Officer Friendly ...

Everything with the Car is going good. Josh met me at the bank on Wednesday and we talked with a loan officer who turned out to be really nice. We added my name to the title (if we would have taken Josh off, I would have had to pay to re-register and re-license the civic and I wasn't about to do that.) I was told it would take 2-3 weeks before I would have the title and be able to drive it. I stayed calm but I was not a happy camper. I explained the the very nice loan officer that the reason we were in this situation was not my fault. I had filled out the paper work (twice) to have the title switched and somehow both attempts were unsuccessful. I told him that the bank was at fault and they needed to figure out how I would have a car for the next few weeks. He made a call to the DMV and figured it all out.
We headed for the DMV and explained the situation yet again. Josh received a letter in the mail asking if he still owned the car, I got the car in the divorce so he checked the 'NO' box and sent it back. Realizing Josh didn't own the car anymore, the state canceled the license plates and registration which explains why the cop wanted to impound my car. They made a few phone calls and then told me it would be a few weeks before they would have a copy of the new title so I wouldn't be able to drive it. Not an option. So .. Again I explain that this isn't my fault, the bank did their part and got it all figured out so now it was the DMV's turn. Long story short, they made a few more phone calls, I paid four dollars, received a copy of the current registration and was sent on my way.
Everything turned out really well and it ended up being a great day. My family was of course amazing and they all stepped up when I needed a ride here, a car for this .. yada yada yada!
I did get pulled over again by an officer in Roy later that night but he was awesome! He asked if I had just purchased the car today (the dmv takes a few days to update their system so it appeared that my license plates only existed in limbo) I showed him my receipt from the dmv and I told him the latest story of my life, he apologized for my troubles. He didn't ask for my license or proof of insurance just sent me on my way. Sweet!

*Christmas Lights

Colby and I met some of my friends from work and their families at the lights in Ogden this weekend. It was freezing cold but we had so much. I consider these girls some of my best friends and I love when I get to work with them so it was extra fun to be able to be able to get together with them outside of the pharmacy. Their kids are my favorite, they were such good sports and they got us laughing pretty hard.
We're hoping to do something a little warmer in a few weeks, can't wait! Thanks Kristin and Amy for being so much fun and letting us be apart of your family night.

Tay, Bryten, Sydney, Me, & Colby .. Jaren and Boston were hiding in the back.

It's little blurry and I couldn't get everyone to stand still but it was worth a shot, here is the best picture I got of all the kids.

Sydney, Jaren, Boston, Bryten, Tayslie, Brody, & Brinley

This is a horrible picture but here it is anyway .. This is the 'Christmas List' in one of the decorated houses and guess what .. MY NAME IS ON IT! Colby and I took the picture because both my name and his mom's name (holly) were on the list. Pretty awesome!
I apologize that the only part of Santa you get to enjoy is his crotch but it was the best picture I could get. Enjoy anyway.

Five Months ...

Guess what ...



5 months ago, Colby Carter took me golfing .. REAL golfing. It was a day he had planned nearly his whole life .. the perfect proposal on the perfect golf course. It was nothing short of perfect. I still can't believe he is mine and that all of this is real.
Five months of being engaged = half way to to the big wedding day. Ten month engagement sounds CARAZY right? It is. I wouldn't change it though. We're still learning about each other and we're enjoying the slow planning of the wedding. Every day I try to convince Colby to let me move it up, he just smiles and laughs. April 24th is our day and I know it will be here eventually. I'm loving every second of being a fiance, but I can't wait to be his wife.

I took this picture as soon as I figured out what Colb was pulling out next .. talk about nervous! You can't help but laugh with me though, I had every intention of getting his entire face in the picture but .. I was shaking too bad. Love his smile though.

you think?

After going to school with Colby the other day (he needed a ride home from the dentist) We made a quick stop at the gateway to do a little Christmas shopping. Always a good time. As we were walking back to the car we walked past an suv that had several dogs inside, I didn't see the dogs until it was too late. They started barking right as we walked past and scared the bejeebies out of me! Immediately I took of running. I turned around to see where Colby was and he hadn't moved from where I had taken off. He was laughing too hard to move. I of course felt silly but thought nothing of it and continued on to the car (walking now)

Colby opens my door to let me in and as I'm taking a seat he says "You have to be half black because every time something scares you or takes you by surprise, you run."

HA HA HA HA! Oh man! He makes me laugh SO HARD! I love Colby more and more ever single day!

Really?? REALLY??

Colby and I went for an ice cream cone last Saturday and this is the image we caught in the rear view mirror. Supposedly we got pulled over because I have a broken tail light but they also mentioned that they should impound my car. It wasn't registered, licensed, or mine. umm WHAT? The officer told me it was still in Josh's name and that Josh said he had sold the car. He suggested we leave the car until we had things figured out but we decided to drive home instead.
Mom called the DMV first thing yesterday and they told her I needed to come down with my license, pay ten dollars, and they would send me on my way. Not the case. I was told the bank never put the title in my name and without Josh they couldn't do anything for me. I went to the bank and was told the DMV needed to request a copy of the title but they couldn't give it to me because my name wasn't on it. I went back to the DMV and they told me I couldn't request a request because the car isn't my mine.
We finally got a few things figured out. The bank didn't have Josh sign off on the title, instead they had him sign as a co-signer. Lovely! The only way for them to let me have a copy of the title is to have Josh go with me to the bank, then to the dmv, then back to the bank to bring the title back. For real?
Libby: Ummm... I haven't talked to Josh since last spring ... You want me to just call him?
Bank: Ya, that would probably work the best
Libby: What do we do if this doesn't work?
Bank: This is probably your best option.
Libby: So this is my only option?
Bank: Ya pretty much.

Libby: Is this Josh? This is Libby and this is the most random phone call you might ever receive.
Josh: Oh hey, what's up?
Libby: I got pulled over last week and they told me the Honda isn't mine, it's yours. Apparently it's still in your name.
Josh: That's weird, so what do we do?
Libby (in my head) really??? This is just this easy??
Libby: They told me we have to go to the bank together, pick up the title, and then go to the dmv to figure it all out, then go back to the bank.
Josh: Ok, when do we need to do this?
Libby: Really? You will do this for me?
Josh: Of course, lets get it figured out.

This whole thing has been a huge inconvenience and I've been pretty ticked off. I realize that it's all out of my hands and I can only do so much but I hate when I have to ask for help especially when that help requires me to have to drag Josh into it. Every single time I try and do something with this car, the bank requires him to come in and sign something.
He has been exceptionally nice and really cool about all of it which has been really lucky. I know he would always do whatever he could to help, it's just frustrating to know that this could have been taken care of a long time ago but it wasn't.
Colby was really sweet about all of it and he held me tight as I cried on Saturday. I feel really bad that Colby is constantly having to deal with all the drama that comes with me being divorced but he's such a good sport. I know I'm going through this trial for a lot of reasons but sometimes it's hard to imagine that someday this will all be behind me. I'm so grateful that Colby has been there for me through all of this and that he has loved me the way that he does. The Lord knows me and I'm beyond blessed to have Colby, I wouldn't be where I am today without him.
Hopefully I'll have some good news to post about the car soon.

Go TEAM!

It's that time of year again, The Utah Utes are playing the BYU Cougars today!
I love a good football game so I'm really lookin forward to 3:00!
Hopefully the Utes can rock it again, just like last year.
Either way though, my only request is a sweet game!

*$$$*

I just got a 'Coupon Clipping' email from my friend Tami .. who I have yet to meet, we should look into that ...
I'm so excited to start my coupons that I forwarded the email to Colby and we're starting our food storage this week.
We sat down today to figure out finances and we both quickly became overwhelmed. I know the Lord will take care of us and all will be well but it's still a little stressful.
By the end of our discussion we were both feeling a lot better about things and we're looking forward to the adventure of being newlyweds!
Can't wait to marry him!

missing ...

I miss these girls .. If you see them, tell them I'm looking for them. I'd love a girls date just like this one .. only more sleep and less 14 year old girls screaming.

keep reading ...

gO UTES*

Our friend Dallin got a hold of a few extra BYU tickets and invited us to go to the game against Air Force last saturday. I'm a UTE's fan but I Love a good football game so we said yes and pulled out our warmest clothes.

Colby and I had a really good time and we were plenty warm, it turned out to be a great game and we're so glad we went. I might have even cheered for the Cougars ..

(If my nephew reads this, I'm so dead!)
Don't worry Cal, I'll be wearing my red shirt all week long, ready for the big game this weekend!

I'm excited to take Colby to a REAL game and Dodger's game next spring!

I love every piece of this cute guy, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

SoCcer PlaYer ...

I started playing with a new Soccer team tonight at the brand spankin new indoor center in Kaysville, it's amazing!
I played Goalie for half.
I haven't played goalie since AYSO but I didn't do too bad.
My favorite part??
Seeing Colby in the stands knowing he was enjoying it and loving watching me play.
As I was leaving, my team told me I did great and they hoped I come back to win the rest of the games for them. HA, not by myself team!
I'm in Heaven.
Loving every minute.
My team is an absolute blast.
Can't wait for next week.
I LOVE me some indoor soccer!

Will someone buy me this sweet ball??

Christmas Cards ...

I'm a HUGE fan of Christmas cards, sending and receiving ..
Can I still send some out with a picture of me and Colby even if we're not married??

Mr. President

Colby got a new calling a few weeks ago .. He is now the President of the Stake Young Single Adults ...? I can never remember. He is the President of something in the YSA .. your guess is probably better than mine.

Love him in suit!

Colby will be incredibly busy for the next few months. As soon as I heard the new calling I told Colb I'd see him in the spring. We often joke about moving up the wedding date because it will get him out of a lot of the work.
As busy as he is, I truly believe this was a calling from the Lord. Colby is definitely a people person and if anyone can handle this and have fun with it, it's President Carter! He's already doing great!
Part of being the President's fiance is spending the weekends participating in activities put on by the stake and the region. Lucky me! No but seriously I complained all last week about the upcoming 'Harvest Hangout' and when it finally came I ate my words. A couple from the stake came and taught a few line dances and we shared a lot of laughs. I'm not a dancer and luckily neither is Colby. There was one dance where we were the 'head couple', we made huge fools of ourselves and before it was over, I was rolling on the gym floor laughing. It was SO much fun and we had a really good turn out.
I know I already posted a picture just like this one but I found this one on facebook and I like it better. so ... Enjoy double dose!

just getting started

Me and Colby's best friend Dall ... He is such a good sport!

time flies??? hopefully!

