Absolutely Ash

New Blog

2011-11-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

I am permanently moving to a new blog. So please come on over! If you need to change links or whatever on your own blog to direct you to our new blog, please do so to make it as easy as possible for you in the future. As usual, I will also link to my blog on Facebook when I write a new blog post.

The new blog is...

Mr. and Mrs. K

We're Married

2011-11-17T11:08:00.000-08:00

WE'RE MARRIED!

The wedding was so wonderful. Ben and I are so grateful to those who helped us celebrate. Lots of pictures are up on Facebook courtesy of Andrea Edwards. Check them out!

I hope to post soon details from the wedding on our new blog, so check back!

The Day Before the Day

2011-11-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

Pretty picture and quote via.

Hey look--I'm blogging today when I wasn't sure if I'd be able to. Yay!

Ben and I made it to Reno last night and got to my family's house around 9:15 pm. We stayed up for a little while just catching up a little bit. I showed everyone (except Ben) my wedding dress; they all love it! All they really got to see before were cruddy cell phone pictures. Then it was off to bed.

Cool ~~little~~ big fact: Ben's sister, Elizabeth, came home from her mission in Russia last night! Her mission president let her come home a week earlier so she could attend our wedding. Unfortunately, she got to the SLC airport just a few hours after we left the SLC airport to come here, so we haven't seen her yet. She got in around 10:30 pm, got released by her stake president at 8 am this morning, and will get on another plane soon to fly to Reno today with her parents! She's probably so tired! But we're (especially big brother Ben) are very excited to see her. The only time I've "met her" is over Skype when she called on Mother's Day back in May. So today will be our official meeting.

I set my alarm this morning for 8:30 am knowing that I didn't have to be anywhere 'til 10 am (Men's Warehouse to pick up Ben's tux). I woke up earlier than that, checked the time, and it was only 6:27 am. But I couldn't fall back to sleep; I was too excited to be here! So I've been up for awhile.

Today's plans:

Men's Warehouse
Definitely see and play with my nephews
Relax a lot
Dinner with family when they all get into town

Big day's tomorrow! Holy cow!

10 Month Anniversary

2011-11-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

Ben and I were SO busy last night, but we finally got mostly everything done, and to bed around 11:30 pm. All that's left is moving some last personal belongings to his house this afternoon and a little last-minute packing, and then we are on our way to Reno! Yippee!

Being so busy and all, I completely spaced that today is our anniversary of when we "first met" (over the phone). Oh, but Ben didn't forget! He showed his love, and made me a yummy Spanish omelet for breakfast. Oh my gosh. He's the best! I felt bad that I had forgotten, but my Benny is quick to forgive. Today marks 10 months since we first met!

Not sure if I'll post again before the wedding, so you might not hear from me until next week.

And a reminder: I will be switching to a new blog for our new family, so be sure to check this blog next week for a link to our new blog. Thanks!

Busy Getting Ready for the Wedding

2011-11-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

Last night was busy, and tonight will be busy too getting everything ready for our trip to Reno.
Last night, I cleaned my bedroom and bathroom in the home I've lived in for the last few months. I've been living with my best friend's parents, and I'm so grateful to them for this kind, kind gesture. I also started to gather some of my belongings and brought them over to Ben's house (where we both will live). While I was busy doing all of that, Ben began to get our master bedroom ready. It's not all the way there yet, but we'll finish that up tonight.

Tonight's plans are many too:

Finish bringing all of my clothes and belongings to Ben's.
Laundry.
Pack for our trip tomorrow.
Ben gets a haircut from his mom.
Ben's mom is also doing my nails for the wedding.
Finish the master bedroom set-up.

And then we leave on a plane tomorrow night for Reno where we'll pick up a rental car, head home, and get ready for our big day on Friday. Can't believe it's only three days away!

Win, Hair, and Beef Stroganoff

2011-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was awesome!

Ben and I went to Smith's yesterday cuz they were having this special deal. When we got there, we saw that they were also having customer appreciation day. This random lady gave us two raffle tickets. We later found out that every 15 minutes, they called a few ticket numbers. If your number got called, you got to spin a wheel with six colors. No matter which color you landed on you got a free food item. Each color had its own designated food.

Part way through our shopping, our number was called. It was so dang exciting. So we hurried up to the front of the store where they were all set up with this wheel. I spun the wheel and got yellow. Yellow meant free dip from the deli. We had our choice of spinach, ranch, or dill. I chose dill. Hope it will taste yummy. Anyway, more exciting than winning the dip was just winning in general. So cool! 267 is now our lucky number! Haha.

Right before I spun the wheel!

Also got my hair done the way that it'll be done for the wedding--just for practice. The family I live with--their son's girlfriend, Kate, loves doing hair. She did my hair and had my BFF Sophia watch. Sophia will copy that look for my wedding. It's gorgeous! Kate is letting me borrow all her hair products to take to Reno. Thanks Kate! Will it be up or down? You'll just have to wait and see!

Then Ben cooked some yummy beef stroganoff for dinner yesterday. He's a great cook!

The delicious meal!

Short Update

2011-11-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

This week's kind of been crazy health-wise. Sick with a cold (I'm better now) and not one--but two--dental appointments. So happy it's the weekend (although it promises to be semi-busy)!

And only one week until I marry my dear love, Ben. Yay!!!

Colds and Halloween

2011-11-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm dealing with a cold right now. Fun. I left work earlier yesterday so I could go home and get some rest.

Ben's house got lots of trick-or-treaters last night! The first 24 kids got silly string because Ben's cool like that. He usually doesn't get too many kids to his house, so he thought the silly string would be enough. But this year he got more than usual, so we had to start giving away candy. Boring. Just kidding!

Ben's mom came over last night to watch a scary movie with us, but I left before they started so I could get more sleep. Lame!

Just glad that I got this cold when I did, and that I won't be sick for our wedding, which is only 10 days away!

Halloween Party

2011-10-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Our Halloween party last Saturday night was a smashing (pumpkins) success!

Events:

Potluck dinner.
Ongoing game in which we taped a popular evil character to the back of each guest. Each guest had to guess who their character was by asking other guests yes or no questions.
Ongoing game in which guests answered Halloween trivia questions and three candy guessing jar counts.
Game: Candy Corn Relay Race Game similar to this ONE.
Game: Head Waiter.
Game: The Werewolves of Miller's Hollow.
Watched the scary thriller, Wait Until Dark.

