What I Want for Christmas

This is my favorite Christmas song that isn't a religious song.

This is also what I want for Christmas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKLZxv6wA78&feature=related

Elder Nelson White

My brother entered the MTC on Wednesday, October 20. That morning he and our parents flew to Salt Lake from Los Angeles. We all had lunch at Magleby's here in Provo. It was fun to hang out with my parents, grandparents, cousins, and of course, my brother.

Since he went off to college it's been near impossible to spend time with him. Even over holidays! I would come home and he'd be off everyday with his friends. One of my favorite days was when my mom and all four of us kids went to Disneyland last year. Nelson came and it was wonderful to spend a whole day with him.

On Friday, October 22 Nelson had a seizure. He has never done well with change and going into the MTC was a massive change. I got to spend all day with him on Saturday while he was in the hospital. I am so glad that he is alright. He's my only brother! He's very special to me. It was a unique experience where it was just us, one-on-one, talking about how he felt about his mission, this new trial, and what he wanted to do. Nelson told our mom, after the fact, that he really appreciated my being there all day.

Nelson went back to the MTC on Sunday, October 24 and on Thursday, October 28 he had another seizure. He is being given a medical release and is going back home on Sunday. This is a challenging time for Nelson and I feel so bad for him. Not only was a mission hard, but he worked incredibly hard to get himself on a mission. He is a good young man and I am proud to be his sister. I really hope that people don't assume things about why he's coming home. We're telling people the truth. It's purely medical. I have faith in Nelson. I know that he will do everything he can to get back on his mission.

On a very selfish note, I'm really excited that he'll be around for the holidays. I hope that this year he'll spend more time with us. Tyson and I will be there for two weeks. It's tough for Tyson because we live so far away from my parents so he doesn't feel super close to them. He sees the relationship I have with his parents and he wants that for himself with my parents. I'm glad we have the chance to spend a lot of time with my family this Christmas. I think it will be good for all of us.

Me, in the hospital, hangin' with Nelson.

And the cookies I made for him!

They Paved Paradise

September 10, 2010:
BYU has got a lot of construction going on right now: by the McKay, the Clyde, and now across from the Bean Museum. Everyday I walk passed the construction next to the Bean Museum. BYU is building new dorms for Freshmen. That's a good thing, right? Well, on this particular day, I was minding my own business when I witnessed this heartbreak:

You may not be able to see it very well, but that machine tore down a tree. A TREE. How is that okay? I watch BYU grounds crew plant, uproot, and re-plant flowers all over campus but they'll kill a tree? Not okay with me. At all.

New Plates

September 13, 2010:
It's official. I received my Utah license in the mail and changed the plates on my car. I was waiting until my license came but once it did, I had no excuse.


It was really depressing to change the plates on my car. I know I am a novice frowner, but really. I was sad.

Now it takes me a while to find my car at BYU because everyone else is from Utah too. I'm still a California chick though! Promise!!

Introducing Agatha, the Betta Dame of the Royal House of Remy

September 21, 2010:
My dear friend Natalie got married at the beginning of August in California. Tyson and I were able to go to her open house here in Utah. It was great to see her and her parents again. I love them so much!
They had set up many round tables and on each table was a Betta fish in a glass vase. The fish were so beautiful but I was curious to know what Natalie's family was going to do with all the fish. So, I asked. They said they weren't sure. I asked if I could take one. I'm not sure if that was the wisest choice because not only did we leave the open house with a fish, we also left with a plastic box of about two dozen croissant sandwiches. You know, the ones with the grapes in them. Apparently, there was a ward camp out so a ton of people were gone aka LOTS OF FOOD. That's alright though. We took them back to Tyson's house and everyone chowed down.


For a while we kept Agatha in her glass vase from the open house. I decided she needed more space, so Tyson got her this aquarium and some plants; the blue rocks came with the original home vase. I know this isn't a stellar picture of her, but she is beautiful and I love having her. When I told my dad about her, he said, "You're like a real family now!" I guess Tyson and I weren't a real family until we got a fish. I think my parents still want to have me to have a baby asap so they can be grandparents. Oh, weird thought. GRANDparents. Once that happens, they'll be REALLY old.

What's new?