Officially started the wedding planning today ... Colb and I are both freaking out.

What if I don't want want a luncheon?
What if we don't want to plan a reception?
What if We just send out announcements instead of invitations?
What if Colby and I get so stressed out that we don't enjoy this next 5 months?
How do we decide on what?
Do I invite everyone I invited to my first wedding?
Is it tacky for me to invite a ton of people even though I've already done this once before?
What if Colby and I just temple elope and don't invite anyone !?! .. I'm pushin for this one!
What if All I really want is to marry my smokin hot fiance and not have to deal with anything else?
I'm anxiously awaiting April 25th .. It will be nice to wake up next to Colby and to have this all over and done with!

K. Rae

My best friend Kendra Rae is helping me plan the wedding. Even though I've done this before, I don't know where to start. Sad huh.
While I was deciding to blog about Ken I was thinkin of all the reasons why K is my best friend. I started laughing, I started to cry, and I stopped because my stomach hurts. She cracks me up!
1. We've been friends for FOREVER ... since about second grade!
2. We've never dated the same boys but we've always been able to share our crazy stories and laugh about them over and over AND over ...
3. She always tells me her honest opinion and never sugar coates it, even when I don't like what she has to say.
4. She used to let me sleep in her bed with her when I'd sleep over .. sounds silly but Ken LOVES her bed.
5. We used to break the rules in her new house, just because it was funny.
6. In high school we went to lunch almost everyday together. Burger King ... 2 cheese burgers, 2 small fries, and 2 waters ... I used to know the total! kind of sad.
7. We used to have sleep overs just so we could eat beef jerky, drink bawls, and laugh all night long.
8. We got ourselves into sticky messes that left us so scared, all we could do was run.
9. Once, on one of our many trips to the mall, I almost got us killed, We should have been smashed by a semi but we got lucky. We still laugh about it, way too often.
10. She lets me by myself and makes me laugh harder than anyone.

I sure do love my Kendra Rae!

Spring .. come soon!

I HATE the snow ...
I hate driving in it
I hate that it makes me cold
I hate that it's inconvenient
but more importantly, I hate how it makes me feel,
I always seem to get so down in the winter time.
I spend all winter worrying about safety .. where people are, where they have to drive to and how far it is, who they are with, and how long they'll be gone.
My Mom is a hospice nurse, she spends her days in the car driving from house to house, facility to facility.
I think I just realized why I REALLY hate winter .. I worry about my Mom's safety all day every day. I know she is a good driver but the people around her may not be.
Oh goodness .. That plus a million other reasons why I can't wait for Spring.
Maybe I could take a seasonal anti-depressant?
I'm definitely a sunshine girl. I already miss those days that were so hot, you couldn't touch your steering wheel.

Halloween '09

Every year my Aunt Emily and Uncle Andy have a huge Halloween party with lots of delicious goodies, amazing chili, (my favorite part) and great company. It's so fun to look forward to this tradition and also to have another excuse to catch up. It never feels like we get to see our cousins enough. Maybe we can talk Em into having a "un-Halloween" party every month?
Abby took a lot of fun pictures and I had a hard time choosing so I hope you enjoy the large amount that I chose.
Also .. I've decided that without my Peter Pan I can't pass off Tinker Bell .. kind of a bummer! I won't be spending the same kind of money on my costume next year .. that is for dang sure!

Me & Marley .. She wouldn't share her 'mud' but I tried. I loved her Dorothy costume, so cute!

Abby and Ayda .. They were both witches!

Liv was a mad scientist, what a fun idea! I was super excited when I was able to donate an old smock to her costume and I was even more excited to see how it turned out!

Marley cracks me up!

I might have been the only one ready for the picture ...

Ev was a pilot ... my favorite costume of the night. I love the choc. smile!

Almost all the cousins that came and our Grandma. We sure do love her!

Just a few of us.

*Oh so Thankful

1. I'm thankful for my Mom and the amazing woman and Mother that she is. Words don't express the appreciation I have for Leslie Ann. I often get told by many that they wish they had her as their mother ... YUP! She's the best!

2. I'm thankful for my job. I complain about working in the Pharmacy but it's so much fun. There is always something exciting going on and it's always a new day.

3. I'm thankful for Colby Carter. He loves me like no one ever has.

4. I'm thankful for new babies. My aunt Jenny and cousin Annie are due any day now both with baby girls, I'm ecstatic for both of them and I can't wait to meet the little angels.

5. I'm thankful for grand kids. The look in my Mom's eyes when she gets to see or talk about the kids is my favorite, I can't wait until I can add to the crowd.

6. I'm thankful for sleep and the feeling I get when I've had a full eight hours and I'm ready for just about anything.
speaking of which .. I have a full day of work tomorrow ... I better turn in.

*Purple-y

I went to the hair dresser today .. I knew I was in desperate need of a cut and color but I had no idea what I wanted done other than that .. luckily Joni is a ton of fun and has some fun ideas. I left with a hair cut that I love and some new crazy colors that I can't get enough of!
I was a little nervous to show Colby but in the dim light of his kitchen he said it wasn't too obvious and he liked it. Later we went to 7-eleven for our new favorite .. hot chocolate .. and it wasn't until we were about to leave that he had a chance to look at my hair in good light. Very loudly he said "Your hair is PURPLE" Very nervous, I laughed and asked if he still liked it. He reminded me that I'm crazy but it still looked cute.
So here are the first pictures of my 'Picture Journal' and today I'm grateful for being brave for the sake of fun. I LOVE that I walked into the salon today with a head of hair that was more than over-due for a cut and color and I left with a smile and some fun hair!
I'll post some pictures of it styled straight soon so you can see the purple a little better.

blog stalker .. still

I follow all the blogs listed on the left side of this blog .. plus a few more. I'm a crazy blogger but I love to see what is going on in peoples lives and learn from them.
I've recently been addicted to a few blogs in particular and I've decided to take on some of the few things they have been doing, I love to read their updates and lets be honest .. My blog could use a little spice.
Starting today .. I will take a picture every day to add to my picture journal. I'm really excited about this .. I never have an excuse to take pictures and some of the pictures Tami has taken have turned out super cute. stay tuned!
A few people have started the 'Thankful in November' post, I love this idea! I have a lot of catching up to do but I intend to be Thankful for atleast 30 things this month.
Thanks for sharing all your fun ideas girls .. I'm loving the blog updates!

*sigh* .. of relief

Have you read my *apology post? If not, you should ... I'll wait.
I was given the chance to give that apology and I feel like a ton of wasted energy has been lifted off my shoulders.
I was sent an email yesterday, an email that changed my entire life and the way I look at everything in my life. It took a really big person to send that email, I can't thank them enough for their kind words. A few other things happened yesterday that helped that weight disappear and I'm so grateful for each one. My life treats me so well and I still can't believe it's me that gets to live it. My Heavenly Father knows and loves me, that is a feeling I get to live with every single day.

Halloween '08

Colby and I had halloween costumes this year .. I was Tinkerbell and he was Peter Pan. We had a halloween party on Friday but we decided to take it easy on Saturday. We don't get much time together lately so we enjoy our Saturday nights. We hit Lucky China for dinner, ate halloween candy, ice cream, and watched a good movie, sounds like a great way to spend Halloween huh! I might be able to beg Colb to put his costume back on for a few pictures but I can't make any promises.

I am beyond ecstatic that I have discovered this picture! Nothing makes me happier than this dog, Bentley is the cutest thing ever and I can't imagine life without the little guy. I'm also relieved that Colb isn't allergic to Dogs... That could have been a tough deal breaker.

Last year I was an 80's aerobic instructor and Bent was a Chicken.

Apology*

You know that feeling you get when you realized you've been lied to? The feeling that is mixed with so many emotions it hurts to even think about? I've had that a lot in the last year and sometimes it still creeps up on me when I think about apologies and forgiveness. It has recently come to my attention that for a long time, I've been mad at the wrong person, I've been mad at somebody for reasons that make my stomach turn.. I hate this feeling. I once had days when I screamed and yelled and fought for things I thought I wanted, things I thought were sure to get better and when they didn't, I walked away feeling like a failure, like I could do nothing right. I blamed this failure on a lot of things and a few people but mostly myself. I've never worked so hard at something in my entire life and I've never experienced a bigger heartache. For days, weeks, and months, I wondered why I had to go through this trial and I couldn't help but wonder what life would be like without something so painful. Could I learn the lessons another way or perhaps not learn them at all?
Just a few days after I moved home I went back to my old house to get a few more things and decided I wanted to talk about the situation. It ended a lot differently than I had planned but it felt good and I knew it was all part of the process. I remember distinctly so many little things from this conversation. I remember pleading for change but not for myself. I cried and begged for the next girls sake, I didn't want anyone else to have to be in my shoes, walking away with a broken heart and a million questions.
In that conversation I blamed someone who was nothing but a good friend, a family a member, and big part of our lives but I wasn't mad at them because of things I had seen but things that I had been told. I wish every single day to take so many words back. What I would give to hug this person and tell them I'm sorry... But no matter what I say or do, nothing can take back the anger and the negative feelings I had for them.
Getting a divorce was hard but nothing compares to the emotion that comes over me when I realize I was wrong and I went about it all wrong and another person was probably hurt by the way things used to be. I highly doubt I'll ever get the chance to apologize to this person and even if I do, my words can't say it all.
Someday I hope I can forgive myself for believing someone else' lies, I also hope this person can face their own lies and take responsibility. It's crazy to think that somebody was hurt because of someone else' words and lack of maturity.

getting better ..

