Wedding Bells are a Ringin'

First comes loves. Then comes marriage. Or so they say... This summer is no doubt the summer of weddings! I think that every summer is, but now that I am in the prime age for marriage, I swear that a million people my age are tying the knot within the next 4 months. Yay! One of these couples includes my big brother Matt. Two days ago, he sealed the deal with his cutie fiance (now wife) Brynnly Pabst.

Let's just say their story is kind of an interesting one. They have been friends for almost two years, but were not officially dating. If Brynnly would have had it her way though, they would have been married last summer haha. But Matt was a very slow mover. They met through a business leadership program up at Utah State and realized how much they had in common. They were in a lot of the same classes and even the same ward. Who knew that Brynnly's family lived up the street from my parents? I remember Brynnly from high school...she was a year younger than me. I didn't know her well, but I knew of her and thought that she was a cute girl.

Anyway, after being best friends for what seemed like forever and traveling to South America together on a study abroad, they kind of started to officially date. Then they weren't. But still acted like they were. But were dating other people. But still always wanted to be together. Do you see why their story is an interesting one? Haha. Finally, Matt got his act together and started pursuing Brynnly with the idea of marriage. And I swear after he made that decision, they were engaged and married in the blink of an eye.

And boy is everyone thrilled about it! They are perfect for each other in every way. I love Brynnly, although it took me a minute. Not because she isn't the coolest girl ever, but because I think I was a little jealous of her taking my brother away. Weird, I know. It's not like I was dating my big brother haha. But it was the first girl that my brother ever really dated seriously, so it was a slight adjustment for me at first. Brynnly is awesome though. Matt couldn't have gotten a neater girl. And I couldn't have gotten a cuter sister! Seriously, we all love Brynnly and are so happy she is a part of our family now. Brynnly Bagley...that is a nice ring to it, don't you think? :)

So here is a little overview of their big day through pictures. I won't commentate for each one because I think the pics are pretty self-explanatory. The day was perfect in every possible way. Both Matt and Brynnly were glowing the whole day. The temple ceremony was beautiful (or so I heard), pictures turned out great, the luncheon was yuuuuumy!, and the reception was simple and elegant.

Hopefully you will enjoy their special day, just like we did, by looking at these little beauties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well there you have it, Matt and Brynnly's dream wedding happened. I honestly don't think that Brynnly could have imagined her big day going any better. Let's hope that one day when I get married, mine will go so perfectly. But that's not going to happen for a bit...I've got to find me a husband first. :) So the two little love birds are now honeymoonin' down in San Diego. Then they will be living in Salt Lake for the summer for Matt to complete an internship with Goldman Sachs. In the fall, they will be back in Logan finishing school. All three of us will graduate in December. Three cheers for growing up!

Weddings are so wonderful. I am so happy and excited for all of my friends that have or are getting hitched this summer. Seeing all these great examples in my life validate my strong opinion even more that I want to get married and sealed in the temple one day. Hmmm, one day... :)

Ooh, last little thought. So there was some huge hype going on yesterday about the super-cool, incredible, amazing, one-of-a-kind eclipse. Alright, so it wasn't really that awesome for me because I didn't know how to look for it. I took one peek at the sun and my eyes were temporarily blinded. Not a smart move. About all I have to show for my eclipse-viewing efforts is a nice picture. I enjoyed all of the pictures though slapped up on Facebook of the shadows from the eclipse. I feel like I saw the eclipse through that. And the sun was surely bright and gorgeous last night. Three cheers for nature and the awesomeness of the universe! I am so looking forward to a summer full of beautiful sunsets and beautiful weddings. 

My Mom's Day

Every year when Mother's Day rolls around, I remember how wonderful and amazing my dear mom is. In fact, last year I went to town on how great my mom is. Don't remember? Here you go.

This year the holiday was all about my mom. It was her day and we let her do whatever she wanted. No cooking, no cleaning, nada. She even sat down and played the piano. It was wonderful.

My mom is truly the best! I know that everyone says that about their moms, and I think everyone has the right to brag about their mom being the best. The best for them, at least.

