Memorial Day '14

A paid day off from work that doesn't take up my vacation hours is automatically hoisted to the top of my list of favorite days. A holiday that encourages barbecuing, lake trips, and being grateful for our freedoms garnered from the sacrifices of our military only sweetens the deal.
Speaking of military, thanks Grandpa!

And thank you Aunt Leslie for the sweet photo :)
Love and miss my sweet Grandpa.

A little after 9am on Monday we hauled out with our cooler of tasty foods and drinks, headed to our local walmart to buy a couple bags of ice and a load of bottled water, and set out along highway 88 to get out to Apache lake. Our original plan was to hang out at Butcher Jones but we've had bad experiences with the leeches (and the drunk peeps) at that location so we figured there was nothing to lose spending the extra hour to get out where it would be less crowded and less infested with blood sucking parasites.
We went out by ourselves. No group of friends tagging along, no family with boats, just ourselves, a lawn chair, and goggles for entertainment.
Those goggles saved the day.
We parked at the marina and just hung out along the shore by the docks. I started out with an invigorating swim around the 'no wake' buoy and when I got back Mark was grinning widely and said, "Yep. This is my new hobby," holding out his hand to give me something.
Feeling very wary I held out my hand in response and he dropped a soaking wet but neat and whole $5 bill into my hand. Which he'd found. On the lake bottom.
We spent a good four hours combing the mucky floor of the lake, occasionally resting to eat something and my heart swelled to see my husband grinning like a little boy and paddling over to grab me in a big hug saying, "This is the most fun I've had in a long time. Great idea honey!"
We recovered a multitude of sunglasses (some in decent shape, others not), two golf balls, a hair clip and decorative flower, bits of metal and plastic piping, an extremely grimy snorkel tube, a snorkel mask that must not have been under very long for how clean it was, the grand prize $5 bill and a pristine pocket knife that Mark was very excited to find.

When we weren't scavenging under the water (and running face first into fish the size of our arms) (terrifying) we snacked on sliced watermelon, corn on the cob, and veggie wraps. Our one unfortunate circumstance was that in being so close to the Marina and stuck to the shore, we were in the forced company of some very drunk, very profane "youths". But we managed to lay in the soft sand on our towels reading or just sunbathing (having just slathered on another layer of sunscreen to our pasty white bodies, of course) and have a really good time regardless.

We're especially looking forward now to our next Apache trip coming up in a couple weeks with Mark's dad and extended family from Tucson. You can bet we'll have more "sunken treasures" after hangin' out all weekend!

We decided to take the back road out rather than going back the way we came in because it was a slightly shorter distance and our exhaust pipe was precariously hanging off the back, having lost a bolt amid all the jostling and jolting of the dirt roads. We had a safe and easy ride back into the valley but were startled when we found that Bush Hwy was currently closed off. We had been planning on going home to feed the dog and freshen up a bit before stopping by Mark's mom's for a quick hello and well-wishing but with Bush Hwy closed and the 87 taking us well into the middle of Mesa, we decided we had to just stop by my mother-in-law's as is.
"Lake Urchin" is not the hottest trend this season, but it's all we had to work with.
We made it home before 9, watched the grand prize finale of America's Funniest Home Videos and made it to bed around 10.
Not a bad 12 hour day. Not bad at all.

Hope your Memorial Day was as fun-and-family-filled as ours.

Here we are looking high off of all the fun.

We can't all be photogenic.

Life of Wife

I work an hourly job and Mark is blessed with a fabulous salaried position. My company doesn't offer a ton of paid time-off and I'm getting near my year mark (vacation renews at hire date anniversary) so I'm all out of vacation days. But Mark has loads.
He took the day off to go out boating on Saguaro Lake with his dad and I declined attending because what with all this sickness and surgeries on my plate, I need every bit of hours I can manage.

And so, it is with deepest guilt that I laugh because the sky is loaded with dense clouds and a 20% chance of rain on the one day my husband decides to take off and go chill at the lake.

trololol karma.

Although in truth, it's a pretty perfect day for fishing, so for that I am jealous.

And the fact that he's out floating on water enjoying the view of Usury Pass and the beautiful desert before July and August have dried it out completely.

Actually, no this still stinks.

Meh.

Wife (n.); one capable of both feeling glad and angry for the joy of their espoused. As well as woe and mirth for their slight misfortunes.

I made that up, don't go looking in a dictionary to correct me, mkay? This is my blog, where everything's made up and the rules don't matter.
Also we steal funny things from other people and change it to fit our needs.

Also, maybe I'm a bad wife.

