memory

I have a little piece of paper that I keep in my scriptures.
It is a meal order ticket from the restaurant where I had my first job.
On this ticket is a list I made for myself while I was at work one day.

These are the things I was working on when I was 15:

"No gossping
No complaining
No whining
Take focus off boys
Do Personal Progress and seminary make-ups
Don't be vain
Have charity
Be honest
Don't be mean--even in joking
Don't freak out or be uptight
Don't make people feel stupid
Don't skip class
Work hard
Study by learning and faith
Don't throw fits when I have to clean up the bathroom after Chels"

Oregon

Thursday...

...morning: Seth, my mom, and I leave at 6 a.m. to drive to Oregon.

...afternoon: We have to take a detour through Nevada; a section of I-15 was closed because of the hurricane winds. It adds 2 1/2 hours onto our trip.

...night: We drop my mom off in Portland at 8 pm, and we drive on to Seth's friend Justin's house in Estacada.

Friday...

...morning: Seth and Justin go golfing. I stay in bed reading and take my time getting ready.

...afternoon: Seth shows me around Estacada, the town he grew up in.

Seth's family first lived in the tiny little house in the back while the house in the front was being built.

This is the road going to down to the house. It's the perfect picture of Oregon :)

This is the other house Seth lived in with his family. His dad built it.

We drive to Welches so I can show him where I grew up.

This is the first house we lived in when we moved to Welches. My mom planted those huge trees in front.

 

(There are basically no pictures of the rest of the trip, which included visiting 5 more houses in Welches I lived in . So I'm a failure as a wife and a blogger. Sue me.)

...evening: We drive up to Sandy when Mason (my brother) gets off work, and Seth meets Mason for the first time.

Saturday...

...morning: Seth and Justin go golfing again.

...afternoon: We meet up with some of my mom's family for brunch in Gresham.

...evening: We go to my grandpa's house in Portland to have dinner with my dad's family.

Sunday...

...morning: We go to my grandma's memorial. I sing in a duet.

...afternoon: We have lunch with my dad's family.

 



...evening: We go to a white elephant Christmas party with my mom's family.

...late evening: We decide to start the drive back home then instead of in the morning.

recently

I had unloaded some groceries from the back of the truck, but I forgot about the two gallons of milk. I also forgot that the tailgate was still down. By the time I got home from work later, I only had one gallon of milk...

***

My mom and I went to yet another women's expo: coupons for free admission, free lip gloss, free facial spray-on tan, free $5 gift card to Target and another to Walmart, sunglasses for $10, shirt for $10, all the Mod Bod shirts we could fit in a little bag (5 shirts and 2 cardigans :) for $20, and "friendship earrings" from Mom (it's a tradition that she buys two of something at every expo, calls them "friendship earrings (or bracelets, rings, etc.)," and gives them to me and Chelsea).

***

There was a book sale at the library and I came home with these all for $3:

Lisey's Story is a hardcover and Stern Men and The Girl in the Green Raincoat are in brand new condition!

weekends we loved

March 4

 

Seth, his dad, and I went to Arizona for Seth's sister's baby's blessing.

His grandma taught me how to cook enchiladas.

Seth told me for the first time that he loves me :)

April 8


Dad came to Utah to celebrate Brynlee's first birthday.

He met Seth for the first time.

We all went to the driving range.

Dad's car broke down on his way home to Vegas, so he left it in a shop in Nephi and drove Chelsea and Trent's second car back home.




April 15


Seth and I drove Dad's car back to Vegas for him after it got fixed in Utah.

We explored the strip for Seth's first time (four hours and only 3 casinos!).

We met Dad's girlfriend, Janice.

We drove Chelsea and Trent's car back to Utah for them.

think about:

"God has designed this mortal existence 

to require nearly constant exertion."

 Elder D. Todd Christofferson

of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

"Reflections on a Consecrated Life"

General Conference, October 2010

how I knew I was ready to say "yes" to Seth

(Please indulge me as I write about a moment I'm a little proud of...)

One afternoon, when Seth and I were only dating, I met my mom at Chili's for lunch (her treat, as always :) ). While we were waiting for our food, our server brought a strawberry lemonade to our table--though we hadn't ordered one. There was a note that came with the drink: 

I hope you like strawberry lemonade. Obviously, I think you're cute, but do we mesh? Let's find out. 801-###-####.

