How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways:

Isaac and I have been married almost an entire 3 month period. Astounding isn't it?? Anyways, I have been thinking about what makes Isaac such a wonderful find for me and here I will list a few for your reading enjoyment (especially for Isaac, since I love him so much!).

1. Isaac loves going to the temple. He has really pushed in our marriage to go weekly and when we fail he is really let down. He really has to push because temple attendance means early wake-up calls for me and I do NOT like waking up early. We went to a 7 a.m. sealing session this morning and though I was very cranky on the way there, the session was a beautiful experience and I am very grateful he took me there!

2. Isaac is gentle and kind. He will make a fun, wonderful father once we have children. I always tease him that he is going to corrupt them with a bad example, but I know that if my children can learn to be as he is they will be amazing people.

3. Isaac is trusting and trustworthy. He doesn't break my confidence and I work hard not to break his (though it is hard to keep secrets about certain subjects!).

4. Isaac is generous. Right after we went to the temple, Isaac went and spent 3 hours helping out in a EQ service project. I came home and slept. He is very service oriented and I love that about him!

5. Isaac is very tolerant of my movie preferences and even likes what I bring home! I bought Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on DVD at Smith's the other night and we watched it together one night. I got tired (a common occurence in our house) and went to bed and Isaac stayed up to finish it. He then watched it again the very next night. Other movies I have bought (all old movies) and he has really enjoyed watching them with me or without me. It has been delightful to share this as a couple.

6. Isaac makes me breakfast sometimes. 'Nuff said.

I really can't say enough about him, but a lot of what I want to say can't be put into words. I am so grateful for the blessing of eternal marriage. I'm so grateful that we can build and grow together for months and years and decades. Marriage hasn't been the girlish fantasy I had in junior high, but it has been more real, more beautiful, much better all around. I love you, Isaac. Te amo hasta el fin de la eternidad...que no existe.

Disaster Area Stabilized

It is interesting to be a new wife with a new job. Life comes at you fast and furious and things get left undone that would otherwise be...well...somewhat better taken care of. Take for example the kitchen. Lately the only two reasons I would stop to clean dishes is if there were none clean and I absolutely needed one and/or my kitchen was beginning to smell like something died in it and was now past the rigormortis stage. However the rare event of dish-washing comes about in my house, believe me, it has been few and far between moments...to the point that the task became rediculously daunting. For over a week now, I have eyed my kitchen with disgust and, too tired to do anything about it, took up residence in my bedroom. It wasn't until two days ago that my attitude about the dishwashing subject began to change. At work, I am required to wash the dishes after cooking a meal for the individuals in my apartment. I noticed suddenly that I had been avoiding cooking for my dear husband because of the dish problem. I began then to stew over the dishes. I obviously was taking better care of strangers than of my own family. I also began to think about my mother (who, if she is reading or listening to this post, is probably dying with disgust) and how she always has taught us that cleaning up right away after dirtying dishes & anything in general is much easier than waiting for food to harden, mold to form, and smells to begin issuing from plates, cups, counter tops, and floors before cleaning. So, today with my new philosophy and a little guilt added to the mix I decided finally to take on the dish problem. It began as a leisurely experience as I soaked my hands in hot soapy water and listened to the radio. That lasted the first two sink-fulls of water. Then the wear and tear of washing began to manifest itself. More and more tired I became, and more and more difficult the dishes became (mainly because I left the worst for last). The last batch of dishes was almost impossible to finish as I yearned to come and write on my blog about my dish experience, but I stopped myself from leaving the kitchen until the final dish was finished. Hallelujah! Lesson well learned, Mom.



Now the laundry...

Husband on line.

So I decided that I would post something because I am bacheloring it today. My wife is very sweet and I am the lucky one. We both have now been offered full time benifited positions at our jobs. All though we only have the one car I love getting to talk to my wife on the drive home from work although she gets very tired by the time she gets their to pick me up. I worry very much about how awake she isn't when she makes the 10 mile trip downtown to get me. But I appreciate her for it. I was able to talk with an old supervisor in the interview I had for a better postion elsewhere with the church yesterday and enjoyed chatting with him immensily. Life is trully joyful.