Since I am friends with the LDS Missionaries on Facebook (You should become their friend if you are not. They post the best quotes and thoughts every day!), I got to see this cute little clip from lds.org. They also attached these quotes from our beloved prophets about mothers:

"You women, be kind and gracious and generous. Strengthen your children with your faith and your testimony. Lift them up. Help them to walk through the troubled ways of the world as they grow in this very difficult age. Support, sustain, uphold, and bless your husbands with your love and your encouragement; and the Lord will bless you."   -Gordon B. Hinckley

"Men, take care not to make women weep, for God counts their tears."   -Thomas S. Monson

"May each of us remember this truth: one cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one."  -LDS Missionaries

 A Mother's Eyes sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

 My mom is a great example of strengthening her children through her testimony and example. She is such a constant light in my life. I can look to her daily and her virtue shines through. I am so grateful for my mom and all of her daily selfless service. I have no doubt that the Lord knew I would be the best fit for my mom, and she for me. My mom is my best friend and has taught me more than anyone in this world. Love you mom!

Winds of Change

I am back. Believe it or not, I am back to blogging after a semester of craziness. Honestly, the past few months have been the busiest and most strenuous of my life up to this point. They have been some of the most rewarding, but have definitely pushed me to my limits.

Needless to say, I have missed this hobby of mine. There is something about spilling my mind and heart out through this computer screen that is real relaxing. Call it crazy...because it kind of is...but blogging is almost as great to me as eating some chocolate cake or some other glutenous activity.

And boy oh boy, SO much has happened in the past 4 months. My life is almost a completely different life...or at least is on its way to being there. In the words of Julie Andrews, let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start" as I catch up on my whirl-wind life and some exciting changes that are blowing my way!

First things first. I got my wisdom teeth out on Tuesday. I have heard story after story, both horrifying and calming, about what it is like to get your wisdom teeth pulled. But everyone's experiences aside, mine hasn't been too terrible. My right cheek is still really swollen, I am still on pain meds, and I basically sleep all day. I am on Day 4 now and am hoping that some energy and normality will return to my life. I feel completely lazy and slightly loopy. But, it is kind of nice to have a serious break from real life. I just hope this break wraps up soon. These cheeks of mine can't stand to get any bigger.

A little collage of my wisdom teeth journey. Excuse the no make-up.

Next up, some great news! My big brother Matt is getting married. YAHOO!! Finally, the boy proposed to his year-long girlfriend back in March. The two little lovebirds are getting married one week from tomorrow. So you best believe that a whole blog-post will be devoted to their big day. Matt and Brynnly are perfect for each other. They are pretty much the same human being. So it's great that they are ending up together for eternity. I am excited to have my first official sister. She is the perfect one for the job! :)

Matt and Brynnly

Engaged!

Next,  my little brother Jared had a basketball tournament down in Las Vegas over his Spring Break this year. It was both Aaron and Jared's first time going to Vegas, and let's just say, I think it was a little eye-opening for them. We all realized how much we love little Logan, Utah after that trip. But it was fun to sight-see and watch some great ball games. Here are a few pictures of the weekend.

Watching the water show at the Bellagio.

 

Visiting the M&M Store.

Jared in action.

  

Jared's team after their tourney.

The Las Vegas Temple. SO beautiful!

Next, I can officially cross an item off of my bucket-list. I have lived in Cache Valley my whole life. Up until this past November or so, I had never been to Angie's Restaurant. "Where the Locals Eat"? Well, not this local I guess. But now I have. Well, another Cache Valley tradition is that of hiking the infamous Wind Caves. Never had I ever done that...until a few weeks ago. A group of friends from high school got together at night and scaled the mountain. It was so much fun! And so much harder than I was thinking. I would like to go there again in the daylight, but a little moonlit hike was a blast. Might I recommend it to any of you out there who have never done the hike. You are missing out!

Our late night Wind Cave hike.

Next on the list...good books. I think one of the hardest things for me to do is to put down a really really good book. I am always so anxious for the ending, but once I finally read it, I wish that I could read it again. I am just never ready to say that I have completed the book. But then I start reading a new one, although it is a new kind of exciting, it is just as exciting as the other. This is exactly where I am in my life right now. I am ending a really awesome book...the best one yet! I don't want to shut that back cover because I know it will really be over, but with shutting that cover, I am opening a the front cover to a new book. So here are a few of the really good chapters that I am having a hard time closing...

