pictures.

have i mentioned that i'm engaged? well, now i've got the pictures to prove it.

(photos by missy saunders)

having the photos, i finally ordered our announcements/invitations. probably the most stressful thing i've done for the wedding so far.  ordering 500 of one item caused way more anxiety than i ever thought possible.

and speaking of stress and anxiety... 51 DAYS.  i see hyperventilation in my near future.

this is no fun

i apologize in advance for this post.  i promised myself that i would never be one those people who, as soon as they are given a wonderful blessing or opportunity or experience, all they do is complain, complain, complain.  those people have always bugged me, and i never thought i would become one.  so like i said, i apologize.

life is no fun right now.

planning a wedding is no fun.
whoever said planning a wedding is the greatest thing ever was clearly lying through their teeth.  way too many details and decisions and deposits to make.  if i didn't think i would regret not having friends and family there, i would elope to the temple in a heartbeat, just me and him.  because, for real. this wedding planning stuff kind of sucks.

being engaged is no fun.
here we are, trying to combine our two lives into one, and yet we still have these very separate and different lives.  we see each other maybe an hour on the weekdays. (or, like tonight, i see him for 5 min, he falls asleep on the ground for an hour and a half, and then he goes home.)  and we are both so tired on the weekends, as well as super busy doing our own little things we don't get a chance to do during the week.  and even when we are together, there's always talk about wedding details, engagement pictures, moving into our new house, finances and bills... you know, the really romantic stuff.  so i'm not really enjoying this whole engaged thing.  the ring is awesome, but the reality of it is kind of lame.

teaching school is no fun.
i love being a teacher.  but, oh my staars, right now i am kind of loathing it.  my crazy schedule (6 different classes) is taking me to my breaking point and i fear i might snap any day now.  or collapse in a sobbing heap.  or scream at the top of my lungs.  one is just as likely as the other.  because teaching right now is no bueno.

being healthy is no fun.
and by no fun, i mean it's not going very well.  i survived my 45-day paleo challenge, felt awesome, excited to keep it going... and then all of the above happened.  a combination of school, wedding to-do's and engagement woes sent me over the edge.  in the past month, i've made it to the box a handful of times, thanks to my inability to get up in the morning and the fact that i don't get home until 6 or 7 each night.  and the worst part is i know exactly how eating healthy and consistent exercise makes me feel (amazing and happy to be alive), but i have been stuck in this rut for too long now and i'm finding it harder and harder to get myself out.  and i know what the coaches would say ("pick up the bar!"), so i suppose i should stop making excuses and just git 'er done.

and... scene! that's all i needed.  room to rant and rave for a bit.  and now i'm done.  goodnight.

pending

ceremony date and time = confirmed

reception location = reserved

dress = ordered

honeymoon = booked

about a bajillion other details = pending

according to my handy wedding countdown app, there are 119 more days until m and i tie the knot.  whenever someone asks me how planning is going, i just kind of mumble, "oh, you know..." and then trail off, hoping that they don't press me for more details.  two weeks ago, my parents and i had a meeting with the reception event planner, and she kept on asking questions to which i had no helpful responses.  

"what are your colors?" "ummm, blue?"

"will you be wanting a head table?" "ummm, no?"

"do you want black, white or gold charger plates?" "ummm, none of the above?"

"what kind of centerpieces are you thinking about?" "ummm, pretty ones?"

"what are your thoughts on food?" "ummm, i like food?"

"what are you planning for music?" "ummm, an ipod?"

i know it will all come together, i do. but when i start i thinking about everything still left to be done and decided, m's recurring suggestion that we just elope to the temple sounds more and more appealing.  as long as i can make it to spring break (3 weeks!), i know everything will be okay.  hopefully, most of the bajillion pending details will be taken care of during those glorious five days off from school.

another reason to be excited for spring break: there will only be double-digits left on my countdown app. woot, woot.

ps: ily, m.

"Is this real life?"

So... I'm engaged.

Yeah.  I know.  It's kind of awesome.  Actually, it's probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened in the history of ever.  Mitchell and I are beyond happy; I think we both have permanent smiles plastered on our face all the time.  We will be married in the Dallas LDS Temple on June 15... only 147 days and counting (did you know that there are wedding countdown apps?!).  Truly, I am so grateful for Mitchell.  He is a wonderful man, and I cannot wait to begin a life, a home and a family with him.  When I actually stop to think about how this all happened, I am humbled by the hand of the Lord in both of our lives.

You see, it all started about a year and a half ago...

Sept 11, 2011: The day we first met. We were introduced in passing by a mutual friend while attending a special Sunday church meeting of young single adults.  I remember being introduced, I even remember what I was wearing and what he was wearing... but that was it.  I didn't think anything of it.  Our paths didn't cross again until a year later...

