First Christmas together

Yesterday we got to celebrate our first Christmas together as a married couple.  It was so wonderful being able to share that together.  Here's how the day went:  We got up after nine and exchanged gifts.  Blake got me a Nikon SB600 flash, a Nissor something flash, a lambency flash diffuser (:D), a "puffer" diffuser (basically I just wanted it because it's called The Puffer), and some Cheez-Its!  I gave Blake a few new shirts (he only has like 5 I swear), some of his favorite movies (Oscar and Back to the Future), and our wedding album that I designed on photoshop!  Pistachio gave us some movies too, namely Les Miserables (the one with Anthony Perkins!), Big Fish, and the first four old Batman movies.  His mom gave us some newlywed books, socks for Blake, paper plates, Muenster cheese (!), cashews, craisins, aprons, and a new shirt for me.  Katie gave me some cute pale turquoise earbuds.  My family gave us spaghetti-os, new shirts for both of us, a new super cute jacket for me, a thingy to hang my necklaces on, a Shins cd, noodle soup mix, a big pack of my favorite soap (Lever 2000 original.  Best. Soap. Ever.  Smells soooo yummy), and one of those fire-proof water-proof everything-proof boxes for us to put like our birth certificates and wedding license and stuff in.  Among other gifts we got, of course.
Basically, I got everything I could have ever wanted ever for Christmas.  I was so thrilled.  :) 
And most of all, I got to spend the whole day with my best friend in the whole world.  Love you Blakey <3  I hope all of your Christmases were wonderful as well.

A real tree!!!

For the first time in my life I have a real Christmas tree!  (My dad's allergic to them)  I was so excited to have our own little tree to decorate however we want.  I chose turquoise and silver to decorate with, and I love it.  I think it's so pretty.  And of course I had a turquoise and silver fish to go on top of the tree.  The tree fell over the night that we set it up, and it crushed one of my turquoise ornaments, broke one of the snowflakes, and pulled the string out of the fish.  I was so sad.  So that's why the fish is kinda just sitting there.  And, the tree looks alot prettier in real life. 

Also, I am very sick right now.  Not fun.  I was sick like 3 weeks ago.  Stupid sickness. 

And.... we are officially moved in as of saturday night!  Oh my goodness that was alot of work.  Not only did we move all of our earthly possessions in 2 days, we also deep-cleaned our old apartment.  Our new place isn't completely finished, but it's liveable.  There's floors.  And some of the doors have handles.  Haha.  It's a work in progress.  We just need to get everything finished up and find some furniture in which to store our stuff so it won't be all over our bedroom floor, oh and set our bed up so it's not just a mattress on the floor, and..............

You get the idea.  It's really fun having our own little place though (actually pretty nice-sized place) and saving alot on rent!

Moving Out!

Today we're starting the huge task of moving out.  I'll be happy when it's done.  Our apartment is finished enough to be lived in, so we'll be there within a few days!  What I'm most excited for is being able to finally put up our christmas tree.  I got some really pretty ornaments and I'm so happy to get to use them!

This is why I love being married

Last night I had the most horrible dream I've ever had, and when it finished I was wide awake before 4 AM.  I saw Blake move and whispered "beba" and he asked what I needed, and I asked him to hold me, and he did.  He stayed up and talked with me and held me until it was day and we had to get up and go.  If that isn't true love, I don't know what is.  Love you beba. <3

Our apartment

Some people have asked us for pictures of our apartment, so I thought I'd take some for your viewing pleasure.  It's only a temporary place, so we brought as little as possible, which you can probably tell.  But it's our own little home, and the only thing that's really bad about it is the lack of internet.  It's so great getting to live with my best friend and love.  :)

In Memorandum

In the midst of bliss, a tragedy.
While we were gone getting married and on our honeymoon, two of my three dear green spotted pufferfish passed away.  Only Stachi (Pistachio) is still left alive.  Garth and Kiwi didn't make it though. :(  I'm not sure what happened.  Before you guys blow me off and say, 'oh, they're just fish,' let me tell you why they mean so much to me.  I got them when I was going through a particularly hard time in my life.  They were my best friends when I felt like I had none.  They each had a unique personality.  I could truely tell that they loved me.  They could tell me apart from other people.  And they loved playing games with me, and especially loved when I fed them yummy foods.  Oh how I loved them.  I still love them, even though they're gone.  It was such a shock to come home from a fabulous honeymoon only to be told that two of my favorite little buddies had passed away.  I cried for so long, and still have to hold back the tears sometimes.  I'd had those guys for about a year and a half already, and was hoping to have them for 5-10 more years.  Stachi is so lonely in that huge tank all alone.  I really hope he makes it, he wasn't doing too well either.  If you will, keep him in your prayers.  He's so important to me, and such a great little pet.  I feel as strongly about him as some people do about their dogs or cats. 
Rest in Peace my dear Garth and Kiwi.  Momma loves you forever, and will never forget how you changed my life.  I wish you didn't have to leave, but I know I'll see you again some day. 
<3

       Kiwi

Garth below and Pistachio above

Thank you

I just wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone who came to our wedding and/or reception!  I was so happy to see my friends and family there.  It was a beautiful day and full of wonderfulness.  :)  Hopefully I'll get my pictures back from the photographer soon!

