I know, I know. Slacker = me.

Well gosh! It's been a while again. I always have so much to say but then I get to the point where I have TOO much to say and then I decide just to give up and not say it at all because it would be too exhausting to try to remember everything I wanted to say and you'd be stuck reading ridiculously long run-on sentences like this one and I would turn either really red or really blue from talking without taking a breath........

:: GASP ::

Okay, granted, that was all written down, but in my head I was running out of breath. You could hear it in your own head, couldn't you? Well you should have.

A wedding is to be had in 21 days.

TWENTY.
ONE.
DAYS.

HOLY................
(you can choose your favorite word)

Getting married has been the most surreal process for me. Maybe it's because I'm just someone who adapts easily but this is just my life now. I jump up and down sometimes with Ryan in the apartment when we talk about the fact we get to be together forever, or that he doesn't have to go home anymore because he'll just be home, or that we get to do it. I mean, er, um....freak, who the heck am I kidding? I'm totally excited about that. I'm not ashamed. It's not dirty. It's normal! (Sorry, Dad.) We pretty much act married and almost live like we're married (minus the aforementioned) so it will be nice to just BE married.

:: steps onto a soapbox ::

Now is when I would like to advocate the idea of being engaged for 6 months. Ryan and I knew we were going to get married almost right after we started dating. As crazy as it sounds, that's how it rolled out. I just knew. It was weird; however, (and sorry to say this ) that unlike MANY, dare I say, a majority of my fellow college colleagues, we wanted to be together for a solid 9 months before getting hitched. That could include the engagement, but we felt that being in a relationship prior to marriage for that amount of time would give us ample time to get to know one another and to be ready to make an eternal commitment. Our engagement really couldn't have gone better. Bit by bit we have progressed to where we are now, which is perfect for transitioning into being married. We are ready to be married and not just because we want to do it. We have slowly been able to transition into sharing everything (money, food, etc). We have slowly transitioned into spending more and more time together (albeit, we have spent a total of about 7 days away from each other for the last 8 months). We have been able to address situations and really get to know what the other person wants and expects. We have had lots of time to show our true colors. When you are only with someone for four months from date #1 to marriage, I really don't understand how it could be a smooth or easy transition. I know at 3 months, although I was engaged to Ryan, I wasn't ready to be living with him and married yet. Neither was he. I know some things work for some people that don't for others, but for my LDS friends, I would just like to say that now that I have experienced it first hand, I still stand firm in having a relationship between 9 months to a year before you tie the knot. I think it would save so many couples, especially young couples, heartache and questions and arguments. Can you really know someone, I mean, TRULY know someone after 3 months? I didn't even fart in front of Ryan until we'd been together that long (and that's only because he's gross and likes it!) We need time to adjust. That's just how we are as human beings. Now, to you guys who got married quick, I think you know what you're talking about. No marriage is perfect, but I think a lot of misunderstandings can be avoided by giving things time before you are stuck. And to top it all off, for us LDS folk, you are making a covenant to God and with your spouse to be with them FOREVER. Like, eternity. No death to get you out of anything. They will be there waiting for you on the other side if you screw them over. Divorce really shouldn't be an option. Marriage isn't just about being in love, it's about committing yourself to being a team and living your life with your spouse, come hell or high water.

:: steps off ::

Now that I've gotten that off my chest.....

I'm enjoying life. I'm enjoying the idea of marriage and I'm enjoying working part time and allowing myself to slow down for a while. I was struggling to keep up with myself for a while there, and now I can breathe. I've enjoyed traveling and setting up our new apartment. I'm enjoying the freshly washed bedding. It's just nice. I'm trying really hard to take life a day at a time. I think life is easier that way. :)

I wish I had pictures for you, but I don't. Although, soon enough I'll have wedding pictures!!!!

Soapy Cup

So I bought this cup....

and I love it.

But it tastes like soap (which I don't remember using any soap in it thus far....) everytime I get to the bottom of the cup.

Hm....

Vacation :)

Ryan and I spent 11 days traveling what felt like all over the place! Since we live a pretty good distance from both families, we hadn't had the opportunity to meet each other's families until this trip. It was SO much fun! We flew out of Salt Lake to Long Beach. We stayed with one of Ryan's sisters, Keri and her family. We did a lot in a few short days!! California is fun, but man oh man, it is congested! I've never really seen anything like it. The traffic is horrible and it takes like an hour to get anywhere! We had a great time though. We did some work at the Los Angelos Temple, went to Universal and Hollywood, ate a LOT of AMAZING food, and I was exhausted at the end of each and every day! Here are some pictures from California. 

Our Jet into Long Beach!

The coast :) Soooo beautiful!

Our first picture on the west coast! 

Our first kiss on the coast! haha!

The coast is only about 10 minutes from his sister's place. Must be nice!

My first In n' Out -- don't hate me but I didn't really think it was any better than other burger places (i.e. Five Guys or Steak n Shake)

The newest addition to the family!! Ryan's nephew, Aison...or as Ryan calls him "The Ginger". He has a little patch of auburn brown hair on the back of his head. Ryan is SO cute with the baby.