Sorry, it's been forever since I have blogged about life. Tyson and I have been very busy with school and today is the first day I don't have homework to do while I'm at work. Here's what has been going on with us:
1) Decorating for Halloween. I know it's a little bit early, but we went to Deseret Industries and found some orange lights, eye lights that blink, and skeleton lights. I got some orange silk flowers to autumn-up my floral arrangement on our table. And Tyson bought himself a ninja costume.
2) Career Fair-ing. Last week, BYU hosted a huge engineering career fair. Dozens of companies came to recruit Chemical, Mechanical, and Computer Engineers. I snuck in and walked around with Tyson for a while. On Wednesday, we went to a dinner with some of the recruiters and I really enjoyed talking to them more personally. Since all the recruiters are BYU graduates, they were able to talk to us about the Church where they live, the neighborhoods, and the community. My favorite recruiter was a guy from Exxon Mobile who lives in Houston. I really liked what he had to say about the people he works with and the people in his ward. From what he was saying, I could definitely see myself being okay to live in Houston.
3) Swing Team-ing. Tyson and I auditioned for the Intermediate Swing Team last Saturday, and made the team! We're very excited. Tyson did team before his mission, but I've never done team before. Tuesday was our first practice, and it went pretty well. Tyson and I get to be partners and we're starting to work on some lifts and things which will be very sweet.
4) Choir Conducting. I am the new Ward Choir director. YAY!! This is my all-time favorite calling. Know what makes it even better? My dear friend, Steph (who moved into our ward with her hubby), is the choir pianist. YAY!! We're thrilled to be working together. I'm especially glad because they will be moving to Washington in June and I will miss them both dearly.
5) Latter-day Sounds Singing. I have been in Latter-day Sounds for two semesters; this is my third. Latter-day Sounds is a community choir, made up of BYU and UVU students. Anyone can join and we do two concerts a year: Christmas and Spring. Tyson is doing it with me this semester, which is sweet! Yesterday was our first rehearsal and the music we're doing is fabulous! Two people from my new ward are doing it too. Tyson and I recruited a lot of our friends so we're really excited to have another excuse to see our friends.

And of course we're still going to class and working. And Agatha continues to swim.

Hazel

Last Thursday, a very special woman passed away. After living many years after her husband had passed on, Hazel has finally joined him. My mom visit-taught Hazel almost the whole time we lived in FV and I had the special opportunity to spend a significant amount of time one-on-one with her while I was in High School. She even sent me a wedding gift! Hazel suffered a lot of pain and was confined to her bed in a nursing home. Despite her physical frailties, Hazel never complained. She always complimented others and whenever I spent time with her, she made me feel like the greatest person in the world. I loved Hazel. I still love Hazel. She was special to both my mother and me. Both of us will miss her dearly. We love you, Hazel. Have fun with Floyd :)

Jane, it's your birthday!

Today is my beloved sister's birthday.

I dedicate this post to her and wish her a most excellent 17th birthday.

LOVE YOU, JANE!!

(Go all the way to the bottom of this post for a sweet song/video from YouTube)

Huzzah!

The splint has come off! YAY!! So, now I only have to wear it at night. I'm so relieved. Good thing I got it off before school starts. I only hope that I can learn to type normally again. You see, I've adapted my typing to not using my middle finger and, while it's been alright, I'm looking forward to being back to normal. Even better than typing: piano!! I just bought some new Churchy vocal solos and I want to play them. Grr. Oh well. Lesson in patience I suppose.

To my beloved husband

Happy Birthday, my love! The last eight months have been wonderful and I have loved every minute. Thank you for not giving up on me, for convincing your family to come to California for Christmas, for being courageous enough to pop the question in front of all our friends, for having big shoulders for me to cry on, for dancing with me, for surprising me, for marrying me, and for finding new ways everyday to make me laugh. You are my best friend and I love you more each and every day. Happy Birthday, Tyson! I love you!

The Finger

It all started on Monday, July 5. For Family Home Evening, Tyson and I went to play basketball with his family. Honestly, I'm not a good athlete and I'm not competitive but Tyson and his family are so I was trying to "get my head in the game." I must have done a really good job because, not only did I score half the points for my team, I fought Tyson for the ball and ended up breaking my finger. At first everyone told me it was just jammed and not to stress. Luckily, Tyson found me a finger splint which helped keep my finger straight.

On Wednesday, we all drove down to California to spend time with my family. Tyson and I decided that I should probably have my finger x-rayed just to make sure nothing else was going on. My mom took us to urgent care in Glendale. The doctor said that he didn't think it was broken because I wasn't in a lot of pain. They x-rayed it anyway and TA-DA!! Broken. This is what happened.

The tendon in my middle finger snapped back and pulled part of the top knuckle socket off. So, the tendon and part of that socket are no longer attached to my finger.

This picture shows (basically) what happened to my finger. Notice the box in the top left corner. Just add part of the bone to the tendon that has ruptured and voila! My injury.

Later on Thursday, we met with a hand specialist in Pasadena who said that I may have to have a pin put through my finger to keep the bones from healing incorrectly. Great. He also suggested that I have that surgery done in Utah so that I could have proper follow-up appointments. Still not too thrilled with the idea of a piece of metal being shoved through my bones, I agreed to meet with another specialist in Provo.

Tuesday morning (yesterday), I met with another specialist. He looked at my previous x-rays and wanted to take new ones to see if anything had changed in the past week. The new x-rays showed no movement and the doc advised me to not have the pin inserted. HOLLA! I was all for that news. The tried to fit me with a splint but none of the sizes fit. They were either too big or too small. The office made me an appointment for Thursday to meet with their physical therapist who would make me a custom splint. After leaving the doctor's office, my mom and I went back to my apartment to pick up my wedding dress because it needed to be cleaned. The office called and told me the therapist would meet with me today and I should come back right then. YAY! We hopped back in the car and got back to the doctor's office. The therapist fitted me with a custom splint and we had a great time chatting with the PA and the other patients. I have to wear this splint for the next eight weeks. I have another doctor's appointment on July 27 to re-x-ray (is that right?) my finger.

So, if you are coming to the wedding reception, be gentle if you shake my hand. HURRAY FOR NO PIN!! LONG LIVE THE SPLINT!!

