Happy Dance!

Vendors. All picked. Life is good.


Gugelman Photography
Brittany Andersen Photography
Nate Pickett Films
Emberlily Design
Wedding Cakes by Dawna
Bridal Expressions
Black Tie Tuxedos

Not gonna disclose the reception site here on the blog... gotta wait for the announcements for that one!! :-)

Keep voting on the photos! Chuck is designing our invites- fun huh?- And we love the feedback!

Favorite...

#1


#2


Or #3


Now vote.


And just because I think he's so terribly cute...


VISIT BRITTANY'S WEBSITE! I'm so into promoting her right now!

http://www.brittanyandersenphotography.com/

Fun Stuff...

Go here...

http://www.brittanyandersenphotography.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Brittany, for all your amazing work!


Check out her website as well:

http://www.brittanyandersenphotography.com/

Remembering What it's Like...

To do a full length show... I am excited. Even though this was just the first dress rehearsal, it still brings back great memories of just barely being home from Hong Kong and having a new project on my plate. I love that feeling.

A Little Annoyed... OK- ANNOYED

I, like the rest of the country, have been riveted by the history that's been in the making the last few days. It's incredible and exciting and REALLY wonderful, but I am getting annoyed with the fact that celebrities are the people that the general public listens to when it comes to politics. Really? The fact that some stars on "HEROS" DOES NOT make them a political expert or analyst. So WHY are all these people being interviewed as if they ARE? Bugs.

Coming to an End...

And I am getting sentimental. Sigh.

Sunday Sunshine... Two Weeks Worth

#1: "I Love to See the Temple, I'm Going there ... TODAY." That was the song I was singing all day last Saturday knowing that at 5:30. I'd be going to the Bountiful Temple to receive my endowment. What a blessing it was to have my sister, Biff, as my escort, and to have many of my and Chuck's family members, and some friends there as well. It was an amazing night!




#2: MY WEDDING IS PLANNED!!! Ha! All you folks who laughed at me for saying that's how I would do it... so there! OK- fine, so it's not ALL done. I still have to pick a florist (waiting on all my quotes to come in), and a videographer. AND I need to pick music. FINE. I'm NOT done. But close. And gosh, it feels AMAZING! And I need a veil. Hmmmmm. Details details...

#3:I got to spend ten days in Utah. Some of you may think I'm never actually in Florida... ha ha... Yes, I LOVE to go home. This time around I was able to see my favorite boy and play with my mom more often than normal.

#4: I was able to see my dear friend Christian in the national tour of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" on January 7. His talent astounds me and I was THRILLED to be able to spend some time with my dear friend after years of being apart.



#5: My flight back here to Orlando only had 31 people on it. I LOVE those flights! I wrote six pages in my journal and read and just pondered life. Sometimes I LOVE flying!

#6: The same flight, from Denver to Orlando, only last three hours and ten minutes! Thank you, wind!

#7: I saw the Twilight movie with my mom last Thursday and I really liked it. In fact, I like the book MORE now because of the movie. Weird?

#8: Early early morning text messages from Kallie make me smile. ;-)

#9: This baby. Love her. Love the big poofy dress and the way she "ooooos" at herself in it. Love the sucker. Love the tears that come when the sucker is taken away. She's great.




#10: There are 19 days of work left! That's about sixty-five shows. But who's counting? (And just FYI- it WILL be sad to leave... but I kind of have things going on AFTER I finish here that I'm excited about. Time to moooooooove on.)

#11: I have all of my tax info ready to go. Hopefully I can get them done this week and HOPEFULLY I'll be getting my MUCH NEEDED refund soon.

#12: I am glad I am sensible. I'm glad I spend the time SHOPPING around for different things to find the best value for the the price. It's time consuming, but it's worth it in the end. Amy's practical side isn't always so bad.

#13: I had my hair re-highlighted on Friday. THANK HEAVEN. I look pretty again. And I got some great root lifter to help my otherwise pathetically flat hair.

#14: I still love my ring. It's perdy.

#15: Costa Vida is super yummy, and it's makes me amazingly happy. I had it twice while I was home. Soon I will live in Utah... happy.

#16: Apartment shopping was fun! Chuck and I actually only looked at one place, but yay! It was a lot of fun to look around for places to make our little home! Someday we'll buy a house. Yippee!

