Mike and my dad behaved themselves with only a few jabs at Banks vs. Credit Unions and BYU vs. Utah. (They had to throw something around!) They mainly talked about golf and the mutual people they know in the industry and how one became a traitor from a bank to a credit union and vice versa. :) Mike continued his peanut barrage the second my dad walked out the door. Luckily, I was not hurt by peanuts but Tawny took one in the forehead - sorry!
My mom was so cute as we were riding the elevator. She said she was about to pee her pants she was so nervous. I wonder where I get it from?!? I knew Dallin's parents would love her because I've really never met anyone who didn't love my mom. And knowing Mary, I knew they have a lot in common and would get along great. My mom gets really shy in new situations so she was really out of her comfort zone. But like I predicted, her and Mary had a lot to talk about and chatted for quite a while. I think she lingered a bit since it started to rain on the people in the seats. (I pretty much missed the whole baseball game supervising but the Olympics on TV inside were more entertaining than the 13-1 loss by the Bees so I wasn't too upset). My mom still asks me if she did alright and Mary keeps talking about how excited she is to go to dinner with my parents and my Uncle Gary and Aunt Jana who are subsequently in Mike and Mary's ward. Coordinating family schedules will be tricky - I bet they'll have to plan 2 months out.
So yeah, the weekend was really nice. I stuck around Farmington last night to catch the USA 400m relay and I'm glad I did. I think we all jumped out of our seats when the USA came in first by a split second. It was fabulous! I really love the Olympics. The last summer Olympics, in Athens, was when I had just started my last area of the mission. We always tried to sneak a peek at the TV at our mamita's during lunch because all I wanted to hear was the National Anthem. I love that song. So I'll be enjoying the next 10 days or so of competition. Go Team USA!

Pictures

Does anyone know how to make the pictures smaller?!?

Another Day, Another Dollar

So I love Fridays. Mainly because that means I get to hang out with Dallin to my heart's content. You'll never find either one of us too far away from the other for any extended period of time during the weekend. Even though it's not payday Friday, I am looking forward to this one. Mainly because it's looking like Dallin gets to keep his job. (Don't get me started on how horribly this has all been handled). Even though he's looking at transferring departments, it's still nice to know he's appreciated enough to not get laid off in the first round.
The other good/bad news of this week was that my dad didn't get the CEO position at Mountain America. I'm sad for him because I think he really deserved it. The good news is that since he didn't get that job, I get to keep mine! The thought of me and Dallin trying to start a life together, both jobless, was a little too much. The other good news is that my dad's boss is still in the running. That would have been the best-case scenario anyway. My dad gets a big promotion under his boss and I get to keep my job too. So that is still a possibility.
Dallin and I went and looked at a house last night. It's on about 3900 S. and 3500 E. It's an ideal location for both of us to hop on I-215 and head our separate directions to work. Especially since 215 is less crowded. But the house ended up being twice as expensive as the kid who told us about it said it was, so thus, out of our price range. Supposedly it was a steal of a deal a month ago and someone may be trying to flip it so we're still going to talk to the realtor and see if we can swing a deal. If not, I have about two dozen ads I found which could keep us busy for a while. I'm not sure what timing and location the Lord has in store for us so I just figure if it works out, it's meant to be.
I was talking with my friend yesterday on how hard it is to grow up. Your whole life people are watching you, protecting you and guiding you and all of a sudden, you have to do all this stuff for yourself that you've seen your parents do. When did I get to be like my parents?! I've never gotten married, I've never bought a house, let alone decorated one, I've never had a child. All these changes, changes, changes. I guess it's feeling cozy in the middle of all these changes now since Dallin and I have been in the middle of a lot of big decisions this past month. Well, mainly him. I had mine (and subsequent freakout) a few months ago. I guess I should just get used to it and I feel like I am...

Blog, Blog, BLOB

Due to all my friends who have cool blogs and have encouraged me to start one, here I am! This first post will be really lame I'm sure until I have something interesting to say but this could be fun. I like writing, especially about myself (ha ha j/k) so we'll see what kind of creative juices I can get going. For now, become my friend on Facebook because that's the only place I really keep in touch currently. But watch for more to come!