Here's the update:
Our invitations are in!
I've assembled them all. It only took me a few days. Okay, really about a week.
It wasn't easy. Well, it was easy, but it just took a while. It's a lot of ribbons to tie. Good thing I love ribbons. And I still do. Even after all that.
And they're beautiful!!!
Also, we found this girl who is an intern who is doing our engagements for FREE! Official engagements. Now all we need to do is take them, NEXT WEEK! Print the ones we like, and then put them into the lovely invitations I spent a week assembling.
I've been showing my friends already, and every time they take an invitation, they automatically look for a picture and ask where it is. Well, we don't have them yet. But they're coming. I promise our invitations WILL have engagement pictures in them.
We don't have to send them out until May, which is coming up soon, but it's not like it's next week. So we have a little bit of time. Not a lot of time though. I'm not panicking.
As a side note, Cory and I found an apartment. We're not wealthy by any means, so our apartment has its quirks. Like low ceilings. It's a basement apartment, but it's really close to campus. We were worried we wouldn't be able to find anything in our budget in Provo or near campus. I found this posting in Craigslist. This guy just bought a house and was renovating the upstairs and downstairs to rent. The rent was cheap (probably because it's tiny and because of the ceilings). The guy had about 15 people look at the place in the 2 days it had been posted, so we needed to move FAST. Which we did. It makes me a little nervous, but I think it will work out.
The nice things about this apartment, despite its strange floor plan, it has its own washer and dryer IN the unit. We don't have to share them. It has a dishwasher!!! It's really close to campus (it will only take me 15 minutes to walk to work). It has two bedrooms and a renovated bathroom. The kitchen has a lot of cabinetry (also a con... because of the tight space).
The only scary part is that we have to start paying rent in May... so I'm moving in in May. That means I MUST sell the rest of my contract starting in May. The good thing is that I have a couple of offers for it. This is very good. On top of that, I might be able to sell the other contracts in the unit too. That would make my roommate and management very happy. I should be a real estate agent. Okay. No. Not at all.
Anyway, there are the updates for you.
As another side note: my sisters are getting ready to have their babies! Korrie is due in about a week or two. Kristy is due in another 3 1/2. Kelli should be close come mid May. Wow! It's baby season!!! I can't wait to see them all.
Plus, I got my tickets for Ohio for Emily's wedding. I get to stay with my cousin, whom I rarely get to see and have never gone to visit. I get to spend a week in Vegas in May to help my mom organize and compile her mom's genealogy stuff. Then 3 weeks of EFY!
I think I'll be taking a class or two in summer, so I'll be very busy both before the wedding and after.
Also, this Saturday is my bridal shower!!!! Come if you can, ladies. 5:30 at my place!
Okay, that was a lot, but we're ready to go!!!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Where Do You Go?
Apartment hunting. Let me tell you. Not the most fun. I've decided that if we want to find a good deal on something close, we'd better start looking now. Granted, we still have 3 months, but a lot of places are opening up in May. My guess is that since there are about a million people getting married in April, a lot of these places opening up around then will be snatched up. We'd better start looking and get a deposit down on something so we're not stuck and paying and arm and a leg because we couldn't find anything reasonable.
Today I went to a neighborhood that had a lot of listings/openings. They were 2 bedroom 1 bath with w/d hookups for under 600 a month. Not shabby. So I thought I wanted to see if the area was decent enough - as in not crime-ridden. We're not super picky. We just don't want to die. So I called the property management and set up an appointment to view one of the apartments. I went a little early so I could check out the neighborhood. Here's what I found:
- Window screens torn and bent
- Car windows bashed in
- A permeating odor of garbage and sewage - and this was outside
- I'm pretty sure I saw a drug deal going on
- Men staring at me as I drove by
Notice that none of these things are direct issues with the apartments themselves.
Overall, I just didn't feel good about the area. On top of that, the places were managed by Aspen Ridge. I've never worked with them before, but I've heard a lot of people with a lot of issues with them. They don't have a great reputation.
Not a great start to the hunt. BUT! We're going to look at another apartment near where I already live, so closer to campus and in a safe area. It's a basement apartment and I'm really hoping with all the hope in my hopeful little heart that it looks decent, we can fit, and it will work. I just want to find something soon. I'm worried that looking after the semester ends will end up fruitless.
As a side note: Kid History has an episode 4 now!
And another side note: Tangled goes on sale next week!!!