New Situations Provide Happier Times

I have now been working in my new 'family' for almost a week. I was hired as a 'staff' member a week and a half ago after my second interview for a benefited position with the USDC (Utah State Developmental Center). I am now working with 5 females instead of 4 males. My ladies are all very sweet and I already love them very much. It has been a delightful experience to be exposed to their tender need for affection. I am beginning to love my new job. Frustrations before this change in position were leading me to consider leaving the job for good, but now life is much better. I have excellent coworkers who are not perfect but get the job done. With the change in position I have also been able to have more time with my Isaac. My shift has changed from 8-4:30 to 1:30-10. That change has added several hours to our day together and we have rejoiced in eachothers company. (Of course, in the last two day we spent our extra hours together sleeping...but how nice to sleep together!) Isaac has an interview for a full-time benefited position with the church tomorrow. If he gets the position, we will be blessed with even more time together. :) I truly feel blessed. I know Heavenly Father has been mindful of our needs and has met our needs and exceeded them so that our cup truly is running over. :)

Happy Times

It's monday, and I am sitting in my living room after a long day's work at the USDC (Utah State Developmental Center). I've found myself often complaining about the leanness of the time I get to spend with Isaac, but today I feel quite different. Today I am feeling grateful for the fact that time spent with that wonderful man is the best time there is and it carries me through the not so good times. This last weekend, Isaac and I went mini-golfing. We played 36 holes and I never have had so much fun! I laughed and laughed constantly...the other people playing at the golf course must have thought that I was crazy, but I couldn't help it. Isaac truly is the best friend I have ever known...and he grows more and more so as the days go by. He is my support, my defender, my love. I am very grateful to have such a wonderful man as my husband.

The Lonely Wife

Life is full of trials...my current trial is not being able to see my husband during the week with the exception of about 5 hours between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. It has been difficult, and we spend as much time together as possible.
Today I had a first...a pang of down-and-out jealousy. I was sorting laundry when I picked up the shorts Isaac left on the floor after changing into his work pants. I went through the pockets to remove change and papers. Among the papers were two receipts, one for a movie ticket and one for a beverage from the theater. Isaac had mentioned spending time with a friend today, but I had no idea exactly what they were doing so I wasn't prepared for the evidence of their activities. Perhaps it's PMS?
So I feel the need to ask of you, my blog readers, what should I be doing to improve my attitude? What can I do to keep from feeling too lonely or is this what I will have to learn to deal with until I am used to my life?

Isaac asked me to post this one too...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Our Reception

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Wedding Pictures by Jordan Juarez

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Kitchen Disasters & Delectable Food

Today I decided to make sure that the squash that Mom and Dad sent home with us got eaten. So, I found a shish kabob marinade online, adjusted it slightly according to what I have in the kitchen, and started. I marinated chicken pieces in the sauce for 2 hours, then insisted that Isaac grill the chicken on our stove. Whoops!
We have a skillet that has big grooves on it, making it perfect to 'grill' things on, the only problem is that we didn't expect the obvious issue with grilling...smoke. We had smoke and tons of it billowing around the house...it set off our smoke detector and one of the landlords came running over to see what the problem was. I told him we were experimenting and didn't expect there to be that much smoke, so he just laughed and said we shouldn't redo this experiment on the stove. But let me tell you, those shish kabobs were something to write home about! We had summer squash, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes from the home garden, then we added a red bell pepper, pearl onions, and, of course, the chicken. We then basted the whole thing in the marinade and wallah! Heaven! We had some Smith's garlic bread on the side also. I wanted to cook up some rice, but Isaac said to just skip it...saying we had more than enough food already (oh, and he took all the leftovers for dinner tonight at work).
Anyways, here is the Shish Kabob Marinade I used today (and I do suggest grilling the 'bobs on an actual grill outside...hehehe):

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup veggie oil
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard (I used honey mustard since it is what I have)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger

Happy grilling!

Even Roses Have Thorns

Well, I am approaching one month of being married. It has been beautiful, delightful, and difficult...already! I can't believe how difficult it is to do the simple things...like get up and go to work, knowing that you have to leave your adorable hubby to hours of loneliness then return home to hours of loneliness for yourself. Sometimes I wish we could go on another honeymoon, but life is quickly catching up to us...not only do we have separate schedules at work, but we will soon be in school once more. I don't look forward to that time. Isaac stopped in momentarily at work today to tell me he had taken care of some things at his job. When I saw him my only desire was to leave and spend some time with him. But, alas!, I had to continue my day at work right until he would be at his job. I guess that is the consolation (on a superficial level I'm sure) that is provided by the temple sealing...knowing that he is mine forever and as time goes by we will have more time together, whether in this life or in the life to come.

Sunday Reverie & a Must-See Spot!

