March 29

So, it is snowing outside. I have decided how spring in Utah can be summed up: bipolar. One week, the weather is beautiful--it's sunny and the perfect temperature. But then the next week, it's cold and snowy! Argh! When can I switch out my wardrobe? I want to take out my warm-weather clothes!

I'm so glad I'm going to be a summer bride. Of course, it's going to be really hot, but at least I don't have to worry about possible snowstorms!

So, the ring Stephan made for me started breaking *tear*. I took it off and switched my CTR ring over to my left hand. By the end of last week, I was starting to get annoyed that I didn't have my real engagement ring. However, Stephan told me on Friday that my ring was going to be ready on Tuesday! Hooray!!! I'm so excited that I'm going to have my real ring in just two days! After more than two weeks of being engaged! Now I have to go down to Goldsmith to pay for Stephan's ring--he finally decided what kind of a finish he wanted to have on his.

I promise that there will be pictures galore after I get my ring :)

I am bride, hear me roar

Before you think I am writing an angry post, please allow me to tell you that I'm writing this in a completely sane state of mind.

Here is a pet peeve I have about being engaged (among others): unsolicited advice/opinions. And I have been getting them since even before Stephan and I had announced our engagement. I have received "advice" about what cake flavor I should have; where I should get my dress; WHEN I should get married; where we should get our rings; how we should have negotiated the price of my ring...

I know people think that they are being helpful and all, but it's getting old. I know what I'm doing. And for those who feel like their opinion matters so much, well guess what: It's my wedding, not yours. I am repenting of any unsolicited advice I've ever given.

And if I want advice, I will ask for it. Though advice on housing and finding a job in Utah are very welcome.

You're probably thinking that I'm some sort of "bridezilla". Quite the contrary. I'm only writing this post so I don't turn into one.

Please be reminded that I have written this in a calm state of mind.

Of course, I know that this will not be the end of unsolicited advice. Apparently, it will abound in my first pregnancy. Oh joy.

mineral foundation

I don't advertise much, but I want to tell you the wonders of mineral powder foundation.

I was skeptical of it when it first came out. It just seemed too good to be true and my cynical side thought it was just another marketing ploy. But as time wore on, I kept hearing from friends that it was the miracle makeup. So last summer, I decided that I would try mineral makeup once I ran out of the stuff I was then using at the time. I was using liquid foundation and loose powder to seal it. But having the oily skin I have (my mother gave it to me), it always felt like it was melting by the end of the day and getting in my eyes (especially painful for us contact lens wearers). I know, lovely imagery. And then I started dating Stephan, whose shoulder is a very comfortable resting spot for my head, (when sitting together mind you) even when he is as thin as he is. I also wanted to look pretty for him, so I would wear my makeup. Well, I would also leave my mark on him, and it was very obvious when he was in his Sunday white shirt. I would always be embarrassed, but he didn't mind so much because it would wash out.

While researching, I found out that mineral powder foundation is transfer resistant, meaning that Stephan's shirts would be safe. I actually bought this a few weeks ago; I only got around to writing this now.

Well, it's worth every penny. You see, mineral foundation basically works like foundation, powder, and concealer combined. So, you're getting the benefits of three products in one, and you don't have to pay for three products, so you're actually paying less than you usually would. My skin has been clearing up, which is great because I want to have clear skin for my wedding day. It stays on my skin and it feels weightless, even at the end of the day. And I have oily skin! That's saying something there! This should be good because I want my makeup to stay good for wedding pictures. I don't have to use that much on my skin either, and it's good when you're in a hurry. You also don't get gloppy foundation on your fingers that you have to wash off, ugh!

And as for Stephan's shirts, they have escaped mostly unscathed. I say "mostly" because sometimes, a little bit will rub off, but very very little. So his shirts stay white, and I am not embarrassed. Win-win *smiles*

So, try mineral makeup! It's totally worth it.