Simply Simple

Just took a quick glance through  my previous posts and whoopsie! Turns out I haven't shown much of anything regarding our wedding photos and the reception. Hah! And I, for one, think they're pretty great ;)

We took these pictures a couple weeks before the wedding.

There wouldn't be a good time with good lighting 

after the ceremony.

The lighting that day, was perfect.

Everything with him is perfect.

I do believe in fairies! I do!

I guess it's high time for another round of honeymoon stories :) Considering I've only done one post on it. I was totally convinced I'd talked about it previously, considering I think about it all the time and of course I always blog what I think about right when I think about it.........
:ahem:
So I guess last time we went through favorite moments.
Now...I dunno. I'll just upload pics and talk. Good plan.

We went to the Aquarium!!

I'd been there before, considering

my sister used to live seriously maybe 10

minutes away from the site.

But Mark hadn't! :D

Nom nom suction cuppy thingies

(ooh, ooh! New joke I only just heard yesterday;

Why does the little mermaid wear seashells?

eh? eh?

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

Because she couldn't fit into

D-shells! xD)

(I laughed an absurd amount in the middle

of the breakfast aisle at baby walmart.

Sad, I know)

Hawlo, there! 

I know it's not really as cool as I think it is,

but I just love that between the camera and his face,

there's actually a huge tank of water

and all sorts of bizarre

aquatic biology.

So amazing!

As a matter of fact,

Yes.

I did know my husband is 

SUPER attractive.

As well as I knew that

I am a dork.

I love the otters so much,

I'm including them again.

Baby otter noming!

Oh, I would just die if I could ever touch one.

Or at least sob in complete ecstasy.

Sorta like this...

Ellen has got to be one of THE most entertaining show hosts...of all time. Seriously. I hardly ever come across a video from her show and get bored. 

Let's take just a minute and reflect on how absolutely beautiful and perfect our honeymoon location was, shall we?

It seriously felt like a fairytale world.

Perhaps aided by our similar

desert rat upbringing.

Rain sticking around for weeks on end?

Rain lasting all day long?

Smells and green and a bright sun

you don't feel piercing right through your skin?

Plus those magical, overgrown steps.

I'd say we had a jolly good time :)

Adorbsicle

Sitting on the bathroom floor, browsing the interwebz, chatting with the hubby as he sits in the bathtub with the shower on.
Steam is nice...for some people.
It actually makes me feel nauseous and claustrophobic and I can't shower without the door open.

In fact, here's a tidbit of exactly what Mark just randomly, out of complete silence said to me;
"Sometimes I wish I could just open a shop..."
look over in consternation
"Of some kind. I don't know why."
"I think it would be cool to open a pawn shop. But then it's a pawn shop and you have to be all shady and stuff."

I don't think Mark knows I include direct quotes from him right into my posts. Naturally, the moment he said shop I didn't think of a sword place, or something to do with machines or vehicles or manly-manliness. I pictured him surrounded by mountains of cupcakes.
It's a tad absurd, I tell you what.

I'm just a fan of chillin' with my best friend and the fact that I don't have to feel guilty or begin panicking soon about how I should be driving home to meet curfew in a few minutes. I like grocery shopping with my hunny and catching him sneak strawberry syrup into the cart, and sliding down the aisles. I love Love. And I don't actually hate people. In case you were feeling a little put out from my last post.

Thank you, and goodnight.

I'm gonna have to start a little mini-series for this whole wedding and honeymoon thing. No way could I give it even .003% justice trying to do it all in one post.

So, firstly. Favorite moments on the honeymoon :)

#1

Why, yes. Our car did break down in the middle of the highway only 5 or 6 hours out on the trip. Such lovely times. Actually, the car more of fell apart rather than broke down. We heard a strange "ka-CLUNKka!" sound and the dude driving behind us swerved like a dead body had just catapulted out of our trunk. And so, that warped and twisted piece of metal you see him holding? We discarded that on the side of the road and went on without it. Hah! So lucky that he knows what he's doing with these silly automobiles.

#2

So Mark had done some research as to touristy spots we should visit and he was keeping this one a surprise from me. We headed out and I went berserk with the camera. But when we pulled into the drive for wherever-we-were-going we came upon that stretch of puddle there. The measuring sticky thing said it was a little more than a foot deep. We decided we couldn't chance it :( We ended up checking back with this place 3 times over the next couple days until finally, we just decided to GO FOR IT!
Well, not after I'd gotten out, found a huge long plank of wood (like, taller than me plank) and used it to try to feel out into the puddle to see if it really was that deep. Mark got out too and while we were fiddling around like a pair of sillies these two cars (similar size to us) went barreling through. One was a park ranger car. We stood there for a second feeling stupid but went cheering and running back to the car...
This is what happened;

We were very excited to finally be headed somewhere we both really wanted to go. Mark had eventually told me what it was, when it looked like we maybe couldn't make it.
But we did it! We got to hike through the infamous Fern Canyon. Where you can find herds of elk right off the path...