Sometimes I forget that I'm not the only person in my family that is excited for me to marry Colby. When we put off the date and when we finally decided on a new one without thinking I blogged about it. I should have called my sisters and told them the exciting news but instead they read it on the internet. I'm trying harder to include them, I love that they want to be so much apart of it and that every little detail matters to them as well. I think because it's my second time, I'm forgetting that everyone stills cares and wants it to be a perfect day.
I'm so thankful that my Mom is giving me another wedding of my dreams and that she is just as excited for my wedding day.
My family absolutely loves Colby, he's fit right in since the very beginning. I know it was really hard, especially for my Mom, for me to bring someone home but she trusts my judgment and she knows that with all I've been through I would be more cautious than ever. Kady's family still hasn't met Colb but they already love him because he loves me. We're hoping to make a trip to Cali before the wedding...
In so many ways this whole thing called life doesn't seem real, a dream maybe? I'm ecstatic that I've been given a second chance in love and that I've found someone so incredible. I love the butterflies I get when I see Colby and I can't get over how much fun we have. Life is so good to me and I'm grateful for every minute.

Friends*

My best friend Kendra Rae got married two months ago and it just occurred to me that I haven't posted any of the cute pictures she has of us. I LOVE these pictures. The Ceremony was perfect and the Reception turned out adorable, Her day was perfect and I'm SO glad I was able to be apart of it. Every time I look at these pictures I drool over her dress, it's more gorgeous than any dress I've ever seen, ohhh I loved it!
I was reading some old journal entries a few days ago and I came across a few things I had written about our friend Natalie's wedding day back in January of 2008 .. also a beautiful wedding .. I wrote that it was my hope and prayer that Kendra would follow the example that Nat and I had set and would marry in the temple. Long story short, I was ecstatic when K told me she was marrying Matthew and in the Logan Temple, I might have cried.
We've always joked that Nat would get married first, I'd get married last - but only after Kendra found someone who could take her sarcasm and strong opinion .. so I'd be lucky if I ever got my turn. Nat would have kids first, me last and Kendra very stubbornly in between the two of us.
We've had lots of late nights, many inappropriate laughs, tons of awkward moments, several uncomfortable situations, a million laughs, a billion smiles, some tears, a few fears, months apart, lunch dates, dinner dates, more memories than we can count and even pictures we promised never to reveal but through it all we've loved each other not matter what.

So here we are .. Nat got married first (kind of) I guess since I'm going for round two she can win that one. Ken found someone who adores her and loves every piece of her so now it's my turn. The best part about getting married last .. Advice from good sources and their families get to be apart of our day.
Natalie Jo is pregnant with her first baby and we can't wait meet little Riley in February, Kendra will be close behind .. I'm sure of it. And me well ... Don't put any money on any little kiddos in the next 4 or so years for us. I think we'll just enjoy the spoiled grand babies that my siblings are blessing us with for a while.
I love these two girls and I laugh every single time I think about the memories we've made, I hope that even as we continue to grow up and go our separate ways we'll always stay close and be able to be apart of big days in each others lives.

Natalie, Kendra, Me .. I LOVE this picture!

I look up to these girls so much. I'm so thankful for their examples of love and trust and I'm excited to have the kind of marriages that they do. Have I already mentioned that I love these girls??

Kendra & Matthew

Natalie and Case

Make-Over.

Last Thursday we had a baby shower for my aunt Jenny and I totally slacked with the picture taking but ... you already knew that! I don't know why I have such a nice camera sometimes, I don't use it nearly enough. Jen and Lucy got lots of great stuff and she'll be well dressed for quite a while.
Everyone was starting to head out when my cousin Marley asked if she could give me a make-over. I could have been offended but instead I took her up on the offer and hoped for the best. She had me wear a good portion of my jewelery and threw in my black studded belt but informed me I didn't need any high heels, Thanks Mar.
After she let everyone see her hard work it was her turn, as we headed back to my jewelery box she told me she had made me into a 'Pop Star'. Nice!
I let her wear all my stuff and she picked out an incredibly random pair of heels and begged me to let her take them home. She made me promise to keep them until she was a teenager which is apparently the age you have to be to wear them. 14 years is kind of a long time Mar but I'll sure try.

Me and Marley

Oh goodness!

Isn't she the cutest thing? And she's absolutely hilarious!

in case you didn't know ..

Every single day the thought of moving to California crosses my mind, and it's all because of this

and this ...
and this ...Oh how I miss these cute faces!

lucky me!

Life is great these days. Every day I'm amazed at how much Colby loves me! We always have so much fun and we're constantly laughing. It's hard to imagine life without him in it, luckily I don't have to do that! It's been really nice to slowly plan the wedding and enjoy being engaged.
Yesterday My mom and I were talking about where my life was a year ago and how things had changed. I asked her what she thought what life would be like if I had married Colby 2 years ago. She reminded me that without my past I wouldn't appreciate that present, especially Colby. TRUE. I'm so thankful for him and for the smile he puts on my face every single day. I can't wait to spend the rest of forever for with him! Oh how I love him!

I love this cute face!

oH sNaP!

Logan and I went to the new Rue 21 in Clinton today .. Logan found a comfy jacket and I found this awesome shirt! I might just have to wear it every day for the rest of the month! Oh how I love halloween! I still can't decide what to be though .. I guess I better hurry and make up my mind .. I'm runnin out of time!

DeLiCiOuS-nEsS

Colby and I found the stuff to make candy suckers from scratch at Winegars and we couldn't resist. Our first attempt was pretty bad but we didn't give up, our second attempt turned out much better. We're excited to find more molds and different flavors.
Have a fun recipe or idea? Please share .. We're loving this new hobby!

Colby adds ness on to a lot of words lately just to make me laugh. That would explain the random title of this post.

still alive ...

Here is where my mom and Logan were for the last week ... Cancun Mexico!

Here is how I survived .. My favorite cereal has been on sale a ton the last little bit and it's a good thing. Everyone knows that I'm no cook but I could survive on cereal for a very long time. Colby's Mom had me for dinner every single night and when I had to work late they saved me a plate. So sweet of them. Every other meal .. I enjoyed my waffle crisp.
Mom and Logan had a good time and they are really glad to be back to normal food, I think I'm more excited to have them back though.

First stop for food in America ...

A different kind of money ..

An older gentleman walked into my pharmacy a few months ago, he set down a pack of Rolaids, emptied his pockets and asked if he had enough to pay for them, I told him that if he included the golf tees -with out the pocket lint - then he just might have the right amount. He grinned and asked me to count what he had. I discovered he was 2 pennies short and he pulled out a twenty dollar bill to cover the rest. Normally I'd let the patient break their big bills but this guy made me smile so I told him that I refused to take his $20 and told him a golf tee would be sufficient, he offered all three but in the end I took just one and he promised to play his best with the other two. I think about this incident every day. I'll probably never see this patient again but his smile and the way he paid for his medicine made my day.

I was really excited to tell Colby about this incident and I knew I'd get a chuckle out of him. I keep the golf tee in my change container in the car, every time I reach for change I just laugh.

Conference Sunday

My Grandma Arnold has everyone over for a lunch on Conference Sunday, it's one of my favorite things and it's a good chance for everyone to get together and talk about life and the memories we've shared. This year was no different, Grandma pulled out pictures she had of us and we got laughing pretty hard and there were a few pictures of our family that I had never seen before. It's always fun to get together and Grandma loves having us.
Did I mention Grandma always makes my favorite .. Funeral Potatoes! I could eat those potatoes all day everyday, so yummy. Grandma always sends me home with the extras and I always end up eating them before end of the day. I can't wait for next conference.

Cousin Jason, Abby, Cousin Nate, and Me.
This picture was taken outside my grandma's house many MANY years ago.

Oh so Grateful!

Notebooks were passed around a few weeks ago in Relief Society and we were challenged to use them each and every day. An 'I'm Grateful' Journal was the challenge given and I silently promised to take this one on. The only requirement was to write down one thing that we are grateful for - sounds easy enough.
I've been fairly successful with the task and it's been kind of fun to go back and see what I was grateful for weeks ago. It's been very rewarding to sit down at the end of the day and think about all the positive things that happened throughout the day .. it makes life a lot more enjoyable when it's the good that I'm searching through. I'm loving life these days and couldn't be more grateful for all my blessings .. big and small I'm one lucky girl.

Go CoWbOyS!

I knew the Carters were Cowboy fans but I had no idea what I was in for.. Dallas played NC yesterday and I was at Colby's house for dinner when the game started. I couldn't help but laugh as his parents got into (and yelled) as the game went on. I've always loved football but I've never really had a team and I guess it's never too late to pick one...
It's going to take me a couple more games before I'm completely sucked in but I'm definitely slowly but surely becoming a Cowboys fan and enjoying every minute of it.

BW in Concert

My family and some good friends were able to attend the Brooke White concert last week, she's amazing. The concert was so much fun and I can't wait for her to come again. Benton Paul from Salt Lake City opened the show .. He was amazing and I can't get enough of his cd. Michael Johns also came, I love his energy. Brooke was last to preform, she was my favorite, she's hilarious and you can tell she loves every second of sharing her music. David Archuleta surprised everyone and came out for 2 songs .. The crowd went wild. It was a really fun night, my family is always a blast.

on a side note ...Colby and I parked on the street and I didn't want to carry my purse so I quickly grabbed the cash from my wallet, put it in my pocket, and locked it in the trunk. We were waiting for the show to start when they said my name over the PA and asked me to come to the entrance. It wouldn't have been weird except they called Elizabeth Arnold .. I went to the front and there was a young couple holding some money, they asked if I was Elizabeth and then they handed me the money. Confused I counted the money and noticed there was a tithing slip in the middle. Apparently when I grabbed the money from my wallet I snagged a tithing slip as well and then I dropped the money somewhere between the car and the concert. With all the horrible things going on in the world you kind of forget that there are still honest people out there... I didn't get their names but I know their honesty will bring them blessings. I can't help but laugh as I think about all the little things the Lord has done for me, especially in the last little bit- Just some reminders that I'm living my life in a way that the Lord is able to teach me, help me learn, and be there for me. I love it.

Logan, Cousin Gracie, Mom, Brooke, Abby, Aunt Jenny, baby Lucy (coming soon)

The whole crew

Surprise!

Me and Colby .. Thanks Colb for coming with me, I knew you'd enjoy it!

Logan and Colb

Jon and Abby ... These guys are always making me laugh. The Love they have and show for each other is so cute.

Jon, Abby, and Mom

Spreading the word .. please do the same!