We're thankful to all those who came and participated in the party! Pictures below!

The yummy spread.

The men.

The women.

Yesterday and This Weekend

2011-10-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

via

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Ben and I enjoyed our Thursday evening yesterday. After work, we went to the Men's Warehouse to pick out a tuxedo and to get fitted. All that information will be transferred to the MW in Reno for us to pick up (and cross your fingers, fit!) the day before the big day.

Speaking of the big day, it happens in only TWO weeks from today. It's getting so close!

Back you yesterday--we kind of splurged after the MW at a quaint Italian restaurant in Bountiful called Marcello's Ristorante Italiano. It was soooo good.

We're looking forward to this weekend in which we'll, like usual, check some things off of our to do list and host a Halloween party for Ben's parents and some close friends. Should be boo-tastic!

Upcoming Halloween Party, Etc.

2011-10-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm slacking on the blog posting--sorry!

Last weekend was good. Ben and I bought Halloween stuff (including costumes) for a party we're hosting this Saturday; should be lots of fun! We also invited our friends Soph and Troy over for dinner and a movie--good times!

Yesterday, Ben and I volunteered feeding homeless men at a shelter in Salt Lake City. It's always humbling to serve others less fortunate.

Less than two and a half weeks 'til we're married! Yahoooo!

Pictures from our dinner last Saturday:

Funky Friday

2011-10-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

I had the worst cramps this morning that wouldn't go away (sorry for the TMI), so I decided to not go into work. Girls reading this will understand how hard it can be to focus/work when it's hurting down there.

Aaaaaanyway.

I'm feeling much better now. Just got done wiping down the counters/sink/stove top in Ben's kitchen, and plan to fix soup for us for dinner tonight.

And without further ado, here is a picture (mostly for Jessica) of my new Mailchimp t-shirt! What a cute little monkey.

P.S. Ben and I get married three weeks from today. We can hardly believe it! I have set up a new blog our new family (Duh! I love blogging!); I'll let you know what it is after we tie the knot.

Some News

2011-10-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

Back to work today after being off for two days following my surgery. Lots of catching up to do here on the job.

Our wedding announcements are out! Yay! I love the way they turned out, and hope you do too.

Ben and I are looking forward to Halloween, and plan to host a little party at Ben's house in a few days. Costume ideas for each of us?

But of course, most of all, we're looking forward to our wedding in just a little over three weeks. Wow!

Last Few Days

2011-10-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

I'm having a minor surgical procedure this afternoon. I won't be at work today (obviously) and tomorrow. My Ben is the best, and prepared dinner for when I come home (I have to fast right now for the surgery), and also set up an electric blanket and heating pad for me to help recuperate. Love him!
My free t-shirt from MailChimp came yesterday! I'll have to take a picture of me wearing it, and post it on here soon.
Ben and I had a great weekend! On Saturday, we went to an awesome 80s party for young couples in our ward at our church building. We had fun choosing outfits to wear at the D.I. earlier that day.
Earlier that day we also went up a nearby canyon to enjoy the beautiful fall colors.
Our wedding photographer posted a few of the pictures from our engagement session we took with her last month. Check them out here!
Pictures below of the things I've talked about in this post!

Not Much

2011-10-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

I realize that I haven't been as frequent with my blog posts lately, and I think that's mostly due to the fact that there isn't much note-worthy stuff going on. Just the usual grind: go to work, spend the evenings with Ben, and then do it all over again.

As I think I've mentioned, Ben is taking online classes through Utah Valley University, and he's doing a remarkable job at getting all his school work done while staying busy working and making me happy.

As with me, just doing my small part to help my family as they do a lot of wedding planning in Reno. It's been kinda difficult planning a wedding when we live in two different states. We've hit some bumps, but all in all, it's gone pretty smoothly.

Ben and I are pretty busy today doing various things, so I best get off the computer and get to work!

Let The Countdown Begin!

2011-10-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

One month from today, I will marry my sweet love, Ben! It's sometimes so unreal that this whole relationship even exists. We are sooo excited, and look forward to celebrating our special day, November 11, 2011.

Spooky Weekend

2011-10-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

via

Fun weekend!

Ben and I went to Lagoon's Frighmares Saturday night, and enjoyed a couple of shows and taking plenty of pictures of the festive park grounds.

Yesterday, Ben's cousin blessed his baby twins (Gwen and Grant) in sacrament meeting, so we went to that and enjoyed a luncheon at their home.

Last night, I watched The Addams Family for the first time. Halloween time is so much fun!

Yesterday's Follow Up and Today's Plans

2011-10-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I accomplished one-third of my after-work plans yesterday.

Did number one, but not two and three. Dear Sophia is sick, so clearly I didn't try on my dress with her. And Ben and I didn't see a movie because by the time we finished dinner, it was later than we would have liked. (We're and old and tired couple who can't see a late-night movie).

Today's plans (let's see if I can stick to 'em):

Clean my bedroom and bathroom.
Do laundry.
Grocery shopping.
Ben's niece's birthday party.
Visit Lagoon while its putting on its whole Halloween thing.

Should be fun and busy!

Friday Plans

2011-10-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FRIDAY!

My after-work plans today:

1. Eat pizza with Ben while watching an episode of 24. We're in season three right now, and I don't think I've ever liked a TV show more than this one.

2. Meet up with Sophia to try on my altered wedding dress and discuss what I should so with my hair on the big day.

3. Go see a movie with Ben. We've never gone to a movie together (sad!), and it's about high time. Any movie recommendations? We're thinking about seeing The Help.

Special Deliveries

2011-10-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

Two very special deliveries came yesterday!

1. Two guest sign-in books for the reception (in Reno) and the open house (in Bountiful).

2. Eight photos from our engagement shoot for us to select one to include in the announcements.

The wedding is only a month and five days away!

17 Miracles

2011-10-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

via

One of my coworkers let me borrow 17 Miracles about 2.5 weeks ago, and Ben and I finally got around to watching it last night.

The movie is about some Mormon pioneers from England coming to the United States so that they could make their grueling trek to Zion (Utah).

I know it's cliche, but I seriously don't think I could have made it as a pioneer. And that's why I'm certain that God sent me down in 1985.

