It's About Time

"Kissing Frogs" is no longer applicable to my life.  As a matter of fact, the Frog Prince keychain that I has been on my keys for a couple of years now broke the day before my wedding.  How appropriate.  

As a result of finding my prince, we have started a new blog.  It is called Damp Pockets and can be viewed at http://damppockets.blogspot.com (I don't know how to make it blue so that it becomes a link - sorry!).

Love and thanks to everyone that made the Wedding and Receptions a success!  There just aren't words to express our gratitude!  

My Mom

My Mom drove up this week to help and spend time with me until the wedding.  Which, by the way, is fast approaching!  She has been an invaluable resource and comfort to me in the last few days.

Yesterday, I had my Bridal Pictures taken.  They almost didn't happen.  When I picked up my dress and had my fitting on Tuesday, the seamstress said that she would make the final alterations and then bring up the dress while I waited.  I trusted that it would fit the way it did when it was pinned on me and that the alterations would be done correctly.  Well, I found out, as I was putting on my dress at Thanksgiving Point for my pictures (with the photographer waiting), that the alterations were not done and the one seam that was put in was done incorrectly and not straight at all!  My Mom calmly tried to cover the back (that was buckling horribly) with the sash.  It did not work.  While she was out finding the photographer (at my request) to cancel the session, a clerk at the little store came in with safety pins and helped my Mom pin me in my dress.  In the end, I got myself under control and had the pictures taken (careful not to expose, with my Mom's help again, the back that was pinned like crazy).

My Mom and the nice lady at Thanksgiving Point were truly angels last night for me.  I am glad that we took the pictures.  I think they will turn out nicely even with the rough start.

Isn't my Mom wonderful?  Oh, and another thing my Mom is really good at...getting people to fix things - especially when her offspring has not been treated fairly.

The Last TIme

Tonight when I kissed Dan goodbye, I told him that it was the last Wednesday I would ever leave him.  That made him smile.  It made me giggle.

Sometimes, "last times" are hard or sad.  Saying goodbye to a loved one or friend, selling a car (Rachel...), or selling a piano (me...).

This next week will be full of "last times" for me.  I am struggling to think of any that will be hard or sad.  I won't mind not having a bed to myself.  I will (do) love cooking for more than one.  I'm even looking forward to sharing all of the money and finances (and everything else that goes with it).  Dan told me a long time ago that everything is easier with two people.  I realize more every day how right he is.

I am looking forward to finishing my week of "last times" and starting my life of "first times".

It makes me giggle. 

Let Them Wonder

My dear, sweet Fiance and I have begun running together early in the morning.  I am to the house by 5:45 a.m. so that we can get done before he has to go to work.  This has been a great thing to start, but I know the neighbors will begin to wonder.  If they don't look out their window after 11:00 p.m. (I am gone by then so I can get some sleep), they won't see that my car is gone.  All they will know is that my car is there in the morning (still? they will think) when they wake up and are leaving for work.

I am toying with the idea of honking my horn when I leave at night as an announcement to any that care.  Church on Sunday should be interesting...  

P.S. Our paper chain is getting too short to hang on the banister.  Hooray! 

Two Weeks

Two weeks until the wedding and I lose a few more brain cells every day!

Quick run-down on progress...

Completed Items:

• Reception Hall and Food
• Bridal Shower
• Luncheon
• Bridal Shower
• Invitations
• Bridal Shower
• Flowers
• Bridal Shower
• Wedding Dress
• Bridal Shower
• First Dress Fitting (and hopefully the last)

To Do:

• Dan's Ring
• Temple Dress
• Pre-Wedding Party with Springville Friends (Bridal Shower?)
• Pack and Move to New Home
• Breathe
• Final Details for California Reception
• Thank You Cards (I've run out of stamps)
• All the Little Details I'm Forgetting

Thank Heaven for Moms, Dads, Mother-In-Laws, Father-In-Laws, Sisters, Sister-In-Laws, Grandmas, Aunts, Friends, and most of all Dans!

Are We There Yet?

I would not be a proper fiancee (and teacher) if I did not make a paper chain for Dan to count down the days until the wedding.  Believe it or not, the chain is much smaller then it was when I gave it to him.  It is quite the nightly ceremony as one gets ripped off, crumpled, and thrown to the ground.  

We have 29 days left!  My head is beginning to spin as it tries to remember everything that I am supposed to be doing and that is still left to be done.  I stopped today and remembered why I was doing all of this.  I have nothing to complain about.  I would do anything for this man!  Well, anything but wait more than 29 days to marry him...

It gets harder and harder to leave him every night.  I am more than excited to start my new life.  

I am also hoping that I will find where I put my brain when I begin to unpack my things in my new home.

The Week After

The last day of school has come and gone.  Goodbyes were said and report cards given.  All in all, a successful year.  Some might say the success of my students wasn't success at all.  I would say they were wrong.  Even if they left my class not reading at a 2nd Grade level, there was improvement and hard work on their part.  For my students that have emotional and behavioral problems (yes, I did have more than a few), they learned more social skills to put in their arsenal against their hard realities.  And for those students that came from unhappy or unsafe homes, they learned that there was at least one person and one place that they were loved, wanted, and safe.  Yes, it was a successful year.