My friend Alison is putting together a 5K benefit race for an adorable little girl, her name is Maryn Cella. I saw her story on KSL and I couldn't stop thinking about her .. Colby and I almost drove eight hours to a small town in Colorado to run a race for her back in August but life got the better of us and we were unable to make the trip. I was so excited when I saw this post on Alison's blog and I was even more excited when she asked for me help. I've been telling everyone about this race and I hope you can do the same. Mark your calendars, we would love to see you there and have your support.
Here is the post I copied from Alison's blog .. Let me know if you have any questions.

To all who read this... please help me spread the word about a 5K Run/Walk that I am organizing for a little girl named Maryn Cella (details below). Post this on your blog, or pass it along on Facebook. Any exposure we can get helps! I can also e-mail you flyers for your work, local businesses, etc.

Event: Hope for Maryn 5K Run/ 1 Mile Walk

Date: Saturday October 24, 2009

Location: Celebration Pointe Reception Center - located in the Business Depot - Ogden, UT.

Time: Registration starts at 8:00 am; Race starts at 9:00 am

Registration: Same day - sign up before the race at Celebration Pointe Reception Center

Cost: $20.00 (includes shirt for 1st 75 people)
$50.00 family pass (2 adults, up to 5 children under the age of 15. Includes 2 shirts)
Strollers/Wagons free (please for the safety of all participants no bikes or dogs)
Montetary contributions will also be accepted

Other Details:

The 5K route can walked or ran. There will also be a 1 mile route for walking.

We will time the run but since it is a charitable event we will not use a professional timing service. To make sure that you get an accurate time, we suggest you bring your own stopwatch.

There will be a raffle for prizes at the end of the race

Prizes will be given to the first runner, walker, and stroller/wagon at the finish

One last thing... we are also looking for sponsors for prizes, food, and $ for the T-shirts. If you know of any local businesses, your own business, or have a little bit of $ to help out we would REALLY appreciate it! All sponsors will have their names printed on the back of the T-shirts.


About Maryn:
On June 17, 2009 Maryn was diagnosed with Diffuse Pontine Glioma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. She was given 9-12 months to live. We are raising money to help with some treatments that could extend her lifespan. One of which is treatment at the Burzinski Clinic in Texas. People who have been treated there live 4-5 times longer. The cost is $100,000. We are also working with the Maryn's Hope Foundation that is helping to work towards a cure. More information can be found at https://marynshopefoundation.org/

After reading Maryn's story on my cousin's blog I really felt like I needed to do something. I couldn't get her out of my mind. The day she was diagnosed was my birthday. Maybe that is why I feel some connection. All I know is that we need to have hope, pray for a miracle, and give this little girl the best life she can have for the rest of her time here.

Please view these two videos created by Alexa Nofsinger. Alexa's mom, Erica Shields has created the Maryn's Hope foundation. Erica also organized a benefit 5K in Littleton, CO. It was a huge success. The video below showcases the run. Thank you Alexa and Erica for all your help!

In love ..

With my new Hobby .. I started taking random pictures of 'letters' in island park and I'm excited to find more back home. I'm hoping to have everyone's Christmas presents done by November .. Did I spoil the surprise? Eh .. Merry Christmas ahead of time.

LOVE.

Island Park .. 3 .. last day.

We floated the Snake River on the last day .. It's one of my favorite things so I was excited for Colby and Chelle to do it with us. It was incredibly windy but we managed to have a good time anyway. I can't wait to hit Island Park again, we had so much fun! Thanks for a great trip everyone .. lets do it again soon. Peterson's feel free to join us, we missed you.

On the bus ride up .. Not very many of my pictures from the ride turned out but I did manage to get a few.

These two crack me up. I'm glad neither one of them brought a friend, I think they had a good time with each other.

Jon's parents Bob and Marsha .. I'm so glad they cam with us, they were so much fun.

Colb on the River ...

Logan

Abby and Jon

Abby, Jon, Logan, and Chelle

Chelle .. earning her keep.

The other raft ... Bob, Marsha, Lesha, Lincoln, Mom, and Taft

The water was sooo cold.

Jon and Colby

Lesha and Lincoln

KEEP READING ....

Island Park .. 2

Inside one of the gift shops in West Yellowstone we found some glider planes and we decided to have a contest. We took em back to the cabin, colored em, and put them together. I'm not sure who won but we had so much .. great idea Abby.

I'm not sure where the random white splotches came from .. weird.

Me and Colby

Taft and Logan

KEEP READING ...

Island Park ... take 1

My Uncle Chris let us stay at his cabin in Island Park this last weekend and we had a BLAST. We did most of our favorite things and the weather was perfect.
I took a million pictures and even started a new hobby .. so much fun. Here are a bunch of the pictures .. more coming soon.

I gave Colb a piggy back and he broke my necklace .. luckily it was a quick fix.

All of us at big springs .. I love this picture.

This little guy is growing up way too fast, but right now he's at such a fun age. He's walking and he's all smiles.

Almost everybody. Big springs had a TON of fish to feed and we even saw a few muskrats.

Logan jumped off the bridge on to Colby's shoulders .. I had to take a picture.

We probably had a little too much fun in this store .. This is Chelle.

I can't take him anywhere ...

Abby .. I laughed for quite a while after I took this picture.

Taft and Lesha at the Pizza restaurant. Best pizza crust I've ever had.

Me and Colb

Taft made his face every time I told him to smile.

ha ha ha ha .. oh chelle!

Me and Logie

Mom, Colby, and Lesha .. West Yellowstone.

Taft, Logan, Abby, Jon, and Chelle

We parked the cars for a little bit and Lesha let Lincoln out of his car seat .. he loved the wind in his hair.

Bear Lake - pictures

Here are the few pictures I took from Labor Day weekend that promised .. enjoy.

A view of the lake from the road ... I love this picture.

Zach, Aubrey, and Logan .. These are the three rascals we had for the weekend. They were so much just ad kept us laughing.

LoVe ..

This picture makes me smile ... I wrote this in the sand in Hawaii. Logan made fun of my for not writing it the other way around, I wrote it this way because I made Colby say it 'I Love You' first.
Growing up I remember my Grandparents always reminding one another that they loved the other but I never EVER remember either one of them saying I love you too, it was always I Love YOU.. as if it were a competition in who said it first. This has always stuck with me, with my friends, with my family, and with Colby. Just another reason I love to hear (or say) I love you.
Colby does little things everyday that tell me just how much he loves me. Every single day I'm reminded just how lucky in love and life I am .. I've definitely had my fair share of trials and tough times but it was worth every single tear and 'why me?' moment to get where I am today.

Lately I've heard a lot of stories similar to mine where girls found themselves in a position just like mine where their marriage took a turn in the wrong direction for reasons unknown to them. They were left confused, heart broken, and crushed. I wish I could get together with these girls and help them through their tough times. I know all our situations are different and that we're different people but I would love to teach them what I've learned and share with them how I've become the person that I am today. Stronger!
I'm so grateful for my trials today, for the lessons and blessings that have come from each one.

a penny for your thoughts ...

I went to sunday school with Colb last week, always a good time. The lesson was on eternal marriage .. how to achieve it, how to find it, and how to enjoy it. Jordan Davis gave the lesson, I love when he teaches. He gets really nervous but once the comments from the class start coming in and he realizes we're participating, he gives a great lesson.
We were talking about how to find the person we want to spend eternity with and I raised my hand. Always very nervous about commenting EVER - not just in a visiting ward- I felt confident in saying it, I didn't come up with it which made it easier to say. Weird. I'm reading a few books about marriage, love, being engaged, and remembering who you are and I'm loving them. There is a ton of good points and stories and quotes coming from all different directions. I believe I found the quote I used in the book '101 questions to ask before you get engaged.'

"You have to divorce yourself before you can truly love someone else."

A few people shook there heads in agreement, the teacher commented on the depth of it and the girl behind me started murming under her breath. Then she started murming a little louder. The teacher asked her to share her opinion loud enough for everyone to hear. She said she disagreed completely and continued to tell the class that she didn't think we should have to change who we are for someone else to love us. We should be able to be true to ourselves and the person who deserves us will understand that we are who are and that shouldn't have to change.
HUH??? WHAT???
The teacher was excited that there was a chance for debate but he brought the floor back to me. He asked me if I would like to explain my comment and maybe clear a few things up.
I explained -in a not very nice voice.. but I had steam coming out of my ears, I was embarassed, and she tried to make me look like a fool- That that wasn't what the comment was referring to .. at all. I think the quote was suggesting that we put ourselves in a position where we should desire to put our happiness aside to see someone else smile. We should be selfless and jump at the chance to help those around us be happy. I said a few more things but I was so frustrated by the end of the class that I really can't remember. Colby threw in a good comment to back me up and then we gave it back to the teacher. He was glad I was able to explain myself and he again commented on how much he liked the thought.
I found this qoute on a blog that I follow a few months back and I love it. I wish I could have thought of it on sunday. Next time for sure!

"Love is when someone elses happiness is more important then your own" .. Thanks Keri for posting this .. It's so cute and so true!

I talked about it for hours and Colby kept reminding me that I was right and the debate was over HA HA HA! ... I'm just about over it but I'll be keeping my penny bitter girl, and you can keep your thoughts.

A lot to blog about ...

