Dear Utah

I moved out to Utah 4 years ago this past August. I was excited for a new move, ready to start over, change parts of me that I didn't like, and make new friends. yada yada yada... However, I'm not gonna lie... I soon began to hate Utah. I don't like dry weather and my skin looks crappy out here. BYU is a good school but isn't all it's made out to be. It took a lot longer to make friends here than it did in any of the other 3 states I lived in.
But, needless to say, there are things I've come to love about Utah and I decided that I should let Utah know that it really isn't that bad afterall.
1. Utah, your mountains are so big! I am amazed that I can be so close to such a huge creation.
2. Utah, you have really good food chains. I have come to love Panda, Zupas, Costa Vida, and so much more. You also have one of my favorite clothing stores, Papaya.
3. Utah, you have so many temples. I am within 1 hour of at least 5 temples, with still so many others close by.
4. I can count your LDS chapels on every couple of corners. AND these chapels are the sized of our stake ones at home.
5. It took a long time to make a group of good friends but now that I have them I realize how much I will truly miss them...
6. I have been able to truly appreciate the importance of family. I wasn't always the person I am today and some of those things I learned while being out here on my own in Utah.
7. and finally, Utah... you'll always be the place where I met, fell in love, and married my sweetheart. <3

So, Utah, why do I need to tell you all these things?

((the big news is)) that we're moving. to Washington D.C. by the end of the month.

now, I know it all sounds sudden, and believe me, it is a bit. but-- it is something we really considered and decided it would be a great opportunity. so, we head out to look for apartments on October 14. I'll start soon after that.

so-- Here's how it happened.
I wanted Matt to work for Ancestry.com so I looked up jobs on yahoo for him every now and again. I saw the supervisor position in the DC office and saw that I had the qualifications. I mentioned it to Matt kind of as a joke and he said, you should apply. We took the weekend to investigate and fill out my application ansd such. Now, about 3 weeks later, I have signed all of my paperwork and will be moving quite soon. We're very excited:)

So, Utah-- you have been good to me. I never thought I would be sad to leave but a part of me will always love utah. a part of me changed here. i grew here. i learned here. i loved here.


goodbye, utah. you will always be remembered.

Our Story

Well, I've had a few friends get engaged these last few weeks and a few married friends post their cute engagement/ meeting of the spouse stories.... So, being bored, I am going to add to their stories with my own.
First, I created a scrapblog that i will share that has our basic story and some fun pictures..
http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/viewer.aspx?sbId=467285

Matthew and I met July 23, 2007. i drove across country and got to utah on July 22. I stayed the night in a hotel and apartment searched in the morning. I ended up at Roman Gardens. After carrying up MANY very heavy boxes, Matthew's roomate, Nick, asked if I needed help. He was my first friend in the complex. Nick helped me with my last few boxes, asked me on a date, and then took me to meet some friends of his in the complex. The boys of 211 were good friends with Amy and Erica and so those girls and the boys of 211 became my friends. Nick and I dated on and off over the next couple months.
Our first big experience: In August, we all went on a hike to the springs in Spanish Fork. Matthew and Kyle received some misinformation about how long the hike was and became quite frustrated with me because it was a lot longer than they thought. I thought they were such mean people and Matthew(as I later found out) thought he and I would never even be friends again after that.
The next experience: The hike really didn't have many long term effects, neither of us held the grudge. The end of October comes around and it's time for the HALLOWEEN DANCE! I love dances. Nick came with me but then decided he didn't want to stay and left. I danced with "my group". Matthew pulled me to the middle of the floor to dance...That next Sunday, I had come home from church early and stopped by 211. Matthew was the only one home(his sister was sick or something) We talked a couple of hours. Sunday night at ward prayer we were talking about movies that were good. He mentioned Star Dust and I thought it sounded cool. We planned on going on Tuesday night at the dollar theatre.
Monday night: FHE was interesting. I didn't know if Tuesday night was a date. The boys of 211 didn't usually go to FHE but it just so happened that both Matt and Nick were there. When I walked in they were both sitting on the love seat and both scooted over for me to sit in the middle. Great, in the middle of the boy i had dated and the one i wanted to start dating. haha.
Tuesday: Still not sure if that night was suppose to be a date. Matthew called and invited me for slurpees before. I realized noone else from the group was going so I assumed it was a date. It was my last first date, and it was wonderful.

Around the beginning of December, I realized I was in love with my cute boyfriend. One night when I asked what he was thinking, he told me he loved me. Of course, I told him I loved him too. A few weeks after that, I was making our Sunday dinner, and I sat him down and rattled on about how I didn't know what being in love meant to him. I wanted to marry him but I didn't know if that's what he was thinking. He later confessed that he knew that was what I was thinking but enjoyed watching me try to find the words to bring it up. We started looking casually at rings a few weeks later. The end of December came and I went home for a painfully long 18 days for Christmas break. During this time, Matthew called around to talk with not only my father, but my mother and another close family friend. What a Sweetheart!