Yesterday was a very nice day for Isaac and myself. We spent the evening at Mom Davies' home with the rest of the fam (Isaiah & Sky, Lenae & Cody, Veneta & girls, Brigham & daughter, Elijah & Leslie, Enoch, Grandpa Hoffman, & Mom Davies). The house was a full one. We had a dinner, cake and icecream for Alexis' sixth birthday which is coming in two days. We chatted and had fun, then Isaac and I excused ourselves to go for a drive. We went up Little Cottonwood Canyon all the way to the end of the road, and boy did I wish I had a camera! It was beautiful up there! The end of the highway is in the Alta ski resort, and the name of the place is Albion Basin. If you have never been there, go, and go now. The wildflowers are in full bloom and amazing to behold. There are hiking trails all over the place. I want to go back and hike around one of these days, but work prevents much of that... :( Anyways, you have all been informed of it. The Basin is 12 miles up the canyon. Put on your hiking boots, and don't forget to bring your camera too!
After returning from our quick trip up the canyon, we returned to the main Davies hub and proceeded to bring out the fireworks we couldn't light on Friday. We then put on a brief fireworks show for the remaining family members. It was quite enjoyable to be able to spend time with my new family members yesterday. :)

The Blahs

I officially have the midsummer blahs. I don't want to go to work any more, I don't want to go outside, I don't want to move from the couch. I think it is because it is so darn hot! (Even saying that, I know that this year has been quite mild as far as heat goes.) But I am worn out. I am seeking a change now...I have an interview in two days to be a receptionist at a company in West Valley. I also will soon be applying at another company in South Salt Lake. I am sick of the theater...though I enjoy my coworkers, I cannot continue to work late nights and weekends. I want the freedom afforded by a 9-5, Mon-Fri kind of job. Plus, Isaac and I are still uninsured because of my past health problems (we keep getting denied by private insurance), so we really need one of us to have a full-time job with benefits!
Oh, and today I officially began the process of writing thank-you cards. At the rate I am going, no one will see them till next year.

Well, here it is, two and a half weeks into being married. It still hits me as unbelievable that I am now a married woman, but even with that feeling, I am so relieved to be over and done with dating!!! It is also a great relief to have my best friend to confide in, with whom I can share my life.
Developments are as follows:

Isaac has cut his part-time jobs down to the two he has with the Church. Working extra shifts with the theater were wearing on both of us (never having time to see each other) and they were treating him pretty badly there. I am so grateful that my husband has a job where he is happy!

We have spent a lot of the money that we received at the wedding, resulting in a 32" HDTV, a dryer, a vacuum, a microwave, and a DVD player, among other smaller purchases. The wedding ring is paid off in full. Hallelujah.

We have also decided not to put off having a family. I'll be sure to update you on what happens there at the appropriate time.

I am feeling more and more satisfied with my home. The walls are not so bare, my parents futon is up and acting as couch for now, we have been given a nice table and chairs for our kitchen, and we got a nice coffee table for free on freecycle. (Isaac would probably contest the idea that it is a "nice" coffee table since he is constantly tripping over it or bruising his shins on it...but it sure makes a nice footrest/food table for eating in front of the t.v. (which doesn't have television...we only watch movies or DVD's we have.).)

So in short, I am loving life and looking forward to a bright future with my handsome husband by my side!

Honeymoon Pictures

Isaac and I had a delightful time together over the weekend. We spent our wedding night in the Anniversary Inn, then we headed down to Manti and stayed there two nights, coming home this morning (via Tooele in order to collect all the stuff we left there). It was romantic, fun, and relaxed. I hope we can have another trip soon!

Perm-a-licious!

Today I got a perm at Fantastic Sams...This is how I intend to put up my hair on the Big Day!

Wedding Hair

I have finally decided to go ahead and perm my hair for the wedding. I have permed it many times in the past, but always ended up with the fizzy-woes before I got very far. I have since learned from my mistakes and will not be repeating them! So on Monday, the only day I have off (besides Sunday) this week before my wedding, I will be going to Fantastic Sams and doing the deed. I am excited to do it again and Isaac has approved the plan. :) I am always up for a change in hairstyle, and perming it seems to look nice and my hair takes to it easily. Yay!