So why were there books, papers, file folders, and my computer out on my floor today?  (Notice the Diet Mt. Dew which was necessary after a morning full of meetings.)  It's time to start planning for next year.

P.S. I have gotten the subtle message from Dan that my planning had better be quick and to the point as we have better things to do this summer!!  Hooray!

Holy Cow!

Days of School Left:  11

Days until Wedding: 56

Things to Do: 1,000,002

Can I hold my breath that long?

The Ultimate Romantic

On Saturday, my Sweetheart took me on the ultimate date... to the Monster Energy Supercross in SLC.  Wow, you say?  Wow is right.  It was loud, muddy, and cold.   To quote the tickets they said they would ride "Rain or Shine".  Luckily, the rain had stopped earlier that day.

Imagine: dirt, fire, loud motorcycles, pit-girls in tight leather, lots of spectators in camo, and more dirt.  The guys were excited.  The girls were there for support.  Although I do have to admit, it was exciting to see these maniacs on motorcycles as they all tried to make the first little corner before the other 30 riders on the course.  We were able to snap a few shots.

The only thing that would have made the night more memorable: a marriage proposal on the big screen.  I think he knew I would have said no.

Someday...

"Someday my prince will come.  In the Millennium..."  My roommates and I used to say that during our years at BYU.  For all of them, their Somedays came much sooner than mine.  I am happy to report (drum roll, please) I have found my Someday.  Dan proposed, and I (being the smart girl my mom raised), immediately said yes.

Wedding plans are now underway with as much speed and grace as I can muster.  My sister has been a lifesaver!  She has been kind enough to send me ideas and let me know the order and pacing of planning events.  The list is long but doable.  The first thing that was checked off was my dress which I found last week.  I knew as soon as I put it on that it was the one I wanted.  (Note:  The dress I tried on was a little too small.  Things will look better in the right size.)

I am so lucky my Someday came sooner than later!

  

A Time And Season

We have all heard the old adage "Everything happens for a reason".  Well, I'm a believer.  Seven months ago I had the crazy idea of moving back to Utah.  My family thought I had finally passed into the realm of insanity.  I was totally convinced of that myself.  When I had moved back to California, it was for keeps.  I was done with Utah.  On top of that, I had spent the last 12 months jumping through hoops to become a licensed teacher in CA!

That was late September.  One week later, I had an interview in Utah.  A week and a half after that, I began teaching 2nd grade in Utah.  My Grandpa was kind enough to let me stay with him until January when I moved closer to school.

I was finally where I was supposed to be.  It was in January that I met Dan.  We started to date and then continued to date.  It was sometime in there that I fell in love.  

I have been asked lately why I have been MIA.  My family knows that is code for something is going on. Now you know.  It is nice to finally be where I'm meant to be.  

Favorites

In No Particular Order...

Sunday naps

Rain on the pavement

Wind in the Aspen Trees

Ocean surf

Laughing 'til it hurts

Sunrises

Haircuts

School Supplies

Sunsets

Fresh cut grass

Pedicures

Hugs

Clean laundry

Waking up without my alarm

Gum

Spring mornings

Smiles

Clean Kitchens

Summer nights

Kisses

Babies

Fall leaves

Winks

Those Were The Days

I called Julia last night.  "You're going where?" she asked.  "To the Vanilla Ice and M C Hammer concert in Orem," I answered.  "Wow, are you serious?" she replied.

Last night was a serious stroll down memory lane.  Yes, I do remember that far back.  As a teenager I was never really into Rap Music.  It was just good music to dance to.  (However, I did have a friend that modeled his hair after Vanilla Ice.  It was pretty cool.)  I never imagined that I would see that much spandex, crimped hair, and serious bling again.  It was fairly amusing and vaguely nauseating.  All in all (I have to admit) it was fun to dance and act like a teenager for a while.  (Side Note:  Vanilla Ice and M C Hammer kept talking about the last time they were one the stage together 20 years ago.  Some of the kids there weren't even born yet!!)

As the evening wore on and M C Hammer was still going strong at 1:00 a.m., the thought popped into  my head, "I'm not cut out for late night parties anymore."  Needless to say, I slept until almost noon today.  I haven't done that in a long time either.

Moony Me

My boxes are still waiting to be unpacked.  There are spelling tests to grade in my book bag.  My closet is exploding with clothes that need to be hung up.  My sleeping schedule is in the toilet.

I am distracted by other, more important things.  I just might have figured out the male-psyche.  Well, one in particular.  I am quite taken by him.  How fun!

Dancing

On Friday night, my roommates and I had the bright idea of going dancing in Salt Lake City.  After getting ready (which featured me as the guest makeup artist) we took pictures.  My roommates decided that we needed a "roommate picture".  The above picture was taken after I (very carefully) positioned the camera, pressed the button, and ran into place.  I think I did a nice job!

