HERE WE GO

Wedding planning has started...I am so excited.  I am one of those girls who has thought about her wedding day for years; I even have a binder with samples and photos and ideas.  I can't believe that I finally get to plan the real thing!  For any of my readers who have planned or are planning a wedding, give me your best planning dos and don'ts.

As fun as all the fashion, flowers, food, decorations and photos are, the most wonderful part of all this is knowing I get to hang out with this boy for the rest of my life.  Sorry for the cheese-fest, but I just love this guy.  He makes me feel B-E-A-utiful.

Do us a favor, please? Click on the photo above (you should be directed to Facebook) and "like" our photo.  We are in a contest for a free engagement photography session from the talented Cascio photography.  I would be delighted to get photos. The contest ends January 13th-- thanks for your help!

A RING...I DON'T MEAN ON THE PHONE.

Greg has been the most wonderful blessing in my life, and he has patiently waited by my side and supported me through one stressful semester.  He held me over and over again while I cried because I wasn't getting any clarification about our relationship-- I didn't feel wrong about dating him at times, but other times it just didn't seem right. At one point, I asked Greg to give me some time to think about things because I just didn't know if getting more serious with him was the right thing to do.  My heart was in several places-- for months.

"Take all the time you need, you're worth the wait." 

I know that most guys would have given up on an emotional wreck like myself, and most guys would not have been around nearly as long as Greg has been. 

Greg's not most guys. 

He's gentle and kind.  He is polite and sweet.  He makes me laugh and is one dang good kisser;) He is dedicated to his family, his schooling and hard work.  He never criticizes anything about me or anyone. He drives me to 7-11 at 1:00 AM to get Slurpees after I finish stressful assignments.  He never talks about how pretty certain celebrities are and he makes me feel flawless.  He is incredibly supportive of whatever I take on.  He stares at me like I'm the most wonderful thing he's ever seen.  He spoils me with fun dates and copious amounts of time together.  He does that thing where he brushes my hair behind my ear and slowly pulls me in for a comforting kiss.  He treats me the way everyone woman deserves to be treated.  He's one of the good ones.  He brings me so much peace, happiness, and security.

And all that doesn't even begin to describe why I said yes on Christmas morning when he popped the question of all questions. 

A month or so ago, it just hit me. Everyone always says, "when you know, you know," and I know.  I have never felt so much peace and happiness in my entire life...it's overwhelming how much love I feel for him. Everything makes sense. 

On Christmas morning, Greg joined my parents, little sis, and myself for opening presents. After everything was unwrapped, Greg pointed out that I had one last present under our tree... 

Sorry the video is a tad poor in the quality department...I'm not THAT tech savvy;)  Enlarge it so it's not distorted.

LOVE BIO

My heart is full of so many incredible emotions at this moment; I'm not sure I will be able to finish this post and/or have it make any sense at all.  I seriously think I'm a tad high from happiness and exhaustion. I have been visiting with family and talking and smiling and rejoicing all day. I hope your Christmas was wonderful.

Mine was absolutely perfect:

The last gift I unwrapped this early Christmas morn, 
was knowing he wants to be with me just as much as I want to be with him...forever.

I'll post tomorrow about how adorable his proposal was, but for now, I wanted to talk about us.  I've got this cute, too-good-for-me, smart, dedicated gentleman who has completely swept me off my feet and patiently waited while I made up my mind. Greg. My fiance. 

My fiance. I get to call him that now. *Squeel*

Greg and I met about 3 years ago.  I was a Freshmen in college and he had just returned from serving an LDS mission in France.  I just ended a brief fling with this guy that I tried too hard to impress, and who ended up being less than outstanding. Less-than-outstanding's friend had been working with me in a class, and he wanted to set me up on a blind date with his roommate, Greg. Follow all that?

I knew from the minute I met Greg, that our date was going to be a lot of fun-- and it was.  He makes me laugh all the time.  We laughed about these over-sized pickles (have you seen those??) sold at the counter of DVD rental places, spent way too long selecting where to eat and what to movie to rent.   We played, we laughed, I thought his personality and his curly hair were utterly adorable, and we went out a time or two more....

But it fizzled.

He had to have lost interest in myself, and I truly fell in love with someone else. We never really talked again. He pretty much never crossed my mind.

In August, 2011 of my junior year, I moved into a new apartment and found out that I knew the boys moving in upstairs. Mr. Greg Johnson was living above me and I wasn't even sure if he remembered me. I had just said goodbye to someone I cared about very deeply, and plus, Greg had a girlfriend.  But, luckily for me, by the following Spring semester Greg was single.

I wish I could say we dated and had this incredible experience and that he brought up the discussion of marriage and I immediately said yes and he got me a ring.

We did date and we have had incredible experiences, but there were a few hiccups along the way.

Drool over my ring {as I do}, and I will post more later...

BORROWED

A post from the past.  I borrowed this from over yonder.

I started my old blog when I graduated High School, (nearly 4 years ago!) like a lot of girlies do.  It's some sign of growing up or something-- getting a blog. A few of you have read about my heartbreaks, my trials, my adventures, my dabblings in pageantry, my attempts at cooking, etc. etc. and I thank everyone who has spent time reading my ramblings.  I have neglected blogging for several months, and I have made a promise to myself that I will post at least 3 times a week.  Want to read along?  Great, you are more than welcome to join me [insert cliche saying here] on this thing we call life.

When I graduated High School I had my heart broken and was about to start an entirely new chapter of my life. My university experience has been full of everything typical-- crappy professors, life changing professors, lots of dates, lots of mistakes, pounds lost, pounds gained, more pounds gained and a few lost. I've changed my major from Interior Design to History teaching, to English teaching, to Elementary Education. Phew! I've cried a lot, prayed even more, lost friends, and met influential people who will be friends of mine for the rest of my life. The last several years have pummeled me into the ground over and over again, but yet, I'm still standing. 

Everyone's trials and difficulties are their own, but I have learned one valuable lesson that I wish everyone would remember when life gets icky: "everything always works out, because beautiful things are going to happen for me."   

Beautiful things do happen, every single day.  Are you noticing them? That's okay, sometimes I forget, too.  I can look back over the last several years and think about the times I've lost and all the tears I've cried and who made those tears fall.  I can think about all the things I wish I would have done differently or things I should have said (or not said), but that doesn't get me anywhere. 

Instead, right now, in this moment, I'm thinking about those cute little classes on my adorable niece's face. I'm thinking about the people who have stood by me all along the way.  I'm thinking about my cute mom and dad who set incredible examples for me and help me achieve my dreams.  I'm thinking about the lessons I've learned about others in my life. I'm thinking about how my nephew sweet all me "Snephy."  I'm thinking about how much I love my major, and where I'm at right now.  I'm thinking about the strawberries waiting for me on my kitchen counter. 

While the last semester has been extremely trying, I'm marching forward into my final semester before student teaching with confidence and peace.  Beautiful things are going to happen for me.