Piano Teaching. For the past 5 years, I have had to coolest job. I have taught piano to the greatest piano students in the whole wide world. Teaching piano has been the most rewarding job. Honestly, it hasn't even really felt like a job, but more of a hobby. Due to some changes, I won't be teaching piano anymore. So this past weekend, I had my final piano recital. It was so wonderful to have one last sha-bang, Cinco de Mayo style! The kids did awesome, the parents were perfect to work with, and I said hasta la vista to five of the best years of my life.

All of my current students (just missing 2) after our final recital. What cuties!

My little brothers and myself.

School. So get this folks, I have one semester left until I graduate. Yep, let me say that again. ONE SEMESTER BABY! I am kind of still in shock at the reality of being done-zo in about 7 months. Where has my college career gone? But, I can feel myself getting more and more ready to actually be teaching rather than be in a teacher education program. This last semester was hard. Woosh, it was the hardest one I have had yet. But 19 credits later, I am alive and kickin'. I spent 9 weeks doing coursework, planning lessons and units, talking management techniques and teaching strategies, etc. And then I spent 6 weeks in a 2nd grade classroom. I actually was lucky enough to get placed with my aunt Michelle. And no, we didn't rig it. We just lucked out big time! It was the funnest 6 weeks. Those little kids just find a way of making you so attached. It was hard saying good-bye to them too. But through those weeks, I taught, observed and validated my feelings for wanting to be an elementary school teacher.

Mrs. Daines's 2nd grade class.

Being crazies!

:)

The students' persuasive letters that came from a persuasive writing unit that I taught.

Cute students, don't you think?

 Moving home. After a wonderful semester living with 5 of the coolest girls ever, I had to say good-bye to our little apartment at D201 as we split our separate ways. Two will be married by August, one will be in summer school, another up in Yellowstone, and the other living up her dream of being an EFY counselor. Even though we will never all be roommates again, we have made friendships that will last a lifetime. I am so grateful for the lessons I learned and the memories that we shared over the past 8 months.

My roommate Ashlie's wedding.

Alright, so what in the world are these huge changes that I am alluding to? Well, there really aren't that many haha. I just wanted to add a little drama and suspense to the mix. Mostly, it is just a change of pace and location.

This summer, I will be moving to Bear Lake. Now stop. I know exactly what you are thinking...You're thinking "this girl said she was done with Pickleville last year, and the year before that, and the year before that." Yep, you're absolutely right. I did. And plans changed. Instead of commuting from Logan every day, I will be living in Bear Lake, working at a resort by day, and singing my little heart out by night. And I could not be more excited. Pickleville wasn't in the plan for this summer originally, but has ended up coming around and being the perfect summer remedy for me. I honestly can't wait! So, come to PVP this summer. It's going to be a hoot!

Finally, when summer is over, it is good-bye lazy summer days, hello student teaching! And believe it or not, it is good-bye Logan, hello Provo! That is right, I will be heading down to P-town come late-August for some permanent living...at least for the next year. This is a decision that I have been playing with for months and months. In fact, I feel like it has been slightly consuming my life the past 6 months. If I had all the time in the world, I would expound on my exact reasoning for leaving, but in short, I feel like it is the right thing. No, I know that it is the right thing.

I will be doing my student teaching at Orem Elementary school, about 10 minutes away from where I will be living. I am not transferring to BYU...don't worry, I am still a true-blooded Aggie! But I can do my Utah State student teaching anywhere in the state, so why not Orem? My best friend lives down in Provo and has been trying to convince me for the past few years to move down, so we will be living with a fun group of girls.

It is kind of crazy to think that everything I know...the places, the people...everything.. will not be there. I am so comfortable in my Cache Valley life, but that's why I think this will be the best thing in the world for me. It will be a huge change, but I can't wait! The reality of this move is slowly starting to set in and these butterflies inside my chest start freaking out. If I can just keep them calm for the next 3 months...

So there you have it. Old events. New events. Future events. The whole enchilada. I have a pretty good feeling that my blogging skills will come back to my life now that school is out for the summer. Life is so awesome and so unpredictable. I get the shivers just thinking of what lies ahead... :)

Days of Deep Thinking

Gosh, where to start tonight? How am I even having time to blog? Well, I really don't have the time, but I have decided that you make time for the things that are important. And tonight, updating my blog is the number one task at hand. Not because it has been almost a month (eww, I can't believe I have gone that long) but because I am needing to spill my guts somewhere. Blogging is my form of relaxation...my runner's high. Blogger's high? Is that even possible? Sure.