And many Ferngully moments...

If you've never read (/sigh, or seen) Ferngully then begone with ye! Jk, I still love you. But seriously. Robin Williams is a psychotic fruit bat and it's about saving the rainforest starring teeny tiny pretty fairies. What's not to love?

#3

My dear husband isn't much of one for taking pictures but this here beaut is one I never would have without his help. It makes me laugh each and every time, his little face poking out there in the corner xD

#4

Looks pretty creepy, eh? We thought so, too. In fact, we were just waltzing along amidst the ginormous trees and various foliage when randomly I glanced to my right and saw that gaping mouth of ominous blackness. I pointed it out excitedly to Mark and we had a little 5-year old in a cornfield moment of "OMG we're explorers for realzies now". I wanted to go check it out and see what was inside but the closer I crept to the cave the more timid and safety-conscious Mark got. I eventually let him talk me out of going to see what was inside (alright, I was afraid a monster bear would come out and eat me, too) and we continued along the hiking trail. Turns out, about 3 yards ahead the trail zig-zagged back and goes, you guessed it...

Right in front of the doom cave. We laughed so hard and I teased him the rest of the trip about it. 

#5

Remember that whole "Explorers for Realzies" thing I mentioned? Well we totally are...

 

It was really exciting, not gonna lie. 

and finally, #6

Also on the beach, Mark found himself easily entertained for (I kid you not) probably around 5-6 minutes...

He's a silly one. And that's why I'll keep him around :) Plus many other things such as he's an awesome cooker of breakfast things (which I am not) and he fixes anything and everything and he makes me laugh. And if that's not enough, well the beard is pretty awesome. C'mon, admit it. It is.

Yay for love!! 

Silly Boy

Sometimes...my fiance's an idiot.
Like the moments where there's 5 minutes before he has to log in for school and he says,
"Are you sure we're mature enough to get married?"
Which is not a new question from him. So I tease,
"You gettin' cold feets on me?!"

And then that awkward moment where he is.
But he actually isn't.
But he makes it seem like he is.
Because he doesn't talk for endless minutes and clarify and explain what he means.
So I get all somber and end up crying cuz he doesn't know how to use his words and just TELL me that all he means is he's worried I'm not going to be up to dealing with him for the rest of my life and he doesn't want me to have to deal with him or be "stuck" with him for the rest of eternity and I start crying even harder and yell at him with my face smooshed into his soggy shoulder,
"You're so stupid! I love you, why are you such a blockhead?!"
Still crying but laughing.

Good times.

Wedding Spattergroit

It's like my actual day is experiencing a sugar crash and I'm totally not ready for it. I was barreling through today like a freaking productive monster and all of a sudden there's nothing to do for a couple hours and I'm just stuck. Stuck and restless. And itching to see my honey. But that might just be from a bug bite.

TODAY

• Met with photographer
• Attended "mandatory" orientation for online psych101
• Took specified drugs
• Met with printer people for invitations
• Basically knocked the socks off this wedding planning business.

Although, the picture thing got a little more complicated than I would've liked. We're now kinda forced into doing bridals, which I...want? Yes, and no. Because now I'm all confused and flustered. Because the sun's annoying, trying to have our sealing at 11:15, do family pictures and wedding party pictures at the temple and then get to the reception later that evening was going to involve more driving than anybody ever wants to experience on any wedding day (whether it's your own or not). So that wouldn't work. And no beeping way am I getting up early enough to go do morning pictures at the temple. HAH! So we decided to do bridals February 27th, instead, so we can choose the time of day, get the right lighting, all that technical jazz. But now I gotta rethink all sorts of things and my brain's so scattered today it's proving ridiculously difficult to focus and start at any one specific point. 

And my typing is terrible right now. How frustrating. 

I don't think it helps that I hardly slept last night, ending up just laying in my bed from 6-8am and finally just getting up because I was bored of the ceiling. You can only stare at it for so long. Apparently 2 hours is my limit. 