The movie is a powerful reminder of the sheer faith of those early saints, and an inspiration to us current saints to have the same faith.

Update on Post Below

2011-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

1. Ben was hecka surprised. It made me all giddy.
2. There really were brownie chunks in his milkshake after all. I kinda feel bad for jumping to conclusions. But from the outside, it just looked like an oreo milkshake.

Random

2011-10-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

I feel bad because I slept through most of conference today. I was SO tired. But I did tune into the last hour of the afternoon session today, and especially like Elder Cook's talk about "looking up" and being cheerful. Did you have any favorites from today?

I just got back from running some errands while Ben is at the priesthood session. And I'm gonna surprise him with a milkshake from Jake's Over The Top/Taco Maker, a fast food place, when he comes home. But problem: They didn't live up to the fast, and sorta lived up to the food. I wanted to get a cookie dough milkshake for Ben, but like 10 minutes later, the worker told me that they didn't have cookie dough. So then I asked for a brownie milkshake instead. He ended up coming out with oreo. Oh, well. Ben will like that, too. But, what's the deal? The place wasn't even busy, so why did it take him like 15 minutes total? And why couldn't he just tell me that he was out of brownie, too (assuming, he was out since he came out with oreo)? But anyway, looking forward to our milkshakes (I got chocolate/peanut butter)!

Now, some recent pictures (#1 is the meal we had with our friends, Sophia and Troy, last night, #2 is Ben, sister Brittany, and me while Ben and I were visiting Reno last weekend, and #3 is from my bridal shower last Saturday).

And below is a song I really like right now by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris.

Weekend Plans

2011-09-30T11:44:00.001-07:00

Got off work at noon today because I have an OB/GYN appointment this afternoon. Lovely.

Then tonight, Ben and I are getting together with Sophia and Troy for dinner and fun.

Tomorrow morning, Sophia's mom, Andrea, is going to look at my wedding dress to check to see if she can make some minor alterations.

The rest of the weekend will be spent watching General Conference and chilling.

Right now I'm adding bridal shower pictures to Facebook from my bridal shower in Reno last Saturday. Check 'em out!

Wedding Invitations, Etc.

2011-09-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, what would this blog be without wedding plans? I guess I'd fill it with stuff like I did before I met Ben and was engaged.

Our friend, Nate, designed our wedding invitations. Knock on wood, the designing process is done. I LOVE the way they turned out, and all the credit goes to Nate. Now, it's a matter of printing, stuffing envelopes, and mailing. Invitations should be sent out in less than two weeks.

Other than that, just doing minor wedding stuff here and there (guest sign-in books, honeymoon details, etc.). And we're looking forward to General Conference this weekend!

Yesterday's Activities and Free T-Shirt

2011-09-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

Ben and I got back to SLC last night around 8:30 p. His parents picked us up, and we stopped by and picked up a pizza since we were at the airport/flying around dinnertime.

Yesterday, we did the following:

Met with florist.
Ate out at a fave Mexican restaurant.
Met with the woman who is making our cake.
Played with/said goodbye to my nephews.

It was great to be home, but wish we hadn't had been so busy. Oh, well--it was worth it.

Now it's back to the grind, and I just won a free t-shirt from Mail Chimp because I guess they hit one million users today, or something. Yay!

Super Saturday

2011-09-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

Ben and I made it to Reno last night around 10:30 pm. Got to bed around midnight. Woke up at 6:30. Did a bunch of stuff today:

+courthouse for marriage license.
+bridal shower.
+fed ex office to ask about invitation stuff.
+met with a sister from my family's ward who is in charge of our wedding reception.
+engagement shoot with Kaylynne Kroshus.

I'm dead, and going to bed!

Reno-Bound!

2011-09-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

Going home to Reno tonight (which is apparently America's 44th best city)!

Gotta take care of wedding business, but excited to spend time with my family, too!

Taking a Day Off (But Not Really)

2011-09-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I realized that I would have to take a day off of work to get some things done that I wouldn't have time to do later. And that realization was fulfilled. I took today off, but I was still super busy doing the following:

Editing names/addresses for invitations in spreadsheets.
Going to the store to buy thank you cards.
Writing, addressing, stamping, and mailing thank you cards to those who came to my bridal shower.
Meeting up with my future mother-in-law to pick out jewelry to go with my engagement photos outfit and wedding dress.
Going wedding shoe shopping with her.
Organizing all the bridal shower gifts I got a week ago and transporting them to a room in Ben's house.
Other wedding stuff.

Fun stuff!

Bridal Shower Pictures--Bountiful, Utah

2011-09-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

I guess it's some tradition to put all bows/ribbons from gifts in the hair of the bride-to-be.

Future sister-in-law, Natalie.

Future mother-in-law, Jeannie. She hosted the shower.

Busy Days

2011-09-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Been a few days since I've posted. Busy times!

Spent all day at Saturday at Lagoon. We celebrated the fifth birthday of Ben's nephew, Brandon. Ben, Ben's mom, Brandon, Brandon's cousin, Braden, and I had fun hanging out at the park!
Sunday was spent going to church, and teaching this lesson to my class. We then had a get-together with some friends Sunday evening and finally finished a game that took us a few months to get through.
Yesterday I had a dental appointment before work. I was scheduled for January 25, but they got me in sooner, thank goodness! I also left work earlier (I had two paid hours that I won at the last company meeting) to finish registering at Target for the wedding. Ben and I also picked out fun outfits for our engagement photo shoot this Saturday.

So that's what we've been up to the last few days. We're leaving this Friday for Reno to take care of wedding stuff.

Utah Bridal Shower

2011-09-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

My beautiful future mother-in-law hosted a bridal shower for me last night, and the love and support from those who attended was so great.

I had a couple of old friends who I hadn't seen for awhile come, and quite a few women from my new-ish ward who I don't even know too well come, too.

We all had a fun time. I guess there's a bridal shower tradition that I had never heard of in which all the bows and ribbons from the gifts are put in the hair of the bride-to-be. Have you heard of that? Well, let's just say that you couldn't even see my hair by the end of the gift-opening (pictures to come later). I was so blessed with an abundance of such fun stuff--cookbooks, kitchen supplies, and so much more. I'm so grateful for those who attended, and to Jeannie for hosting such a wonderful shower.