Today I went to a neighborhood that had a lot of listings/openings. They were 2 bedroom 1 bath with w/d hookups for under 600 a month. Not shabby. So I thought I wanted to see if the area was decent enough - as in not crime-ridden. We're not super picky. We just don't want to die. So I called the property management and set up an appointment to view one of the apartments. I went a little early so I could check out the neighborhood. Here's what I found:
- Window screens torn and bent
- Car windows bashed in
- A permeating odor of garbage and sewage - and this was outside
- I'm pretty sure I saw a drug deal going on
- Men staring at me as I drove by
Notice that none of these things are direct issues with the apartments themselves.
Overall, I just didn't feel good about the area. On top of that, the places were managed by Aspen Ridge. I've never worked with them before, but I've heard a lot of people with a lot of issues with them. They don't have a great reputation.
Not a great start to the hunt. BUT! We're going to look at another apartment near where I already live, so closer to campus and in a safe area. It's a basement apartment and I'm really hoping with all the hope in my hopeful little heart that it looks decent, we can fit, and it will work. I just want to find something soon. I'm worried that looking after the semester ends will end up fruitless.
As a side note: Kid History has an episode 4 now!
And another side note: Tangled goes on sale next week!!!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Ironic
Or maybe not at all. Just funny. Comical.
Did I tell you about how my car needed some work and I took it to Sears auto. Then, the next day it broke down. Turns out they didn't tighten the ground wire on tight enough. Not a huge deal, right? Well, I still had to get my car towed back because I had no tools and no one to help me. Unfortunate. But the towing wasn't nearly as much as what it cost the first time I had to get towed... 3 or 4 years ago. Being a poor college student, any amount is too much, especially when it's unnecessary. Or should have been unnecessary. So Sears fixed it... for free. As you would expect.
The same day I picked up my car again, I had to drive up to SLC. No problems getting up there. On the way down, on the freeway, in the dark, it starts to whistle, then screech, I start to pull off to the side of the road, something starts rattling, then drops, and then it sounds like wires are flying around under the hood. Not good. I manage, without power steering, to get my car off the road and to a gas station. Ever drive without power steering? There's a reason why cars have it. Want a good upper body workout? Get rid of your power steering.
Sick and tired of Sears, mostly not trusting them anymore, I had my car towed to a dealership's service department. Holy cow that little breakdown did a LOT of damage. And it didn't do too well on the pocket book either. But I felt better knowing that someone other than Sears was handling my vehicle. Lo and behold, just as I was coming into Provo, something fell off my car and the serpentine belt came lose. Should I be upset? Maybe. Frustrated? Probably. Actually, as unfortunate as all of this has been, the dealership came and towed my car for free and is going to fix it free of charge. Good call dealership. So not having my car for one more day is a little inconvenient, but if it get fixed ultimately, I'm happy. Plus, this dealership has a much better guarantee on their parts and services.
It's just to the point of being comical. If I have to fork out any more money, I'm gonna be ticked.
Did I tell you about how my car needed some work and I took it to Sears auto. Then, the next day it broke down. Turns out they didn't tighten the ground wire on tight enough. Not a huge deal, right? Well, I still had to get my car towed back because I had no tools and no one to help me. Unfortunate. But the towing wasn't nearly as much as what it cost the first time I had to get towed... 3 or 4 years ago. Being a poor college student, any amount is too much, especially when it's unnecessary. Or should have been unnecessary. So Sears fixed it... for free. As you would expect.
The same day I picked up my car again, I had to drive up to SLC. No problems getting up there. On the way down, on the freeway, in the dark, it starts to whistle, then screech, I start to pull off to the side of the road, something starts rattling, then drops, and then it sounds like wires are flying around under the hood. Not good. I manage, without power steering, to get my car off the road and to a gas station. Ever drive without power steering? There's a reason why cars have it. Want a good upper body workout? Get rid of your power steering.
Sick and tired of Sears, mostly not trusting them anymore, I had my car towed to a dealership's service department. Holy cow that little breakdown did a LOT of damage. And it didn't do too well on the pocket book either. But I felt better knowing that someone other than Sears was handling my vehicle. Lo and behold, just as I was coming into Provo, something fell off my car and the serpentine belt came lose. Should I be upset? Maybe. Frustrated? Probably. Actually, as unfortunate as all of this has been, the dealership came and towed my car for free and is going to fix it free of charge. Good call dealership. So not having my car for one more day is a little inconvenient, but if it get fixed ultimately, I'm happy. Plus, this dealership has a much better guarantee on their parts and services.
It's just to the point of being comical. If I have to fork out any more money, I'm gonna be ticked.
Under Pressure
Ever been in a class where you have to go to the bathroom really badly, but there are only about 5 minutes left of class. It's so distracting and uncomfortable, but you think you can hold out for those last few minutes. At the same time, you keep hoping and praying the professor finishes just a few minutes early so you can finally find some relief?