Look at his face. LOL

At the Korean Bell. These are supposedly fertility statues and if you touch them, you are promised fertility. Ryan insisted. LOL. 

The LA Temple. HUGE. 

Probably my favorite thing ever was watching Ryan with Aison strapped on in the baby backpack. He carried him around while we were at the beach. Can you say precious?!

Cabrillo Beach

Walk of Fame. 

JULIA ROBERTS DOES NOT HAVE A STAR. 

I REPEAT, JULIA DOES NOT HAVE A STAR.

I. was. heartbroken.

Me and Samuel L. Jackson.

Okay fine, me with a wax sculpture of him. It looks pretty real though, right!?

Ryan with his kindred spirit....Forrest Gump.

Phil Collins' star.

Did I mention that Julia Roberts has no star?

Universal City walk. 

We ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. 

OMG it was AMAZING.

After our trip to California, we hopped yet another jet plane and flew to my lovely little home state of Indiana. My bridal shower was the next day and after that we went to dinner with my whole family. The rest of the time was pretty quiet, as it was just me, Ryan, and my Dad. However, my Dad arguably knows more about Indianapolis than anyone. Ever. So he was our official tour guide and drove us around downtown, the westside, as well as other locations. The highlight for Ryan was going to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. We took a special grounds tour and got to see a lot of cool stuff. I lived in Indianapolis for the first 24 years of my life and have been to several races at the Speedway, but even I had never seen a lot of this stuff. Pictures........

The Start/Finish Line made of the original bricks laid.

The flag podium.

Our tour bus. 

The media pagoda. We got a tour of the inside of that as well. 

Ryan "kissing the bricks" which has now become a tradition for many winning drivers to do after they have won a race here.

The 100th anniversary brick of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Press Conference Room

We're so important.

Winner, Winner, Chicken dinner!!!

Us on the first place stand on winner's circle.

The 500 trophy.

We went to Hinkle Fieldhouse to see where the Butler Bulldogs play. I've been on Butler's campus 100 times and had never been inside. It is so neat!!!

So....that was our trip. We had a blast and the families seem to approve. :) That's always a good thing! 

I'm really grateful I'm marrying into a family that is loud and crazy and warm. I'm glad my family, although they didn't get to spend a lot of time with us on this trip, was so welcoming and loving to Ryan. 

School Blues

School is done for another semester!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think I can begin to express just how happy I am about this news. The last two semesters have been ROUGH. Really, really ROUGH. It wasn't because the classes are particularly hard, it was because I was so tired and burnt out that I had no more motivation to do it. But now, I have a five month break. Breaks are good. I just got a job at a media marketing company in town and will still teach voice lessons.

Life is good now.

July Root Beer

For our July root beer adventure we tried Thomas Kemper root beer. Its a company based out of Oregon. They make their root beer with cane sugar and honey. We were big fans of this one! It has a sweet and smooth, creamy texture. It was easy to drink. You could taste the honey which gave it a unique but familiar flavor. Ry and I both give this a 4.5 out of 5.

What will technology do to our preservation of history?

I'm just like millions of Americans who are crazed by technology. I own a smartphone, a MAC computer, an iPad, an iPod touch....I tweet, I Facebook, I'm LinkedIn and I'm even on Google+. I take pictures on my phone and upload them onto my computer or to Facebook, where they undoubtedly sit for months on end.

I do, however, have several pictures hanging in my room. I love pictures. I love being able to look at people I love whenever I want. I don't forget what they look like and I'm reminded of happy events, beautiful places and so many other good times in my life. Someone in my room the other day noticed I have no pictures of Ryan in my room. Well, I haven't gotten around to printing any off!

Every month I get my subscription to Real Simple magazine. I love this magazine. Before I had a subscription, around the 15th of the month, I would stalk the magazine racks at the grocery store. Ask Carlee Miller how I reacted when I realized the new issue was out. A small child's energy somehow finds its way out and I may or may not jump up and down a little. There is something about the smell of the pages, and the beauty of way the magazine is put together.

But it's not just Real Simple that gets me lit up. It's books in general. Maybe it's an inherited trait or a learned trait from my dad (My dad has a floor to ceiling, wall to wall bookshelf in my old room and it's full), but I have books everywhere in my room. I have magazines stacked here and there (neatly organized...I'm not nor will I ever be a candidate for that crazy hoarding show). I have books on bookshelves. I can spend HOURS in Barnes and Noble. I just love books! The irony is I don't read them very often. And yes, most of the books I own are books about music or food. I have eBooks, and I'm fearing that many of those eBooks will take over good REAL books. When generations from now look back on us, will books be archeology? I hope not!

There is another aspect to technology that concerns me. Our personal history. I have kept journals since I was around 12 years old. However, now, and since the age of 19 or so, I have kept some sort of personal records online. I don't even remember the website's name of a live journal that I had at one time or another. I've had my blog for a while now, but with the touch of a button, it could be deleted. Facebook might even be a thing of the past if Google+ has anything to do with it. When my mom died, some of my  most cherised possessions of hers are pictures. I wish she had would have kept journals. These two things could become obsolete with modern technology. Will this hinder the future generations in understanding their ancestors?