And so ends my advertisement :)

March 20

It is the first day of spring and there is no snow. Hooray! But apparently there is snow expected next week...noooo!!!!! I am not a fan of snow. At all. Before Stephan came along, I thought that this could be my last year facing the snow, but I was wrong. Stephan won't be finished with school until December 2010 at least. After that, who knows? I know my future mother-in-law wants us to stay in Utah forever *laughs*. Stephan and I are certain that our future is not in Utah.

Anyhoo. What have I been up to?

Well, Stephan and I officially picked out our rings yesterday at Goldsmith. We spent three hours there, holy cow. But I am getting the engagement ring of my dreams, and it isn't outrageously expensive. I don't have it yet--if I did, I'd have pictures up here like crazy. It's going to be gorgeous. It's simple, beautiful, and very high-quality. Exactly what I wanted. Stephan's ring is really nice too, and it's made of the same metal as mine (palladium). I didn't ask him to get a matching ring, I even told him he didn't have to. But he thought it would be neat if we did, and he really liked the metal.

The reception place has officially been reserved. I just have to go to Sandy sometime to select my linens and centerpieces there. I think I have found a wedding photographer who's good and not too expensive. The photographer is also based in Sandy, so I'll probably have to visit those two places in one day. My mother has already picked out the pattern for her mother-of-the-bride dress. I'm going to start wedding dress shopping on Tuesday, and who knows how long it will take me to find the dress of my dreams? Stephan's grandmother wants to make a quilt for us, so we're going to travel to Logan sometime in the future so I can pick out the material. A woman from my home ward wants to make a quilt for us too...so I guess we'll be saving money on a bedspread!

So girls, don't feel guilty about planning your wedding in your head before you've even got a boyfriend. It actually makes wedding planning so much easier when you ARE getting married! Just try not to imagine who the groom is until you are on the road to engagement.

engaged :)

Okay, this has been a little slow in coming, but as of Saturday March 14, Stephan and I are engaged.

Here's how it happened:

I had a Saturday evening session of stake conference and Stephan came with me. Scott's in my stake and he sat next to us. Stephan was acting really weird during conference. He kept staring at my left hand while he was holding it. We have been talking about getting married for a while, actually. And we were planning on making it official. After conference, we took Scott home and we decided to get ice cream. We went back to my apartment so I could get my Starving Student Card and a jacket. Then, we went back to the car. When we got in the car, he said: "Let's sit here for a while." I was a little confused because it was a little late and Stephan had an early morning Stake Priesthood Meeting. He put his arm around me and was quiet for a little while. Then, he told me to close my eyes and not to peek. I obeyed, anticipating what was coming. He took my left hand, and I knew what was going to happen. He pulled something from his pocket and put it on my left ring finger. I opened my eyes and he said: "Will you marry me?"

I actually didn't say "yes" right away, but that was because we kissed first (ha ha). After the kiss he said, "You didn't answer." I glared at him and told him "yes". Now this kiss was special because this was the first time we had ever kissed. He told me early on in our relationship that he wasn't going to kiss a girl until he asked her to marry him. We were also each other's first kiss *smiles*. But let me tell you (he is okay with me saying this), practice makes perfect.

We have set a date. In fact, I called the temple this morning. We are getting married in the morning of August 15 in the Mount Timpanogos Temple. My great-Uncle Herschel is a sealer in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and I requested to have him perform the sealing.

Now, why the Mt. Timpanogos Temple? I know I always said that I wanted Salt Lake, but for some reason, I have felt that I would be married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple ever since I knew about it. Even before I saw it. It's also a beautiful temple, as evidenced by a photograph I have included here.
You should see what it looks like at sunrise or sunset. There are aquamarine stained glass windows in the steeple, and at these times of day, the sun makes them glow. It's gorgeous. The grounds are beautiful too.

Another reason is because American Fork is closer to Provo than Salt Lake. I'm graduating the day before I get married, so there will be less of a commute. And Stephan's family lives in Pleasant Grove, not very far away from the temple.