School has been in session for three weeks now. And the past three weeks have kept me running at full speed. Literally. There is minimal down time in my current schedule. Between a weekly 15+ hours of class, working in Admissions, teaching piano, dating (multiple nights of the week), working out, and never-ending homework, there is never a dull moment. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one in the world with such a jam-packed schedule. Then I look at my roommates, my friends and my family, and they all have their own agendas that keep them going going going.

Luckily, I find a little time here and there (mostly on the weekends) to squeeze in a little free time. A few weeks ago, I went down to Provo with my roommates to watch the Young Ambassadors perform. I have a few friends that perform with the group so it was just delightful to get away for a night and enjoy good company, good entertainment, and good food.

Whit, me, Rylee, and Chelsea

Then last weekend I headed down south for the whole weekend. Whitney and Meesh were so sweet to let me stay with them for the weekend. I had an audition and interview down in Provo, so we made a whole weekend of it! In fact, I was able to experience my very first pedicure. I know, right? Pretty pathetic that it took 20 years for me to finally have one. And boy, oh boy! It was incredible. I still find myself looking at my toes. :) There is nothing like sitting in a massage chair while someone makes your feet look like a million bucks. And then we topped it all off with a little P.F. Changs and frozen yogurt at Yogurtland. Mmmm, what a wonderful night!

Meesh, Whit and myself indulging ourselves at P.F. Changs

And I have even tried to find a little bit of time to discover some new tunes. I have been listening to this song for the past week on a daily basis. It is called "Fine By Me" by Andy Grammer and couldn't be cooler! I love everything about it. So go crazy listening to this. Might I suggest a few others like "Love on Top" by Beyonce, "You Gave Me You" by Coffey Anderson, and "Stand Out" from A Goofy Movie. These are not necessarily new songs, just ones that have been blowing up my iPod the last week or so.

Fine by Me by Andy Grammer

Anyway, I mostly want to express what has been on my mind a lot the past month.

I feel like I have been doing a lot of deep thinking and contemplation over the past month, due to various reasons. How has there been time for that? I honestly don't know haha. But right now I feel like I am closer to my Savior than I have been for a while and continually desire to grow closer to Him. Some things have happened in my life that have made me remember a few important truths...

First: Trust in Him always.

This is something that I have a developing testimony on. Life can take us on unexpected pathways and throw some interesting curve balls. Sometimes the hardest part is knowing what to do in the future...knowing what decisions to make. Decisions of school, marriage, and careers are just the tip of the iceberg. Despite the craziness and stress that these choices can cause, there is so much comfort in knowing that the Lord has a plan for us all, and that He wants the best for us. All we need to do is trust Him. I have been in the midst of a big decision lately, and this has been a reoccurring theme that I have found through reading my scriptures, my patriarchal blessing, and in saying my prayers. I also had some really great advice given from a good friend of mine who is serving a mission. It was simple but very powerful. He told me:

"One of the thousands of things I've learned on my mission is that things work out the way the Lord wants, we just have to trust Him. "

I couldn't agree more. Which leads me to another thought that I have been reflecting on...

Second: The Lord's Will

Just like Brian said in his letter, things will work out the way the Lord wants. His ways are not always our ways, and one of the hardest things to understand in life is to accept that and be okay with it. Right now, I am at a point in life where I have no clue what my future has in store. Will I get a teaching job? Serve a mission? Get married? Who knows right now. My life could go in many different directions. But I want more than anything to do what the Lord wants me to be doing. Elder Robert D. Hales spoke on this in this past October Conference. He said,

"We may not know when or how the Lord's answers will be given, but in His time and in His way, I testify, his answers will come. Let us not give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal, not temporary."

In a world and life where things are completely changing, the one thing that will never change is the Lord and His gospel. If my life was to completely flip upside-down, that would remain as a rock and my constant. The Savior is my best friend and will never leave me alone, as long as I come unto Him. I know without a doubt that my Heavenly Father and my Savior love me. They have blessed me too immensely to not. I don't know where I am going to end up in the next five years, but I do know that if I live faithfully, I will end up with those that I love for eternity. And that is enough to keep me going for now.