Indiana just passed a bill where they will no longer be teaching cursive writing to children in schools. Will children in a couple of generations from now look at old cursive and not be able to understand or read it? Will it be hieroglyphics? A person's handwriting says a lot about them. It can actually be a way to identify someone. . I understand that typing is becoming more important than cursive, but we should still be teaching it! I don't know...it just all seems fishy to me. On the back of those pictures that I love so much, was my mom's handwriting. It was personal to her. A lot of people print the same, but their cursive is really what shows their penmanship. Good handwriting (good writing for that matter!) is becoming a lost art! It again emphasizes my question: Will technology make written things obsolete? Will my favorite magazine no longer be around when I'm old because we have programmed our children, literally programmed them, into technological freaks who only read things on a computer screen?

If we can delete something online with the touch of button, can we, ourselves, become obsolete? Will we be eaten up in cyberspace? Will we become a society that is inept to carpel tunnel syndrome and near sighted-ness because we sit in front of computers all day long? Technology is embracing isolation even though we have social networking at our fingertips by putting us in front of our computers by ourselves inside. If we aren't careful, technology could do just as much evil as it does good.

Maw-iage is what brings us together today.

Being engaged has all sorts of adventurous situations where in to learn from. This semester Ryan and I are taking a class from the Family and Home Education Department appropriately titled, "Marriage". Here at good ol' "BYU-I do" almost all of us take a religion course titled, "Preparing for Eternal Marriage", which Ryan and I have both taken before; however, the marriage class we are in this semester focuses more on marriage itself. How do you strengthen your marriage? Is marriage really important? How to communicate in marriage. Our professor is also a counselor so it is kind of like a little group counseling session on marriage.
I've watched those around me who are married. As the youngest in my family, I am the last one to be married. As much as I love my dad and stepmom, I wouldn't consider them to have a model marriage. But, I would say that through trials and probably many situations where one or both could have thrown in the towel, they have been married for over 20 years now. They've stuck with it. That is commendable in and of itself. It has shown me the reality of marriage. Since Ryan and I both come from divorced parents (Ryan's parents divorced when he was two, mine when I was four) I think both of us have had our major setbacks about marriage in and of itself. I know for myself, I have always been scared of divorce. I am scared of losing my spouse before we are old and ready to die. I was scared to trust someone that much. I was worried that no one would ever love me the way I felt I needed and wanted to be loved.
We all know the marriage statistics. Half of all first marriages end in divorce. HALF. One out of every TWO. It is comforting to know that marriages performed in the LDS temples are about 10% lower than that, but the number is still high. So why are we still getting married so much and for what reasons? Why is divorce so prevalent nowadays, when, in the 1960's the divorce rate was significantly lower?
As I think about my relationship with Ryan, I'm so grateful for the engagement period. We get to practice some aspects of marriage (mainly the idea of being solely being committed to each other and no one else) along with making decisions together and really settling in to the idea of being together always. I also appreciate our old fashioned values when it comes to honoring a chaste and virtuous life together. In a world like today's, that is definitely a difficult task, but I feel like it makes our love and appreciation for each other stronger. I know that our marriage will have hard days and hard times, but I'm so grateful I've found someone who loves me the way I need to be loved and who is committed to me. We are both so imperfect yet we are both so perfect for each other. I wish I knew where life is taking us, but only time will tell.

Hooray for marriage! :)

(Oh, and engagement photos will be soon!!!)

Four Months :)

In exactly four months, I'll be Mrs. Ryan Whitear.

Smiles all around!!!

Root Beer Adventures

Ryan and I have started a new little journey. We are going to become root beer connoisseurs. Once a month we will try a new root beer and give it our honest opinion. 

This month we tried an Australian Root Beer called Bundaberg.

From the Bundaberg website their description says: "Traditionally brewed to a genuine old recipe from real sarsaparilla root, licorice root, vanilla beans and molasses." 

I'd say that's very accurate. We didn't hate this root beer, but I don't think we'll be having it again anytime soon. The licorice flavor was notable and in my opinion, overpowering. The smooth, creamy texture of some of my favorite root beers was lacking. Bundaberg packed a bit of a bite. 

Ryan gave this root beer a 3.5. He didn't seem to mind the taste. 

I give this root beer a solid 2. It was a bit too strong on licorice for me. 

I did enjoy the packaging though. I thought the bottles were unique and fun. 

Two dresses for sale!!

I have two beautiful wedding dresses for sale. (I bought them long before I was engaged...not with the purpose of keeping them, but to sell them!)

They are both from J. Crew. They retail for $600!!!!! I'm selling them for $100 (plus shipping). They are each 100% silk. One is a halter, the other a sleeveless v-neck. They are elegant, classy, and simple.

The Halter (size 10):

The Sleeveless V-Neck (Size 12):

Please pass along the info if you know anyone who would want to buy either of these gorgeous dresses.