I'm looking forward to my second bridal shower in Reno a week from tomorrow!

Couple Photos

2011-09-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the pictures that Karla Smith took of Ben and me. Didn't she do a terrific job? Thanks so much, Karla!

The Last Few Days

2011-09-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

via

Ben and I registered for our wedding on Saturday online (!) at two places: Bed Bath and Beyond and Target. Yes--the classics. It wasn't as enjoyable as we thought it was gonna be. Actually, I won't lie--it was pretty darn frustrating and took us a few hours. And we're still not done. Oh, well. It's just one of those things that has to get done.

Yesterday I taught this lesson in Primary: Remembering Jesus Christ When We Take the Sacrament. I love my class. The kids are so smart and cute!

Did I mention that I made a dental appointment last week. Normally, I wouldn't blog post such a mundane thing, but it's not so mundane after all. Why? Because they can't see me until January 25. Crazy, huh? However, they did put me on their cancellation list, so if another patient cancels their appointment, they'll call me to get me in sooner. Hope that happens.

And today I made an appointment to see the OB/GYN. Greeeat. At least I can get in there before January 25. Sheesh.

My Utah bridal shower happens this Thursday. I'm so excited!

Ben is plugging away at school. I'm impressed at his determination to do well.

The Latest

2011-09-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ben and I picked up my wedding dress yesterday, but Ben stayed in the car so he wouldn't see the magic. While I was inside the shop, Ben picked me up a turkey sandwich at a neighboring store. I had complained that I was hungry and had a headache, and so he pulled a "Ben" with this gesture.

Just finished a potluck lunch here at work. I brought some box pasta salad. I'm such a good cook, huh? And actually, I didn't even cook it. I planned on making it last night, but got caught up in other things, and forgot. And so Ben pulled another Ben and made it for me this morning.

All employees got Papa Murphy's coupons at work the other day, so Ben and I will enjoy a pizza tonight for dinner. It's a great food day!

Speaking of food, I'm majorly cheating today. I've been super diligent with eating less, and have lost some weight. I'm happy with my progress, and only want to keep going.

Tomorrow, Ben and I need to go register for wedding gifts. That'll be fun, I hope! And we have a dinner that the Elders Quorum is putting on tomorrow evening. Here comes more cheating...

Hilarious Video

2011-09-08T11:10:00.001-07:00

Wedding Invitations > Homework

2011-09-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's a Wednesday evening.

I'm working on this:

via

And Ben is working on this:

via

Sorry Ben, but I prefer my activity a lot more.

Sunday

2011-09-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

I feel so silly because I planned a lesson that I didn't even teach today.

The primary lesson that I mentioned in my last post was pretty much all ready to go this morning, when I double-checked the calendar just to make sure that I was teaching. Glad I checked, cuz today was not my Sunday to teach...it was my team teacher's! Whoops! But I get to teach next Sunday, and the Sunday after that.

Also sent out my bridal shower invitations via email this morning. The shower will be at my future mother-in-law's on Thursday, September 15 in the evening. It'll be "open house" style, so guests can come and go as they please. If by accident I missed you and you would like an invitation, please let me know!

Church was great. Especially enjoyed the Relief Society lesson on happiness.

And I got to spend a lot of time (like always!) with my Ben. So great!

The Weekend So Far

2011-09-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

Knowing that Lagoon-a-Beach was gonna close after this Labor Day weekend, Ben and I wanted to hit it up one last time, so we drove there yesterday evening after work. But it turns out that they were closed for a private event, so we had to turn around and go home. Sad! But then we watched an episode of 24, which is like my favorite show ever, so I was happy.

This morning I worked on the primary lesson I teach tomorrow at church: Jesus Christ Wants Us to Love Everyone. It's cool, cuz if you read the "enrichment activities" at the end of the lesson, you'll see that I'll be able to use the crown and tiara from Ben's marriage proposal!

Then I had another appointment HERE to try on a few more dresses. Pretty darn sure I found the dress I'm going to wear at my wedding. Exciting! My BFF, Sophia, came with me again. Thank you, Sophia!

To show my appreciation to her for helping me hook and zip all these dresses on the last two Saturdays, I treated us to Paradise Bakery & Cafe. I've been wanting to go here for awhile, and it was sure yummy!

Today, Ben is helping his brother's family move to Layton, where they found an apartment. We'll miss them being so close, but this is a great move for them. Good luck Sam, Reyna, and boys!

lOve

2011-09-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ben and I finally had the fun opportunity to have Karla Smith take some couple photos of us yesterday evening. We had so much fun! Karla has already provided me with one of the pics--a teaser of what's to come. I love this shot!

Two 'net Finds

2011-09-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

via

and

Photo Shoot and Wedding Business

2011-08-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

Our photo shoot didn't happen again. Ben had to work longer than usual. We've rescheduled, but I'll just wait 'til it's actually happened before I publicly post a date. We're still really excited to do it!

Wedding plans are still in progress. The latest? My Utah bridal shower is Thursday, September 15 in the evening at my future in-laws' home. Invitations will be sent soon. My sisters' bridesmaids dresses came in the other day--they look great! I'm scheduled to meet with reception, cake, and florist people in Reno in late September. And I'm sure there's more, but that's a taste of what's going on in the wedding department.

Couple Pictures and Wedding Dress

2011-08-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Remember that couple photo shoot that got postponed? Well, it happens today! Ben and I are looking forward to our shoot with Karla this evening. I'll post pictures from the shoot as soon as they're available.

And you remember how I mentioned that I've chosen a wedding dress? Well, maybe not quite yet. I'm going back to the store on Saturday, just to be sure there isn't something I like even better.

Great Day!

2011-08-29T11:17:00.001-07:00

Two reasons why today is great:

1. I've chosen a wedding dress!

2. My car is fixed from the accident so I get to pick it up after work!

Happy Monday!

Yesterday's Activities

2011-08-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

I went bridal dress shopping yesterday with my sister, Courtney, and my best friend, Sophia. I tried on probably around a dozen dresses or so. I've narrowed it down to about four, and I'm having a pretty hard time choosing. I need to have my choice made by Thursday, so it can be shipped here on time before the wedding.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun trying these dresses on. Wish I could do it more often. Well, I take that back. I only want to be married once. Haha.

Ben and I helped out at our ward's party yesterday evening handing out cobs of corn. The party was carnival-style, and was really well-done.

