Wedding Dresses

My mom and I found a wedding dress online that I ABSOLUTELY loved... but it was in Utah.  So a few days after I got up here to Utah, I went to try it on... by myself (my mom is an entire state away).  I was a bit bummed to be going alone, but I didn't have many options!

They ended up not having it in the showroom... 

so they ordered it, and a few days later, I was able to try it on.

The blessing of it all?  Cami had the day off and was able to come with me to try it on.  It was SO nice to have someone there with me!  Someone to share that fun moment with!  Mom was on the phone and Cami took lots of pictures and kept sending them to my mom.  Thanks to amazing friends and iPhones, it turned out to be a great experience!

I LOVED the dress as much or more than the picture even!

He is Good, So Good!!

I am not quite sure where to start with this post.  

I am so blessed.  I am so lucky.  I can't even begin to express how happy I am.  I didn't know that life could ever be this good.  My heart is bursting with excitement.  I cannot wipe the smile off my face.

I truly am so blessed!

Just a few months ago, I was dragging my feet as I moved back to the hot valley summer while leaving behind the beautiful Flagstaff and the sense of home that I finally had found there! I did NOT want to move back yet.  I wasn't quite ready to embrace being a college graduate... for the 2nd time, or moving back home (although I absolutely adore my family, there is something difficult from going to living on your own to having parents and siblings again), or (gasp) dating again!  

I didn't think I was ready.  My coping plan: take it slow, visit Flagstaff often, adjust to living at home, and aim to move out come Jan. 2013. 

However, Heavenly Father had a different plan.

Not even 2 weeks into living down here, I was talked into going on a blind date.  My very first date back in the valley.  I was slightly kinda very extremely apprehensive about going.

But I did.

And I can honestly say,

THE REST IS HISTORY!

Jared and I started off slow.  We saw each other every few days.  We kept things casual and really didn't have any reason to let it be anything else: he was leaving again for BYU for summer session.  Slight change of plans:  I fell in love with him and FAST!  The more time we spent together, the more he referred to his summer plans at BYU as, "optional" instead of "set-in-stone".  All I heard was the word, "optional" and I pulled out my "20 seconds of insane courage" (see the movie, We Bought a Zoo, if you don't know what I'm talking about) and told him I liked the idea of him staying here for summer better.  Much to my excitement, he decided to stay.  After that, things didn't move so slowly any longer.  It didn't take long before we were seeing each other every day and spending lots of time together.  Then, hardly a day would go by without seeing each other.  Next, I didn't want to imagine a day going by without him... ever again!

August 3rd, 2012, we got engaged!!

A bit about him...

He is so good to me.  He is kind.  He is a worthy priesthood holder.  He loves kids.  He dislikes dogs.  He plays basketball with my brothers.  He loves the gym as much as I do.  He is a gentleman.  He treats me like a Queen.  He is one of the hardest workers I know.  He values and appreciates education.  He is patient.  He listens.  He makes me laugh.  He is so much fun.

He is PERFECT for me!!

I love him so much!!  I am so grateful for him!!  I cannot wait to spend the rest of eternity with him!!

So my initial summer plan didn't work out so well: I didn't take life very slowly this summer.  I didn't get to visit Flagstaff very often.  I hardly spent enough time at home to even fully move in.  And I won't be moving out in January, I'll be moving out...

tomorrow.

I am moving to Utah tomorrow.

And on October 19th, 2012, I'm getting married

and becoming the luckiest girl alive!

This summer involved the 

BEST.PLAN.EVER!

If you want to hear the rest of the story, I'll be in Utah... with Jared! :)

California Sun

Last week, I postponed my official graduation date another week in order to spend a week with my family in

California.

I begged my family to try a new vacation this summer: anywhere we hadn't been before.

Nope, we didn't go to a new place, or try a new adventure,

BUT, 

we did stay ON the beach this time.

My take on

 not new vacation + beach house = I LOVED IT!!

But what isn't to love about...

starting your day off with breakfast in the sand looking out at the ocean

AND

ending each day with the sunset and even a campfire or two

(We went to Sea World while were there too.)  

Other than that, we spent nearly every minute on the beach!

Can we go back?!

SYNCHRO

This summer has been suuuuper busy!!

I decided last minute to take the job as head synchro coach again.  Yes, I decided to work a part-time job on top of a full 12-credit externship.  I'm crazy!  I know!

This meant that I woke up at 4:45am every morning and rarely worked less than a 10 hour day.  Towards the end of the summer, it took all that I could to survive with my severe sleep deprivation.

But I did.  And, it was a ton of fun.  9 years of coaching and I still love coaching synchro.  The girls this summer were so much fun!  

Here is a picture from championships...

I am so glad I got in one last summer of coaching before I get "a real job"!!  It has been an incredible job all these years and I have been so blessed to have it!  I have so many good memories at the pool at 6am!!

*Story from this summer: ALL my girls wanted to use the microphone to sing karaoke to the songs we swam to.  (Yes, even the 7 year olds knew each and every song. That's what happens when you listen to them every single morning for 8 weeks straight.)  I let them, and it ended up being the most hilarious day of practice in the history of my career!!  They were sooooo cute!  I miss those girls already!!

Always Home

Flagstaff

I dreaded moving up here.  I wasn't looking forward to it.  I had a hard time looking past the small-town feel and the lack of family.  I didn't want to be alone in a new place.  I really didn't want to be alone.  Little did I know how much I would fall in love with this place!  I quickly was converted to the Old Route 66 town filled with laid-back people and a significantly slower pace.  The speed limit never tops 40 mph and drivers never top 38 mph.  Downtown Flag is filled with quaint buildings and a homestyle feel.  The train horn brings a smile to my face.  The skies are always blue - a clean blue.  The air is crisp and fresh.  It is a biker/walker town.  The Urban Trail is the world's best running trail.  The 7,000ft elevation is challenging in a fun way.  The sound of the never-ending wind is calming.  The mountains are breathtaking.  The lake is peaceful.  The trees are protective.  The town is active: Health is a priority.  Gratitude is a way of life.  Kindness is freely given.  Tradition is honored.

God's hand is so easily found. 

I am a different person when I am in Flag.

It is there that I learned to

Be Still, and Know God.

Flagstaff will always be 

HOME. 

Weekend Get-Aways

For the past three weekends, I have driven up to Flagstaff to enjoy it as much as I can before officially moving out.

Week One: Sedona, West Fork, Racquetball, Beaver Street Brewery Restaurant, The Creperie, Taking in the incredible stars

Week Two: La Bellavia Breakfast Restaurant, Fisher Point, Eating all our left-over food in the freezer, hot-tubbing

Week Three: Enjoying the cool evenings, Chatting with Cami in the hallway, late-night movie, mid-night runs to Wal-Mart, Dinner at Charley's, Waiting for trains, Making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, hiking Mt. Elden

I seriously LOVE Flagstaff!! 

Ode to Cory

The day I got my drivers license, 

my parents surprised me with you

Just a few years later, 

your side mirror became brand spankin' new

You got me up "the hill" real fast

You know my entire life's past

You never left me stranded 

on our outings in the dust

But last week you became 

a really expensive pile of rust

I'm sad to see you go

I learned much of what I know

Like who I am and how to drive in snow

But after your last check-up, I knew it was time to go.

Thanks so much for being a part of this great story. 

I will never forget the good times. See you later, Cory! 

I'll miss that 2002 Honda Accord....

but 

say hello to Valerie, the Hyundai Sonata.  

Looking forward to all the new memories to be made with Val!