A Whole New World...

I read everyones blogs every day. I actually check my google reader account numerous time a day. I LOVE google reader, but there is a problem... Google reader doesn't tell me how long it has been since I last blogged. I checked it out and found it has been since June. JUNE people! I haven't blogged since I got back from my honeymoon. I can't believe that was over 7 months ago!

A fast catch up:

July: Brian and I finished moving into our home. I started working for Gilbert Public Schools. I was in training for my CDL actually but it was still work. I was getting up at 5:00 and leaving the house at 6 to get to work at 7. It was hard and little did I know... it gets worse! Brian and I tried to adjust to living together and I was trying to adjust to moving away from everything I had ever known. I had a new house, new husband, new job, new family, heck I even had a new last name. I loved it and hated it all at the same time. I went home every chance I got. I think Brian was getting tired of driving to Flagstaff all the time, but he is so good to me and didn't complain at all. He is so supportive.

August: More traveling to Flagstaff and still training. Brian is enjoying not working and not having school work. He got a lot of good video game time in. Work started for both of us in the end of August. I really didn't like my job but I loved that I got to work with Brian. Being with him was the best part of my day.

September: Work was in full swing and now school started. Brian and I both are doing online classes. They are convenient but man are they a lot of work. I think there is double the amount of work. We were still getting used to living together and honestly, I think we will always be getting used to living together. My birthday!! Brian got me a wonderful trip to Tucson and invited my parents to come because he knows how much my family means to me. We went to Cartchner Caverns and had dinner with some family friends. We had a GREAT time! It was a wonderful birthday!

October: Not much happened that I can remember. Work and school... My mom's birthday and my sisters birthday. Halloween was fun this year. I got to have Alora with me and we went to the church trunk-r-treat party. She was Pebbles Flinstone. So adorable as always!!

November: The beginning of the month was pretty quiet.Brian and I joined my family, some family friends, and Aunt Lois in Page for the Balloon festivel. It was so amazing! We also went to Antelope Canyon. It is a huge canyon that has been carved in the ground that you can walk through. The pictures don't do it justice. The colors are AMAZING!! Truly a work of God! It was another really great trip.

Our house heater went out but we had a very warm season so it was not too big of a deal. Well for Brian at least. I was freezing but my parents gave us a room heater so it was ok. We had Thanksgiving dinner here and my family and Brian's family both came. I was a little worried about what we would all talk about but I think it went great! We all had a good time and I really enjoyed having everyone over. Maybe this will become the new tradition!

December: CHRISTMAS!!! I LOVE this time of year!! The beginning of the month we found out that Brian got a job with Verizon and he was supposed to start in January! We we so excited that we could still do our big trip to Utah and Colorado together and then he could start this great new job. He then got offered a chance to start the end of December instead. This meant no trip, but he would get a giant jump in seniority and therefor able to get better shifts when the time came. We debated, but in the end decided it would be much better for him to start as soon as possible. He was able to fly up to Denver and be with us for Christmas and then flew back again for work. It all worked out and Brian is happy at his new job.

January: A new year!! We are loving our precious time together. Now that we don't work together, we don't get much time to be together. It really makes me savor the time we do have. I really feel so lucky to have such a hard working and wonderful man with me for eternity. He is truly the perfect guy for me! Now that we are all caught up, maybe I will remember to post a little more often.

Memories

We are MARRIED!! It was a Beautiful weekend and we thank all of you who helped make it so. Everything turned out just the way we wanted! The receptions were both so beautiful! My sister told us she had a gift for us that she was really excited about. I had been racking my brain trying to figure out what it could be. Finally, after all the waiting, she gave us her gift. It was a memory. She hired Trevor Forsman, a young man that she grew up with and won second place in the Arizona Idol competition the weekend before, to come and sing our first dance for us. He had a partner with him and after they finished singing At the Beginning with You, they sang a Trevor original. Oh my gosh, the words are so beautiful and they did such an amazing job singing! I know he will go far with his music. Thank you so much to Mary Lynne! You gave us an amazing memory that will last forever!! We love you!

We are now on our honeymoon in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. It is so green and gorgeous here. We got here Sunday night and went straight to sleep. It had been a long day. We woke up Monday morning and went to the activities center to book some activities to do. We booked a wagon ride/bbq dinner for that night. It was delicious!! Brian wants to go back again tomorrow night just for the food! The ride was fun and after dinner we sang a few songs but the highlight was the food.

My parents gave us a day on a zip line course. We rode the Silverton train about half way up and then we started. They fit us with harnesses and taught us a few safety things and then we were off! While we were eating lunch (which they provide) one of the dogs chased a bear right under us. (We ate up in the trees) I will post pictures that I got of the bear. He ended up climbing the tree we were sitting in and sticking his nose through the slots. He was really cute and I got some good pictures before we had to chase him off. It was a really awesome experience and I HIGHLY recommend anyone who comes to this part of the country (and you all should because it is wonderful) do the soaring. If you want to learn about it, go to soaringtreetopadventures.com A little expensive but worth every penny!!

Brian surprised me with a hot air balloon ride that we will be taking Thursday morning. I am really looking forward to that! We don't really know what else we will plan but I am loving the relaxed nature of this honeymoon and I am mostly loving the time I am getting to spend with my husband. I am learning more and more about him everyday and loving him more and more every minute!

Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Lattitudes

The only thing constant is change right? Well there have been some big ones here!

The little girl that I have been babysitting for the last 3 years is moving! Her step dad decided he was not able to find a job here so he wants to look in a bigger city. He picked Denver, as in Denver Colorado. A whole 12 hour drive away from Flagstaff. I cried and cried. I called Brian and told him. With them moving, we would not be able to make enough money to live in Flagstaff. He listened to my heart break then helped me to calm down.