Sept 7, 2012: The night we officially met.  Remember that YSA Conference that I helped organize last year?  Well, true confession: I was not all that excited about it.  For the past two years I have resisted getting involved in young single adult activities, mainly because school/work/life zaps any desire out of me to want to be social, and also because whenever I do attend activities I tend to develop a social anxiety that makes me want to run for the door.  Nonetheless, I was called to be on the planning committee by my church leaders, so I obediently (albeit sometimes begrudgingly) took on responsibilities and did my best to be a good little trooper.  That Friday night activity was my baby, so I was stressed all night making sure everyone else was having a good time.  During a brief moment to breathe and actually enjoy the fruits of my (and everyone else's) labor, my best girl friend and I were chatting with some nice young men... one of which happened to be Mitchell.  According to her, she set the whole thing up (and I do give her full credit for that first meet cute!), but regardless of how it happened, we spent quite a bit of time talking and laughing (our first topic of conversation: "Hey, our last names are really popular right now!").  The next night, at the dance, we met up again, talked, laughed, shamelessly flirted, even danced the last dance together.

For the next two weeks, we exchanged brief Facebook messages, and then...

Sept 16, 2012: I gave him my phone number.

Sept 19, 2012: He called, asked me out for Saturday.

Sept 20, 2012: We both attended the same Thursday night church Institute class.  Another true confession: I have resisted attending Institute classes ever since I graduated BYU, for the same reasons as noted above.  But, right before the new school year started, my bishop personally invited me to attend each week.  Again, I obediently (albeit sometimes begrudgingly) started going each Thursday night.  That particular evening, I was not expecting to see Mitchell there.  If I remember correctly, I had gone to a Crossfit class earlier that night, so I had no make-up on, hair maybe in a ponytail, wearing sweatpants and a hoodie.  Great impression, I'm sure.  After class we made plans for the next night...

Sept 21, 2012: He came over to my house, we sat on the couch and talked and laughed.

Sept 22, 2012: We had our first date.  We went to a church activity, then out to pizza afterwards.  When he dropped me off, we also had our first kiss ("On the first date?!" "Yes, on the first date.").

Let's speed things up, shall we?

Oct 12, 2012: Officially "boyfriend/girlfriend." (Actually, this is quite a funny story.  I had driven to his house that evening, so as we were driving back to his house later that night after eating pizza (yes, we really like pizza), he very casually says,"Oh, you still have to drive all the way home.  Man, I'm like the worst boyfriend ever." He kept on talking, but I automatically pumped the figurative breaks and said, "Wait, are you my boyfriend?" "Uh, yeah." "Does that mean I'm your girlfriend?" "Uh, yeah."  I just started laughing.  It was kind of adorable.)

Oct 14, 2012: I invited him to come to Arizona with me and my family for Thanksgiving.  He said yes.

Oct 20, 2012: First "I love you" (he said it first!).

Nov 21-24, 2012: Thanksgiving in Arizona with my family.

Dec 30, 2012: The Marriage Conversation.  It went something like this:

Me: "So, when are we going to talk about it?"
Him: "We can talk about it now."
Me: "Okay, good, because this is driving me crazy."
Him: "Well... I want to marry you." (correction, according to Mitchell: "Well... I DEFINITELY want to marry you.")
Me: "I want to marry you, too."

Obviously, it was a little more romantic than that, but that is pretty much how it happened.

Jan 1, 2013: He asked permission from my dad.  Dad said yes.  We decided that we were not going to tell anyone until I had a ring, though (just ask Mom how well she was able to follow those simple instructions!).  I thought it would be at least two weeks, but...

Jan 5, 2013: Mitchell officially proposed.  I said yes, yes, yes, yes!

So there you go.  Four months from first official meet to down on one knee with a diamond ring.  In that time, there were probably only about five or six days that we did not see each other and spend time together.  When we decided that yes, we wanted to get married, I asked him how long he had felt that way.  He said he has known since the first date.  It took me a little longer than that... I knew about three weeks after our first date.

As I said before, when I think of how both of our lives have progressed and what led us to both be there that Friday night in September, I am humbled and eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father.  I know I say a lot of things are my "favorite," but Mitchell truly is My Favorite.

The Sunday night after we were officially engaged, we were talking about wedding plans and the future.  At one point, Mitchell paused, looked at me, and asked, "Is this real life?"

Yes, Mitchell.  This is real life.  ILY.

TOMORROW.

THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED.  TOMORROW.

SO HAPPY FOR Y'ALL :)

i love my brothers, pt. 2: the groom

so, i have this brother.  his name is jason.  he met this wonderful girl last year.  her name is heather.  they realized that they really, really liked each other... so much so that they figured spending eternity together would probably be a really, really great idea.

this is almost 3 months overdue, but as promised (on more than one occasion), i proudly present to you...

mr. and mrs. jason romney.

married and sealed for time and all eternity on may 26, 2012, in the portland, oregon temple.

quite possibly the cutest red-headed couple you will ever meet.

so happy to have added a sister to the family, and so happy that they will be together forever.

(the new romney family)

(the oregon reception)

(the texas open house)

(photo credit: nicole jacobson; food credit: jessica & patricia lucio)

(i spent half the night holding a brand-new baby.  it was wonderful.)

congratulations, jason & heather!  love you both with all my heart!