Also enjoyed a yummy dinner with Ben, Courtney, Sophia, and her husband last night. We then played some games and watched some tube.

A Few Things

2011-08-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

via

Things on my mind:

+Pride's hurting a little after last night. I went on a run with Ben. He was a few steps ahead of me. I tripped on the sidewalk, and fell. Embarrassed, I hope no one saw. We continue running, and we get to a lady standing on her lawn. She asked if I was okay. There goes my hope.
+Free pizza lunch at work right now. It smells so good. That's right--I'm not tasting it. Why? The diet that Ben and I are on is working so well, that I dont' want to do anything to break it. I'm going strong, and I want to keep it that way. I can tell that I'm losing weight cuz my clothes are fitting better. Yes!
+Ben and I are going to the temple tonight! It's about high time.
+My younger sister, Courtney, is driving into Utah with some friends tonight. She'll be here over the weekend.
+I'm so excited to go wedding dress shopping with Courtney and my BFF, Sophia tomorrow.

Happy Friday!

More Low-key

2011-08-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today should be a little more low-key. I hope.

Ben may or may not work is little side job this evening.

But my only obligations are laundry, wedding stuff, and working out. Our photo shoot with Karla, which we were gonna do today, got postponed.

Looking forward to Saturday when I go dress shopping! Woo!

Solo Evenings

2011-08-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ben has picked up a little side job the last couple days after work, and so I've been lonesome. But that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Oh, no--I've kept myself busy.

Busyness entails:

Wedding planning!
Visiting teaching!
Eyebrow waxing!
Clothes shopping!
Other stuff!

And it's just gonna get busier. But life's really fun right now.

Rental Car and Bridal Shower

2011-08-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

via

Glad to get my car into the body shop this morning. They set me up with a rental--a white Chevy Aveo, California plates. Cool!

Because of my appointment at the body shop, Ben and I got to work later, which means we'll get off work later, which means we'll be leaving around 5 pm, which means we'll hit rush-hour traffic, which means it'll take even longer than normal to get home, which means we'll be eating dinner later, which means I'll be starving. Ben and I have been dieting. Less food = more hunger. But it's so worth it. We've been doing it for a couple weeks now, and I can tell a difference. I want to look as great as I can for our wedding!

Speaking of wedding, our friend Nate is designing my Reno bridal shower invitations. They're gonna look really good--I'm excited to see the end product. The shower will be at my home on Saturday, September 24. I set up a Facebook event for it, but if I missed you by accident and would like an invitation, just let me know.

Busy!

2011-08-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

Just look at this line-up:

via

Tonight: I go visiting teaching at 5:30 and 6:00. My visiting teachers come at 7:00.

Tomorrow: Drop my car off to the body shop (yay!) and pick up rental car (which is supposed to be conveniently parked there at body shop) to drive Ben and me to work.

Wax eyebrows and go shopping for cute top or something for next-day photo shoot.

Thursday: That evening, photo shoot with my friend, Karla Smith, who wants to build her photography portfolio. She will take couple shots of Ben and me in Salt Lake City.

Friday: Go to the temple with Ben in the evening.

And as usual, work and wedding planning fills in the gaps. Woah, busyness!

Wedding Photography

2011-08-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

Wedding planning can be stressful, but glad to have another thing out of the way: photography! I'm so excited to work with KayLynne Kroshus, who will do our engagement and wedding photos. My family and KayLynne's family go way back, so it'll be a great experience to work with a familiar person. I love her work. Check out some of it:

All photos courtesy of Kaylynne Kroshus Photography.

Weekend

2011-08-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Yummy enchiladas!

Ben and I are enjoying our weekend!

Last night, we attended our stake's production of The Music Man. It was SO well done. The woman I live with directed all the singing in the musical, and I commend her; the music was awesome. And so was the acting.

Today, we played a video game with a couple of Ben's brothers, did some wedding planning, bought some ingredients for a cheese enchilada dish we had for dinner, and went to get some yummy froyo. Great weekend so far!

Tomorrow, I teach this lesson on having faith in Jesus Christ.

Updates

2011-08-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

via

Happy Friday!

Car update: insurance company is still waiting to get a statement from the driver of the car that hit me. The accident happened a week ago today. Hope to get this resolved asap!

Wedding update: in the middle of looking for a reasonably-priced, talented photographer for engagement photos. Please let me know of any recommendations that fit those parameters.

Friday update: Ben and I are attending our stake's performance of The Music Man. I just watched the movie version so that I would have a good idea of what's going on when we go tonight.

Wedding Colors

2011-08-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

This inspiration board incorporates the wedding colors I'm going with.

Obviously, my blog will be a place where I share with you my wedding plans. Don't have much so far. In fact, I have hardly anything. I do have my colors, though. They will be...drumroll, please....plum, gold, and white!

What do you think? Please share any fun decorating/floral/clothing tips you may have with those colors.

Wedding Planning and Car Insurance

2011-08-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

My beautiful engagement ring! I love it so much!

Wasn't the proposal (post below) just the sweetest thing you've ever heard?! I'm so grateful to Ben (and dear family members who helped) for that once-in-a-lifetime experience. So memorable!!

Well, the wedding planning has begun. I need to kick it into full force, though, because it's less than three months away. Yikes! If you are married, I'm open to any advice for planning a wedding; please share!

Remember the car accident I had last Friday? Now I'm in the middle of talking with the other car owner's insurance company with whom I've filed a claim. The insurance company is trying to contact the other car owner, and hopefully they will get the ball rolling soon so I can get my car into a body shop.

Prom-posal Story!