Wedding Song

After a lot of time, discussion, frustration, and laughter, Tyson and I successfully created a sample playlist for our DJ to play at our wedding reception. We really wanted to keep the songs in a similar style: casual swing. One day as we were driving to Provo from Ogden, a song from a movie we had recently watched started to play. I LOVED IT and voted for it as our "first dance" song. It took Tyson a few days to remember the song, re-listen to the words a bunch, and finally decide that he really liked it too. So, without further ado, here is a link to our "first dance" song: What If I Loved You by Joey Gian.

We also picked the "bride&father/groom&mother" song. That one was really tricky. We had to google ideas and most of them were country songs. Now, if you know me at all, you know that country is NOT going to work. NEVER. Some of the songs were really strange but finally we found a few good choices. I decided I should get my dad's input (since he is really good at having an opinion and sharing it) so I called him up, gave him two choices, and he gave the final word: James Taylor's How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).

We really like these songs and I'm glad we picked a "bride&father/groom&mother" song that my dad can't dance like a fool to. Hopefully. He'll probably still find a way.

First Book of Summer

Technically, I have already read many fiction books since Winter semester ended but, seeing as how I was reading them for a fiction editing CLASS, they don't count. The first book I will be reading this summer out of pure choice is The Greek Coffin Mystery by Ellery Queen. My friend Emily lent this book to me and stated that it is the best mystery novel she's ever read. Now, I love murder mysteries. My favorite authors are Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, and Janet Evanovich. I am by no means a mystery authority but I have read quite a few mystery novels. I look forward to reading this thriller and making my own opinions about it. Hopefully, I will agree with Emily. I love when my friends recommend books to me and I end up loving them. It's a happy moment, indeed.

Here is the first paragraph of this most promising mystery.

From the very beginning the Khalkis case struck a somber note. It began, as was peculiarly harmonious in the light of what was to come, with the death of an old man. The death of this old man wove its way, like a contrapuntal melody, through all the intricate measures of the death march that followed, in which the mournful strain of innocent mortality was conspicuously absent. In the end it swelled into a crescendo of orchestral guilt, a macabre dirge whose echoes rang in the ears of New York long after the last evil note had died away.

What fine, and beautiful usage of language! LOVE.

FHE/Date Night

Last night, Tyson asked me on a date for FHE and we had such a good time! We went to the Mayan for dinner because Tyson loves it there. Our little two-person table ended up being surrounded by other bigger tables that were empty so we had a section all to ourselves. We had a great time laughing, enjoying the setting of the Mayan, and eating delicious food. YUM!

After dinner, we saw Toy Story 3 in 3D at the Jordan Commons Megaplex. If you have never been to this movie theater, you are missing out on a movie-going extravaganza. Every time I walk in the doors I feel like I've stepped into the NYNY Hotel in Las Vegas. Never been there? It's fun. Anyway, Toy Story 3 was awesome. I loved it. Andy was super precious and the little girl, Bonnie, was freaking adorable. I enjoyed the whole Barbie and Ken drama because it was just silly. I'm glad that movie ended how it did. Please go see this movie. It's wonderful. If I were to rate movies on successfulness of sequels, Toy Story would be number one. Shrek, LOTR, and Harry Potter would be up toward the top of the list. However, I haven't seen the new Shrek and if it's bad, Shrek may go down in the lists. Land Before Time and Pirates would definitely be near the bottom. What do you think?

Dr. Who=Awesome

So lately, I've been in to this British science fiction show called Dr. Who. Freaking awesome. I first heard about the show from some of my Study Abroad friends but I had never seen an episode. A few weeks ago, Tyson and I were flippling channels and came across an episode in the current season and we watched it. Instantly hooked! I borrowed seasons 2-4 from my friend Emily and now Tyson's brother, Aaron, is hooked too. If 21 and 14 year olds can watch it together, it must be good. I included in this post the Wikipedia page on Dr. Who but I cut out some of the boring stuff.

"Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious and eccentric humanoid alien known as the Doctor who travels through time and space in his spacecraft, the TARDIS (an acronym for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space), which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s British police box. With his companions, he explores time and space, faces a variety of foes and rights wrongs.

The programme is listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world, and as the "most successful" science fiction series of all time, in terms of its overall broadcast ratings, DVD and book sales, iTunes traffic and "illegal downloads".... It has received recognition from critics and the public as one of the finest British television programmes, including the BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series in 2006, and five consecutive wins at the National Television Awards since 2005, in the Drama category.
The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. After an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production with a backdoor pilot in the form of a 1996 television film, the programme was relaunched in 2005, produced in-house by BBC Cymru Wales in Cardiff....

The Doctor has been played by eleven actors. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show as regeneration, whereby the character of the Doctor takes on a new body and, to some extent, new personality. Although each portrayal is different, and on occasion the various incarnations have even encountered one another, they are all meant to be aspects of the same character."