Did that really just happen to me?? In real life? OMG! My mom and I burst out in giggles and took some sips. She noticed a guy, who had to have been the one who sent the drink, looking over at our table and told me he was super cute. Of course I was completely flattered...but I was surprised that I wasn't even a little interested!  I mean, I was dating Seth Devey. (My stomach fluttered even just typing that!) When not even strawberry lemonade from a cute guy could tempt me, that's when I knew for sure that I already had exactly what I wanted.

memory

When I was pretty young, I used to play a funny game by myself: I would pretend that I was a homeless orphan and that someone had rescued me from the street while I was asleep. So I would lay in my bed pretending to be asleep, and I would slowly "wake up" and "realize" that I had been fed and taken care of and then wander around my room looking in fascination at of my toys and clothes like it was all new to me. What a silly imagination!

movies

Seth's kind of movie:

My kind of movie:

our house (with bonus sweet-deal commentary)

vase (without bouquet): $2

Ikea table under the TV: $1

small potted plant: gift from Mom

2 small Willow Tree figurines: $1 each

large Willow Tree figurine: gift from Aunt Rosemary

Oquirrh Mountain temple painting: $16

Ikea coffee table (larger version of the TV table): $5

large potted plant: gift from Mom

entry table: $5

mirror hanging above the table: gift from Mom

8 framed mirrors inside the basket that we're going to hang above the loveseat: $3

hanging plaques: free at Seagull Book when Mom and I made it to two different store openings during their Women's Conference event

2 barstools: $10

2 hanging candles: free thrown into a grouped deal

dining table and 4 chairs (that all need to be painted, mind you): $7

2 bookshelves: $3 each

candles and frames: $0.10 to $1 each

clock above the sink: $0.50

seasoning rack, which I consider decor: gift from Jennifer

dresser: $40

large bookshelf (not pictured): $3

surround sound system: $30

garland above bathroom door: prize at a girls' night out event at Roberts

new headboard and bed frame: $50

2 nightstand lamps (barely pictured) : $2 each

2 palm-tree framed pictures: $1 each

toothbrush holder: $0.50

soap dispenser: free

dresser: $30

table: $3

full bed: free from a friend

dresser and office chair: free from friends

2 palm-tree pictures: $0.50 each

more garage sale stuff that we couldn't use in our house and will sell at our own garage sale next spring :)

how I knew it was time to color my hair again

Someone I had briefly met describing me to Seth 

to see if they were talking about the same person:

"She had lighter hair on top, and it faded into darker hair..."

OMG are my roots that bad?? Get me to the salon before I die!

something random about Seth

Sometimes when Seth is talking and he can't think of the name of the person or place that he's talking about quickly enough, he just uses the closest version of the name that comes to mind first.

Examples:

Crispy Crust for Hickory Kist, our favorite sandwich shop
Vanilla for Vienna, from Bachelor Pad (yes, he watched last season with me!)
Modest Mouse for Mod Bod, at the University Mall

Lol.

relief!

You know that sick feeling in your stomach that recurrs every time you remember that there's something hanging over your head that you need to do, but whatever it is totally stresses you out because it's not something you can just get done in five minutes or because it's out of your control?

I recently rid my life of two such things: (1) finding a book that I had borrowed from a friend several months ago and (2) finally being able to forward an overdue paycheck to someone on my crew who had moved.

Sweet relief.

Can't wait to see The Vow! It looks so incredibly romantic.

Promise you won't think I'm weird? 

I have a girl-crush on Rachel McAdams.

something random

I got my driver's license 7 years ago,

but I get so nervous when I test drive cars at dealerships,

like somehow I'll forget what I'm doing or something.

memory

Before Seth and I dated, we spent hours talking on the phone every day. Once we were on the phone while I was on my way to work, and I realized I had forgotten my snacks at home. I grumbled to Seth that there weren't any food places close to where I worked, so I didn't know what I was going to do for lunch. But later at work, around lunchtime, a delivery guy from Domino's walked into the store with a pizza...for Nikki. I hadn't ordered it, though. Seth had! What a stud, right?

recently

Our realtor sent us a gift certificate to The Pizza Factory to congratulate us on our house. 

