the beginning

I'm so grateful for my friend Kara, for taking these pictures way back when.

Way back when it all began.

She must have thought I'd appreciate them later.

She was right :)

When these were taken {a mere 1 1/2 weeks into dating} we had no idea we'd be where we are at now. But still, if you look really closely, I think you can see it in our eyes. We were in love. Even then. Long before either of us admitted out loud.

What is love? How do you know? You just know when you are in it. And it's the most comfortable "at home" feeling in the world. I have no other way putting it. With him, i'm home.

I love our story. I've kept a secret blog of all the sweet things he says and the experiences we've had together. He doesn't even know what's on it really. I just don't want to forget these times. I've even set it up so I can text to my blog! B is always saying the sweetest things, and when he's not looking I sneak a text to my blog so that I wont forget it. I don't have a great memory. everything comes back in bits and pieces. So for me, blogging has been my diary. Thanks to all you readers! friends, families, and strangers! It's been fun to share a bit of the most special part of my life with you. And don't be shy when you stop by! Comment! let me know where you are from! I'm so grateful for all the blogging friends i've made. :) especially you married ones! {B and I need married friends}. As far as my secret blog. well, i suppose it's not secret anymore. But I will keep it private. What I DO need to do is share a little more of our story! How we met, "firsts", when we "knew", etc. etc.

Can you believe I marry this boy in 99 days?! 99 days! 99 days and I get a new name. a new part of me. a new life! all in just 99 days...

golly that's amazing!

sneak peek:

the ring:

I haven't taken the time to take/load pics yet. {proper ones that is}. But here's some little teasers till I come down from cloud nine and take betters ones. And tell you about this ring of mine! {cause it's not just any old ring....}

Well actually it is just that....

old!

{but more on that later}

these pictures are brought to you by "photo booth".

{photo booth: what you use when you don't have time and patience. Also, what you use when you'd rather not have your "pizza face" be caught by the quality of your camera. Unfortunately this results in not only your face blurred, but your ring as well.}

bwaahahah I'm so giddy!

B said, She said

{the proposal}

She knew it was coming.

She was kinda getting impatient.

She was madly in love with him.

B was madly in love with her.

It was only a matter of time.

She woke up Thursday morning with butterflies in her stomach.

"It's happening today." she thought to herself, "Today is The Day!"

She wished she had time to get all cute.

But she didn't.

So to school she went, with the same outfit she wore the night before and hair that hadn't been washed in an embarrassingly large number of days.

B texted her "Good morning beautiful".

She texted B "Good morning handsome".

It seemed like a normal day.

But she still had those butterflies.

And butterflies never lie.

{At least not her butterflies}

the day dragged on.

She was at a late night class.

Nothing significant had happened yet.

B hadn't asked to see her that night.

....

"hmmm..." she thought, "maybe my butterflies lied. Or maybe I forgot to take my Lactaid pills before eating all that string cheese...."

And then B called. {normal}

And asked to see her that night. {normal}

And said he'd come to HER apartment. {NOT normal}

Ya see, B

despises her apartment {provo parking...nuff said}

So she always goes home. {free food....nuff said}

They said "I love you"s and "see you soon"s.

"click"

"click"

that was it.

And she knew.

She knew that if she didn't hurry to her apartment to get ready, she'd be stinky and gross looking.

And this was not the night to be stinky and gross looking.

She got ready at super-speed

{even though she tried on a ba-zillion outfits}

She was just finishing her hair when B knocked on the door.

She had him wait outside the bathroom door while did the finishing touches on her hair.

She made small talk.

B did the same.

Everything was "normal".

But the butterflies were back...and they brought friends.

but...conversation continued:

She "blah blah blah, I hate Biology....blah blah"

B: "yack yack yack......"

{normal}

Then B said nothing. He didn't respond to anything she said.

It took her a minute to realize she was talking to herself.

"hello? you there?" {mind you, the bathroom door is closed.}

"hey!?"

She opens door.

{B is on his knee}

That's all it took for those thousands of butterflies to turn into a hundred tears.

B said some pretty significant stuff but she didn't hear him.

She just kissed him and cried and marveled at the ring and cried and kissed him.

And golly! That ring!

Apparently the significant things B said were

pretty significant....

"will you marry me?"

and she didn't hear it amongst her cries and marvels.

{and hello...the ring? How does he expect her to listen to him when he flashes such a beauty in her face?! ahem!}

So

she didn't respond.

For a very long time.

Until she caught her breath,

And he repeated the question, this time with a "silly".

And she said a word that never felt so right in her entire life.

YES!

and then she kept saying it.

and saying it.

and saying it.

{She didn't think He'd be able to surprise her. She is a planner. He is not. So any sign of a plan would give it all away. She knew it was coming that night but she had no idea it would be in her yucky dump apartment. And later found out B didn't think it would be either. {remember how he's NOT a planner?} He attempted to plan it for later. But out it came. }

and it was perfect that way.