Okay not really.
I've been working A TON - 5 days a week. Sounds normal right? ya not so much. I work 35 hours in 3 days at Smith's so the other two are a few extra hours I get to work at ShopKo. Yes get to, I really love that pharmacy sometimes.
Colby is back to school and so far enjoying it. He was really excited to go back and it made me pretty jealous. If I knew I was going to enjoy it that much, I'd go back for something.
Mom has been living the dream and traveling to California to visit the kids whenever she can and we miss her dearly when she's gone ... We've eaten enough cereal to feed an army. Luckily the Carter's have graciously invited us over for dinner more than once and Taco Time and Burger King aren't too far away.
Colby and I took Logan and a friend to Bear Lake on Saturday. Our family has a cabin up there so we decided we might as well take one more vacation before summer ends and go up for the day. We got up there and no one else was up there so we took full advantage and stayed the night. Logan and Zach's friend Aubrey is going to school at Utah State so she was able to join us at the last minute and I'm so glad she did. She's adorable and so much fun. (plus she was able to bring a few more blankets)
We felt very unprepared ... not my favorite, luckily I have two 'soccer game' blankets in the back of the car, we bought toothbrushes at the gas station, and ate dinner at one of our favorite hamburger joints. So tasty!
We didn't stay as long as we had liked but we did run into one of my really good friends and it made my whole day. We knocked on the cabin above ours to open the gate for us (way to late at night, sorry) and Scott walked out. I met him and his adorable wife Shay through Josh and we've kept in touch through all of this yucky divorce stuff. They are such a cute couple and I'm so lucky to have been able to stay friends with them. I was hoping to see Shay before we left but we left too early on Sunday. We need to get together soon though. I was excited for Scott to meet Colby and Scott was equally excited for me.
I went to Sunday school with Colby on Sunday, the lesson was on eternal marriage and it was awesome. Something I said sparked an unnecessary debate. Read the next post to catch the juice.
Sunday night I went with the Carter's to family home evening with Holly's family in South Jordan. It was SO much fun. The food was delicious and as usual, the company was a blast.
Labor day turned out to be a pretty lazy day but I loved it, a lazy day was exactly what I needed.
Colby and I are running a 5K on Saturday so we went for a run yesterday to get ourselves ready. Colby did surprisingly well (he claims he's not a runner) and I didn't do as well as I had hoped but it was fun. I've always had this mental picture of running a race with my husband and my little family someday (is that weird?) I read a post on Holly Williams blog a while back about a race their family ran and it made me cry. So cute! It feels so good to have Colby's support and know that he's enjoying it as well. I'm really excited to run with him this weekend, hopefully we do well .. We might have a chance if he can keep his silly comments and jokes to himself. Laughing slows me down and takes all my energy.
I spent the majority of my day off being a lazy bum and refused to do much of anything. I took Logan and his friend Josh to the mall for lunch - only because Chick-fil-A was giving away FREE chicken sandwiches if you were rocking any attire from your favorite athletic team - I just bought their drinks!
I purchased a few had to have items and we ran into one my favorite families of all time, the Varney's and I go way back. I dated their son Cody several years ago but I've always stayed really close with Sunny and Scott. They were really excited to see me and it was good to catch up.
Colby and I went for chinese, roamed target (my favorite), purchased Jamba's for dessert, and watched Fever Pitch .. I love that movie!
I'm a little sad the vacation weekend is over for a few reasons .. 1. Summer is just about over 2. I have to go back to work. 3. Colby has to go back to school.
On a much more exciting note though, We're headed to Island Park a week from Friday and I can't wait. It will be nice to really get away and be able to stay for more than a day.
There are only a few much I'll post pictures from Bear Lake soon.

Here I come ...

My friend DJ is getting married in May in the Boston temple and he invited us to come. I'm SO excited. It will be so awesome to be there and be apart of the big day. DJ is someone I've always looked up to and admired and to see the smile that Loralee puts on his face is priceless. He is a happy that I've never seen in him before .. Love I presume.

We might just have to hit up a Red Sox game while we're out there! Can't wait!

*hOmE*

So ... Colby is home :) and... I'm loving ever single second of it! We've been busy busy and going going since he got here but I couldn't complain even if I tried. He got here late on Thursday and we grabbed a bite to eat and spent the rest of the night laughing and catching up. We woke up early on Friday and surprised his parents before the reunion. We wanted to wait but Colb was too excited. They were so happy to see him and they were equally as excited to have him here. We headed to Huntsville to wish Grandpa Carter a Happy Birthday and then to the reunion. Colb's grandpa is a crack up, he's hilarious .. definitely Brock's dad.
The reunion was so much fun. It was so awesome to meet so many new people and to be able to put a face with a name. Holly's family is incredible ... I'm so glad I got to be apart of such a fun weekend and I honestly can't wait to be able to do all of it next year. Everyone was really excited to see my ring, to hear how Colby proposed, and to hear the wedding plans (which are still few and far between but we'll get there)
My best friend Kendra got married on Saturday in Logan and it was amazing. Colby and I BARELY (understatement) made it to the ceremony. We were SOOO late. In fact .. They waited until we got there. The temple worker told Ken they were waiting on one more person and she said she knew it was me so they waited. From now on I'm going to try and be early for whatever I can... I never want to be in the position again. Old habits die hard but I'm up for the challenge.

We headed to Belmont for a little family get away on Sunday. I've never been there so I didn't know what to expect but it was fun. We went with a good family friend of the Carters and we shared a lot of good laughs. I'm excited to go back there and maybe stay for a night or two next time. We made it home for Sunday dinner with my family. Mom is crazy busy all week long so she doesn't cook much but she ALWAYS cooks on Sundays .. it's my favorite so I try not to miss it. She's been in Cali a lot the last few weeks so Logan and I have been starving. I should probably just learn how to cook huh ... Eh someday.

I keep thinking Colby is only here for the weekend and he'll be heading back to Spokane any day now but I'm so glad he doesn't have to. This summer was super long and totally worth the wait but I'd rather not do it again. :)

My new favorite picture .. Isn't he cute?

FiNaLLy!!!

Colby is heading for home tomorrow. (technically today) He's coming home earlier than we originally thought and planned on but you won't get a complaint out of me. His parents don't he is coming home til the 23rd and he's supposedly calling them tomorrow on his way home to inform them he's extending so we'll see how that goes.
We're really excited to surprise his family at the big Froerer reunion this weekend (we've been planning this for a few weeks but we didn't think we could pull it off).. it'll be fun to see everyone's faces and to of course catch up.
I'm anxious for him to be home and for the summer to finally be over and I'm sure Colby feels about the same. I'm incredibly nervous and I have yet to figure out why .. I know everything will be good and we'll pick up right where we left off so who knows .. I'm pretty sure it's just a sever case of the butterflies anyway. :) Lots of emotions these last few days ... I'm really happy that we've survived the summer and that we had the chance to learn so much from all of this. Distance really does make the heart grow fonder .. I'm so thankful for the trials and blessings we were able to learn from these last 4 months.
Hopefully he can find a good job quickly so that we won't be going anywhere for work next summer, just vacations.
I can't wait to see his cute smile and hear is laugh in person .. Hopefully tomorrow flies and he remains safe in his travels .. see you soon Colb ... I love you!

hard work pays off ...

Last night when I got home Logan walked up to me and gave me a big hug. Cute huh! Don't be fooled ... that means he wants something. I knew right off the bat what it was, but I played it cool and started to think of things I was going to make him do to earn it. poor kid. He needed my car for a date and I knew I was going to let him use it but if I make have him earn it, he appreciates it more.
For starters I sent him to Triple Stop to buy me beef jerky, (listening to country music the whole time) at 11:45 PM. He almost died, luckily we only live about a mile or so from the gas station. The jerky was delicious.... It's my favorite.
We ended the night by playing a game we used to play as kids. It was torture for him but we had a lot of laughs and I'll forever tease him for it. ps .. I'm still just as awesome at Old Maid as I was years ago.
Today I made him buy me dinner at Warren's ... I love their OJ Coolers ... YUM!
He's on his date right now, appreciating all his hard work. :) I'm sure he's having and blast and I hope he needs my car again soon! I love Logie and all the good times we have., He's hilarious and I couldn't ask for a cooler little brother. He's awesome!
Just a few random pictures of Log.

He looks sooo grown up in this one ... crazy!I stole this one from his facebook ... I'm not sure where he is or why that dog is eating his hair but I laughed just hard enough that my stomach hurts and my eyes are watering so I'm fine without an explanation.

Draper Temple

My friend Kendra took out her endowments yesterday at the Draper Temple and I was so excited to be able to be there with her! Kendra and I have been through it all together so it was really awesome to be apart of this. Ken has been through a lot so it was a pretty special day. I'm super excited for her and Matthew to get married next week. They are so cute together. I love seeing her happy and I'm so proud of her and all her work. Love you Rae!

Natalie, Kendra, Me ... I love these girls!

Buhler ... Buhler .. Buhler ...

You know those people in your life that you can't help but love? The ones that can make you laugh at seriously anything and everything... The ones that quote movies with you until you can't breath because your laughing so hard... The ones that make you wonder why Heavenly Father made you wait to have them in your life... The ones that you can talk about anything with... The ones that truly care about what you think and value your opinion... The ones that bring out the rebel in you just so you'll have something to laugh about later... The ones that take you back to your childhood by coloring and watching old movies until the wee hours of the morning .. the ones that look up to you for reasons unknown .. the ones that will always love you no matter what ... the ones that make you want to be a better person from just being around them ... the ones that you can't live without ...
I have one of those ... and she's amazing! Chelle is one of the funnest girls ever. I can't believe how alike we are and how similar so many of our stories are .. I punch her when she's mean and she pinches me in return (friends do that right???)... sometimes she finishes my sentences and it drives me craaazy .. but I do the same to her because it's funny.

I love this girl.
I'm completely sober and in mid sentence in this one ...

She's laughing at my 'happy' face ...

GuRkeeS ...

Colby's aunt was wearing the cutest sandals at the family reunion last month, I fell in love! She told me where she got em and mentioned they had a website. She has had hers for several years and they are still in great condition. I jumped online the next day and bought my own. There were a couple problems with the website at the time so tt took em three weeks to get here but they were well worth the wait. I wear them everywhere and I can't get enough. They are soOo comfy! Gurkees.com ... eat your heart out!

I want one ...

Just over a month ago The Carters invited me to a family reunion. I was excited to accept the invitation but I was crazy nervous as well. Colby hadn't been to one in about 4 years so I was mostly concerned that I would be introduced as Colby's fiance and they would say 'who is Colby?' Luckily they all remembered who he was and I didn't have to explain it all. It will be nice to have him home for the next one though.
We had a really good time and I'm really excited for next year. Brock even bought us delicious shakes on the way home. I love the Carters and I'm so excited to be apart of such a fun family.

There was an awesome teeter totter that Chelle and I couldn't get enough of. We got laughing pretty hard and probably could have played on it all day but we decided to share with the little ones ... We asked if maybe Santa could bring us one of these for Christmas .. we'll see what happens I guess!
I'm flying off my seat in this picture .. Chel would push off so hard every single time that I could barely hang on.

This girl is hilarious... I can't wait to have her as my sister in law. She's such a blast.

Cook .. Not so much ... yet.