So here I am, ready to step one foot into the blind future, relying on the faith that the Lord will direct me where to go and help me in my decisions.

See? Told you that I have been having some deep thoughts lately. I'll try to be a little more light-hearted next time I blog. But sometimes the best way to organize and understand your own thoughts is to write them down. Or in my case, type them up. So before I sign off, here is a little picture that I snapped during my Provo weekend last week. It was pouring rain when I left, and I had a little down time before I had to get home, so I made a [second] stop at the Temple. Despite the old-school, 1970's architecture, it is truly a beautiful place with a beautiful spirit. It is the Lord's home and I can't wait to go inside one day. Well, until next time!

I love to see the Temple.
I'm going there someday.

Let's vacation....to Idaho?

This is the final week of my highly anticipated Christmas break. It's true. Four more days and it's all over. Then the craziness of reality sets in....school, work, dating, homework. Shall I continue? This Christmas break has been a little less exciting than last year's. 365 days ago I was basking in the rays of the Hawaiian sun, snorkeling with sea turtles and eating THE most delicious pineapple I have ever tasted. I'm not going to lie, I kind of wish that I was there right now. Okay fine, I would give my right arm and leg to be there right now. But I have had a lovely break this year as well. I guess if I was able to go on extravagant vacations every Christmas break, I wouldn't appreciate them as much as I do now.


So what exactly have I been doing over the break? Well, after Christmas, my little brothers had a basketball tournament up in Idaho Falls. And although Idaho Falls isn't quite Hawaii, I figured it would be great to leave Logan for a few days and chill with my family.

We sat through hours and hours of basketball. We ate some delicious food. And we sat through more basketball. We played some games and took naps. We did a little birthday celebrating. Oh and did I mention that we sat through a whole lot of basketball? I think that I would have gone crazy sitting through all those games if my brothers weren't so dang good. Seriously, those little boys (who are not so little anymore), are incredible athletes. They are so much fun to watch! I was the proudest sister. Call me biased, but they are the best on the team. Just saying. :) But seriously, it was so much fun to see my little brothers in their element, doing what they so dearly love to do.


Like I said, I did eat some tasty food and have some quality time with my parents. My mom had a birthday on the second day of the tourney, so we went to dinner and celebrated a little. We also made a pit stop at the Idaho Falls Temple. They were displaying some incredible sculptures by Angela Johnson. These displays have been traveling to various Temple visitors centers over the past months and was only in Idaho Falls for a few more days. Did we luck out or what? Seriously, these were breathtaking. Don't believe me? Check them out. The temple was beautiful, as all of them always are. There was even a bride and groom coming out! (And yes, it was 7:30 pm. Not your typical wedding, right?) I always love visiting the temple and can't wait to finally go inside one day.


Also, this New Year's Eve can be chalked up with the other many great ones. Last year I celebrated New Years in my shorts and t-shirt, watching fireworks go off above Waikiki Beach. This year I still got to see some fireworks...outside in the snow in my coat and boots. But hey, fireworks are fireworks right? I spent the night with my two sweet roommates and dear friends, Rylee and Chelsea. We had some pizza, danced our little hearts out playing "Just Dance" on the Wii and rang in the New Year with party hats, whistles, fireworks in the snow, and some Martinelli's. No kissing at midnight occurred but it was a wonderful New Year's Eve nonetheless.

Here is a sweet video that has gone viral over YouTube and Facebook. It's the oh-so-unique Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt (stars of 500 Days of Summer) singing their own version of What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? They are quite the duo and her voice is one of a kind.

So it's the cold, hard truth...the holidays are over. It is hard for me to tuck away my Christmas albums and take down the trees. It isn't nearly as fun to go on nightly drives when the Christmas lights are gone.


But with the holidays rolling out, the new year rolls in. Which means that there are goals to be set and worked toward. I wrote down all of my "New Year's Resolutions" and yikes! I have a lot. But slowly over time, I hope to accomplish them all. 2012 is going to be a great year, I can feel it. There is so much to look forward to. I am in the "Decade of Decisions" as they say, and with that comes a lot pressure, a lot of stress, and a lot of excitement! I am thrilled to see what this new year will bring and grateful for the chance to continue progressing and striving to be more like Christ.