And it just got better {as love always does}

first she had to change outfits {again} cause she just had to be in a skirt.

then B took her to her favorite restaurant {Carrabas} where she ordered her favorite meal {pollo rosa maria}.

and they laughed

and giggled

and she would not stop finding an excuse to use her left hand.

and found out that just because her left hand looks really pretty now, doesn't mean she should always use it.

cause it's kinda a clutzy hand.

So now she just lets it sit pretty on her lap.

and loves it when all her girl friends scream when they see her.

and she can't stop smiling.

and she can't stop telling people.

even people she doesn't know.

and even people who don't care.

she just can't stop talking about it.

ha.

and crying.

smiley cries.

even as she types this up now.

"I love you"

she said.

"I love you"

he said.

"we're in love"

they said.

and that's what they'll keep saying for forever.

which is an extremely long time.

In fact it never ends.

{and they couldn't be more excited about that}

!

Valentines 2010

(my valentines card to B, found at local antique shop. It expresses my feelings perfectly)

wink, wink, nudge, nudge

I'm finally getting around to posting photos from our little Vegas get-away. Really, it shouldn't have taken so long...since we only took maybe 5 pics?! And only 1 has us in it. I guess I just like looking at him even more than I like looking through a lens.

Anyway Vegas was just a blast! Although I have to admit, we weren't at all impressed with the strip. Maybe thats because we are who we are. And who we are is not partiers (atleast in Vegas' definition of partiers). The gambling...just plain stupid. The drinking scene...not our things. The glitz and the glam...just a bit much for us. The shopping...only fun when you have money.

So basically,

we walked around for a bit. looked completely out of place (matchy match plaid shirts and cowboy getup.) did do a little window shopping, but no buy. Laughed at all the billboards of lawyers and magic trick guys. People watched.

We got lost about a million and 1 times. no joke. (and we even had a GPS with a british accent)

The getting lost part might have been the best.

B is my favorite person to get lost with :)

We also....

watched tons of movies! (one with our least favorite actor in it...Nicolas Cage) Saw "Valentines Day" in theaters (ah...so so)Watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies Laid out (I actually got some sun!)hot tubbed till we turned to prunes lazed around got spoiled rotten by my Aunt Steph told funny stories of our lives before "us" laughed so hard I cried ate In n Out (twice!) said "I love you" every other sentence (or so it seemed) and it never got old. linked arms 24/7 (cause B said I'm a weird hand holder...which I totally don't get. I mean you hold the hand? That's it?! How could I be doing it wrong?!)

{photos}

wow

conservatory ceiling, Bellagio

loved the vegas style In N Out sign.

somehow we ended up in NY

and we're still confused at how we got to paris

favorite part of the Bellagio conservatory: the floor.)

the one pic of us. Isn't it glorious?!

It was a perfect valentines day

a MacGyver of sorts

After B and my first date, we went to his house after and in his room he had a collection of old things such as pocket watches, old crates, and.....cameras.

Naturally I found this very attractive.

like really, really attractive. He loves old things?! I love old things?! where do I sign!? (ok ok so obviously a lot more goes into loving someone than similar interests....but it was a good start)

together we have quite the collection of cameras.

{someday, when i finish naming them, i'll share them all with you, I promise}

for now,

meet our newest addition to the family:

I hereby name him the MacGyver

on our mini trip to vegas, my wonderful Aunt Steph gave him to me! {she's seen me eying him for who knows how long}. I'm extremely grateful :) Cause I'm madly in love with him.

B and I were tinkering around with him and realized we could take a picture of the image that's seen! we sorta, MacGyvered, if you will, a picture from it.

Someday we'll get it a-workin for real.

But for now it's kinda fun to take pictures like this!!

nothing says i love you like...

a trip to sin city right?!

B and I decided the combination of

school taking over our lives

+

valentines day

+

a long weekend

(thank goodness for presidents)

could only = one thing:

a much needed VACA

so...........of all places we decided Las Vegas would be the absolute most romantic place to have our little get-away!

{ha...so jk on the romantic perfectness of the place}

truth is, I have an amazing Aunt and Uncle who live in Vegas who spoil me rotten. We will be spending the weekend with them :)

I'm sooooooo excited! B and I are working extra hard to get all our HW, studies and tests out of the way so we can really enjoy the weekend. (smart thinking right? but for the time being it's killing me. I haven't seen him in what feels like forever (it's been 2 days...)

since the trip to vegas is kinda our "gift" to each other, we aren't really doing the "gift" thing this valentines day. Which is totally just fine with me (i've never been a fan of the over-sized plush animals). What I really want is TIME with the boy. And that's what i'll get! a whopping 4 days of him all to myself! what more could I want really?

but still...I have this itching inside of me to do a little something else for him....

I was thinking maybe a coupon book of love?!

Any ideas!?

Any fun plans for the long weekend/lovers day?

ah...I love: love...

*photo credit: Matt Clayton Photography

this just might be my new favorite photo

{that look on his face just melts my butter}