One thing that's gonna be super nice (and I actually originally wanted in the first place) is we'll be able to get some prints from the bridal shoot and use them at the reception. Yay! But at the same time, now both he and I have to look like we're ready to get married almost two weeks in advance. I only worry about that because I haven't even given half a seconds thought as to what the heck he's gonna be wearing. And do I get him his ring before then, so he can wear it in that photoshoot?? And what in the world am I going to do with my own head? I just wasn't expecting to have these decisions thrown at me so soon. They were there in the back of my mind. But now my brain wants to scoot into 'panic mode' and freak out. Though there's no real reason to. There's still....[gulp] 5 weeks till then. 

HOLY PIGEON TOES.

I'm getting married exactly 7 weeks from today. Ack! That's less than 50 days!! 

Ohhhh, lordy I really need to get crackin' on organizing all the addresses. Maybe I'm not as on top of things as I was thinking.....

I'm just sooooo, so, so, so glad that at the end of all this I get to stay at home with my brand, spankin' new hubby and cook him dinners and clean our little baby apartment like a good little wifey. I really am having fun with all the planning, sitting on the couch with my mom at the end of the day and making a new list of all the things we still need to work out. The making decisions part of it is still a little weird to me and there's an element of anxiety to it all because....well, my opinions aren't exactly rock-solid so I worry they'll change at any moment and there's really not much time left for indecisiveness. But it truly is comforting that when March 11th comes and all is said and done I can just hug my husband and know we're sealed for eternity and everything is always going to work out because we love each other and that's what you do!

I just gotta figure out who I can ask to help me with my hair and makeup for the bridals cuz, well I'd kinda like to look nice for those. I dunno, it's whatever. 

WEDDINGS!! blealhgaltrlejgoiut. thlghlthplghlthp. Whew!

It's ok. 

You're allowed to love us.

I do, too.

Dreams & Miracles

My fairytale, brought to you by the magic of Disneyland theme parks :)

I am here to testify to you that perfect days do exist. Days that could never possibly be planned by any living human. I know because I just lived one. 

If you follow this blog you know that firstly, I had the day off today.

Perfect #1

Then secondly, boyfriend drove six straight hours to get here just before midnight on Thursday. 

Perfect #Everything

Not to mention I was totally expecting him to not be in town until 3am or later even! Before midnight??!? The phone conversation was kind of awkward. But can you blame me? I had no time to prepare myself to at least act semi-cool about it.

11:30ish~

BF: [texting] Sooo...how do I get into this place, again?

Me: [grabs phone and speed-dials BF] You're here? Are you here? You're seriously here right now? What?!

BF: Uh, yeah?

Me: .....seriously?

BF: [laughing uncomfortably] Yes, I am.

Me: Um, I'm coming down then....I guess....you're here?? Like, out front??

(at this point I'm halfway down the stairs and out the door)

BF: [laughs] No, I'm not.

Me: [stops dead in tracks] Wait, what?!

BF: I'm kidding! I'm kidding, I'm here!!

Me: Mark! You can't mess with me right now...

I walk out the doors and naturally the kid didn't have the decency to make himself visible or known so I'm standing there awkwardly holding that phone to my face and turning around in circles trying to not let on how frantically I'm looking for him. Because I know he's watching me somewhere around a corner or something.

I finally find him in his bright orange shirt that I maybe should've seen first thing stepping out the doors, but whatevs. I'm oblivious. 

Yeah, ok, we hugged for an obscene amount of time. Hush. 

But that's not the story. Today is the story :)

Had my phone set to go off at 8:30am so we could get ready, go eat breakfast and get in the parks ASAP and still getting at least some sleep. But I popped awake at 7:15 and I might as well have been a 5 year old on Christmas morning finding a batch of pretty, ribboned candy canes on my pillow except it was in the form of a boyfriend on the couch. I could (and would and shall) get used to mornings with that kid.

He was awake, too. 

Though he pretended to not be.

But I knew he was, cuz he totally was not wearing his sleeping face. Which is unfairly serene, btw. My sleeping face is about as attractive as a dead zebra with his tongue lolled out his mouth and I'm not sure why the dead zebra is a 'he'. Boyfriend looks peaceful and tidy and just too gosh darn attractive. In his sleep. Tis unfair, I tell you.

Anyway, we got ready but still didn't exactly leave the apartment till a little after 9. 

We ate at IHOP, which was quite nice--

After we silenced our grumbling tummies, went on a small mini-adventure trying to find the correct parking lot. Typical. Oh, did I mention legit free parking? ahem-hem, yeah I'm just kinda cool is all.

First ticket to Disneyland EVAR. And it was completely free. How awesome do you get? Not much more awesome, I tell ya what.
(oh, little funny fact; for a few really funny seconds he could not remember Pluto's name. I laughed)

Pin all the things!!!