Yep. That's Language Structure today. As if it weren't painful enough already.
Yep. That's Language Structure today. As if it weren't painful enough already.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Stop, Let Me Tell You 'Bout Chapter Three
Once upon a time there was a girl with a car. Last weekend, this girl got a few repairs done on this car to take care of some weird sounds it was making. All that following week it was running just fine. Until Thursday. She had so many plans and so many things to accomplish that day. All week she was feeling a little under-the-weather, but she was determined to finish everything she set forth to do. She started off going to fill her carriage with fuel so she could do all these wonderful things. Just as she returned to her carriage and tried to get the horses to run... nay, trot, lo, the horses refused. Not a sound they made. Not even a hoof budged.
Searching frantically for someone she knew who could help her, this poor girl was so devastated, with no one to be found, that she called upon her mother in a far away kingdom for assistance. She was told to call upon the insurance knights who assist upon the roadside. The girl made the call, but lo, her mother was wrong and the knights were not available to the girl. Next, she called upon her father who found other knights to assist in her distressed state. The knights came and took the carriage away as to get the horses to move. The girl, carriageless, began her journey back to her land on foot.
Later, she was able to finish a few of her tasks, thanks to the another wonderful girl who lived in the next kingdom over.
That evening, the knights called upon the girl to tell her the carriage was fixed - free of charge! (They felt bad that the service they provided previously caused this current dilemma.)
They girl rejoiced and danced the next morning away. Her amazing betrothed took her in his carriage to retrieve her own. After finishing many tests of intellectual strength, she went to a northern kingdom to assist another fair maiden. On her return journey, the carriage began to squeak. The squeak turned into a creak. Then a thud. The girl pulled the carriage to the side of the road and barely made it to a safe place to rest the horses.
Fortunately, her wonderful sister's fantastic husband came to the rescue. There was nothing he could do to save the horses. The lashing was gone. No one knew why. But he finished taking her the rest of the distance home, a long journey to return to his own.
The carriage was once again assisted by knights to help save the carriage. This time to a different, hopefully more trustworthy, kingdom.
That has been my weekend.
Some good news: Cory and I made it to semi-finals before we got the boot at DanceSport!
Also, I really was devastated this weekend. I dropped a lot of money on tow trucks. I don't even know how much it's going to cost to get it fixed. I got home about 2 hours later than I wanted. I'm grateful to Trent for getting me home... especially since Emma swallowed a penny tonight. So, it's been a long day. Very emotional. I came home in tears, frantically trying to figure out where to get my car towed and by whom. (note: tow trucks cost more in SLC than Provo... so if you're going to break down, do it in Provo and call AMPM.) On top of that, I was exhausted and starving. Cory took me out to lunch at 11, but I hadn't had anything to eat since then. Cory called after he finished with work. I shared with him all my woes. He was very sympathetic. Just as I started eating a 2-day old wilting salad, there was a knock on the door. It was Cory! With food! I started to cry. I'll admit it. But what a very, very, very wonderful man I am going to marry soon. And I'm grateful for my parents who have dealt so patiently with my tear-filled phone calls. It's been a rough weekend... but there really have been a lot of blessings.
Only 4 more weeks of school before finals. Good and bad. Can't wait to get my spring on.
Searching frantically for someone she knew who could help her, this poor girl was so devastated, with no one to be found, that she called upon her mother in a far away kingdom for assistance. She was told to call upon the insurance knights who assist upon the roadside. The girl made the call, but lo, her mother was wrong and the knights were not available to the girl. Next, she called upon her father who found other knights to assist in her distressed state. The knights came and took the carriage away as to get the horses to move. The girl, carriageless, began her journey back to her land on foot.
Later, she was able to finish a few of her tasks, thanks to the another wonderful girl who lived in the next kingdom over.
That evening, the knights called upon the girl to tell her the carriage was fixed - free of charge! (They felt bad that the service they provided previously caused this current dilemma.)
They girl rejoiced and danced the next morning away. Her amazing betrothed took her in his carriage to retrieve her own. After finishing many tests of intellectual strength, she went to a northern kingdom to assist another fair maiden. On her return journey, the carriage began to squeak. The squeak turned into a creak. Then a thud. The girl pulled the carriage to the side of the road and barely made it to a safe place to rest the horses.
Fortunately, her wonderful sister's fantastic husband came to the rescue. There was nothing he could do to save the horses. The lashing was gone. No one knew why. But he finished taking her the rest of the distance home, a long journey to return to his own.
The carriage was once again assisted by knights to help save the carriage. This time to a different, hopefully more trustworthy, kingdom.