We went the same night we got it :) We looooved the alfredo, tomato, and ham specialty pizza!

***

We went to Blockbuster to return a movie we had rented and laughed when we started pulling out of the driveway without the movie so we ran back in to get it...

and we laughed even harder when we got to Blockbuster and realized the disc wasn't in the case.

***

We got a gently-used toilet for free from a member of our ward who is remodeling their bathroom. 

Now our basement is one toilet closer to being finished!

my favorite sacrament hymn

Reverently and Meekly Now

Hymns #185

"Think of me, thou ransomed one;

think what I for thee have done."

"Be constant unto me, 

that thy Savior I may be."

something random

One of our favorite dates is

going to high school football games :)

two things

that I learned from Seth are not inherently evil:

1. rap music

2. caffeinated beverages

our engagement

Monday, June 6

4:30 Seth and I meet up for a lunch break during work.
5:00 He finally decides for sure that he wants to marry me.
5:15 He goes to his bank to withdraw the payment for the ring I had shown him.
5:30 He leaves work early to pick up the ring.
6:30 We have this text conversation:
             Seth: I don't feel like making dinner tonight. Let's go out to eat.
             Me: That sounds like fun, but I don't mind making dinner. How about taco soup?
             Seth: No, I really want to try this restaurant my friend recommended.
             Me: Well, I'm not going to get home from work until 9:30 and we were going to go to the gym, too.
             Seth: Let's skip the gym and get dressed up and go out. I'll make a reservation for 9:15. Text me when you're on your way home.
7:00 My imagination starts running. I have this text conversation with Chelsea:
             Me: I think tonight might be the night!
             Chels: Stop it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
             Me: [I recap the conversation Seth and I had] But I don't know what time I'm going to get home.
             Chels: Just leave work! Do I need to come get you??
7:45 Seth calls my team leader (his roommate) to ask if we can all leave work early so he can propose to me that night.
8:00 My team leader calls and says we're leaving early.
8:05 I text Seth to tell him that by some "miracle" I'm on my way home 30 minutes early!
8:20 I do my makeup in the car (don't worry; I wasn't driving) to get a headstart on getting ready for our date.
8:30 Seth remembers that he hasn't asked my dad yet for his blessing.
8:35 Seth remembers that he doesn't have my dad's phone number.
8:40 He goes to Chelsea and Trent's house to get the number and shows them the ring.
8:41 Chelsea almost dies.
8:42 She tells him that I've been texting her and I'm on to him.
8:45 They come up with this plan to throw me off:
8:50 Seth texts me and says that he needs to stop at Walmart, so he'll be a minute late picking me up.
9:00 Chelsea texts me and says she has bad news: Seth saw Trent at Walmart and he invited Trent and Chelsea to dinner with us. That's not a good sign if he intends to propose.
9:01 I text her back and tell her I hate her and everything else.
9:02 She says she knows.
9:06 I finally get home and put on a cute outfit.
9:15 Seth picks me up and we go to dinner.
9:30 At the restaurant, he orders us a smoothie. We never have special drinks.
9:40 We hear a girl at the table behind us call her grandma and tell her she had just gotten engaged. Seriously.
9:41 Seth asks if I'm disappointed that we're not engaged. Very sly.
9:42-10:15 Seth is especially sweet and charming.
10:20 We go to a spot on the mountain that overlooks Provo.
10:22 We get out of the car and he stands behind me and puts his arms around me. I feel his heart beating super fast.
10:25 He starts talking all romantic.
10:30 We kiss.
10:35 More romantic talk.
10:40 He asks if I'm ready to go to sleep with him every night and wake up with him every morning.
I say yes.
He says "prove it," gets on his knee, and pulls a gorgeous ring out of his shirt pocket.
I laugh and kiss him.
10:42 We're engaged!

big announcement

I thought my big announcement on my new blog would be that I was 

engaged.

But then a month passed, and since I never made time to blog, 

I thought the big announcement would be our

elopement.

But now two months have passed since our wedding,

so the next exciting announcement is that

we're buying a house!

We're closing on our Orem townhome on September 27...
and until then we're living with Seth's parents enjoying a 4-week mountain getaway in Midway.