There you have it. I love this show. I'm currently watching Season 2 with David Tennant as the Doctor. If you don't know who that is, he also played Barty Crouch, Jr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Remember? The crazy tongue guy. Anyways, this show is incredibly witty and I love that it includes a lot of world history in the science fiction stuff. Like last night I watched "The Girl in the Fireplace" from Season 2, in which a spaceship creates robots in order to steal Madame de Pompadour's brain. Know who that it? She was a member of the French court and official mistress of King Louis XV. She lived from 1721 to 1764. Awesome episode. Another one of my favorite episodes is from Season 4 where the Doctor and his travelling companion, Donna, go to the 1920's and meet Agatha Christie. No shock there why I loved it. If you have a spare moment, watch an episode. They are intriguing. I've heard that Netflix has all of the season available for streaming. Cheers!

30 Days!

We have thirty days until we get married. Yay! We have been waiting for so long for this day to come; I can't believe it's actually getting here. This is my life for the next thirty days:

This week
Finals, work, get temple recommend from Bishop
Next week
Starting working from 7:30am-2pm, get temple recommend from Stake President
Wednesday, June 30
Chantel and Josh's wedding
Wednesday, July 7
Last dress fitting, pick up dress, drive to California
Thursday, July 8
Bridal Shower in California
Saturday, July 10
Receive my endowment and party at our Open House
Sunday, July 11
Drive back to Utah
That Week
Work, do bridals at some point, hang with my siblings and mom, stuff bags of candy for the reception in Bountiful
Friday, July 16
Wedding Day!!

So really, if we can just get to Chantel and Josh's wedding, the time will fly by! The next two weeks will be interesting because I'll be working 7:30am-2pm and Tyson will be working 3pm-midnight which gives us one hour a day to talk. Awesome. Anyways, here's to the last thirty days. Masel Tov!

Wedding Announcements

For the past few days I have been working on getting the wedding address list finished. PAIN. SUFFERING. It's no fun. Seriously. Luckily, last night I was able to figure it all out and now the list is "complete." Okay, almost complete. I'm still waiting on a few addresses from my mom. My lovely cousin is designing my wedding announcement. I have always been impressed by her ability to create and be crafty. She's very much like my aunt in the way. I, unfortunately, am not so gifted. Anyway, my cousin has sent me a few different announcements and I love them all! I love the design, colors, and layout. They are so much fun. I think the hardest part will be choosing my favorite. I just wanted to say that I'm extremely grateful for all her work and "I love you!!"

Wendy Lady and Professor McGonagall

I was watching Hook today while working on laundry. I suddenly realized that Granny Wendy is played by the same actress who plays Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. How did they make her look SO OLD in Hook?!? Good grief!!

Graveyard

Tyson started a new job last week working with the US Census. He does data entry. Doesn't sound too crazy, right? WRONG. He works the graveyard shift: midnight-8:30am. Freaking ridiculous. We read scriptures over the phone before I go to bed and he goes to work. Then we'll chat in the morning just as he gets off work and I go to school. It's insane! He's becoming nocturnal! (One more point in the "I think Tyson is really a vampire column")

Engagement Photos

On Sunday, Tyson and I took our engagement pictures. His aunt, Jessica Zaugg, took them and I think they look amazing! I've only seen the six she's posted on Facebook but I get to see the rest this weekend. Here are a few that I already have. Enjoy!

(That one is my favorite!!)

Three Days Left

I only have three more days of classes in this semester. Where did the semester go? It seems to have vanished! I feel like, just yesterday, I was sitting in Professor Oaks' Semantics class, fresh off my study abroad. In August, I will have been home for a year. Time really has flown. Getting engaged has probably helped time kick it up a notch. This semester has been hard for me. Not academically, but emotionally. Let me tell you: when your beloved gets really sick, it's horrible! Suffering through Tyson's illness has been serious motivation to NEVER get sick again. Ever. I'm actually surprised that I didn't catch his illness, or my roomie's, or anyone else's sickness (BYU kids don't believe in staying home when they're sick). Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed myself this semester too. Here is a list of things I'm grateful for:
1. Tyson. He has been a fantastic motivator, friend, and helper this semester. I'm grateful for his positive attitude, his incredible work habits, his ability to see right through my I'm fine's and know exactly what I need. Like yesterday. We hadn't been able to spend a lot of time together and he knew I was missing him. So when he came over last night, he brought me flowers. They are gorgeous! Yellow, white, and crimson roses that he choose himself. AH! I love them.
2. My family. I have seen my family more this semester than any other semester I've been away at school. My mom came up after Tyson and I got engaged to help me get a dress and do some other wedding stuff. Then, Tyson and I went to California for a long weekend just to play. It was awesome. Then, my grandpa got remarried so my family came back to Utah. That particular weekend I got to see all my aunts. Even my aunt who moved to Iowa! She used to live here and I miss seeing her and her family. My family has been a tremendous support during this semester. I have really relied on my parents' advice about married people stuff. Like housing. Sigh...that's been fun.
3. Tyson's family. I've always wondered if I would like my in-laws. I guess I had heard so many horror stories that I figured nobody liked their in-laws. However, I love Tyson's parents and all his siblings. They are wonderful. Tyson and I have spent many a weekend visiting his family and it's been great. They make me feel like I am a real part of their family. Even though my parents are far away, I know that I can also turn to Tyson's parents. I love them.

So, there you have it. What I am most grateful for. Only 98 more days until I get to marry Tyson! Yay!

