9-5

I loved every second of my indoor soccer season these last few weeks at the new Sportsplex in Kaysville and I'm really sad this session came to an end. Don't worry, I signed up for round two. I volunteered to play goalie for one game and liked it so much that I play one half on the field, the other in keeper every game now! I hadn't played keep since AYSO so it was a little bit of a shock but I'm really enjoying it.
Tonight I played in goal for the second half and didn't do too bad. I took my first penalty kick tonight and BlOcKeD iT! You should have seen my grin. ha ha! classic. I'm kind of sad Colb missed it because I have a sneaky suspicion I'm getting goalie gloves from Santa. Oh well.
This picture is what I imagine I looked like. ha ha . But seriously.

Dear wedding planner...

We finally decided that if we didn't plan this wedding, it wouldn't get planned.


I wanted Colby to wear a brown tux. Chocolate brown not Napoleon brown. Colby was scared. So we went to a tux shop up the street to find what we really wanted. The owner (who knew we were coming for the brown tux) points to a mannequin on a shelf and says "There it is, the only brown tux we have." I ask Colby if he likes and he shrugs. "I won't know til I try it on." She tells Colb she can't reach it so he'll have to get it down. He gets it down and she pulls off the jackett for him to 'try on' and then walks away. My dare-devilish fiance strips the mannequin and heads for the dressing room. He puts it all on and comes out. He looks hot, way hot. He tells me he likes it fine. Fine? What does that even mean? Fine like you hate it but you'll wear it because it'll make me happy? or Fine like it will do? We left with a catalog full of all the possibilities and went home to decide for sure.

We found one that we both loved. It's not brown but that's ok with me. However I've decided to possibly change the wedding colors that I decided on 6 months ago.I have my opinion and my favorites ... what are yours?

I Google wedding colors and become more excited to plan this wedding than I have yet to be. The possibilities are endless and I don't want to decide yet because the the ideas will be narrowed. I'm secretly hoping my sisters will have a minute this week to help. I've never loved being scatter-brained. Until now.

Guess who?

Colby and I pulled out some games on Sunday Night. I love winning but Colb is good at everything. (or so it seemED)
I rocked the connect-4. I was proud. Really Proud. I'm a huge fan.
Guess Who? Was up next. I won the majority and begged Colby to keep playing. One more time he says. I go first. Trying to get two answers to one question I ask- Does SHE have BLACK hair.
A no would have told me that his card was in fact a female and no, she didn't have black hair. A look of confusion would have made the card a male. Instead, Colby pulls his card and throws it on the ground. Not only is his card a female, she has black hair, and she's the only female with black hair. YOU'RE SARAH! He calls me a cheater, I laugh til I cry, and then I laugh even harder.
I love those moments when I realize I'm happier than I have ever been.

Joy ones. Not sad ones.

Last night Colby turned on a Christmas movie. Miracle on 24th st? Right in the middle he asks what I'm thinking, too tired to be witty, I tell him the truth. The music coming from the speakers makes me feel out of place. I should be in a dental chair, mouth wide and eyes watering. Possibly trying to answer questions that need more than a head nod but finding my mouth full of dental tools and big hands and becoming disappointed because I have a really good story to share and by the time we're done the only thing I've been able to share is the I'd love to come back in 6 months instead of two weeks and sure 9 am will work again.
I felt just a little stupid when Colby started to answer. He was thinking about where our lives were a year ago. Neither one of us could have predicted the last year. Colb held me as the tears came. He didn't tell me everything is fine or different or that he was here now. He let me catch my breath and then he wiped my tears. He asked if I was ok and I told him they were tears of joy. Words can't explain where I was a year ago.
I was 12 days from ending my marriage that I had fought so hard for. I was packing for a family vacation that I wanted and needed so badly. I was the only one in my 'family' that wanted it. I wrapped my own presents, wishing for a Christmas Miracle that would super glue my marriage back together. I had zero Christmas spirit. Christmas Cards from other people kept me sane, reminding me that maybe someday I could have a real marriage with lots of words like 'ours, we, and us' and less words like 'yours, mine, his, and hers'. I put up 'our' Christmas tree and decorated the house. I was more excited to have another day gone and done rather than celebrate the holiday.
So here I am. Closer to the Lord than I have ever been. Happier than I could ever imagine. I still struggle every day, some days are worse than others but I couldn't be more grateful for my trials than I am today. (of course I can't predict tomorrow.. :) ) I know that Heavenly Father loves me and wants me to be happy. I still have the same family but we're closer this year. I owe a good 94% of my sanity to them.
Colby and I laughed as we talked about timing and the sense of humor the Lord is sure to have. Reasons this year is different for me.
*I could care less about what is under the tree with my name it.
*Christmas is finally about Jesus Christ.
*My family is spending the entire holiday together and everyone wants it.
*I hate being cold still but the snow means another season and more time I get to spend getting to know Colby Carter.
*I'm planning a marriage instead of a wedding.
*I'm happy with who I am and where I am going.

I wish Christmas was 800 days long. I don't want it to come because then it will be over.

Shake it*

When I work late I stop at Colby's house on my way home to say Hi, we hang out for a minute, talk about our day, laugh, talk about 'someday', and then I tuck him in. I get in my car, turn up the music really loud, start dancing, sing at the top of my lungs, and smile bigger than I have all day. And I don't care who sees me!