So, now it's planning time. I've already got a friend who will take our engagements (she's amazing with the camera). My mom is reserving Le Jardin (it's an indoor greenhouse in Sandy, UT) for the reception. The plan is to have the sealing in the morning and an afternoon reception. I'm going wedding dress shopping with my Anika and Rachel (my cousins) next week. I picked my colors...years ago. My color will be lavender (my favorite color), but I am not forcing any males to wear it. Though Craig does have a purple tie, so I will ask him to wear that. Ha ha. My future mother-in-law will make and decorate the cake.

Check it out, I'm updating in a timely manner :)

I still have a little bit of congestion, but it's clearing up. It feels good to be able to breathe normally. I must be allergic to something on the side of campus where I live. When I lived in Glenwood, I rarely had allergies. When I did, they only lasted a few days. Maybe it's because I live closer to the mountains now? Maybe it's just dustier on my side of campus. Who knows?

So, my roommate is engaged. She and her fiance (goodness, I have to get used to saying that!) are actually getting married at the end of this month. He's only been a member of the Church since December, so they can't go to the temple yet. But they'll go as soon as they can. She's not even telling her parents when she's getting married. Wow. They would get married in April, but they're both in the army and apparently there's a lot of stuff coming up in April.

My room must be the lucky room. Amy is engaged and I have a boyfriend. My cousin Rachel slept in that room last year and she got engaged while living there. She has been married for almost a year and is having a baby in August. This must be the lucky apartment or something! I've jokingly called our bedroom "The room of love" (lots of emphasis on the "love" part...heh heh). And no, I have no announcements for myself.

In other news, Scott just received the go-ahead to start his mission papers. Finally! His bishop took his time doing that. Scott will complete his papers as quickly as possible and will hopefully get his call in the next month or so. I'm really excited to hear where he goes! I also feel old.

life is good

Goodness, I keep forgetting to update. How many people read this?

Last week was amazingly stressful. Four midterms. Ouch. I somehow survived.

I went to the Draper Temple open house with Stephan on Saturday. We were there for a lot longer than anticipated. You see, our tickets said 1:20 at a church. We got there about ten minutes late and we were afraid that we wouldn't get in. Well, they weren't even checking tickets. They sent us to the cultural hall (gym, in layman's terms) to wait for the pre-open house video they show. We waited there for about an hour to even watch the video. His mom and sister were there, spying on us as usual...ha ha. But waiting for extended periods of time is enjoyable when you're with someone you enjoy spending time with. Then we were escored to the chapel where we watched the video and then we boarded charter buses to go to the temple.

The open house was nice. But nothing like the Houston Temple open house. For the Houston Temple open house, they had tour guides and you spent at least a few minutes in every room. For this open house, you walked in a line in most of the rooms that had signs indicating their use. This temple is beauitful, don't get me wrong. But I wished we could spend more time taking in the beauty. The chandelier in the Celestial Room was HUGE! The final room we visited was a sealing room--the largest one in Utah. The temple president and his wife said a few words about the function of temples and then that was it. Then we went to the stake center next to the temple where they had refreshments and the buses to take us back to where we parked. Stephan and I got a few pictures in front of the temple.

It was 5:30 by the time we left. We drove around, looking for a restaurant because he was starving. We finally stopped at Applebee's in American Fork. We had to wait a long time to be seated because it was Saturday night. But we got seated and we ate. It was pretty good. We drove back to his house and spent some time there. His dad was the only one there when we got back. His brother Alex was a techie for a play and their mom and sister went to see it. They got back and we started watching some ventriloquist video. After that, it was time for me to go home.

But, I was at the Anderson home again on Sunday. Kathy (his mom) wants me over for Sunday dinner as often as possible. I am definitely not complaining. Free food and more time to spend with Stephan *grins*. So now, I see Stephan twice a week, yay. Still not often enough, but it's better than never.

I'm battling a cold right now. I'm getting better, but ugh.