January 11: I knew Matthew had some fun, cute date planned for my birthday. He said we'd be home early and I thought that was weird since I was NEVER home early. But, I didn't think much of it. We went to the Cheesecake Factory but he said the wait was too long because he wanted to be somewhere afterwords. No big deal, we went to Olive Garden. Enjoyed a nice dinner during which he kept texting his sister.(which was also weird) He prolonged paying the check which we never did (because we had eaten 'to fast'. haha). We then left and went to a cute little gazebo off of Bangater Highway. There were Christmas lights hung all over, a sleeping bag and blanket layed out along with all my birthday gifts. I hugged him, felt something in his pocket but figured it was his cell phone or wallet just in a different pocket than usual.(you'd think by this point I wouldn't have pieced some of the "weird events" together) Nonetheless, we sat down and I opened all of my gifts and smelled my roses. Everything was so Beautiful!! He had printed off some of his journal entries for me to read of some of our most special days. I thought it was the best birthday I had ever had. He then said the last part of my birthday celebration was to see our visitor. Confused, I stood up to see who was coming. As I looked around I turned back to try and convince him to tell me, I saw he was kneeling with a box in his hand. I don't remember all that he said but i know he was nervous and excited. All I could think of was how perfect this moment was, how perfect he was for me, and how I never could have imagined that saying one word would be so excited. After I said yes, his sister and her friend popped out of the bushes to congratulate us. The first person I told was the lady who was unloading her groceries across the street from the gazebo. We had put my gifts in the car and I was bursting with excitement i just couldn't wait. Matthew knew I would want to call and tell my family, hence planning the earlier date so I wouldn't be calling them in the middle of the night. I fell asleep that night a completely different person. My life was about to change more than I could have ever imagined.
Matthew and I were married May 10,2008 in the Mt. Timpanogos temple. It was a perfect day.

Comment me your story or blog about it on your own!
<3

Work is Good.

Life is good. Work has been super busy but fantastic. I think I mentioned I've been put on this "special team". Today i finished my very first project all on my own. My last project was technically my first but I got help during all the steps. It was so exciting! Hopefully all turns out well but so far so good. anyway, i'm quite proud of myself. :)

Life

Well, I love life. Work has been really busy for me lately but I am really enjoying it. Sally and i have been "acting" supervisor and team lead. I enjoy doing team lead things and Sally is so great at being a boss! It's been fun calling people for interviews. i love doing little tasks throughout the day, it makes things the day go by so much faster! Also, i have been set up on this "Black Ops" team.. Basically, I'm working with a small group of people (2 others) to get small projects from start to finish. I am learning a TON of stuff everyday and it's pretty neat (and scary) to have so much responsibility. So, between being team lead, doing this black ops thing, and helping mike with calling occasionally, I barely have time to do anything else. I come home and think, wow--what did i do today although i know i did a bunch of stuff because i didn't even sit down..
anyway, it's a great opportunity and wanted to share!
other than work, matthew and I have just been busy with day to day activities. tomorrow we're going camping with our ward(english not spanish). we dont really knwo anyone but we figure it'll be a good time just to camp and play games...
i'll post some pictures from california soon. It was really fun! It's always so fantastic to be with familie. i wish we could be with family more often.
<3

I found this on a friends blog and had to repost.

*she found it in the parents magazine, july issue.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for your interest in remaining my parents. Below is a list of my demands.

The Toddler Contract

I. Food

1.)For breakfast, there will be only milk in my sippy cup while I am watching television (see section II.)

2.)From breakfast until what you probably call lunch, I will be provided with an unending supply of cookies.

No arguments.

3.)For lunch I will eat yogurt. Anything containing fruit on the bottom will make me pick it out and throw it on the ground or else throw it up on your carpet.

a. So no fruit on the bottom.

4.)From lunch until dinner I will enjoy having something to lick. Why not a lollipop? Why not seven?

a. Between licks, I may place my lollipop on your grandmother's Turkish rug. This will be ok with you.

5.)For dinner I will have macaroni and cheese. Any attempts to give me vegetables in addition to the macaroni and cheese will result in tears.

a. And don't you dare hide anything in the cheese sauce, because, my goodness, how you will rue the day.

6.)After dinner you may provide me with ice cream.

a. No frozen yogurt. Trust me, I know the difference.

II. Television

1.)The TV will be on all the time, unless I say differently. You are to sit by my side, quietly, hands folded in lap, while I watch my shows.

a. You may arise to fetch me a snack.

2.)No diaper changing or pleas to engage in physical activity will be tolerated during the watching of television.

3.)Turning off of television will result in much kicking and screaming.

III. Toys

1.) There will be many.

a. They will always be strewn about the house so that I may simply reach down and pick up a toy, no matter where I am.

b. They will be loud, complicated, and contain many small pieces. I will enjoy shooting noises that go w-shoooop! or zim zim zim.

c. Nothing that results in any type of learning, please.

IV.) Friends

1.)They should be available whenever I'm in the mood to use someone else's toys or ingest someone else's cookies.

a. These friends may not ever so much as look at my toys or cookie supply.

b. Ever, ever, ever.

V.) Sleep

1.)Is when I say, where I say, and how I say. If I want to sleep upside down with my legs locked around your neck, then that's how it will be.

a. And you will enjoy it.

VI.) Affection

1.)Occasionally I enjoy being hugged and kissed. I stress occasionally.

2.)I will not be pelted with wet-mouthed assaults on an hourly basis. Should you feel the need to hug or kiss, you must provide me with a written request.

a. And then Wait for me to provide my pudgy cheeks

i still have a lot of things to learn.

OuR fAmiLiE

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