2011-08-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

There's no way I can do the proposal story justice through my mediocre words, but I still want to have it written, and for you to know! It was unbelievable. Maybe I'll bullet it. Yes, I'll bullet it.

got home from work yesterday (ben had the day off, but usually we come home from work together).
ben said that he wanted to treat me to dinner at robintino's, an italian restaurant in bountiful.
we stuck around the house for a little while, then off we went.
but first he used an excuse to get me to go to my place.
we get to my bedroom, and there on my bed is a dress that he rented from a fancy formalwear place (i had gone to this place to get the correct fitting, so i knew a special proposal was approaching, but i didn't know when/what we were doing).
he said, "you're gonna want to be wearing that. i'll be back in a half-hour to pick you up."
i scrambled to get a girl over to help me put on my dress, but wasn't having any luck. i began to get ready myself.
he also had some of his mom's beeeautiful jewelry and silver purse there for me to accesorize my dress with.
i finally got his sister-in-law to come over and hook/zip me up.
a few minutes later, he arrived!
we walked outside to a streeeetch white hummer limo. oh em gee.
the limo driver took us to robintino's where we enjoyed a yummy italian meal.
then we went to our church building where ben with his family's help had set up a prom scene (neither ben nor i went to our own high school proms).
we took pictures, danced, ate, the whole nine yards.
after that fun, he went onto the stage and in the microphone announced the prom king and queen. i wonder who they were?
with sashes and crowns/tiaras, we released the balloon/rose petal/confetti drop.
ben brought out a cake that said "i love you, ashley." he asked me to remove one of the (icing) roses from the cake.
the one he asked me to remove wasn't actually icing. it was a RING BOX!!!!!!!
he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
i said, "yes...hahahahah...of course...hahahah."
i opened the box, and took out the most gorgeous ring.
we embraced. a lot.
we danced to our song, "the rose," as performed by westlife.
we then picked up our friends, sophia and troy who were waiting on stand-by, and some of ben's family members in the limo, and brought them back to the gym to enjoy the remainder of prom with us.
sophia and troy then came home with us. we opened a bottle of martinelli's.
i called my family and gave them this bulleted list.
ta-da!
i'm engaged!
the wedding date is 11-11-11 in the reno lds temple.

I'M ENGAGED!!!

2011-08-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

via

Ben proposed to me last night atop a stage in a church gym.

Details to come soon......

Just Another Saturday

2011-08-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

+cleaned my bedroom and bathroom.
+ate at my company's picnic.
+ran some errands.
+fogged my room for bugs. Again.
+finished the last two episodes of season one of 24. All I can say is "OMG!"
+got part-way through the musical, The Music Man. I have never seen it, and Ben wants me to know what's going on when our stake performs it this weekend.
+had a sore upper back and neck all day. Not sure if it's from the car accident yesterday or if i slept funny on it last night or if it's a combination of the two. It feels a little better right now, and just hope it continues to feel better.

Family Vacation, Bug Bites, and Car Accident

2011-08-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

My family came to town Tuesday, and left this morning. It was great to see them! We got to go to Lagoon yesterday (Ben and I took the day off), and had a lot of fun. Glad they were able to make this summer vacation.

I'm estimating that I have about 15 bug bites right now. It's really getting frustrating. I'm almost always itching/applying calamine lotion. I have a pink polka dots all over my body from the lotion. Hope the bugs stop biting me soon. Like now.

My poor car!

Ben and I were in a minor car accident this evening after work. We were on I-15 going north just a couple of minutes from our exit. An 18-year-old boy's front tire went flat, so he lost control and hit my left rear. No one was hurt. Took about a day for a cop to show up after I made a couple of phone calls, but it all worked out. My car does have some body damage and will need to be repaired. Just grateful that everyone's okay. Would have liked to start the weekend out a little differently, but hey, can't have it my way all the time. Hope your weekend began a lot better than mine!

Yaweh, Mormons!

2011-08-12T11:08:00.001-07:00

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Bite Me (Not!)

2011-08-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

via

Over the past week or so, my body has accumulated 11 bug bites. And while some of them don't really bother me, there are some that itch like crazy. Ben thinks they're spider bites. My coworker thinks they're mosquito bites. Either way, they itch. Now, Ben fogged my bedroom/bathroom last Saturday for insects, so we're hoping the biting will stop, and I can focus on just getting rid of the ones I have now. Ben bought some After Bite: The Itch Eraser at the store yesterday. It works a little bit, but the itching dominates. The bugs have always loved my blood. Make them stop!

Strawberry Spinach Salad & Dressing Recipes

2011-08-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

Ben and I made this yummy salad and dressing last Saturday for dinner. I loved it. Both recipes come from Worldwide Ward Cookbook.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Salad:
10 oz. baby spinach
10 strawberries, sliced lengthwise
2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
3/4 C. sliced almonds
1/2 C. dried cranberries
1 C. mandarin oranges
1/2 C. pistachios (we didn't include these)

Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing:
3/4 C. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 C. sugar
1/3 C. whole milk
3 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Salad: Combine all ingredients and serve with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing.

Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing: Combine all ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake until well blended. Refrigerate immediately. Makes 8 servings.

This is one of the weirdest videos I've ever seen:

2011-08-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

Busy Times

2011-08-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Ben and I had a pretty busy day yesterday:

+laundry
+grocery shopping
+dinner-making (it was a salad/salad dressing recipe to die for; I'll have to post the recipe on here some time)
+Lagoon/Lagoon-a-Beach
+other errands that I can't publicly post quite yet

Today I'm teaching my Primary kids the lesson about The Age of Accountability. Looking forward to it!

And we have a busy week ahead of us, too. But that's what life is--busy! And we're having so much fun living it all!

Cheating

2011-08-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

via

You know that diet I mentioned in the last post? Yeah, well it's kinda flying out the window today. But they say you won't stick with a diet unless you cheat once in awhile.

They do say that, right?

...

Anyway, my company provided free sandwiches today. And they're HUGE! And super yummy.

And tonight, Ben and I are eating out at a pizza place to celebrate my best friend, Sophia's birthday (last Monday), with Sophia and her husband, Troy.

So, yeah, not counting calories today!

Weight Loss

2011-08-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

via

Ben and I are trying this couple's method for losing weight, aka calorie-counting. Today is day two. I'll keep you posted.

McCombs, Just the Way You Are, and Expressions of Love

2011-08-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

That picture I mentioned in the last post of Bishop McCombs and me at the airport:

Ben and I are just getting back into the routine of things around here after our vacation. Here are a couple of videos that you can enjoy!

Tender Mercies at the Airport

2011-08-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ben and me in the airport yesterday.

Well, Ben and I are back in SLC, and back to the usual grind. I'm here at work playing catch-up, and working on some other projects.

Again, Ben and I had such a great time on our vacation. It was so nice to not have any responsibilities, and to relax and have fun with my family.

