This is a test. This is only a test.

I've decided that planning a wedding is a lot like being in school. For me, the first two weeks of the semester were completely overwhelming because it felt like I had to do all of the projects and write all of the papers right away. But inevitably I'd realize that I had the whole semester and everything was going to be just fine. I also remember that constant small nagging feeling that I should be doing homework or studying whenever I took a break. And I remember counting down the days until my last semester ended--I couldn't wait to be done and move on with life.

When I got engaged, it felt like I had to plan it all right away because there was so little time and so much to do. But we've worked at it little by little, and now we've got most of the planning done. There is a constant nagging feeling that we should be doing wedding stuff rather than taking a night off to watch a movie. And we've had a countdown going since 80 or so days out (down to 41 now). The only difference is, I'm really excited for the final.

Men are that they might have joy

Several years ago when I was living in Provo, I had a conversation with a girl who had gotten engaged to her boyfriend after two months. I remember her saying that she had sworn she would never ever ever be one of those girls, but when it's right, it's right. As I walked away from that conversation, I shook my head in pity for the crazy girl and swore to myself I would never ever ever be one of those girls.

I've had to break that promise to myself. Because when it's right, it's right. And I will be the first to admit I'm crazy. So if posts here are even more sparse than usual for the next few months, it's because I'm planning a wedding.

Why I love my family

So last night I finally reached my family sometime around 8 (well, 9 for them). Apparently they had been out and weren't just ignoring me. The first request was that I get on Skype so we could video chat. I explained that I wasn't at home and Skype was out of the question. So they put me on speaker so I could hear everyone at home and my brother in Idaho who was on Skype. My mom then explained that we were going to play Balderdash as a family. How does that work when half of the players aren't in the room? It's not as complicated as you may think, but it's close. The brother on Skype would hold up his answers to the camera, and the person collecting answers would turn the screen so no one else could see. Since I was only audio, I could really only vote. After one round, we realized my sister was missing, so we called her on a cell phone to include her in the insanity. It was one of the best games of Balderdash I've ever played. Ever. My family is the best.

Dear Santa Claus, part 3

I have just received my shipment of the good guy to date. Knowing the high demand and short supply, I had just prepared myself for a long, difficult wait. But then he appeared from amongst the guys I already knew. I wasn't expecting that at all. So kudos, Santa. You managed to surprise me with someone even better than I was hoping for. Thank you.

The Cure

The Cure
by Ginger Andrews

Lying around all day
with some strange new deep blue
weekend funk, I'm not really asleep
when my sister calls
to say she's just hung up
from talking with Aunt Bertha
who is 89 and ill but managing
to take care of Uncle Frank
who is completely bed ridden.
Aunt Bert says
it's snowing there in Arkansas,
on Catfish Lane, and she hasn't been
able to walk out to their mailbox.
She's been suffering
from a bad case of the mulleygrubs.
The cure for the mulleygrubs,
she tells my sister,
is to get up and bake a cake.
If that doesn't do it, put on a red dress.


I skipped baking a cake and went straight for the red dress. It worked.

Timing

"In all the important decisions in our lives, what is most important is to do the right thing. Second, and only slightly behind the first, is to do the right thing at the right time. People who do the right thing at the wrong time can be frustrated and ineffective. They can even be confused about whether they made the right choice when what was wrong was not their choice but their timing." --Dallin H. Oaks

I have found myself feeling frustrated with my life recently. I wanted something different, but I didn't know what exactly I wanted. I still don't know. But I'm making peace with not knowing, taking baby steps towards what I do know, and learning to be patient.

I highly recommend the whole talk by Elder Oaks, found here.

Things I want to do this year

See the poppy fields in late March/early April.

Go camping in Yosemite. I'm thinking sometime in August.

Visit the gardens at the Huntington Library.

Visit the main Getty Museum (did the Villa last year).

Do a session at the San Diego Temple.

Maybe visit San Francisco, if I can afford it and if I can find a good weekend to go.

If anyone would like to join me for any of this, let me know. Adventures are always better with friends.