#17: I'm so proud of my baby sister. She was so much help during this trip, but nothing could top off the experience of being in the temple with her. I am amazed at her strength and the way she can balance her crazy little life. She graduates in less than months! YAY BIFFY!

#18: My roommates are great ladies. It was great to come back home to them!

#19: Today I got holiday pay! Thanks, Martin Luther King!

#20: I'm coming up with some good ideas to start out a little voice lessons business. Trying to figure out what I should do to make money when I come home has been a bit of a challenge. It honestly is scary knowing that in less than a month I'll no longer have a weekly paycheck... ah, such is the life of an actress. Anyway, I'm taking suggestions on where I could work or on good tips for teaching voice.

#21: Sleeping pills are something I never use... except tonight when I need to get myself back onto Eastern Time. :-)

So that's the latest on what makes me feel happy and grateful for life. I'm a very blessed girl.

And the Month Long Separation Begins...

Too late for a Sunday Sunshine post... I know, I missed last week too, but I've been busy busy. More soon. In the meantime, enjoy the pic of Chuck and me at the new Draper Temple. We drove up there the other night- so pretty!

Reliving the Memories... Again...

Favorite Moment on the B AND B Stage- EVER.

Let it Snow... Especially When I am 2,000 Miles Away...

I knew it! He really DOES love the snow!!! :-)

.... ... .... ... . .. ...... ..

I'm up at 2:30 AM feeding the hamster on my blog. Something is SERIOUSLY wrong with my life. :-)

Note to my mind: SHUT UP!

Note to others: Keep the wedding idea feedback coming. I love it.

Wedding Thoughts of the Day...

First Sunday Sunshine of 2009!

What I'm thankful for this week... Oh, and what makes me happy too...


#1: Chuck (and all of our stuff!!!) made it safely to Utah!!! He left on Tuesday afternoon, and arrived at his mom's house by Friday afternoon. Yippee! He had a great time driving across the country on his own. He SAYS he wishes I'd been there with him, but had he spent THAT many hours in the car with hyper Amy he may be rethinking that statement. ;-)

#2: THANK HEAVEN GAS PRICES ARE SO LOW RIGHT NOW. That is a SERIOUSLY blessing for us right now. Had he been driving across the country at $3.90/gallon, we would have really had to pray hard to find the money for it all.

#3: Christmas cards make me so happy. My friend Jenna posted a pic of her Christmas cards on her blog, and it just got me thinking how much I LOVE getting those cards every year. There's something about opening an "old fashioned snail mailbox" and finding something addressed to you in it.

#4: The Fabulous Andrea Daveline. This cute girl is going so out of her way to plan me a fabulous bridal shower here in Orlando. It really means SO much to me! Love you, lady!

#5: My job. I know, I know- my job and I had some rough times this summer, but now that I am counting down the weeks that I have left there, I am really happy with the people that I have worked with and the things I've been able to do here. Oh how I'll miss all the little quirks of the B and B stage.

#6: On Wednesday I get to see my dear friend Christian in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" that's in Lakeland on tour. Oh, how I love happy reunions!!! :-)

#7: The next two weeks will be busy busy with wedding planning. Utah, here I come... again.

#8: This weekend, as I was barfing everything, I became attached to Fruit Punch Gatorade. Thank you, Hannah, for taking such good care of me as I felt like life itself was being sucked from me.

#9: This weekend I had a love/hate relationship with shoes. I was trying to find my bridesmaids shoes... I finally found some for a great price. Phew. Something crossed off the list.

#10: A New Year! Out with the old, and in with the new! Time for New Years Resolutions again. Hmmmmm. That'll be a project for the week.




#11: My pretty ring. I still love it.

#12: I'm getting a TON of my stuff home via airplane later this week. Hopefully that means that my car can be packed up without cramming my lil granny in the backseat too tightly.

#13: I can file my taxes in a couple weeks! PLEASE BLESS this year brings a refund! :-)

#14: The temple. Love it. Das' all.

#15: The fact that I can eat again thrills me. Last night- when I was still sick- I drove past a million restaurants and wanted to cry because I was so hungry. But I'm better now. :-)

That's all for this week, my friends! Be happy!

What Sucks...