I found this super cute tile that made me laugh.
I took a picture of it and sent it to Colby ..
He asked me how much it was and then told me to go back and buy it.
I couldn't resist ... I'm a horrible cook!
But .. I am trying!

DeRbY DeRbY!

My friend Shaleese is from Henefer and we always give her a hard time about being from somewhere that is too small to exist. She invited My friend Dallin and I to join her and family at the Demolition Derby put on by another small town just miles from where she is from. We of course said yes and joked that we would be just a few of the 25 people attending. Boy were we wrong, there was a million people and parking was insane. Apparently they take their summer festivities so far .. they last for longer than a week. Here are some pictures of the Derby and I will have more to post after the Rodeo this weekend.

Shaleese's family is a hoot! They've already invited us to come again with them next year!

Not only did we not anticipate the huge crowd, we also underestimated the lows temps that came quickly after the sun went down. It was soo cold!

This girl cracks me up, she's hilarious and we keep each other laughing forever!

Dallin was taking FoReVeR to take the picture and the sun was in my eyes ... I became a titch frustrated .... :)

keep reading ...

Mi Madre

It just occurred to me in proof-reading those last two posts - which I did very quickly so if you find a typo .. deal with it- I post a lot about my Mom so here is a post just for her .. and it's not even her birthday... Only one a year Mom.

There is something about my Mom that makes my heart melt ... It might just be her smile but I doubt that's all.

Colby and I are reading a book together called 101 questions to ask before you get engaged (awesome book-i highly recommend it even after you're engaged.) and one of the questions asked is 'who in your life has influenced you the most?' It might have been that it was nearly 1 AM and I was exhausted but I started crying - not hard I just teared up a bit. My answer listed a few people but #1 on my list was Leslie Ann ... The woman who has made it all possible. She truly is the most amazing person I have yet to meet. Growing up, when the crowd I used to hang out with started partying and drinking there was never a moment of hesitation when they offered me a drink. I could always see the look of disappointment on my Mom's face in the back of my mind. It wasn't that she would have been mad or angry for doing something I knew was wrong, it was seeing her face after letting her down that would have crushed me. She has worked so hard to get where she is now and I credit her for so much of my own success. She teaches me every single day how to live life to the fullest and to do it wholeheartedly (yes that's one word, I spell checked it) She is a constant reminder that the Lord loves me and wants me to be happy. From her I get my love of life, my blue eyes, my blond hair, my smile, my middle name, ( i guess technically she gave me my whole name but Ann was passed on to me ...) the roof over my head, and the chance to be alive. I don't give her enough credit for being so amazing, I couldn't ask for a more incredible Mom or Grandmother to my future off spring .. if she has any money left from spoiling the 4 we have now .. Mine will be just as spoiled! So here is to you Mom for being #1 in my book called life.

keep reading ...

Shingles Shmingles .. we go way back!

About a week ago I started getting an ear ache-nothing new, I get them all the time and most the time they don't stay for more than a few days. I know it's a bad one when my chin starts to itch. 96% of the time the ear ache is accompanied by a lovely rash on my chin that itches like no other. Usually it's fairly small and goes unnoticed by many unless I point it out. This ache was no different .. first the ache, then the itch ... only this itch seemed a little more intense -it hurt worse than the ache. It turned out to be the biggest rash I have had yet. I asked 4 of the 5 pharmacists I work for to take a look and they were all baffled. None of them had any idea what it could be or why it would be related to my ear ache.

I asked my Mom about it and she had a few ideas but nothing that I agreed with -Like I know anything ... I count pills all day long and fight with insurance companies! Finally I asked her opinion one more time and her guess what shingles .. So ... I jumped online and had a little chat with my favorite internet friend - Mr Google and I go way back - and Mom was right. Who knew!?!? Mom's always know there stuff .. I should have believed her the first time.


The picture I found when I googled Shingles .. Mine looked EXACTLY like this a few days ago.

Gross ...

My chin yesterday ... It's finally starting to get better and doesn't itch nearly as bad.

In googling shingles I also read that they don't normally come back (which doesn't explain why 96% of the time I have one with the ear ol' ache) and they can be caused by a weak immune systems because of stress, injury, or certain medications.

Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox starts up again in your body. After you get better from chickenpox, the virus "sleeps" (is dormant) in your nerve roots. In some people, it stays dormant forever. In others, the virus "wakes up" when disease, stress, or aging weakens the immune system. It is not clear why this happens. But after the virus becomes active again, it can only cause shingles, not chickenpox.

You can't catch shingles from someone else who has shingles.

keep reading ..

Winner Winner ... Chicken Dinner!

I've recently put the wedding planning on hold .. with Colb coming home shortly I figured I could take a break and he could help with what's left. (which is a lot more than he's expecting but he'll do great) To be honest it has been kind of nice not having to stress about the big day being just around the corner. I'm really excited to be able to just hang out and enjoy being engaged before the stress of it all hits too hard.
I've been researching a lot of photographers trying to find exactly what I want. There are so many great ideas out there but most seem to be pretty expensive as well. I have a lot of options in that department though so more than stressed I'm excited.
I randomly pull up wedding dress sites just to take a peak and I have found a few that I liked and could picture myself wearing but nothing that I loved and had to have. Every time I try on a dress I try and picture Colby's face when he sees me in it... I can always see his smile but I never got the 'This is the one' feeling.
Yesterday I was watching Ellen and a commercial came on advertising a sale for Bridal Satin - a place in Roy we'd been to a few times. I found a dress I loved there but when we went back the second time to try it on, I only liked it. I told them I'd probably be back. I called yesterday to see if that dress was on Sale - they said yes then .. they mentioned they had just sold it but they had also just received a new shipment. I called my Mom and Holly - (colb's Mom) and we headed up there. I tried on two dresses - neither of which were on sale- and I fell in love with the second one. It was so cute and unlike anything I had ever seen before!
My Mom's opinion has meant more to me than anyone's so I was super excited when she also loved it. We paid for it in full and headed for home. She was so excited that she called my sister in CA on the way home to tell her all about it! I love when she shares my excitement! I must have one incredible Mom - She's giving me another wedding of my dreams (the last one Mom, I promise) and she's loving every single second of it.
So I guess technically I haven't put the plans on too much of a hold if we are out making crazy 'ALL SALES FINAL' purchases. I LoOoOvVvEeEe the dress and I'm SoOo excited to wear it and see Colby's face when he sees me in it.

tick tick tick ....

Colby will be done for the summer in THREE weeks .. Longest summer ever! I was so glad I had the chance to go visit him twice and someday we'll go back there and visit but until then it will so so awesome to have him home. He's working hard but I think he's getting anxious to get back. These 3 weeks will be extra long but totally worth the wait....

This picture is a classic ... Colb was in the Elder's Quorum Presidency before he left for summer. (he's on the left) This is a picture of him and our friend Dallin at one of their weekly meetings .. Probably the only meeting they didn't hold in the foyer or the Mother's Lounge - apparently the chairs in there are pretty comfy .. who knew? Well no one except Mother's... until now ... We used to run into them every Sunday in between meetings .. I miss that.

Did I mention I love Colb in a tie? It's my favorite!

He's kind of good looking ... :)

Live-Laugh-Learn-Love

Growing up all my friends had dream cars that seemed to be just a little outlandish to me. I never wanted a corvett or a convertible .. red or blue ... fast or faster ... a big truck or a jeep ...
A Honda is what I pictured in my dreams . Silly, I know. As a kid I remember riding in the car and seeing happy families driving Hondas .. Not that my family wasn't happy ... we just didn't have a Honda. Oh my .. I'm way off track ... anyway ... When Josh and I bought a new car two years ago we had a couple options. We came across a place who takes totaled cars, fixes them (or so it appears) and sales them. It never even occurred to me that there would be a chance the car would have problems down the road ... We bought a 04 Honda Civic and I immediately fell in love! That was June of '07 ...
October of '07 .. a week before Halloween I hit a cat (a black one might I add) and it cracked my bumper from top to bottom .. I was devastated ... We didn't get it fixed because we didn't see the point.
February of '09 I'm going southbound on I-15 in the fast lane going about 75 mph and the hood flies up. It flew up so fast and so hard it shattered my windshield, ruined both hinges, sent the rear view mirror flying, and dented the roof... I then had to cross three lanes of traffic to pull over .. that was the scary part ... Colby so kindly tied the hood down and I jimmy-rigged the rear view mirror ... it was hanging on with rope and I got sea sick every time I had to use it.
June '09 I realize the registration is expiring and there is no way it's going to pass inspection. Colb had taken it in to get a quote while I was in Hawaii and I stared at the piece of paper until I was sick. I finally called the bank and ask about adding on to my loan so I can pay to get it fixed. They give me the go-ahead and the repair shop can't get me in for three weeks ... I make the appt anyway and cross my fingers hoping they get an opening before that. They didn't but those three weeks came and went pretty quickly.
After a ton of paperwork - lots of questions - less answers - and a lot of tears ... I got my car back!
Apparently when I took out a loan in January so I could keep the car, the credit union didn't have Josh sign off on the title like they said they did so .. He had to go in and sign .. He was really cool about it and it's a good thing .. The bank told me to wait til the car was done to sign for the check and then when it was done they weren't going to give me the check. ... That would be the reason for the tears ...
Everything ended up working out in the end but my new favorite repair man explained a few things to me that were quite disturbing .. The hood flew up because some of the parts weren't welded back together properly (and it wasn't shut tight) ... talk about a safety issue. That snowy February morning ... the one where I must have eaten some luck for breakfast ... could have ended a lot worse ... Somehow no one was hurt and I was just a little shaken up.
I give Mike Anderson a High Five and eight gold stars for the awesome work he did on Bandit. I will go back to him for everything. My car looks awesome and he was so patient - He explained every little detail to me and called me every time he had a concern or an idea on saving me every penny that he could. I couldn't be more pleased with his customer service. I'm super excited to have her back and the thoughts of selling her have recently dwindled ... I'll probably drive her til she dies!
Did I mention the car was two different colors? I had him make it one solid color while he was at it!
Check out My hefty bill .... $$$Live: I bought my dream car ..
Laugh: I eventually laughed (several weeks after) about hitting the cat .. He walked away from the accident but there is no way he's the same cat - I was going 40 mph .. :/
Learn: I learned that life isn't cheap and accidents happen. Which is why I've forgiven Logan for jumping his friends car battery when he was in need and not shutting the hood securely when he was finished.
Love: I love my "new" car .. I'm excited to keep driving Bandit and to love every minute of it!