Bridals courtesy of Jordan Juarez Photography

Tuxes and Flowers

Well, it has been quite a week. We have arranged for tuxes, had the parents meet, and a couple days later, Isaac's mom, Mom, and myself met with our florist to arrange everything. It has been an interesting week. I'm excited to see my bouquet when all is said and done. It will have cream roses, calla lilies, and light blue delphiniums in it. :)

Invitation Mania

Today I started out on my way to Tooele with the sole purpose of putting together the wedding invitations. It is down to the final moments for mailing...I feel like things are going well, though I wish that there was more I could do. Some of the snags have been getting our addresses into the label format, printing an acceptable map to the house for the reception, and figuring out why I had more invitations than pictures ordered (I ordered 5 extra because Isaac told me to, and we ended up using all of them minus one for the excess invitations). Apparently we got 205 invitations instead of the 200 ordered. I'll take it! Anyways...back to business.

More Pics

Mein Hus

A Second Proposal

Isaac has to be one of the world's sweetest men...and most goofy and onery, but this is about him being sweet:

Isaac woke me up this morning at 5:30 a.m. with a request that I go with him somewhere special. So I got up and went with him on one of his crazy drives. He goes on these crazy drives where he won't tell me where he is taking me and we end up somewhere interesting. This time the interesting place was in Little Cottonwood Canyon. He took me to 'his' rock up one of the trails. There we sat, on top of a huge granite boulder, waiting for the sun to rise. Supposedly, the sunrise was set for 6:01 a.m., but we waited and waited and it didn't happen. Gradually the cool morning air was getting to me and we climbed off the rock. As we hiked back to the car, Isaac suddenly pulled me to a stop and dropped to one knee. He held out my ring (which he had stolen off my finger the night before) and said, "Will you marry me?" The perfect proposal. My response was somewhere between "Duh" and "How sweet!" He said that after I broke up with him four times (who's counting?) he felt it appropriate to propose more than once.

Feelings

Last night, Isaac called me at 4:30 a.m.! I was so out of it that I turned off my phone and rolled over to get some more sleep. It's hard right now to not be around each other...but that is just the way of things. He missed me and wanted to talk. Well, I slept in this morning until 9:30 and then called him back. While we were talking, I realized it was prime time in cellphone hours. Sadly, I cut our conversation short. I miss my Isaac! I hate not having enough minutes to support this desire to talk when we are apart. Just take some deep breaths...39 days left then we don't have to be apart at night and that has implications for the day as well. His home will be my home. I look forward to that day. July 3rd, to be exact.

Moving

So I have finally started packing up my Mary Kay crap to haul back to the makers. I just couldn't sell myself on Mary Kay...and if I can't sell myself, I'm not selling to anyone else. Therefore it is going into boxes to be sent far far away. Hooray!
This is my first moving project. The next is to begin taking all the things I'm not using and packing them into the random pieces of boxes I have. I have to be out and clean up on June 1st, since that is the same day that my room will be moved into. Life is working, but it's also complicating. I only hope I make it to my wedding with all my hair still attached to my head.

Things are Falling into Place

Well, good news on the apartment-hunting-and-getting-rid-of front! Isaac found us a nice apartment in a complex where his friends are living currently. It is a nice little place, with two bedrooms, a nice kitchen with washer/dryer hookups, etc. It is close to trax and close to Isaac's place of employment. Having signed up for that apartment, I began searching for someone to take my place in my apartment. It is such a cute place, I knew it wouldn't be long before I would have a taker. I posted it on craigslist and KSL and had several responses. Some responses were phonies, some were asking too much (like free rent of all things!), and some were just right. So I showed my room to one girl and then my roommate, Eseta, took over from there. Today I got a call from Eseta saying that one of the girls I had scheduled to see my place has decided to make it her home! Yay! So I am free to move out with all of my things starting June 1st. I actually hope to get most of it packed into the truck over the weekend and then start moving on the 1st so that I don't have to be moving out while someone is trying to move in! We will see how this all pans out, but I am so excited about my new place! Everything is falling into place and I couldn't be happier! :)

Commenting Now Enabled

I don't know why the comment portion of my blog here wasn't functioning, but I found a way to make it work. Have fun!

And the Diagnosis Is...

Strep. Yup. First time in my adult life that I have had strep. I'm feeling pretty weird right now...the tylenol I just took is starting to kick down my fever, so I'm having fever-sweats and yeah. I just got onto my antibiotic this morning, so tomorrow morning I will no longer be toxic. Too bad for all the people I came into contact with before then! Isaac especially has been well exposed. Poor guy...hope he doesn't get it. That is the last thing I want is for everyone to get sick because I exposed them. At least I was able to find out about it and get it taken care of.

Meanwhile, the deadline for getting invitations is here (and probably passed) and I haven't had the energy to focus on that. I hope that this evening I will be able to discuss things with my folks (since I am at home in Tooele) and we can arrive to some conclusions about wording and which vendor we will use. The internet has been a great tool and a dreadful one at the same time. There are just too many options available!