This eased both of us on concerns for terrible looking awkward possible engagement photos. Tis reassuring that we can look normal and gasp! even cute!

Oh, Splash Mountain. You look so good on even the best of us.

He didn't appreciate all the picture taking. But boy's gotta get used to it!!

Plus, then I would never catch such beauties as that :)

And he took plenty, as well.

So this scared me. We rode Star Tours and it seemed like he enjoyed it well enough. The ride ended, I took my 3D glasses off and look over at him ready to 'discuss' the ride and I'm shocked to see that he looks extremely sweaty, dazed, and I realize as I take his hand he's really clammy. He really looked like he was gonna be sick. But he remained adamant that he was 'fine'. We walked out of the ride and he was immediately getting better but still kind of wobbley.
Got him some water, got to sit down for awhile and just blah for a minute. Luckily, it helped and his bout of motion sickeness went away. He figured it was just the intensely amazing 3D mixed with the sudden backwards feel of the ride...
Whoooeeee. Scared me silly!

Speaking of scary.....o_O

[laughs].....[laughs more].....I'll just leave it at that.

It rained! With the sun out! Right on top of Town Square and the castle basically. Perfect much??

Jumping a bit straight into 'GUESS WHAT WE'RE ENGAGED YAY'.
Discovered this room the same week he came and I took him in there to see the Toy Story zoetrope. But it happens to be connected to this random huge room with a bunch of projection screens...

We watched the zoetrope for awhile. Got major headache. There was a Tangled poster in the room and I looked up at boyfriend and said, "How much will you hate me if I make us dance to I See the Light from Tangled??"

He said he wouldn't. In fact he said he'd like that :)

We walk back into the screen-room (I don't know what it's really called, sorry! haha) and a cute little 'Up' video comes on, summarizing Mr. & Mrs. Fredricksen; the beginning ("You don't talk much...I like you!"), the marriage, the saving up money for stuff but using it for fix-ups, the series of ties that she puts on him, they get old, she collapses on the hill, she dies....the whole thing.

And he's standing behind me squeezing my shoulders tighter and tighter as their life flashes before our eyes. I can't speak for him but in my head I was thinking, "Yup. I could live a whole life with him....I really could." 

It went to Lady and the Tramp next. We watched a little bit and were just about to head out when it ended and transitioned to Tangled.

Now, understand this; I am obsessed with Tangled. Rapunzel is my idol and by some miraculous twist of fate, I get told I'm like her from a lot of people who know me quite well :) tis fantastic. I get giddy just hearing or seeing any mention of the movie. So the song "I See the Light" comes on--foreshadowing on my part, much?! ha! :D and those images pictured above.

Me: "Just kidding! Let's stay a couple more minutes!!"

BF: [smiles]

We walk over to where we're out of peoples' way and just hug. So very tight. I've missed him so much and he hasn't stopped reminding me how much he missed me and loves me all day. Still hugging, we slowly begin to rock back and forth, almost like slow dancing.

I feel his head shift over close to my ear and I hear him, emotion clogging his voice, "Hope, I love you so much and I have something to ask you...."

The moment he said my name, my heart immediately began racing. 

He kneels down and....there are no words. Simply no words. I've always scoffed at the people that gush, "Oh no one else exists in the world when I'm around him/her!! oh smoochy smoochy mushy barf love!" I can no more scoff because that happened. There were people all over but they disappeared in my reality. All I knew was there was this extremely handsome man I love kneeling before me with the most tender smile I have ever witnessed holding out this box with something very shiny in it.

And all I had to say was

"YES."

I was not expecting it, I did not see it coming, I was completely surprised. He hid it so well! He's terrible at keeping secrets! But he was amazing. Only shook a teensy little bit putting the ring on my finger.

So I'm a fiance now :)

After that, I lost my voice on Tower of Terror and then we saw World of Color. Once again, that show did not let me down and totally rocked Mark's socks off! He was totally amazed. Which says a lot coming from my dear analytical, critical and maybe just a tad judgemental boyfr--fiance. 

I am still geeking out about how absolutely perfect the day went. Things really just fell into place. The rides went smoother, the show was complete and whole even for me, now knowing all the things I do. Mark loved the entire experience, which was something I absolutely adored seeing. His smile, his excited eyes trying to take in everything and figure it all out. 

The rain.

The timing! I mean 'Tangled'?? FOR REALZIES!!?

World of freaking Color.

Disney magic is legit, people. Le-git.

All in all....

That's all I have to say about today.