The Good Ol' US of A

I'm interested in your opinion. If I were to take a vacation to anywhere in the USA, where would you recommend that I go? NOTE: Please leave out anything super tacky like Barstow to see the world's largest thermometer. Besides, I've already seen it.

Well, post away!

Newness

I bought a blue beach cruiser today. And I love it.

The Early Bird Gets an Extra Shift at Work

I am not a morning person. Ever. If you know me at all, you know that I don't do classes before 9 a.m. and I really struggled to be at work by 8 a.m. everyday the last few semesters. This semester has been glorious in terms of my sleeping schedule: class at 10 a.m., work at 11 a.m. everyday. Woot! Today, I decided to cover a morning shift for one of my co-workers. So, what time did I get up? 6 a.m. I showered, made chocolate chip waffles for my roommates and myself, and then got to work by 7:30. Not bad, huh? True, I'm really tired and I have a ridiculously long day ahead of me but it's okay! I get to see my mom, my aunts, and my cousin this afternoon. I also get to meet my Step-Grandma this afternoon. Step-Grandma. That sounds so strange. But I've heard that she's a lovely person and makes my Grandpa happy so I'm sure I'll love her. In other news, today, Tyson and I have been engaged for two months! Only four more to go! Sigh...that's forever. It's alright though. Tonight we're going to BYU's White Tie Ball and I'm excited to get all gussied up and go dancing with him. I love to dance with Tyson. I love to do lots of things with him. But dancing is something that is super fun and we both love to do it. We're going to be 80 and still swing dancing and all the young whipper-snappers will look at us and think "Aww, cute! I want to be like that when I'm 80!" Or, at least, that's what I thought when I saw cute old people at the dances. Precious! Anyhow, happy Friday!

Sugar Free Weeks

As part of my push to be healthier, I have given up eating sugar during the week. Do you have any idea just how hard this is?! Gah! Well, I was given some recipes by the folks at BYU's Y-Be-Fit and Tyson and I decided to try one this afternoon. The first recipe we tried was "Apple Oatmeal Cookies." No sugar. Honey, yes. But pure, granulated sugar? No. We were pretty skeptical about the yumminess of no-sugar cookies that have apple in them but we pressed forward with faith. Once we got past the weirdness of the honey-egg-butter-vanilla mixture, we added the whole wheat flour-cinnamon-baking soda homogeneous solution* and then the apple pieces and voila! Tyson was willing to take one for the team and tried the dough. LOVED IT! So besides smelling like homemade oatmeal with apple slices, it actually tastes good! Okay, so the dough tastes good. But what about the finished product? Delicious! Success on a Tuesday afternoon. In Tyson's words: "This whole sugar-free thing may not be so bad after-all."

*I described the dry mixture as a homogeneous solution because I could not think of another synonym for mixture and Tyson and Edwin (our friend who is also a chemical engineering major) decided that homogeneous solution was the perfect term. There you have it.

A Little Gershwin to Start the Week

Today in Editing, we were discussing parallelism. The OED lists "parallelism" as "The quality or character of being parallel or analogous; correspondence or similarity between two or more things."
Example: I love to dance, swing, and play piano. But not: I love dancing, to swim, and playing the piano.
Anyway, so we're discussing parallelism and my teacher pulls up some lyrics to I've Got Rhythm by George Gershwin. He then proceeds to ask "Okay, who'll sing it for us? Hmm? Anyone?" Of course, no one says anything. He keeps asking and it's clear that the lecture will not continue until someone gives in and sings the four lines up on the PowerPoint. So, from the back of the room, I bust out with "I've got rhythm, I've got music, I've got my man -- Who could ask for anything more?"
My teacher and peers applaud (my teacher out of enthusiasm, my peers from relief that they didn't have to sing in class) and then my teacher says "Your fiancé is a lucky man!" Awkward. But I love Brother Gardner. Sweet, old man.
If you are unfamiliar with the song, click here to see the original cast perform I've Got Rhythm from Crazy for You. The main character, Polly Baker, is played by Jodi Benson who also happens to be the voice of Ariel in Disney'sThe Little Mermaid.

Weekend Vacation

I love going to visit Tyson's family on the weekends. It's a great distraction from the stresses of life. I also seem to do a better job at doing my homework when I'm here rather than stuck in my apartment. I also enjoy playing games, eating food, and being loud with his family. They are wonderful people and I'm thrilled to be a part of their family. In other news, Am went to prom tonight. She looked absolutely stunning in her gorgeous peach formal dress. Lovely! She and her date looked ultra-precious together and I'm sure they'll have a great time. Also, Tyson went to run errands for his parents and left me to finish my homework. When he came back, he gifted me a beautiful yellow rose (yellow is my favorite) and a box of Junior Mints. I love that boy. He is my favorite.