And the Bride is Sick

I have some kind of nasty cold right now that is causing my throat to be really really sore. I know it isn't strep...already did a culture and found out it wasn't that. But yeah...nothing crummier than wanting to be accomplishing things (like looking at apartments) and not being able to. I'm running away as a result...going home to spend the weekend with my parents. It will be nice to have some people around.

Engagement Photos

An excellent friend, Jordan Juarez, took these pictures for us around the U of U campus. If you like his work, drop by his blog at jordanjuarezphotography.blogspot.com and take a look!

The Bride's To-Do List

I keep telling myself that all I have to do is breathe deeply.

Last Saturday, Isaac and I went to a drive-in together and watched a double feature. One was called Ghost of Girlfriends Past or some such nonsense. Well, the movie takes place during the preparations for the main character's brother's wedding. The bride is depicted as a girl who barely is keeping it together and snaps into tizzy fits at the slightest provocation. I used to think that all such displays were completely fictional...or at least that I would have it all under control when it was my turn. Ha. Nature is proving otherwise. I have burst into tears randomly on two separate occasions and I still have over a month and a half of our two-month long engagement to go! Isaac was the unfortunate receiver on the other end of my woes last night as we waited for our order at the Belgian Waffle House (excellent place by the way). But yeah, bridezillas DO exist and may even be inside of you, single women.

So, there are so many things to do...like order invitations (yikes!), reserve canopies, tables, chairs, tablecloths, order cakes, buy guestbooks and pens, etc, etc, etc. I feel like I am in a whirlwind and attempting to grasp things as they fly by without being able to. That being said, I have been on the receiving end of so much support that I can't help but say 'Thanks!!!" right now to all of those who have offered their assistance. I love you for your kind thoughtfulness in this stressful time.

Here we are...51 days and counting...

It's Official!

Welcome to the new blog. This is where you will be able to access all news regarding our new venture into becoming an eternal family! So far, so good. Here is the engagement/dating story according to me:

Isaac and I met back in January at a fireside. We started talking and hit it off. I brought him back to my apartment and had him change a lightbulb that was too high for me to reach. We then drank hot cocoa and talked for hours! He and I exchanged phone numbers and saw each other daily for several weeks. After Valentines Day, we had a misunderstanding and parted ways for about a week and a half or two weeks. Then we got back together for a few days. Then we broke up again (I broke up with him...not sure why now). Then we got back together again. This time, when we got back together, I could tell that things were getting serious. I knew how much he loved me and was worried about breaking his heart. We stopped dating for a while so that I could pray and know for myself if this was the right thing. About a week later, a sweet, peaceful feeling came over me as I was praying and pondering over whether or not to marry Isaac. I knew then that yes, I could move forward. So, I called Isaac and we started to spend time together again...this was in April.

Here's my side of the story about the proposal: I started out my morning on Friday, May 1, with a job interview. Afterwards, I went to my friend's sealing in the temple. It was a glorious day...a little cloudy, but nice. It was my first time ever going to a sealing and I could feel the immense power that it brings to the lives of those sealed. I must have been glowing when I came out of the temple. Isaac called me when I was waiting for my friend to come out in her dress. We talked and he ended up joining my friends and I as we waited. He even joined our 'wedding group' for a photo. We then said goodbye to my friends and argued about where we would have our lunch--his place or mine. Then out of the blue, he wanted to go on top of the conference center. I was like, wait a minute. Then we ended up walking all the way around the top without him doing anything unusual. We then came down and started walking towards his car. Then he wanted to walk up these stairs at the back of the conference center and we stood there, on a landing in the middle of the staircase and looked out, talking. I was hungry and wanting to go eat, but every time I suggested we leave he said no. I was getting more and more certain that he was going to propose. Then people kept coming around. A lady was using the stairs for her exercise routine, then the guys with the lawnmowers and weedwhackers were coming around. Finally, they all left. I then spied Isaac grabbing something out of his sock. A white box! Then I said "I saw that." He replied "What? I don't have anything." He tried to hide it between his arm and his chest as he showed me his empty hand. I then pretended to be impatient to leave and finally, he whipped out the box and opened it. I told him he could put the ring on my finger, which he did. We kissed. I then said, "Well, aren't you going to ask me?" To which he replied shyly, "Will you marry me?" I squeaked out a 'yes,' then spoke up more loudly, "Yes." So that is the story of our engagement as I see it.