I don't use the word suck. Never have- think it's dumb. HOWEVER- I will use it publicly today.

BARFING SUCKS.
And so does having a fiance in another state.

That's all I'm going to say.

Oh wait- there is one good thing about spending your entire night over the toilet... it's a GREAT ab workout.

Help. Shoes. I Need Them.

To Any and All Mall, Department Store, and Target Shoppers:

I need Tiffany Blue shoes. Heels. Not tall ones. Keep your eyes out for them and the minute you see something let me know. Yep.

Sunday Sunshine- The Post Christmas Edition

I just get a charge out of these Jesus in the Sky people. It happens quite often here in Orlando. Messages like, "Jesus+You= Smiley Face," "Jesus Loves You," "Jesus Saves," etc etc etc appear above the theme parks all afternoon. I can't help but giggle.

Anyway, time for Sunday Sunshine... I have SO much of it lately that I dunno if I'll remember... but here we go...

#1: Holiday pay is a beautiful thing. Overtime is a beautiful thing. Vacation pay is a beautiful thing. I need money so badly right now, and I am thankful that the means are slowly coming to me. The blessings of tithing are REAL!

#2: I don't have to pay rent this month! I am selling all of my furniture to Les, our landlord, so the room can stay furnished when I leave. BLESSINGS.

#3: Cheesy EFY songs from my high school days still make me feel good.

#4: Cookie dough. I did it again. Only this time I didn't even bake cookies. I love eating this stuff. Tomorrow my healthy eating and gym habits will resume (after a five day hiatus...), but gosh- cookie dough is divinity. Who cares if I could get sick from the raw eggs that my mom always reminds me about... ha.


#5: Chuck and I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the past year and a half the last few weeks. He heads to Utah to start a new job and basically a new life on Tuesday. I am so so happy about the time we have had here in Orlando. Life will be full of great memories of our time here.

Here we are being cheeseballs and reenacting a night, when we first met, after Sunday Night Gathering when we chatted for a few hours next to his truck.

#6: I love laughing and I've done lots of it the past few days. I got a great gag gift, and I've spend fun times with my roomies and friends here in Orlando. It's been lovely.

#7: I'm saying goodbye to my roomie Amy this week. Amy and I go back to the days of Guys and Dolls at BYU-Idaho when we dated guys who were best friends. How grateful I am for the time I have had to get to know her again at this point of our lives. She has been a great example, friend, and roommate. I will miss her. The "Amy Wing" of the house will never be the same.

#8: I'm thankful for the relief of having a reception center and a dress. I am able to relax... a little bit, until I head to Utah again in a week and a half for more planning.

#9: Time is going fast. This is both a blessing and something that I feel weird about. I really have no idea where this year went. I have a feeling this will become a trend in my life...

#10: My job is great. I know I have had my really difficult times at the stage- but gosh- I really am thankful for the hours, the pay, and the people.

#11: I love the smell of clean laundry. Sniffffffff.

#12: I am reading Twilight. Finally. I wasn't really into the first 150 or so pages... and when Edward saved Bella from the scary dudes in the little town while she and her friends were dress shopping, I rolled my eyes and put it down for days. I picked it back up a day ago and I'm now starting to get into it. I like it.

#13: Cinnamon Stride gum is hard to come by lately. Chuck found lots of it for me for Christmas! YAY!

#14: Yissa, I wore my PINK SHOES for the first time in months last night. Ah, memories.

#15: When I was home in Utah, I met Abi, my cousin Melissa's little girl. I love newborn babies!

#16: Christmas cards: I LOVE THEM. They make me terribly happy!

#17: We get a new roommate this week! I love new friends!

#18: I have a great adoration for THANK YOU cards. I love to buy them. I love to give them. I got some for Christmas. Yay!

#19: Have I mentioned that it's been about 85 degrees here the last week? Oh, sorry. :-)

#20: Papa John's cheesesticks are yummy yummy.

#21: I'm excited for all the new things coming. I always know when it's time to "move on" and begin a new phase of life... and this time it's really obvious. :-) Chuck is starting his new job, I'll move back to Utah mid-February, and then in March- I'll get married. Weird! Fun!

Yippee!