100

I've been putting off writing this blog post because, as the title hints, this is my 100th blog post. Now, that may seem like a lot but when I compare my blogging frequency to those like Katie or my aunt, Laura, I appear to be a slacker. So, here's what has been going on/on my mind the past few weeks:
1) Tyson has started to recover. He has been healed of his flu symptoms but the pneumonia is still hanging out in his lungs.
2) I am starting to feel the "end-of-semester" noose begin its ominous tightening. Suddenly, I have a hundred million things to do and not enough time or energy to get anything done. Therefore, my room has suffered. I've done my best to keep my stuff in check but it seems that no matter what I do, things stay relatively cluttered.
3) I came to the startling realization that I have been in school, straight, for almost two years now. I cannot express how sick of school I really am. This is absurd. My brain and body can't handle this for much longer. The good news is that I'm not going to do ANYTHING school related during summer term. I'm going to get married, travel to a foreign country, and work. That's it. NO SCHOOL. I only have spring term, fall semester, and winter semester left. I must keep motivating myself "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."
4) Tyson and I are still looking for a place to live in July. I sold my housing contract and I'm going to live with my grandparent's until I get married. That should be good because it will keep me from staying up too late, not focusing on my school work, and I'll be able to get all my laundry done. Yay! I'm so grateful that my grandparents are willing to let me live with them for a few months.
5) One year ago I was getting ready to attend my study abroad in the UK. And now I'm preparing to get married. Last year I would have never guessed that I'd be getting married this summer. I'm so excited!!
6) I'm super grateful that my future in-laws love me and that I love them. They are wonderful people and have really made me a part of their family. I appreciate their love and comfort and am thrilled to become a part of their family. My brothers and sisters-in-law are awesome too. Whenever Tyson and I go to his family's house for the weekend, we always have a great time playing games and being loud with his siblings. They're an amazing family and I'm so lucky to know them.
7) I still love editing.
8) ASL is a blast! I'm learning so much from that class and really enjoy my homework and practicing that I do. It's awesome getting my tests back with A's instead of the C's I was used to getting in my Spanish courses.
So there you have it. My 100th post. It's not amazing or anything but I felt that it needed some recognition.

164 Days

So I'm not getting married until July 16. Instead of 60 something days I now have 100 extra days to wait to be sealed to my love. Turns out that by not taking classes this spring, I wouldn't be able to graduate next April. LAME. In an attempt to be more academic, finish school, get a real job, and support Tyson through the next four years of pain and suffering (aka the Chemical Engineering major) we decided that I must take Spring classes. What does this mean? No May wedding. And June didn't work for anybody. What does that leave us? July. We're getting married 11 days before Tyson's birthday. I was kind of upset about that because I happen to adore birthdays, especially my own. But sweet Tyson isn't as attached to his birthday as I am to mine. I was feeling pretty down about this whole move-the-wedding thing when Tyson's mom listed some fun perks to being married in July.

1) It's not on Mother's Day!

2) Our pictures will not be filled with nature-killing snow and coldness!

3) She gets to take a vacation to California! Woot!

In other news, I'm still trying to figure out where Tyson has planned for us to go on our honeymoon. This is what I know:

1) The plane ride is at least 12 hours long.

2) It is not Southern England.

3) It is not London.

4) We will not have to worry about communicating with the local people.

I'm trying to guess but it's basically killing me to not know. Gah.

Other excitement: I learned how to do wings in my tap class. Don't know what wings are? Click here. Mind you, I'm not nearly as good as this lady but I can get all three sounds! Don't think they look that hard? Then YOU try them. They're hard. Trust me.

Also, Tyson's brother had surgery yesterday for appendicitis. Scary! All went well and they expect to only keep him in the hospital over-night and possibly tomorrow. (A, I'm glad you're alive!!)

Well, that's all for now. More pics to come. Promise.

Madam Pomfrey and the Sickie

This has been quite the interesting week. Before I get into what's been shakin', I'd like to express my deepest regrets for not writing the past month. FAIL. Tyson and I have been able to get a lot done for the wedding and we even took a trip to California over Valentine's weekend to visit my family.
But this post is about a new experience I've had this week: taking care of a sickie. I've never had to take care of anyone else but just myself. Then Tyson decided to contract some rare strand of the flu that nobody gets and the doctors can't treat. He'll just have to wait it out. Easy for them to say. They're not the ones who have to use a nebulizer, struggle to keep food down, and be in constant pain. Just wait it out. Psh.
Tyson's been a real sport about the whole thing. I'm convinced that he's going to die judging from the way he coughs, but Tyson says that I'm blowing things out of proportion. Mornings are the worst. Especially when he can't sleep. And it sucks that we're only engaged and not married because 1) the doctor can't give me any information and 2) I have to leave at midnight every night. I would feel loads better if I could just stay overnight and make sure he keeps breathing. That is my biggest concern: hack up a lung, stop breathing...fin. See? Pretty dismal outlook.
The good news is that I'm not missing too much school and all my professors are very understanding. Most of Tyson's professors are being helpful but his math professor isn't going to accept any of Tyson's late work (Boo! Hiss!)
Mostly I wish I were Madam Pomfrey (of the Harry Potter fame) so that I could magic Tyson back to health. Masel tov!

Color Change

Okay, folks. I have changed my mind. After contemplating the theme and feel of my wedding and reception, I decided to change my colors in order to facilitate a more contemporary theme. I'm not a super flowery person so I didn't want my reception to be laden down by exquisite floral arrangements I couldn't appreciate. Especially because I know how much work that would be.

