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.