A little while later, he called me and told me that maybe we should look into me moving to the valley because it is so much cheaper to live and he already has a job there. I conceded that this was the best choice and so we started looking for apartments.

His parents came to him a few days later and gave him/us a wonderful gift! They offered to act as a bank for us and give us a loan for a house. A whole HOUSE!! We started looking at prices and decided that somewhere in Queen Creek would be the best bet. Newer houses and VERY GOOD prices! We have a couple friends that live out there so we were kinda looking in their neighborhood. We found a few that we liked and after a lot of bidding wars (they are forclosure houses) and some frustration, we finally won a house at auction!

It was a house that I had never seen. Remember that I live in Flagstaff still and the list for the auction goes out the night before the auction happens. Brian had seen it and told me about it and I trusted him to make the decision. Boy am I glad I did. The house is AWESOME!! 3 bedrooms, 2 and 1/2 baths, a huge kitchen that I LOVE putting together. There is a nice back yard with a sprinkler system already in. It is perfect for us.

I have been applying for a few jobs this last month and last week I got a call from Gilbert Public Schools. I went in for an interview and got the job! I will be driving school buses! They are going to train me for my CDL.

I am a lucky girl and feel so blessed to have all these wonderful people in my life! Thank you to everyone who has helped make this time in my life so great! The wedding is in 5 days!! Then I will have another wonderful group of people to add to my family! This transition has been a difficult one for me but the support from all my family has been great! Thanks to all! Love ya!

Where has all the time gone?

I don't really believe it has been 2 months since I updated. I don't know where the time is going. There is 84 days until our wedding and I am still really calm. People keep asking how the plans are coming and I think and say that every thing is great! It really is!

Brian applied to NAU and was accepted last week. He also applied for a job with NAU driving busses. He interviewed on Monday and was offered the job on Tuesday morning! I guess they saw how amazing he is just like I do. He will start in August so he can finish his finals and his current job in Gilbert with their school district. Then he will move here the beginning of June and we will get married the end of June and then the honeymoon the last week of June then we will have almost 2 months to settle into marriage before he has to start work. I am so proud of him and his determination and focus. He always get done what needs to get done.

We got our engagement pictures done a few weeks ago. They turned out great and I will be posting some on my facebook soon. We are in the process of trying to design the announcements now. Wording is proving to be a little difficult. If anyone has any suggestions or examples please let me know. My e-mail is ljw13@hotmail.com I would love any help I can get.

Love you all!!

Wedding Blues (actually purples)

I promise my posts will not all be about the wedding. Just until the wedding is over.

We have the Temple time arranged!! 9:45 in the morning on Friday June 25th. I think we will be taking pictures before hand so we can avoid most of the heat. The reception will be here in Flagstaff on the 26th. Don't know what time yet but I think it will be around 6 in the evening. I kind of have a love/hate relationship with the reception. I have enjoyed the planning but there is so much to do and I start to get really over whelmed with it all. (I am starting to understand eloping) I am so glad that I have my mom to help. I have pretty much given her the reins and am just putting in my 2 cents worth now and then. I know it will be beautiful and it will turn out wonderful.

Brian has been great as usual. He gives his opinion when I ask but for the most part he is letting me do and have what I want. I really couldn't ask for a better man! Now we need to find him a job here in Flagstaff. Anyone have suggestions?

I am still watching the 2 girls and I will be starting to watch a 3 month old little boy soon. I am starting to think I am crazy. I don't know how I will do it. I need to pray for patience.

I also want to thank Nikki for making my blog so cute! You are wonderful!

So this is LOVE!! (hum hum hum hum)

Well things are still going well here. I am still planning a wedding, although we are kinda at a stand still right now because we can't book the Temple until 6 months out, and I can't get my dress until Christmas when we are in Denver where my Grandma has it stored. I am wearing my mom's dress with some alterations done to it.

So far we have the day picked out (June 25th), the reception place mostly planned (in the cul-de-sac with a bunch of Christmas lights and decorations or for a back up, the stake center), the colors picked (if you know me at all you will know that this will be purple. Different shades of purple to be exact), and I have me a groom which I think is actually the most important part!

Brian is so great! He treats me so well, and I could not ask for a better companion to spend the rest of eternity with. I really look forward to the day that I can go into that temple and be sealed to this wonderful man!

Ok, enough mushy stuff! Brian and I are going to Utah on the 18th to see his best friends up there. I am just a little nervous about meeting them. They mean so much to him and I just hope I can live up to their expectations. We will then head to Denver to spend Christmas with my mom's side of the family. We will spend a few days there then drive back to Flag for a day or so then head to Gilbert to ring in the new year with his family. I am really looking forward to all the time I get to be with him and all the family we get to see.

Well I hope you all are enjoying your holidays and that the rest of this year is great for all of you!

LELA IS ENGAGED!!

Ok so I think that most of you probably know this but I am engaged! Here is how it happened!

He took me to Lowell Observatory to look at the stars. We looked at Jupiter and its moons which was really cool. When we were done we went out to the car and as he was opening my door (which he always does cause he is wonderful!) he noticed he had a flat tire. He asked me to get the compressor out of the back of the car so I went to get it. As I opened the back hatch, there were purple roses and a custom made banner saying, "Lela will you marry me?" I looked at him and he got down on his knee and asked me. I told him yes of course! Then he called to his friend and my cousin that they could come out. They had flattened his tire for him and were in on the whole thing.

The ring is beautiful, he is wonderful and I am so happy!!!

And now some pictures.





Oh the wedding is scheduled for June 25th and I will be needing addresses so please send them to my e-mail so I can be sure to invite all you wonderful people! ljw13@hotmail.com