We experienced some tender mercies at the airport yesterday. First, I got to chat for a few minutes with one of my favorite people--a former singles ward bishop, Max McCombs. He was actually on the same flight to SLC with us. It was great to catch up with him. Ben even took a picture of us! I'll have to post that some time soon. The other tender mercy: when Ben and I booked our flights in June for this trip, there were no more adjacent seats left, so we knew going into it that we wouldn't sit next to each other. But once we got onto the plane, a nice older gentleman (who coincidentally happened to be on our flight from SLC to home last Thursday), asked Ben if he wanted to switch seats with him so that we could sit next to each other. Awww! It was such a little thing, but still a testimony that God is aware of us and our desires.

Hope you're having a great start to your week!

Everything Must Come to an End

2011-07-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight is my last night on my vacation; feeling kind of blue. But it's been such an enjoyable time. I'm very grateful to Heavenly Father for allowing Ben and I to make this trip, and to be safe and have fun while in the thick of it. I love my family, and it's been so wonderful to spend so much time with them these last few days.

Today, Ben and I attended my old singles ward, and that was nice. Then we just chilled and played games the rest of the day.

He and I leave early tomorrow afternoon back to Salt Lake City. Back to the grind!

Hole in One!

2011-07-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

Me putting an "extreme golf" hole.

I've been having the best vacation here at home.

Yesterday, a bunch of us went up to Lake Tahoe. We first went to Sand Harbor, and played in the sand, surf, and sun! Then we went to Kings Beach for a Steamers lunch and Kings Beach mini golf. I had the biggest calzone I've ever seen, and I didn't do too shabby at mini golf, either. I came in second behind my mom. For the record, I scored a hole in one.

Today, I spent lots of time with my family just hanging out, a little shopping, and whole lot of good eating.

This little trip has been so fun and worthwhile. Ben and I are having such a great time.

There's No Place Like Home

2011-07-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

via

I'm home!!!!

Dorothy was SO right. There really is no place like home. I'm so happy to be here with my family and with Ben. Playing with nephews, strolling through a park, froyo, and movie-watching are the activities that comprised this day. Looking forward to a good night's rest so that we can all enjoy Lake Tahoe tomorrow.

Four Goodies

2011-07-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

Want to share four goodies with you:

1.

2.

3. What Mainstream Christians Could Learn from the Mormon Faith story.

4. Ben and I visit my hometown and family tomorrow through next Monday! Not sure if/how much I'll blog. Knowing me, I'll be sure to update, but we'll see.

fhe

2011-07-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

via

ben and i had fhe last night. don't be jealous of our activities:

+cleared my sink and shower drains with drain cleaner.
+read this article from august's ensign.
+made cookies that looked like these.
+both of us ate 4 apiece.
+checked on the drains and finished the bottle of drain cleaner.
+watched more of 24. we're half-way through season one already. i'm hooked!

thanks for following my blog, heather!

i can deal with not having today off

2011-07-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

the freeway traffic was a lot lighter today on my way to work because a lot of people have the day off here in honor of pioneer day, which was yesterday. but i didn't have it off. but it's all good cuz i'm goin' HOME in three days! yeehaw! so dang excited!!

pioneer day

2011-07-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

church was great today! it's pioneer day, and so that was kind of the theme throughout the meetings. i taught my first primary lesson, and it was about how all members can be missionaries (which can totally be pioneering, too). i love my class--they're great kids.

happy pioneer day!

via

weekend plans

2011-07-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

via

ben and i had planned to help out at the pioneer day parade yesterday here in bountiful as spacing "police" between floats, but found out later that they didn't need our help after all. so what did we do instead? we went to lagoon! friday evenings are a lot less busy than saturdays, and so we were able to get on rides faster and not have to endure the crazy crowds.

as we were walking into ben's house yesterday after lagoon, i guess my bff, sophia, saw us and called out our names, but we didn't hear. anyway, she subsequently called and invited us to go watch pioneer day fireworks, and so we did! the fireworks were big and colorful and awesome! a lot better than the fourth of july ones. so glad we went.

and then today we just had to run a few errands: got my car serviced, ran to a couple of stores and the bank, and prepped for ben's nephew's bday party later this afternoon. and then tonight we'll probably watch a movie.

hope you're having a great weekend!

spenditol, shared birthday, and pioneer day weekend

2011-07-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

couple of fun(ny) finds:

click on this sentence to read how this dad, mom, and baby ALL share the same birthday!

happy friday! whatcha doin' this weekend? this weekend is a big deal here in utah. pioneer day is sunday.

home in one

2011-07-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

only really big news item is that i will be visiting home only one week from today w/my ben! we are so excited!

happy thursday!

rb and id

2011-07-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

new rebecca black song and video!

wasn't that just too fun?

ben and i are going to the dmv after work today. he's gotta get his driver's license renewed so he can hit the hard utah streets again. oh, and to show identification at the airport when we go visit my family a week from tomorrow! can't wait!

welcome to the blog, karla, my newest blog follower!

24

2011-07-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

when i first moved out here to utah, ben and i started watching heroes during dinnertime. we got through the first season when ben was ready to move on to something else. so then we started cheers. we just finished the first two seasons of that one. and now we're ready for something new, and so we just started 24. ben has already seen all of these shows, but they're all new to me. i'm already really liking 24. we've watched the first two episodes of the first season so far. have you seen it? it's so exciting!

the weekend

2011-07-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

yummy saturday dinner!

sophia and troy enjoying their froyo!

busy, fun* weekend!

store trips.
lagoon.
made the yummiest quesadillas and rice w/ben.
ate that deliciousness w/our friends, sophia and troy.
played games with sophia and troy.
got froyo with sophia and troy (we kinda like s & t).
watched next with sophia and troy.
got my temple recommend renewed.
went to church.
watched wolverine with ben.

*just as i was typing this, my coworker walked by and asked about my weekend. haha!

p.s. lost a blog follower. sad!

my facebook postings over the last week or so

2011-07-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Click on this sentence for this bizarre story.

Click on this sentence to watch an amazing dance.

lots o' little updates!