Dilemma ...

This might be the most random post ever but I could really use some opinions so if you ever leave a comment on my blog, make this be the post you comment on.
I need to delete my old blog (the florence blog) but I have a million posts on there. SO many good times .. Do I just delete it and save the pictures OR do I pay a little bit of money to have it made into a book? Obviously it all happened and it's still a part of life but is that weird to have a book pretty much outlining my last marriage? I could probably delete a few posts and be fine with what is left but I can't decide what to do with the other posts. I would never EVER want to erase my past, I've been there, I lived it, I learned a lot and I wouldn't take any of it back, I am who I am because of where I've been. But ... I'm not trying to hold on to the past, just enjoy the memories. Let me know what you think ... THANKS valiant readers!

You say it's your BiRtHdAy ..

I love this picture ... My Mom is adorable! Today is her birthday .. She is 40 and it's about time! Happy Birthday Mom, I hope this year is even better than the last. We love you so much and we couldn't ask for a more amazing Mother .. You truly are incredible and we're so thankful for all that you do, all that you are, and all that you encourage us to be. HaPpY HaPpY BiRtHdAy .. Love You!

Done and ... Done!

I decided a while ago that one of my next investments would be a nice watch that I could wear running. Well .. I finally caved and bought one. We went to Park City last night I couldn't help but check out the Nike Outlet 'just to look' and when I found exactly what I wanted, I couldn't help but just buy it! It's nothing fancy but it's everything I was looking for. It's nice to find what I want AND have it be a good deal. I guess I better get out there and use those running shoes I bought a few weeks ago!

... sad face ....

I played two soccer games today and neither one of them were my best game but I got some good exercise! The Alley Cats got bumped UP TWO leagues because apparently we're too awesome .. who knew that was even possible? NOT ME!
Tonight we played a team that was pretty rough, they were not happy campers. We were 11 minutes into the game and one argued a call to the point where he through the full name of the savior in there ... A little far if you ask me.
Tonight I came home with a little more than a loss .. I'm pretty sure I have a bruised or broken rib. I got checked pretty stinking hard in the last 2 minutes and it took a minute or two but I soon realized I couldn't take a deep breath without bringing myself to tears and I can't get comfortable in any position. Mom gave me some motrin and we'll see how it feels tomorrow ... too bad you can still count pills with a hurt rib ... Either way I had a good night and I can't wait to get back out there next Monday! I signed up for a third team and I couldn't ask for funner team mates .. I'm enjoying almost every second! Let the good times keep rollin!

CoUnT DoWn ...

I love this picture! We took it on the fourth during the fireworks .. I look super pale but in my defense Colby works outside all day Monday through Saturday. If I had his job, I'd also be pretty tan myself!
I was just thinking today at work about how many days he has left and I couldn't help but smile when I realized there aren't very many! Only four more Mondays and one more Fast Sunday and he'll be done! It will be so nice to have him home (only living three blocks away ...) and I'm excited to do some fun stuff before summer ends and his school starts again!

tradition continued

Every year our family goes to the Weber State fireworks so of course this year was no different. We decided to find a place away from the crowds so we would have room to run and play around and with my my Mom's hurt knee, we had the chance to park pretty close to where we were sitting. It rained a little and just when we started to dry off, the sprinklers turned on .. way to go weber state! Luckily we were able to laugh it off. The company was of course amazing and the snacks, super yummy! These are a few random pictures from the night but pictures none the less. We love this tradition and we're already excited for next year!

Me and Lincoln ... I swear this little guy can not get any cuter!

Yes...two pictures of Linc... I just love his little facial expressions!
Uncle Andy, Aunt Emily, and cousin Liv ... I can't get enough of this family! Missing is Everett .. I asked if I could take a picture of him and he politely said no .. so cute!

Grandma, Lesha, Linc, and Mom ...

Cousin Marley Drew .. this girl is hilarious! She kept us laughing even through the sprinklers

Abby and Jon ... I love these guys ... they are so cute!

Taft .. Once he starts a book, he doesn't stop. Once he finished he joined the party!

Taft and Lesha's dog Duncan .. love him!

Finally here!

My best friend Michelle had her baby girl yesterday and she's adorable! I was so excited to go visit and finally meet the little one. They named her Madicyn Camille .. so cute! Chel has loved this name forever and even though they couldn't agree on anything I had a feeling this name would grow on Torrey. Congrats Wiricks .. I'm so glad she's finally here!

Me and Kara .. She's so stinking cute!

busting up ...

I went to Target with my fav little brother today, I sure do love him. He could make me laugh in my sleep if he wanted to. Everywhere we go and anything we do it's a good time. He cracks me up.
While at target I decided I wanted some new nail polish .. imagine that ... I couldn't decide what color and out of no where I hear Logan yell ''LIGHTENING'' I lose it and start rolling and then I realize it's a shade of nail polish and he was just trying to help. I lose it again and we laugh for a good solid 6 minutes ... I purchased the bright yellow and now we're walking around the house yelling Lightening, my mom might kill us!

YUuUuUuPpP!

We pushed the wedding back a bit .. we're now thinking spring OR early summer .. I want Colb to help me plan it and be more involved and I've feeling very rushed with all the planning. I was also thinking an outdoor reception might be kind of AwEsOmE and part of me wants to be divorced for a full year before I tie the knot again. We know the Lord wants us to be patient so let the patience testing begin ... or atleast the attempt.

1st Place ...

About nine weeks ago I got a phone call inviting me to play soccer on a new indoor team and I wanted to play more so I debated it and then decided I'd be better off on a different team so I called my friend Chanse and in about 18 minutes we had a team together, a team name, and a deposit down! SHhHhHeeeeOoOoT!
We played our last game of the season tonight and ... we rocked it! We faced a few hard teams the last few games but we always came out on top! We thought it would be fun to get some shirts made so I jumped on it, and I'm pretty proud of my hard work. They were a huge success! Now everyone is stuck playing atleast another season or two. Like we needed another reason ... :)

These aren't the final standings for the season but I was too excited to wait a few more days so here you go ....

STANDINGS FOR:
TEAM NAME	GP		W	L	T	GF	GA	POINTS
ALLEY CATS			6	0	1	39	23	94		1st
FUSION			5	1	1	53	34	90		2nd
LUCKY SHOT			5	2	0	42	32	82		3rd
BLACK NINJAS			3	3	1	50	44	68		4th
GRASS STAINS			3	4	1	52	44	65		5th
TWISTED			3	4	0	52	41	62		6th
BATS			2	4	1	55	46	57		7th
BUDDHA			3	3	1	35	39	56		8th
FUMBLE FEET			3	4	0	27	39	52		9th
THE GAME			0	8	0	32	95	31		10th

I've explained the story behind our team name before and I'm still pretty proud of it... We're the Alley Cats -from a dark alley - not the bowling alley. Here are the shirts I designed and had made for us. Don't mind my hair .. I just got done playing some serious soccer!

Instead of nick names I just threw on a pair of cleats .. sweet!

Good season Alley Cats, lets do it again!

finally!

I just downloaded Brooke White's new CD - High hopes and heartbreak from itunes!
(you should too ... for the next faw day it's days it's only $7.99)
I'm pretty much in love.
Her music makes my heart melt!
Brooke might just be the cutest and most talented girl I've ever ever met, she's adorable!
So ...I'm kind of excited!

watch out ...

I played soccer tonight and we lost. Kind of a bummer but I like losing every once and a while, it reminds us why we like to win, it brings us back to earth, giving us something to work for, plus it gives us practice and motivation to play harder as a team.
Two boys almost got into a fight and the person who pushed and cussed the most was one of their girlfriends ... she looked like a fool and more than that, she made her boyfriend look like a sissy. I know the kid from the other team and he knows how to keep his head so I wasn't surprised when he didn't push back but I had to laugh when his 'tough' girlfriend stepped in. Both the boys got a two minute card and the girl stayed in ... everyone sat for that two minutes confused but it all ended with a laugh and the game continued. I love a good soccer game, win or lose.

Color CrAzY!!

Last night I was texting Colb and he asked what I was doing, I like to hear what he thinks I'm doing so I always make him guess. Lately his first guess has been painting my nails and 9 times out of ten he's right. I didn't realize it til yesterday but I paint em sometimes 6 times a week or sometimes I paint em one color in the morning and I'll change it before the day is over for a few different reasons- I get bored, I get sick of the color quickly, just because, or I come up with a new crazy idea I want to check out. I buy a new bottle of nail polish (sometimes two) every week. I have doubles of the same color because I'm afraid they'll stop making my favorite ones. I might have a problem ... eh ... oh well!

keep reading ..

My AMAZING brother in law Jon fixed my computer ... yet again .. and hopefully for the last time. So now I'm trying to catch up ... here are a few new posts. Enjoy!

So Excited ...

I just can't hide it!
I can't believe it's been a whole week since Colb proposed ... That puts us one week closer to the big day! I still can't believe he really did it but I'm so glad he did... I thought for sure he was going to wait til the end of the summer but no complaints here. I love that he did it somewhere that will always make us smile. The golf course-because he is patiently teaching me how to golf ( I'M LOVING IT) plus Colb has been an avid golfer since he was about 12 and that is where he spent most of his time before we started dating .. (believe it or not I've saved him a lot of money since then ...) and Spokane - because him being away for summer hasn't been easy but really has made our hearts grow fonder. I miss him more and more every day but it also lets me love him more and more every day. I love the text messages I get through out the day and I anxiously await the phone call I get every night. It will be nice to have him home in a few weeks but until then I'll enjoy the little things that remind me just how much he knows and loves me.
I've had a few requests for pictures of this... I sent Colb a couple pictures of what I wanted and told him to run with it. The few were pretty broad ideas so I could have been a little nervous but I trust him. I can't believe how good he is .. it's exactly what I wanted and I love love LOVE it!

TRUE ...

After a crazy week and another crazy day I got home today and crashed. My three-13's get me every single time! Just like every Saturday, after my nap, Logan and I decided to get something to eat and go roam around target looking for something we have to have. It wasn't until we were walking out the door that I looked at Logan's outfit and we both just busted up. I mentioned that he should change but then we decided it was too funny. We each had our own touch (my necklace, his beanie) but clear down to the red shoes? I love this kid and his taste!