I like this look. And so does Tyson. So, new colors: white, green, and black. Happy! I like these flowers and the candles look good too. It's very contemporary but clean, funky, and fresh. What do you think?

Rizzo and Kenickie

Since the first time I saw Grease, I have always wondered what all the hype was about hickeys. Somehow that just doesn't seem very pleasant. I mean, think about it. Some person sucks on your neck so hard that they break your blood vessels. That just sounds painful! Kinda like the whole vampire thing...not cute. Not cute at all.

Some Pics for Michelle

Me with the paper chain!
Tyson with the paper chain.

Us with the paper chain.

Tyson and me at The Old Spaghetti Factory.

It was Tyson's first time! Woo-hoo!

My weekend with Mother Dearest and Tyson

My mom came into town on Friday! We got so much done this weekend.
1) Got a wedding dress.
2) Got a temple dress.
3) Got a new digital camera.
4) Went to dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory.
5) Booked our reception venue.
6) Saw the Bountiful Temple where Tyson and I are getting married.
7) Attended the Bridal Festival and got all sorts of free, fun stuff.
8) Ate lunch/dinner at the Mayan
9) Went swing dancing
10) My mom and Tyson came to church with me.
11) Went to my Aunt Robin's for dinner.

So, there you go. This was my weekend. I will NOT be posting pics of my dress because Tyson really wants to see it and I won't let him. Ha. But other pics will be in the next post.

100 Days

Today (okay, so yesterday...I haven't gone to sleep yet which means that it's still technically Thursday...just go with it) marks 100 days until Tyson and I get married! Gah! I'm excited and anxious and a little nervous all at the same time. So, Tyson and I cut construction paper into strips and I am going to put together a paper chain: one link for every day until we get married.

Side note: my mom comes tomorrow! I'm thrilled that she'll be here this weekend. Here's what we're doing this weekend: 1) dress shopping; 2) find me a new digital camera; 3) get fabric swatches of my wedding colors; 4) The Old Spaghetti Factory! YUM!; 5) check out our reception venue; 6) Bride Expo; 7) talk "cake" with Liz. Phew. That's a lot. I'm glad my mom will be here to help me out. Yay for moms!!

Addendum

P.S. I sent my digital camera in to be fixed after Christmas and we have still had NO word as to what is wrong and if it's even worth it to pay and have it fixed. At this point, we might as well just buy a new one. Speaking of new one, Tyson bought himself an iPod today. It's the big one. Not gonna lie...I'm pretty jealous. My little iPod cannot hold anything close to my whole library full of songs. Someday I'll have a slightly bigger one. I'm not really concerned about it though. My iPod works splendidly. And that's good enough for me.

Beaded, Lace, or what?

I went dress browsing today. I refuse to call it shopping because I have no intention of purchasing a dress from the place where I went browsing.

Scene: Tuesday afternoon. Orem, Utah. University Mall.

So, I tried on a bunch of dresses and came to some conclusions.

Conclusions and other miscellaneous points of interest

1) I HATE BEADING. Sorry. I just don't think it looks very good. Too gaudy.

2) Lace is extremely pretty but the dress designers that work for that place don't get how to make it work on a dress without beading (See #1).

3) Satin is a very heavy material aka not good for dancing.

4) I definitely would like to try and have a bird-cage veil.

5) My favorite dress that I tried on was completely plain. No beading (See #1). No lace. No ribbon on the trim. Nothing. Just a plain, simple, white dress. I tied a sash around my waist and placed a cage veil on my head and couldn't stop smiling.

6) I don't do "not eating dinner" well. Feed me, Seymour.

7) I love musicals. They make me happy when other things seem to be suffering.

8) My mother is Wonder Woman. She has done so much for me this past week and I get to see her this weekend. Mom, you're the best.

9) K'nex is an impressive first date. Trust me.

10) I have the best fiancé in the world. I love him very, very much even though he pouts about not being able to go dress shopping with me. Sorry, love!!

There you have it. I'm sure there will be more to come.

Mental Health

Like mother, like daughter.

I've been engaged (at 8:30pm tonight) for one week. In this time I have scheduled two different temples, picked colors, decided on a cake, searched for reception venues, started a guest list, met a good portion of Tyson's extended family, and somehow, stayed up on my homework.

Yesterday was the exception. I couldn't handle it anymore. I went to work, Tyson came home with me for lunch and we decided to look at some more venue possibilities because the one we wanted is already booked. Sigh. I put my head on Tyson's knee and just gave up. It became quickly clear that any sort of productive behavior was going to be a horrible mess. What to do! I got into my PJ's, turned on A&E's Pride and Prejudice, snuggled up with my nannie aka blanket (and Tyson, of course) and tried to stop freaking out about planning.

IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN A FULL WEEK!

This is absurd. Luckily, my mother is coming up this weekend and a lot of really good things will happen. Friday: wedding dress appointment; fabric store to find fabric swatches; nails (possibly); and dinner with mom and Tyson. Saturday: check out venues (if we have any prospects); chat with my aunt Liz about our cake; attend the Bridal Expo; and other delightful activities.

I am hoping that getting all of these things taken care of this weekend will greatly decrease the likelihood of me losing my mind. My mother tends to plan plan plan plan plan plan plan and I do believe I may have picked up that trait from her.

