Reflections and New Beginnings

I was at work thinking back to the days of college life in Rexburg. I worked at Gringo's Mexican Restaurant, waitressed and greeted for over a year there. I remember how the other waitresses use to beg you for your shifts because they were newly married and poor, and barely making ends meet. I use to freely give away my shifts because I didn't really need the money for anything other than food, gas, and fun. My mom payed my rent every single month for the 4 years I was in school. Tuition was paid for and so I was rich in me terms :)

Now, I am the one searching for new ways to make more money. I am able to pay my bills, thats not the problem. But with the wedding on my mind and the combining of mine and Eric's bills, I get stressed. I know all will be okay. For the most part living arrangements are already worked out for once we are married. His parents gift to us will be a new bed. As far as furniture goes we have plenty for the mean time.  I just get stressed though. I have never had a credit card and think they are devilish and refuse to use one unless in the case where extreme measures must be taken. Eric has a credit card and likes to use it. So, as a gift we received for Christmas, a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University starter kit. I am excited to start reading and doing the workbook. Eric has started already and says that its really great.

I guess what this jumble writing is trying to state is that New Beginnings are rocky at first because, especially for two people combining bank accounts and debt, but that I am kinda excited to finally be on our own. I was quite spoiled my whole life and never went without. I guess that what happens when you have two parents both making over six figures a year. But I have always known the meaning of hard work. I might have been spoiled but never lazy. I love the satisfaction of working hard to earn something great that you love and appreciate. I can't wait to do the same with Eric someday. First goal, complete Master programs, get jobs, buy house, then have babies. :)

!?!BE MY VALENTINE!?!

This weekend Eric drove down again from Star Valley to spend the weekend with me. Friday night I got a couple free tickets to the Jazz game so after eating at my place we went to the game!!! We had so much fun. We were definitely up in the rafters in the nose bleed section but honestly in the ESA there really isn't a bad seat in the house. Plus we both were a lot more into the game because we had a bunch of crazy fans around us! The dance team from BYU performed too, so that was really neat to watch. Even though the Jazz lost by 10 points in the end we still had a lot of fun enjoying our evening together.

On Saturday morning I picked Eric up and surprised him with a massage as one of his Valentine's Day presents. We both got one, and they were 1 hour massages. After we both felt so much better. Then we decided to go do something in the city we haven't done before so we went to the Salt Lake City Library. I know what you're probably thinking (seriously a library?) but yes!!! And it was by far the coolest library I've ever been too. The whole building is made of glass, its 6 stories, it has stores and a cafe inside of it, and everything was so modern. On the rooftop we went and walked around and it was gorgeous!! A perfect view of the whole city.

Sunday was church and meetings, and then we drove to Bountiful to the temple! I love it!!! We're both so excited and ready to get married. We joke all the time about running to Vegas!!! I can't wait till we are sealed there! With being so busy I haven't felt like I've been able to focus on a lot of wedding planning, but starting today all my attention is going to be focused towards that. Anyways we just walked around and enjoyed the 65 degree weather. It's so beautiful up there on top of the mountain.

Happy Valentine's Day  to all of you!!! Hope that you all know you are loved! By me!! and by the big man upstairs! <3

On Monday, Eric had me come over after work and he had a whole fancy dinner made. He had soft music playing, lights dimmed, and candles lit. Also, he gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers that he put together all by himself. They are absolutely gorgeous and it was a huge arrangement!!! Just B-E-A-UTIFUL! He made chicken florentine and veggies, and had yummy cinnamon muffins and strawberries for dessert. And of course Sparkling Cider! It was delicious and I have the most wonderful man in the world as my fiance! 

My Trip to PA

This month is almost halfway over and it has been so busy I can barely see straight. Anyone who knows well knows I'd rather be go, go , go all the time then sit around watching TV or reading. The more to do the better. Well this month getting bored hasn't been an issue at all. Feb. 7 I flew out to Pennsylvania for my PA  interview after working a full day. I finally arrived in philly at 6am and my friend Bethany's husband Mike (He is so nice...had never met him before though..but hey I'm not shy) picked me up from the airport. We got a little lost trying to get to the school so the drive that should have taken 30min took about an hour and 30 min. It was a fun little way to start the morning. Once I got to the school I met with the director of the program first. We had a nice little one on one chat and then he took me in to meet the lady doing my interview. The interview was a lot less intense than I thought it would be, which was great! Afterwards I got a tour of the campus, and then had a meeting with a financial aid advisor. Last but not least I met a student in the program for lunch and we just chatted and talked about the school, teachers, fun stuff to do in the area. :) It was great. I took a couple pictures, because the school is built on the Breyer's family plantation...as in Breyer's ice cream!!!! The gazebo and the pond in front of the school is a historical site and is the original entrance to the Breyer's Mansion. :) I love history, something I got from my dad. The school is located right next to Valley Forge!!! I just love how everything on the east coast has some sort of story with it. Anyways I finally made it back to the airport and then home to Utah that night, but I now wait for 2 wks to find out.. AHHHHHHH!

1 Year Anniversary

On Feb. 5 (Saturday) Eric and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary of OFFICIALLY being together. Our story is a very long, long, looooooooong story. Depending on who you ask you're going to get different versions because he'll tell you that when we first met 5 years ago in our Com 150 class I turned him down 3 times when he asked me out....but I'll tell you he was too discrete and how was I supposed to know what he was talking about when he said so what are you doing this weekend. That  could mean a lot of different things. hahaha Plus I was already seeing another guy in the class....that could have been even more awkward of a class if I had two guys playing footsies with me under the table in class hahahaha.  My version of the story will probably have some version of me telling you how I was like so into him for 3 years before he ever realized it. We went on dates during the time that we were friends dating occasionally and going out with other people, but I was always comparing other guys I went out with to him, and he said he did the same with girls he took out, comparing them to me. He and I started spending a lot more time together the winter semester before my junior year of college but I decided to go home for the summer and Eric really wasn't going to do distance.. we talked all the time on the phone and through text but it wasn't too long before my best friend was calling me to tell me he was dating some girl. Of course I was bummed but he and I still talked often so I didn't think much about it and thought maybe once I got back to school he and I would date. Well, I was wrong. It took him dating the WRONG WRONG girl to figure out that he definitely chose wrong. He and I talked a ton after they ended their relationship and before school started our senior year we told each other we both had feelings for one another and then we started dating, everyday, almost every night, and talking all the time, but all along we never kissed. Then I went home for Christmas and when I came back from the break he picked me up from the airport and I that night we had our first kiss on his brother's couch hahahaha. Well we were both locked in from that moment on, but we finally were official to the world when my roommates started introducing him as my boyfriend to their friend's when they came over. So....I apologized that they kept referring to him as my boyfriend and thats when he said he liked it as long I didn't mind...and well...the rest is history.
So Eric came down and we spent as much time as we could together since I had to work half the day on saturday. We went and picked out his wedding band and paid for it. He brought me dinner to my work and we sat and ate in my lunch room hahahaha doesn't sound so romantic but it was ....and really sweet. He then set up my speakers to my surround sound and we tried them out with a movie. Sunday was church and we started our Marriage and Family Relations class so I am so excited. I can't wait!!! 4 MONTHS!!!