And now I need an opinion: My dear and wonderful Andrea is throwing a shower for me here in Orlando. I have lots of friends and coworkers that I am excited to invite. HOWEVER- there's NO WAY I can get presents from a shower home to Utah. I dunno if I'll even be able to fit all the stuff I already have in my car! Anyway, I am wondering if it would be tacky to request, "Since Amy will be taking a cross country trip," an all GIFT CARD shower here in Orlando. I need opinions... it's kind of the only option I can see working....

Catching Up...

So obviously it's been a long time since I did an update. Lots has happened in the past two weeks... let me give you the brief version:


Aaron Curtis visited with his wife and kids from Texas. Hadn't seen him in like four years. Awesome. Ah memories of Ricks College and being 19...


SURPRISE!!! On December 17 (a bad day for flying in my family, but I still did it...) I showed up at the SLC airport- much to the surprise of my mommy. Elizabeth and I had been plotting for about two months for this trip home. She took my mom to A Christmas Carol at Hale that night, and then told her that they needed to pick up Ron- Elizabeth's father-in-law - at the airport. As they drove past passenger pickup I watched as my mom did a double take and then jumped out of the car and said, "WHAT?!? We weren't looking for Ron! Let me see your ring!" It was BY FAR the most amazing and wonderful surprise I have ever created. THANK YOU BIFF FOR BEING SO SNEAKY!

The next morning it was all business.... my goal for this trip was to, obviously, have a little Christmas time with my family members, and to find a place for a reception, a dinner, AND I was going to find a dress! I was determined. Seriously- I had to get that stuff done. If I didn't I was going to have to resort to taking sleeping pills every night here in Orlando so my mind would shut down. Ha. Anyway...

Christmas dinner with my mom, Biff, Brett, and Kensie.




Kensie is ridiculous. I love her, but she's ridiculous. Ha ha. She is the most friendly little baby I have ever seen in my life. She spent the whole night making friends with the people at the tables around us, and by the end of the night she had the full attention of these three teenaged boys. She says, "HI!" and waves, and that's it. They are putty in her little hands. Kensie is hilarious!


I gave her a Baby Belle for Christmas- she LOVES her nose.


Baby Belle become SUMO Belle when Elizabeth was stuck in the car with a sleeping baby while my mom and I shopped for wedding dresses. My sister cracks me up.

Here's the great news: By the time I finished everything on Saturday I had a reception place, a place for the dinner the night before, AND I had narrowed things down to two dresses. On Monday I bought one of those dresses. YEAH! I'm good to go, people!

I decorated my mommy's Christmas tree so she could be festive.




Next came the OTHER big surprise. My stepmom and I had plotted- for weeks- to surprise my dad with my presence at a local Roberts Craft store. She takes my dad to craft stores all the time so it was just a typical trip for him.

I watched them go into the store- followed a few minutes behind them, found this handy dandy "Merry Christmas" yard sign (to which was attached a jingle bell), and tracked them down back by the picture frames.

I stood about 8 feet in back of my dad and jingled the sign as loud as I could. He ignored me. Stepped five feet closer... ignored me. Lame. So finally I walked up to him, shoved the "MERRY CHRISTMAS" sign in his face (it was covering me so he has NO idea who the weirdo doing this was), and slowly revealed my face to my daddy. "Well helllllllo," he said. Classic. Then Di, Kait, my dad and I all headed to dinner at El Matador in Bountiful. Later that night I went to their house and played a Wii for the first time ever. I LOVED IT!

Going on...

Christmas Eve.

Chuck and I went to Bubba Gump's. It was our last chance before he heads to Utah.



Christmas Day:

I got to be in the Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day. I'll probably never do that again. Fabulous.





Then EPCOT:




Then time for food at my house with the roomies and Amy Harper's family:

The food festival continued the next night with Chuck's farewell party. Six pizzas. Gone.



Friday I also said goodbye to my favorite gay, Barry. (He won't be around in the next month and a half before I leave). He was in the show with us when I first started and left awhile back. He came back to see the show and I was so happy!


And now, may I introduce, the funniest Christmas gift EVER. I think I am really going to enjoy bantering gag gifts with my father-in-law.


Yes my friends, look closely. That hair is glued onto her legs. My soon to be father-in-law made this for me. It has been the highlight of the holiday season for me and all of my friends here in Orlando. BRILLIANT.