He gives me butterflies, every time I see him, hear his voice, or open a text message from him.
I love Colby today more than I did yesterday and more than I could ever imagine, he makes my heart race and he makes me so excited for each new day. He's my favorite!

Sunday = My fun day!

Yesterday was a special day for me and I'm so glad that a few of my family members were able to share it with me. After a lot of preparation I finally received my Patriarchal blessing! I'm not sure why I waited so long to get it but I am so grateful that Colby was able to share this day with me.
When we were chatting with the Patriarch, he reminded us that we are both very lucky to have found such amazing people to fall in love with and he wished us the best of luck. My mom commented on how much our family loves Colby and that she is so excited to have him be apart of it. I can't get over how much my mom loves him, it's such a good feeling to get her approval.
Colby encourages me to be myself and to enjoy life, he's an awesome example and his love for me surprises me every day. Just over 4 months and he'll be all mine!

Mom and Lincoln .. He was smiling so big for us yesterday!

Cheese!

Wrestling weekend.

My friend Kristin's little boy had his very last wrestling tournament for the year on Saturday and we were so excited to be invited. It was at Weber High and unlike anything I have ever seen before. There were a million people, tons of cars, and NO WHERE to park. We finally parked in a neighborhood next to the high school and walked through the snow covered baseball field. (totally worth it)
Jaren was ecstatic to have us there and it was so fun to spend time with the Priest family. Jaren wrestled 3 times and rocked it every time. He walked away with a first place medal and a grin from ear to ear. Colby and I had so much and we loved watching families get into it. We can't wait for next year!

Little J is in the Blue!

First Place!

Brinley, Bryten, and Jaren

Brin, Bry, J, and Me

Colby was standing behind me telling J to flex. Look at that grin!

Me and Colby.

Graduation Celebration.

Abby's husband Jon graduated from Weber State on Friday!
Congrats Jon!
To celebrate we met up with his family and ate some delicious Maddox, so yummy!
Thanks for inviting us James family and for giving us a reason to celebrate!

Lincoln, Abby, & Jon

Just for the record, there are two blonde girls standing behind me in the picture, it's not my hair going crazy.

Libby, Lincon, Abby, & Mom

C.

This is a door handle .. it's also the letter C! C is for Carter.

Last night I called Colby on my way home from soccer, I told him how my game went and he asked me to come say hi. About ten minutes later, I pulled into the driveway. I walked right in, (like I always do) his parents said hi and told me my dinner was in the fridge. They rock. I asked where Colby was and his mom said he was in bed. Confused, I looked at the clock. 7:54. His Dad told me that Colby looked tired so he told him he should got to bed and finish studying for his final in the morning. I hesitated and then ran up the stairs, I told them I wanted to say hi and they just laughed . I walked into his room and the light was off, he was facing the wall and it was quiet. I whispered his name and he quickly rolled over. He wasn't asleep yet! I made fun of him for being 80 and in bed before 8 and he just laughed. I told him it was getting late and he should probably get some rest. He laughed. He asked me about my day and I put it in a nut shell. I told him goodnight and he asked me not to leave. I sat on the edge of his twin bed and told him if he wanted, he could bring it when we got married. We talked about life and laughed and before we knew it, an hour had passed. He kissed me on the forehead and reminded me to let him know when I got home safe. I haven't been home without Colb before 9:30 since ... the summer while he was in Washington? I moved his car into the driveway so he wouldn't get a ticket and I ran to the grocery store. Colby needed a treat to share in his math class and I thought he could use a few things for his last day, I put together a small 'Last day of school survivor kit' and called it a night.
I got a phone call at about 7 AM .. It was Colby and he was on his way to pick up the cookies. He was excited about the survivor kit and thanked me for being so thoughtful. I wished him good luck on his last final and told him not to stress too much about it. He kissed me and asked how he got so lucky to find me, A perma-grin came across my face and I've been smiling ever since. I went back to bed anxious to get a few more hours and I realized I was too excited to sleep. It occurred to me as I lay in bed reading ksl.com from my phone, that my life and my reality are better than my dreams. I know I'm the luckiest girl in the world and I couldn't have a better life but every single day I get a reminder that tells me so. Every single day.
I got less than 5 texts from Colby today, He had horrible service at school and he was in his last final for a few hours. I was a nervous wreck all day long. I probably stressed more about this test than Colby did. I had to catch my breath when he finally called to say he was done and was heading for home. He asked if he could take me out for chinese to celebrate. I've been craving chinese food since October 31st when we went to lucky china for halloween... it's out of control! Colby takes me to lucky china a good 2-3 times a week because it's all I ever want. Tonight we found out our waiter's name and he asked for ours. Cory. We're now on a first name basis. He has our order memorized and he's expecting us to come back on friday. We could (or should) be embarrassed but instead Colby asked for a punch card. They don't have one.
We did a little Christmas shopping and laughed until we cried and before we knew it, it was time for bed. Real time for bed, not 8:00. He asked me not to leave and told me that I could stay if we referred to the night as an eight hour nap. I laughed and told him that if he played his cards right, in 4 1/2 months we could share his twin and we wouldn't have to call it a my nap.
I drove home in the cold cold car still smiling as I thought about my day. I'm so grateful for this life and for the chance I have to live it.
I can't wait to be Libby Carter.

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 to 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.