Once we got to the club, we saw that the line was down the street and around the corner.  We decided to give it a whirl anyway and found parking quite a distance from the club.  After walking a bit in the cold (we all know how I love the cold!) I decided that I would go back.  I didn't want to stay until 1 a.m. like they did and I didn't want to walk to my car alone (I had left my very strong boyfriend home for the evening).

In classic Diana fashion, I got lost trying to make it back to the freeway.  30 minutes later and a panicked phone call to a friend, I found the freeway and made it home.  Thus ended my weekend dancing excursion.  Maybe someday I will go back.  This time I will bring a warmer coat and a strong guy to walk me back to my car.

P.S.  Here is a list of my current "whys".  Why do I have to work when there are more entertaining things to be done?  Why does Friday come so long after Sunday?  Why can't my boxes unpack themselves? and Why do guys wear dress socks with their shorts?

Commitment

Commitment is a big word and even hard for some to spell (thank heavens for spell-check!).  One of the things my Mom was kind enough to bring with her from California was my Lizard Tank.  In the past, I have had a lizard in my classroom.  This is a big responsibility for someone who routinely kills plants (lack of water - a.k.a. resilience-training).

This weekend I decided to take the plunge.  He, Lenny the Lizard, will be going with me to school tomorrow if I can fit the tank in my car.  My students are going to flip out!  I will post a picture just as soon as I am able to find my camera again.  I am afraid to think of all the places it might be.

Tomorrow I think I will get a plant.

Almost There

Some guys in my roommates ward were nice enough to come and help me unload the moving truck tonight.  I think everyone was surprised at how much stuff I have. I tried to warn them, but they didn't believe me.

The last couple of hours have been spent moving things around so that it will be livable here until I can get everything unpacked.  I feel really bad that my roommates have to wait a couple of days until everything is just so.  I hope they can be patient with me!

To make things worse, I woke up this morning so sick I thought I would die!  I was in and out of sleep (that weird sick kind) all day.  I finally got up about 10 minutes before everyone was supposed to be here to move me in.  It all worked out though.

And now I'll finish this very boring post with pictures of my overwhelming task called unpacking!

Twister

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to go to Institute.  My roommate, Sarah, and I went this week.  It was great, but interesting at the same time.  There were two announcements that elicited a raise of the eyebrows.  The first was a social group called "Single Again".  I know that we (those that are single) are aspiring to join the crowd of those that are married.  However (and that's a big however), I don't know that I would want to be affiliated with a group called "Single Again".  That just doesn't sound fun to me.

The other announcement just stuck me as funny!  Everyone was invited to play a giant game of Twister after the lesson.  Twister? To me, that just seems like an excuse to fall on someone of the opposite sex.  No thank you!  Needless to say, Sarah and I left promptly after the lesson.  Even though I rock at twister, I wasn't in the mood for some random guy to land on top of me due to a misplaced hand or foot.  Maybe this is evidence of a deeper issue - not being able to play the dating game effectively.  No, probably not!

Crayons

I teach at a Title 1 school.  That means my students come from low-income homes.  I am always amazed at how they take nothing for granted.  I could go on and on about stories of how getting the simplest things (like a pencil to take home) is treated like Christmas.

I sent home a paper doll today for them to decorate as themselves in preparation for the upcoming Diversity Week at school.  One of my boys (that is always observing me with eyes that don't know if they can trust) raised his hand and asked if he could take his crayons home because he didn't have any.  In my haste, that comes with the end of the day, I told him to go home and see what he had and if he needed crayons I would have some for him tomorrow.  There were a few other students that echoed his request because they didn't have crayons either.

Thinking about it now makes me want to go back and not only let him take the crayons right then but to find anything else that he is lacking for a "normal" childhood and give it to him.  I don't ever remember not having crayons to color with - even when times were very lean.  Moments like that give me a glimpse into a side of life that I have never experienced.  How blessed I am and how I take things for granted!

Tomorrow I will have a box of crayons, a new pencil, and eraser for each of my students to take home.  I'm sure it will be like Christmas has come again to my classroom.

All Things New

The transition to my new apartment as been fairly painless so far.  With me, anything new brings a certain sense of anxiety.  I am happy to report that this is minimal at present.

This weekend, I went to my new ward.  Or at least I tried to.  As fate would have it, the old time was still posted on the Church's website.  Bummer.  I did, however, manage to go to the Singles ward (despite my inner-voice's attempts to sabotage my efforts).   So, I was sitting in Fast and Testimony Meeting and got that feeling.  It wouldn't go away and it became difficult to breath. 

The only thing to do in that situation is to get up (never-mind the fact I was sitting halfway through the cultural hall).  I had just made it to the back of the Chapel when someone else started to speak.  My immediate reaction (now that I was out of the trance) was to turn around and sit back down.  Unfortunately for me, it was too late and almost everyone had seen me begin the long walk to the front.  Let me just say that there were TONS of people there.  I finally made it to the pulpit, bumbled through my testimony, and returned to my seat.  Walking back was reminiscent of walking through the Cougar Eat before it was remodeled.  Those of you that remember can attest to the fact that it was much like walking on the runway with everyone watching.  Needless to say, I quickly left after Sacrament Meeting. 

Maybe they won't remember me when I go back next week!