2011-07-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

pic of a town and country market sammy i found via.

just little tidbits of what's going on lately:

i went visiting teaching last night to two women in the ward. one of them has 83 grandkids and great-grandkids! and one on the way! can you believe it?! i couldn't. and her and her husband are still in great health. what a family!
my primary team teacher called me yesterday, and requested that she teaches this sunday since she'll be out of town next sunday, and will want me to teach. so i will not be teaching the lesson this sunday like i had thought, which is totally fine because i then get to attend sunday school and relief society which i also enjoy.
ben took the day off to spend with some of his brothers, one of whom is celebrating his bday today. happy birthday, sam!
we got a free lunch today at work catered by town and country market, a local restaurant. i ordered a chicken salad sammy, and i'm not kidding when i type that this was the best sammy i have ever had. so so so good.

hope you're having a fantastic friday like i am!

first primary lesson

2011-07-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

my primary president came over yesterday evening to give me my manual, class list, and schedule. i have seven kiddos in my class, and will teach this coming sunday on how the Lord helps missionaries. looking forward to this calling!

primary teacher

2011-07-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

i accepted a calling (job) at church. i will be teaching the 5-6 year olds in primary! it should be a lot of fun. i'll have a team teacher to work with. not sure how it'll work yet, but we'll probably alternate teaching each sunday, but still both be in the classroom/primary room together.

my primary president* is coming over tomorrow evening to give me my teaching manual and tell me about my class.

looking forward to serving in this way!

*it's a small world. she happens to be married to a guy from my grandparents' hometown. i asked my grandma if she knew him, and of course she does. in fact, she taught him in sunday school for a brief time when he was 16.

weekend, dinner

2011-07-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

hope you had a great weekend! i did, for the most part. i kinda had a breakdown last night, but hey, i'm a woman and that happens to women. ben was there for me through it all. love him!
i cooked a homecoming (he was up in logan, utah for a couple of days)/anniversary (6 mo. since we first met) dinner for ben and i saturday night. at first it was kinda disastrous, but thank goodness his younger bro, steve, was around. he helped me through it! i'm not a cook, but i'm learning very slowly, but surely.

and i also prepared some strawberry shortcake for dessert.

lunch w/dana

2011-07-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

aren't we adorable?

i just got back from going out to lunch w/my bff from college. dana and i hadn't seen each other for about two years. it was so great to see her and catch up. the girl just got back from hawaii, yesterday! i'm kinda jealous. thanks for meeting up w/me, dana! let's do it again soon!

good life

2011-07-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

ben's been out of town the last couple of days w/his mom. they went to the utah opera festival in logan, utah.

they get back this evening (yessss!). i plan on cooking a yummy dinner for ben and i to celebrate both his homecoming, and our sixth month anniversary from the day i first called him (january 9).

i really am living a good life.

abuse/spam my bum!

2011-07-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

supposedly someone has flagged my new blog as abusive or spammy on fb, so i'm unable to post links from my new blog to fb. hence, i am now sticking to my original blog, this one.

so stay here!!

utah symphony concert

2011-07-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

check out that chandelier!

ben and i attended a utah symphony concert last night. the computer that controls the AC for several of the buildings downtown crashed before the concert, and the hall we went to was one of them. it was pretty hot. i can only imagine how the performers felt on stage under the lights and playing their instruments!

after intermission, they got the AC to work again, so by the time we left the concert, we felt great!

but despite the uncomfort, we had a nice time. it makes me feel all cultured when i do stuff like that.

p.s. my relief society president just came by to get to know me better since i'm fairly new in the ward. she brought a yummy muffin for me. so sweet!

two vids

2011-07-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

the first is cute. the second is moving.

the time machine and a dead spider

2011-07-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

ben and i watched the time machine last night. have you seen it? pretty good. weird, but pretty good.

and this morning while at work, i got up from my desk to go use the restroom. i noticed something black on one of my toes. i bent down to see what it was....a dead spider! no joke! how did that even happen?!

free date!

2011-07-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

ben and i are going on a mid-week date tonight to see the utah symphony perform! it's free!
if you're in the slc valley, and wanna do something neat for free, here's the info:

yesterday

2011-07-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

yesterday's fourth of july activities:

cleaned bedroom and bathroom.
did laundry.
went to the park w/ben and his nephew.
ate one of ben's fave dishes, old-fashioned mac and cheese, for his bday dinner at his parents' house.
had fhe w/his entire fam.
watched firework displays throughout the valley up near the temple.

glad that it was a three-day weekend, and that now we have only a four-day work week!

p.s. four years ago, on july 5, 2007, i entered the mtc. time flies!

firework

2011-07-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

happy fourth of july!

bday pics

2011-07-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

pic #1: ben's bro, sam, gave ben the Heroes season 4 dvd set!
pic #2: ben holding up the gifts i gave him.
pic #3: newspaper blackout gift.
pic #4: photo collage gift.

fun games and ben's bday

2011-07-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

had a lot of fun last night!

ben, two of his bros, my bff soph, and i all played a fun board game called Mystery of the Abbey. It's like a combination of Clue and Guess Who. and i actually won!

then the five of us walked up to ben's folks house to play another game called Bang. this was one was my fave game out of the two. it involves players taking on rolls such as sheriff, deputy, renegade, outlaws, etc. all the contents of the game are inside a big silver bullet, not a box like most board games. the game was created in italy, so all the cards and game items are in italian with english translations. we played this one twice, and will have to play again soon.

today is my ben's bday! so excited to spend the day with him and give him his present. pictures to come soon.

happy bday, ben!!!

the pie

2011-07-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

for ben's bday lunch, ben, his parents, two of his bros, and i went to his fave pizza place, the pie pizzeria. he ordered the biggest pizza they offer--the 23 inch, or 16 slizes. it's huge! he ordered half hamburger, half onion and green pepper. i had 1.5 pieces of the onion and pepper, and a bite of ben's hamburger slice. the pizza was so good, and the ambiance matched. great time!

satterdaigh*

2011-07-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

yay!! the three-day weekend is here!

plans for the day:

ben's bday lunch at the pie pizzeria.
whatever else we feel like doing.

*don't mind the blog title. i'm trying to be less precise/professional with my own blog, as i spend all day being precise/professional (-ish) at work. just go w/it.

Case Closed

2011-07-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

I figured out what the baby smell is: my new deodorant. Weird, cuz I wore it for the first time yesterday, and didn't smell it then.

But that's what is is. Case closed.

Ben and I enjoyed some froyo after work today. Then we went home, ate dinner, played on the computer and played a video game, and finished the night by watching X-Men, the movie.

I love Friday nights.