Tomorrow's the big day!

Yep, we're getting married tomorrow!  It seems like we've been waiting for this day to come for so long, but then all of a sudden it's here so fast!  Our Hawaiian honeymoon plans fell through, so that was very upsetting, but we're setting aside the money and going later, and going with our Honeymoon Plan B instead, which is Blake's family's cabin in Colorado.  He says it's really beautiful up there.  And then we can plan the Hawaiian trip when we aren't so stressed out with all the other wedding stuff.  :)  Anyways, I have so much to do and only one day to get it done!  See you all tomorrow!

One week!

Woohoo!  One week left!  I want it to go faster :)  It's really weird to think that by this time next week I'll be married......
I can't wait to see all my friends and family (and lots of people I've never met) at the reception! 
Love you all :)

2 weeks

Yep, we're down to 2 weeks until the big day!  Time is going by fast and slow at the same time... I'm ready to get married to the sweetest, most amazing guy I've ever known.  :)  The shower with my family and friends last week was so much fun.  A big thank you to all of you who came.  This week I have a shower with Blake's family, and then next week one with a few people from my home ward.  I love showers, they're so fun.  You get to see all your loved ones and have a party with them.  It's down to the wire now. 

It's October today!!!

Bridals!

I got my bridals taken yesterday! I wanted to bring Blake along too though, because I want pictures of him too! And it's extra insurance if it rains on the wedding day or something....
I learned that my veil will not stay in my hair, so that's a problem I'll have to work out before the wedding. The shoot was very fun, although I was EXHAUSTED afterwards. My back wasn't meant to bend in those ways! I am so very excited to see how they turned out. Crystal said she'd get them to us in a week, so I'm hoping it doesn't take any longer than that. Ooooh I am so excited.

While you're at it, check out her blog: http://envisionimage.blogspot.com/ Hopefully my pictures will be up in her blog soon!

One month!

Today is September 15th, so that means there is exactly one month left until the wedding. Needless to say, we are both ecstatic. But oh my goodness, planning a wedding is lots of work. It's really fun, but also really stressful. There's so much to do! But it's all definitely worth it. And besides, the most important part was easy to plan... I'll be kneeling across the altar from my sweetheart in the most beautiful building in the valley. :)
ONE MONTH!!! Aaahhhh!

Sneak peek of the engagement pictures...

The Ring

Okay, here's the pics of the ring and the story. I was looking around to see what kind of ring I liked. I fell in love with this one http://www.jared.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product1%7C10451%7C10001%7C-1%7C530586407%7C19061%7C19061.20805.20837 but Blake thought it didn't look like an engagement/wedding ring. So, I looked around some more, and found another one that I liked. Which was this one:


And so for a while I thought I'd get that one. But then I looked at the original one again and thought of how much I liked it. So, I actually went into the store and looked at the ring. I put it on my finger and was immediately in love. We talked to the guy there, who said that they could actually take out the itsy diamond in the middle and replace it with a bigger one. Then and there I decided that that's what I wanted. So Blake bought the ring (he was in Arizona at the time) and when he got home he took it to his aunt and uncle who own a jewelry business. They got a diamond for us that is incredible. It's F color, which means it's pretty darn near colorless, and has no visible flaws, and it is just stunning. I am so happy with this diamond. Then they set the diamond in the ring. But of course I didn't get to see it yet. And the rest you all know from the engagement post...
Here's the pics:

Engagement!

Today the love of my life proposed to me. :) Blake just got home from Arizona two days ago (where he'd been since April). Here's what some people didn't know though: we have been planning our wedding since he came to visit for a week in June. I got to pick out the ring and everything. I knew he'd be proposing today, since it was the only day left because we are getting engagement pictures taken today. So, this morning he tells me that we need to go pick up the ring (his aunt and uncle customized it for us, they own a jewelry business). He had left the empty box for it in the car, and so he grabbed it and put it in his pocket. On the way there, he says we should take a little detour. We drive down the road that we went down almost every week before he left for the summer, which was in Ogden. And the cross-streets are named after letters, so we saw C Street, and that stood for Campbell, then B Street for Blake, and A Street for Amanda. :) Then we stopped at the Union Station. We had been on the majority of our dates there, and lots of sweet memories. We go swing dancing there every Wednesday night. We walk around outside for a while by all the trains, hugging and holding hands as usual. Then we start walking like we're going to leave. I thought we were going to go pick up the ring. But then he takes me over to the spot on a sidewalk between some trains where we had our first kiss. Then he kissed me again and we hugged just like we did the first time he kissed me, and then he said 'I have a surprise for you' and he reached in his pocket and got down on his knee. He opened the box, and somehow the ring had magically appeared in it! I was so surprised! Then he asked me if I would marry him. I said yes!!! And then there was some cute lovey dovey talk about love and stuff, I won't bore you with that. And of course more kisses and hugs. That was really tricky of him. He knew he'd have to surprise me somehow since I already knew he'd be proposing today. And I think he did a great job! And the ring is gorgeous! And I LOVE THIS BOY!!!!