Thanks, Mom. PS Come soon!

Post-Proposal Pic

Say 'Hello' to the future Mr. and Mrs. Tyson Remy.

Doesn't that just sound lovely? Well, we sure like it. This photo was taken after Tyson proposed to me on Tuesday, 19 January, 2010. We danced, he proposed, he danced some more...it was precious. My mom is an especial fan of "HOW" he did it for this reason: I had told Tyson that I didn't want to be proposed to in a public place. And he did it anyway. My mom thinks it's hilarious that I'm not in control here. I don't have a superb picture of my GORGEOUS ring, but I will work on that and get back to you.

The last few days have flown by and I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of getting married to the most wonderful man I have ever known. GAH! I'm so excited!

As far as details on the big day: May. Some Saturday in May. Either the 15th, 22nd, or 29th. We don't know yet. We DO know that we'll be getting married in the Bountiful Temple (which I've actually never seen) and that it's going to be a spectacular day. My aunt, Liz, is doing my cake and I'm so excited to work with her while making decisions about cake 'cause "everybody loves cake."

I am a little sad that my mom is in California and I'm in Utah. This means that she can't really help me plan so I'm left a little on my own. Luckily, I have fabulous roommates, an incredible bestie, and, of course, a first-class sweetheart, who are all willing to help me out. Not to mention that Tyson's mom and sister, Chantel, will be helping out too. I just wish my mom could be here to help. She's doing all she can from California and I appreciate her help. The good news is that she'll be coming out a few times before May to help me nail down some details and help me de-stress for a while. This is going to be a crazy next four months and I cannot wait to get going!

A funny thing happened at the Swing dance...

I GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!

Details and the full story (plus pics) to come :)

Best. Tuesday. Ever.

Spring Cleaning...in January

No plans. No boy. No dancing. What to do? CLEAN! ORGANIZE! THROW JUNK AWAY!

Yup, this Friday night, I stayed in and did a number on my room. Okay, so I did go to the temple with my cute boy to do baptisms. But after that he left for the night to SLC for a night of riotous dancing aka The Utah Lindy Exchange (ULX). I had nothing better to do so I got rid of a bunch of junk I never use, papers I don't want anyone to read because they're awful, notebooks I'll never read, and shoes I'll never wear. It feels really good to de-junk my room aka my life. I got rid of two trash bags and one box full of stuff. I actually re-thought my shoes and clothes a week ago. In that little event I got rid of nine pairs of shoes, three pairs of jeans, and four pairs of other pants. Needless to say, my closet, dresser drawers, and desk are looking more friendly. The only thing in my room I did not de-clutter is my bookshelf. I still have more books than I can shake a fist at and I'm okay with that. I fully intend on keeping them all. Even my Old English Literature book that I hate. I'm not one to throw away books. Anyways, I've enjoyed my evening and got to listen to GLEE, Michael Jackson, and my other fav tunes. Happy Friday!

Sweet Nothings

On Tuesday, I was having an awful day. Classes weren't working out, my job was being ULTRA-frustrating, and I just could not get out of the funk I found myself in that day. After work, I came out to my car and this was waiting for me.

I will just say that I am not usually a "roses" girl, however, these were the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen! PLUS, my favorite candy was accompanying the roses. Chocolate and roses? What could be better! I looked around for my cute boy but I didn't see his car anywhere. Turns out, my cute boy is very sneaky. He purposefully hid his car behind another car that looked just like his so I couldn't tell that he was there to see my reaction. On top of all this, he is the one that reminded me of the purpose behind this little surprise: two months. I totally spaced it. (Epic fail. I know.) After I finished classes for the day, we spent the rest of the night moving him into his new apartment and then we went out to eat at this new pizza spot in town. It was way good! Conclusion: an awful, horrid beginning of a day ended up being a wonderful, happy experience all because my cute boy decided he should get me some flowers.

Hello, Stranger.

I haven't done much blogging lately and I apologize for neglecting my blog-related responsibilities. The good news is that most of what's been going on can be simplified into a short list:

• I survived Fall 2009 semester!! Right after I did all of my finals in three days, I headed back to California for Christmas.
• Christmas was fantastic! I got to spend a lot of time with my family and we even did some new touristy things like taking a tour of Warner Brothers Studios.
• Tyson's family went on vacation to California for Christmas so I partied with them for a few days too. They are so much fun! It was great to get to know them.
• Winter 2010 semester began January 4. I'm looking forward to this new semester and am very excited for my courses.
• I am now a Home Evening Coordinator for my ward aka FHE Mom. My group partner is one of my best friends in my ward. We're going to have a great time!
• I participated in a Community Choir last semester and have been selected as the Soprano Section leader for this upcoming semester. I'm honored to have the position and anticipate wonderful things from the girls in my section.

That is the low-down of the last few weeks. I resolve to be better at blogging this year. Don't confuse that resolve with any type of New Year's resolution. I didn't make one this year. I just couldn't come up with anything that wasn't lame. So I've decided to just let it go. Who cares! I will say this: I am extremely excited for this new year. I cannot WAIT to see what will change in my life for the better this year. I'll keep my fingers crossed!!