That has been my weekend.
Some good news: Cory and I made it to semi-finals before we got the boot at DanceSport!
Also, I really was devastated this weekend. I dropped a lot of money on tow trucks. I don't even know how much it's going to cost to get it fixed. I got home about 2 hours later than I wanted. I'm grateful to Trent for getting me home... especially since Emma swallowed a penny tonight. So, it's been a long day. Very emotional. I came home in tears, frantically trying to figure out where to get my car towed and by whom. (note: tow trucks cost more in SLC than Provo... so if you're going to break down, do it in Provo and call AMPM.) On top of that, I was exhausted and starving. Cory took me out to lunch at 11, but I hadn't had anything to eat since then. Cory called after he finished with work. I shared with him all my woes. He was very sympathetic. Just as I started eating a 2-day old wilting salad, there was a knock on the door. It was Cory! With food! I started to cry. I'll admit it. But what a very, very, very wonderful man I am going to marry soon. And I'm grateful for my parents who have dealt so patiently with my tear-filled phone calls. It's been a rough weekend... but there really have been a lot of blessings.
Only 4 more weeks of school before finals. Good and bad. Can't wait to get my spring on.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Invite Me to Your Next Dream
HEY! So I got a call and email saying the proof for our wedding invitations is in! So all we have to do it approve it and they'll be here in about a week. I can't wait!!! Then all we need is to get our engagement pictures and print them off, address, stamp and mail these puppies! Yay! I can't believe it's already March. We'll be sending invitations out at the beginning of May.
I am so excited.
This weekend, Cory went to BYU-I with the Men's Chorus. Luckily this weekend was also my nephew's baptism, so my parents came up and stayed with me. My mom and I got to finish up some wedding things. I'm SO glad I actually got to do some of this WITH her. It was crazy, and busy, but so wonderful. In my sister's ward, Sam was baptized, as well as an ENTIRE family. A lot of people bore testimony about eternal families and the temple. I have to admit that I got a little choked up thinking about my own eternal family. Yes, there's my parents and siblings, but soon Cory and I get to start our VERY OWN family. I am SO excited!
...oh, and Cory and I have both been having weird dreams about babies. His was about us having twins. Interesting.
I am so excited.
This weekend, Cory went to BYU-I with the Men's Chorus. Luckily this weekend was also my nephew's baptism, so my parents came up and stayed with me. My mom and I got to finish up some wedding things. I'm SO glad I actually got to do some of this WITH her. It was crazy, and busy, but so wonderful. In my sister's ward, Sam was baptized, as well as an ENTIRE family. A lot of people bore testimony about eternal families and the temple. I have to admit that I got a little choked up thinking about my own eternal family. Yes, there's my parents and siblings, but soon Cory and I get to start our VERY OWN family. I am SO excited!
...oh, and Cory and I have both been having weird dreams about babies. His was about us having twins. Interesting.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
We Seek After These Things
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men. . . . If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things (Thirteenth Article of Faith).
As a matter of personal commitment, faculty, administration, staff, and students of Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University—Hawaii, Brigham Young University—Idaho, and LDS Business College seek to demonstrate in daily living on and off campus those moral virtues encompassed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and will
Be honest
Live a chaste and virtuous life
Obey the law and all campus policies
Use clean language
Respect others
Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse
Participate regularly in church services
Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code
This is the BYU honor code. Each student signs a statement saying they will live these standards. If they choose not to abide by these standards after signing this statement, there are consequences... just like any other contract.
BYU has been getting a lot of flack, and praise for that matter (by ESPN!), for the honor code. Some claim BYU is over zealous with enforcing the honor code. Yes, if you show up to the testing center or special collections without shaving your face (for men), or wearing inappropriate clothing (for men or women), they will turn you away, ask you to abide by the honor code, and tell you to return later. That's actually part of the job description for those working in these places. Signs at these locations say, "Please follow the honor code so we may serve you." You know, coming to the school, that this is a possibility... really a probability. You signed the paper, you know it's going to happen.
A friend of mine said, "I will like BYU when it changes a few things." I'm not sure exactly what he wants changed. He wasn't clear. He tried using scripture to prove his point, but all it did was call him a hypocrite. He says BYU is missing the mark with trying to enforce silly rules. He says BYU is selective on what they enforce. Then, after seeing that his opinion was not accepted, decided to drop it. Which is probably a good thing.
Here are my thoughts. BYU is run by the Church, but is NOT the Church. The Gospel is perfect, the school is not. Anything run by men, though inspired by God, will not be perfect. People make mistakes. Every person makes mistakes. Expecting people, or an organization, to not make mistakes, is expecting disappointment.
