photos.

in an effort to stay connected with the blogging world, for all of you who don't have a facebook (ahem, ahlin g.):

here are just some of the many, many, many engagement photos kyle & I took last weekend.

my dad came up from Arizona to shoot us, and was so very patient with our silliness :) but man, was it worth it! he got some truly killer shots, and we had such a blast in provo, downtown slc, the flats...pretty much all over utah! I couldn't have asked for a better photographer :)







I just love this man :)
(sorry for my gushiness, but hey, I'm getting married!!)

engaged engaged engaged.

want an update?

kyle & I are engaged!!

want the story?

So. Here goes.

Kyle & I have been wanting to get engaged/be engaged/be married for a while now, haha. He had already called my dad and asked formal permission to marry me. He told me two days before we got engaged that we wouldn't be able to get engaged for another two weeks, due to ring technicalities.

I wasn't at all mad at Kyle, but my parents were supposed to be coming into town to do dress shopping and engagement photos.
Let's just say I was slightly upset about the whole thing. The only thing going through my head was: "One more thing going wrong!"

The next morning, I got to work at 8 a.m., the only one there that early. Kyle texted me and asked me if I had seen the note he left me at the boutique, so I walked over there and saw a beautiful black book, from my sweetheart!

I started reading our story, written by Kyle. He wrote our whole story over the past 3 years, from meeting in class to our weekly lunches and phone calls, to dating long distance for 7 months, to meeting the parents.

On the last page was a letter to me, and at the bottom, he wrote that I had to call him. No, but seriously, I had to call him. I called him, and he showed up right there! I was already in tears because I couldn't believe I had been so upset when I had such a sweet boyfriend.

I still had NO idea he was proposing, I just thought he was trying to make up for it and doing something sweet.

He told me to keep turning the pages...and each page said:

Will
You
Marry
Me?



He cut out a heart in the middle of possibly 50 pages and taped a ring in the center
(not the one I had picked out!)

He couldn't wait long enough to see my reaction to the "wrong ring," and pulled out the ring I loved, saying,
"And actually, we're not going to use that one, is it ok if we use this ring instead?"

What a funny boy :)



I am the happiest girl alive right now. I am marrying my best friend, the most wonderful man I know, and I cannot wait for eternity with him.

Now,
cue the craziness...

life in numbers.

One, two, three, four
Tell me that you love me more

16.5
[credits until graduation]

31
[days until my birthday]

21
[the age I will be!]

40
[hours I will work a week]

9 -- 18
[credits I'm taking this semester, which transfers to 18 during spring]

7
[weeks in this semester]

30
[flights I've taken this year]

xxx
[number of things I am currently planning, list-ing, organizing, fixing, solving, mediating, etc.]


my mind is spinning
[I hate numbers.]

9 days. three trips. one epic meet & greet.

Post (s) to follow... :)

bringing the boy home.

I’m bringing a boy home this weekend.

I have been at BYU, 12 hours away from home, almost four years, and I’ve been particular about the guys I bring home. That’s why I've never done it ... until this week :)

When I flew out to visit Kyle’s family in Virginia over Christmas break, he posted a blog called “Holiday Handicapping.” I’m not a sports girl, but I can understand this concept, and have decided to implement it for Kyle’s six-day visit to Arizona. On a scale from 1-5 (5 being the most likely), here are my picks:

a) There will be lots of early mornings.

Fact: I am the oldest of six kids, and the youngest is two. The kids will be waking up for school every morning at 6:30, and for me, that’s a little early. Chances of this happening: 5

b) Kyle will wake up before me, everyday.

With a three-hour time difference, Kyle is bound to be a little jet-lagged for a couple days. But he’s an early riser and I’m just a regular riser. I imagine I’ll wake up one morning and Kyle will be:

1) In the front room playing Rockband by himself.

2) Playing with some type of toy, most likely involving the laundry basket of nerf guns.

3) Eating a bowl of cereal in front of cartoons

4) By the pool tanning and reading.

Pick: 4 (only a 4 because I said everyday. I've been taught you never say always, never, etc.)

c) Dad will get us to go to the Desert Botanical gardens.

This is one of Dad’s favorite places in Arizona, and during the Chihuly exhibit, I think he visited at least 3 times a week. He’s already talked about us going to the gardens and how beautiful they are this time of year. However, they’re a little bit of a drive, so it depends if we have a car that day and if we want to make the journey. Bet: 4

d) Kyle and I will get lost in Prescott or Sedona, or somewhere in between.

My grandparents are expecting us for a visit in Prescott and I have been dying to get back to Sedona, so a day trip is in order. One our way in D.C., and while in D.C., the two of us got miserably lost, the entire day (even with two iPhones!). So I’m going to place a solid bet that we will get lost during a day trip: 5

e) We only see Erik or Dad a couple times the whole week.

Sadly, this is a slight possibility. I was home this weekend and they are busy, busy. Plus, Dad is shooting some families and portraits the weekend Kyle comes (besides a more than full-time job) and Erik has a Cell Bio test that week. However, I know they want to hang out with us, so they’ll make an effort. Pick: 3

f) The family has to shower outside.

Hahaha. So, our house was flooded a few weeks ago, and our poor home is suffering. We have no carpet, the bathroom is in chaos, there are piles of boxes everywhere. This week, the tub and shower in the kids bathroom are supposed to be remodeled, but it takes a few days to dry. If that doesn’t happen until tomorrow, that could mean we all might have to share a bathroom (or we’ll just throw the kids in the pool.) Pick: 2

g) We spend the majority of the time outside.

Today it snowed in Utah. Now I know Kyle has been having wonderful weather in VA (he's been rubbing it in), but I have been denied the opportunity of playing outside since October. So everything I'm planning for us to do - play at the Westgate fountains, go to the zoo, play at Anthem park - involve the outdoors. Pick: 5

h) Everyone loves Kyle.

Here's my logic. Kyle loves Leah. Leah loves Kyle. Everyone he's meeting loves Leah. Ta-da! Actually, I'm really not worried about somebody not liking him. Hopefully, he won't get sick of us after a few days ... :) My pick? 5

So, that was my first (and possibly last!) attempt at betting. Let's see if I have some beginners luck? :) Wish us luck!

line upon line...

can you overplan?

I'm of the belief you cannot.

however,

I'm at a stage in my life where I could go crazycrazycrazy planning.

and the scariest part?

ALL of it could change, pretty quickly.

"Revelation need not all come at once. It may be incremental. 'Saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more' (2 Nephi 28:30). Patience and perseverance are part of our eternal progression."

Russell M. Nelson, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

inspiration.

this quote is on my franklincovey planner bookmark
(and thus I read it every day)