Not just white shirts, but white v-necks!

Red shoes ...

and ... Volcom shorts!

A visit from the Peterson Fam.

Kady and her kids were able to come for a little visit and we had so much fun while they were here. It's always so good to see them and just when I did't think I could love these kids anymore, they shoot me their cute smiles. They are growing up so fast.

Things we like to do while they are here ...
#1-Hit the burger bar .. atleast once
#2 - Swim at the aquatic center
#3 - jump on the tramp
#4 - Eat at pizzaria ... atleast once
#5- get and ice cream cone from farr's ice cream .. also atleast once.
#6 - go shopping (not that our shopping compares to cali's but whatever)
#7 - stay up way to late talking and laughing.

We also got to talk wedding plans and we stopped at a wedding place and came up with a few fun ideas as well as a possible dress ... !

I miss them so much already! They'll be back in November though, can't wait!

Not only did I get them all smiling but .. I almost got all three of them looking. I couldn't do that again if I tried.

They LOVE the tramp!

Can you see the red inside my suit case?

They were helping me pack for Spokane and they insisted that I 'shut the door' before I put any of my clothes inside. They crack me up!

This picture makes me laugh ... Kady and Owen were soo tired but we were having too much fun for any one to go to bed.

Come back soon Peterson's ... Miss you like crazy!

LoVe ..

I found the most adorable wedding invitations online and our friend Josh is going to get us a sweet deal! Today I'm appreciating the little things in life and can't wait for everything to fall in to place. More than anything though, I can't wait for Colb to come home. It's a good thing he's rockin it out there or I'd be begging him to come home! I miss him but soon enough I'll have him forever! Love him!

Girl's day ...

Early today I got a text message from Colb's little sister inviting me to play and I couldn't resist. We laugh so hard and always think of the funniest things. We got a jamba and tried to get a tan on her deck but just ended up talking about boys. She's my favorite.
One of my best friends in the whole world is getting married in August and I couldn't be more excited for her. She is the happiest I've ever seen her and she has a glow about her that I can't explain. I love it!
Today we had the chance to get together and finish up a few of her wedding details and our friend Karlee (the other musketeer) was able to come as well. On top of being able to find absolutely everything that Ken needed (including a zebra garter .. I still don't know how we found something so awesome) we shared some serious laughs and reminisced about so many of our good times. I've been through it all with these two girls and we have a million memories together. It was awesome to be able to just hang out and catch up. We've been the best of friends since 2nd grade (Kar and I go back further than that but we didn't couldn't cause enough trouble between the two of us so Ken completed our circle of craziness) but nothing could ever come between us. These are the girls that I could not see for 6 months and we could pick up just where we left off without question. It was so fun to see these girls today and to make plans for the near future so we can have something to look forward to. I am so excited for Kendra's wedding day and for the chance to have all three of us in the temple together. I can't wait!
I also ran into two other adorable girls today that I love to death and it made my day that much better. It's so nice to have the kind of people around me that make life so easy and enjoyable. Sierra and Lindsay are two of the cutest girls I've ever met, I could run into them in my pj's without makeup on and they could still make me feel so good. I love those girls and their cute smiles.
I love having girlfriends who help me love my life, it doesn't get much better than that.

Look what we found in hole #17 ...

Quite possibly the best golf game I'll ever have ...

I'm visiting Colby in Spokane WA this weekend and we're having a blast. I got here Friday just before noon and we've been going going ever since. We grabbed some lunch and took a short nap (i had been up since 5:45) then we got ready and hit the mall to spend his birthday money and then headed to the temple. The Spokane temple is gorgeous! It's quite a bit smaller than the ones back home. Surrounded by trees and kind of all by itself, it's absolutely breath taking. We didn't get out til about 9:30 but it was so much fun.

Colb made breakfast on Saturday morning and we lounged for a bit and then got ready for the day. He had made reservations to take me golfing at one of the golf courses and at first I was really excited but I was quickly reminded that I'm still a beginner and as the day wore on I became more and more nervous. We got to the golf course and everyone was so nice. I'm sure they could tell by my outfit that I had no idea what I was doing and I was just along for the ride but we were paying customers so they just smiled and sent us on our way. They offered to let us start at the back nine (which i guess NEVER happens.. good thing i didn't know that) and they even let me borrow a set of shorter clubs (apparently every other day you have to pay for those) We started out at hole #10 and I'm sure I made it obvious that I was pretty nervous but I must have done half decent because Colb let me keep playing.

We had some good laughs and I actually had a few awesome shots - for me atleast. He was giving me some pretty good pointers that I'm sure I won't remember. I got to the point where I didn't really care how well I was doing because no one was following us (i guess that neve happens either ... weird) and I just couldn't get over how excited I was that Colb thought I was good enough to take me to a real course. I am thankful we only played #9 holes though ...

Colby had been taking pictures the whole time so when we got to the green at hole #17 and he asked me to grab the camera I thought nothing of it. It wasn't until he asked me to take a picture of him taking the ball out of the cup that I put a second thought to the request. I made it quite obvious in the pictures that I knew what was going on. I feel horrible that I left Colb's face out ... ha ha ha! We're now laughing about it. After I took the picture of him grabbing his ball he then asked me to take a picture of this ... and he pulled out a black box and I couldn't concentrate enough to take the picture. He was already down on one knee so it turned out perfect. He was shaking so bad that I couldn't even see the ring, just the sun shining on it. He asked if I would marry him and of course I started crying and said yes! We played that last hole (somehow ..) and then Colb let me in on the details. He had the whole thing planned ... He had called the golf course in advance and figured out everything. They don't EVER let you play #9 .. at this course atleast, and he had purposely gotten a tee time that had no one following us.

We asked a girl that was working there if she would come take a few pictures for us and they turned out so cute. She was really sweet and was super excited for us. We went inside the pro shop to find something with the Golf Course name on it for keep sake and there wasn't much, all we could find were some golf balls and the lady insited that they were on her.

It wasn't until we got in the car that Colb informed me that everyone knew except for me... EVERYONE! He had showed my family the pictures of the ring when he was home for his Grandma's funeral and somehow everyone had kept it a secret. Logan must not have known. just kidding.

I was so excited to tell my Mom and she was just as excited to hear about it. I love her so much.

Colby bore his testimony in sacrament today and totally embarassed me but it made me smile.

I'm super sad that this weekend is coming to an end but it had been nothing short of perfect. I'm excited for Colby to be done for the summer and to get things all planned. As of today our date is November 28th and we couldn't be more excited.

I know I say this a lot but I honestly can not believe the twists and turns that life has taken this last year or so. I'm reminded every day how much the Lord knows and loves me. I'm incredibly blessed to be apart of something so amazing and I love this gospel, I don't know what I would do without it.

ps. I didn't tell colby until later in the day but at hole #11 I went through the pockets in his golf bag looking for a piece of gum and may or may not have felt a little box .. I thought I did pretty good hiding my excitement and still managed to play a decent game (i made sure he didn't keep my score)

I can't tell you how hard it was to concentrate at every hole thinking ... i wonder how much longer he is going to make me wait.

I've got my stance all wrong in this picture ... that ball went so crazy that Colb let me try again with a different ball.


This was hole #17 .. right before Colb popped the question ..
This is acutally hole #18 but it was the prettiest view of the course.

life today.

my laptop is feeling a little under the weather so i've been slackin a little with my blogging but hopefully she will be back to normal soon. for now i'll just do a picture-less post.
here are just a few things that are making me smile today.
my sister kady and her 3 kids are in town for a bit and we're loving every minute of having them here. it's been so fun to hang out, laugh, shop, and catch up. i love these kids so much. it's crazy how fast they are growing up. i'm loving their little personalities. today i took tessa for a ride so that she would take a little nap and i loved it. we were in the car for about 2 minutes before she was out cold but i kept driving. i loved looking in the rear view mirror and seeing her sleep. it's little moments like those that remind me how much the lord knows and loves each one of us. it's going to be YEARS before i'm ready to have children of my own but these kids make me so excited to be a mom ... someday.
i ran yet another 5k yesterday for west haven days and i didn't beat my last time but i felt a lot better after this race. i didn't have anyone really pushing me so i was pretty proud when i finished and realized i never stopped to walk to or take a break. pretty sweet. i took 3rd place in my age division and i got a medal. what will i ever do with a medal? who cares... i got a medal!
i leave for spokane on friday to visit colb and i'm super excited. i only get to go for the weekend but i can't wait to see him. to be honest the whole long-distance thing didn't really bother me when it first came up, i was sure i could keep myself busy and these four months would fly. well here i am. not nearly as busy as i had hoped and he's only half way done. but then again, he is half way done. he's working hard and trying to enjoy every minute. hopefully this weekend drags and after that the next two months can fly. my fingers are crossed.
i talked to the bank on friday about getting the money to fix my sad little car and they approved me. i'm kind of excited to get a new hood and bumper and to not have a caved in roof. i'm anxious to have it back to normal. i'm actually thinking about selling it once it's fixed. just for something new. we'll see.
colby and i are planning to attend the temple in spokane while i'm there and i can't wait. i love the feeling i get when i'm in the lord's house and more than that i love that i can bring that feeling home with me. what a blessing to have colby in my life and to have the chance to attend the temple with him. i love that he holds the priesthood and continually keeps himself worthy to do so. he's amazing. love him.
i bought a new pair of running shoes yesterday. the ones i usually wear are in decent shape but i bough them about 5 years ago and i thought i could use a little upgrade with all the running i've been doing. i can't wait to get out and run again. i'm secretly planning on bringing em to spokane so colb and i can run together. hopefully he's up for that.
i met with the bishop today to renew my recommend. he might be the coolest guy i've ever met. he truly loves his calling and cares about the people he is serving. what a great blessing to have someone so amazing over our ward. he's the greatest.
tomorrow all my siblings are heading to the aquatic center for a day in the sun. we went last year when kady came home for a visit and it was a blast. i can't believe it's almost july and i haven't been swimming yet. sun here i come.
well that's it for today. life is good, great, and wonderful. i'm loving every minute of it.