This all came up after the recent dismissal of Brandon Davies, a BYU athlete. Reports say he was dismissed because of an honor code violation. BYU never ever discloses the details of dismissal because they respect the privacy of each student. No one needs an unsolicited mob attack. Okay, so it was an honor code violation. As noted above, for minor infractions, there are usually minor consequences. Being turned away from the TC for not shaving... I consider that minor. Inconvenient, yes. Life threatening, no. You only get dismissed from a team or school for some pretty major infractions.
So... isn't that what happens in life? You get caught doing something bad, you get some negative consequences. Huh... so if that's how the law/government works, why is it so bad for BYU to do the same? How are they missing the mark? How are they over-zealous.
His other commentary was about the BYU fans. He mentioned a time when leaving a football game he had Skittles thrown at him and the fans were swearing. Well, what can the school, as a whole, do about the individual actions of its fans? Can BYU police approach every person and tell them not to swear or cheer? I think that would be over-zealous and a waste of resources.
My point is, I think life would be better and easier if we stopped pointing our fingers and tried to improve themselves. Instead of bashing, study other opinions and see the good points. Become educated. Where there are serious flaws needing to be fixed, go to a source where things can be changed. Shouting your opinions at people in a public sphere (like a website) doesn't get too far. It's good to have opinions. But it's also good to express them in a healthy way.
I am in no way claiming superiority in this area. No, no. I am aware of my own flaws and am working on them too. We do what we can. Let's all just be a little more aware.
As a matter of personal commitment, faculty, administration, staff, and students of Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University—Hawaii, Brigham Young University—Idaho, and LDS Business College seek to demonstrate in daily living on and off campus those moral virtues encompassed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and will
Be honest
Live a chaste and virtuous life
Obey the law and all campus policies
Use clean language
Respect others
Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse
Participate regularly in church services
Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code
This is the BYU honor code. Each student signs a statement saying they will live these standards. If they choose not to abide by these standards after signing this statement, there are consequences... just like any other contract.
BYU has been getting a lot of flack, and praise for that matter (by ESPN!), for the honor code. Some claim BYU is over zealous with enforcing the honor code. Yes, if you show up to the testing center or special collections without shaving your face (for men), or wearing inappropriate clothing (for men or women), they will turn you away, ask you to abide by the honor code, and tell you to return later. That's actually part of the job description for those working in these places. Signs at these locations say, "Please follow the honor code so we may serve you." You know, coming to the school, that this is a possibility... really a probability. You signed the paper, you know it's going to happen.
A friend of mine said, "I will like BYU when it changes a few things." I'm not sure exactly what he wants changed. He wasn't clear. He tried using scripture to prove his point, but all it did was call him a hypocrite. He says BYU is missing the mark with trying to enforce silly rules. He says BYU is selective on what they enforce. Then, after seeing that his opinion was not accepted, decided to drop it. Which is probably a good thing.
Here are my thoughts. BYU is run by the Church, but is NOT the Church. The Gospel is perfect, the school is not. Anything run by men, though inspired by God, will not be perfect. People make mistakes. Every person makes mistakes. Expecting people, or an organization, to not make mistakes, is expecting disappointment.
This all came up after the recent dismissal of Brandon Davies, a BYU athlete. Reports say he was dismissed because of an honor code violation. BYU never ever discloses the details of dismissal because they respect the privacy of each student. No one needs an unsolicited mob attack. Okay, so it was an honor code violation. As noted above, for minor infractions, there are usually minor consequences. Being turned away from the TC for not shaving... I consider that minor. Inconvenient, yes. Life threatening, no. You only get dismissed from a team or school for some pretty major infractions.
So... isn't that what happens in life? You get caught doing something bad, you get some negative consequences. Huh... so if that's how the law/government works, why is it so bad for BYU to do the same? How are they missing the mark? How are they over-zealous.
His other commentary was about the BYU fans. He mentioned a time when leaving a football game he had Skittles thrown at him and the fans were swearing. Well, what can the school, as a whole, do about the individual actions of its fans? Can BYU police approach every person and tell them not to swear or cheer? I think that would be over-zealous and a waste of resources.
My point is, I think life would be better and easier if we stopped pointing our fingers and tried to improve themselves. Instead of bashing, study other opinions and see the good points. Become educated. Where there are serious flaws needing to be fixed, go to a source where things can be changed. Shouting your opinions at people in a public sphere (like a website) doesn't get too far. It's good to have opinions. But it's also good to express them in a healthy way.
I am in no way claiming superiority in this area. No, no. I am aware of my own flaws and am working on them too. We do what we can. Let's all just be a little more aware.
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