Engagement Pictures!

Hollis and I have a hard time being "serious" when taking photos. So we went through several attempts and took probably about a thousand pictures before we got ones that we both liked. Well, we actually liked several of them, but I thought it would be nice if the pictures we sent out you could see both of our faces.

But on a blog, we can publish all the ones we liked! (Don't worry, there aren't thousands.)

Cleaning Out, Part II

I had to clean off the pictures of my other phone too! Here is what I gathered (and it took me on another trip down memory lane - just this time I didn't have to stretch my memory past Thanksgiving 2009). I also discovered that I divide recent time into three periods: Before Dating (BD), after dating, but before engaged (ADBE), and Engaged (Present). Okay, so I don't really use those abbreviations, but that is how I divide time in my head.

Before I started dating Hollis, he send my roommate and I this picture:

Apparently we both worry to much. It actually came at a perfect time because I had been worrying a lot about various things (I had just finished helping organize a huge service project, and that had been stressing me a lot). So it was good to get a friendly reminder. Even if it was a picture of grafiti at a bus stop :)

The week just before Hollis and I held hands I discovered a knack for injuring myself. Okay, so I didn't discover it then, but I broadcast it for everyone to see. First, I bruised my ring finger knuckle playing the whip in band class. It was swollen and discolored, and did not want to bend. Then I nicked my first finger slicing yams for Friday Friendship Feast at the Seattle Institute. I put on a band-aid and kept slicing. A few slices later I sliced into my third finger. It bled so much that I had to get help getting the band-aid on. I went to the library, kind of hoping I could ask Hollis for help, but I chickened out and asked our friend Carole instead. This is the picture of my hand after bandaging up the two fingers and taping the remaining fingers together to support the bruised knuckle.

I visited Hollis at work once, and took this picture as proof that spring was coming early to Seattle. This was after Hollis and I started dating, but before we were engaged, so in February sometime, I think.

One day after Hollis and I started dating, Maren and I were going on a walk. We saw a plane that had a banner following it that asked "NAME, Will you Marry me?" and it totally made our days. And I also wondered if I would be marrying Hollis.

When Hollis and I went to Wenatchee in February, he made fun of my over-large coats. He said we could both fit in the coat. I didn't believe him, so he just went and proved me wrong.

Also when I was at home, my brother Brian stole Hollis's phone and decided to be a little photographer. He's so adorable that way. And he took this ridiculously adorable picture of us! Well, I like it.

Right after Hollis and I got engaged, I felt like I should go wedding dress shopping, but I didn't want to. I really didn't care much what I would be wearing, so when I was shopping with my friend Lora, I found this white dress at a thrift store. I sent a picture to my mom and told her that this would be my wedding dress. Part of me kind of wishes that I had done that. I feel think it is very classy. But I only kind of wish I had. I like my dress a lot. I'm just struggling to make peace with the veil right now.

Looking at this picture makes me want to go back to the thrift store to see if they still have it. I might buy it now just to have it. Maybe wear it at the Utah open house (we aren't hauling my dress down to Utah I don't think. Maybe...? Bah. I'll decide... next week? Oh boy, wedding is sneaking up on me!)

I went home one weekend and ended up going to Costco with my mom and with Hannah my cousin. She is so adorable, and since she didn't get posted in any of the cousin pictures I posted last time, I figured I'd post her up now!

Way back in Spring 2009 my mom and I visited University of Washington to make sure that I really wanted to go there. I felt really good about my acceptance, but I wanted to walk around campus and view it as a prospective student. I met with my faculty advisor, Steve Kerr, and really enjoyed the sunny day. I felt fantastic about attending, and loved the beautiful trees.

When Maren and I were out walking, we found this quote on a rock wall:

I love it and think we could all benefit from this little gem.

Cleaning Out, Part I

As I am getting ready to marry Hollis, I have been cleaning out everything. A de-junking of things and memories that I have accumulated over my 23 year life. I started with a de-junking of my computer (see blast from the past post) and re-installing the system software. Then I moved onto my phone.

My current phone is one I got a few years ago. I have had two phones since then, but they have both recently died, so I returned to my old phone. And there were old pictures there to greet me!

The first picture is one that I took of my dad when I was playing with my first camera phone ever (fall 2007). It was a cold weekend in Provo, and my parents were down visiting. I love the shot because my dad's face is in focus and everything else is blurry. And he was asking me what I was doing walking backwards. I love it :)

Remember how I said it was cold? Well it snowed at the football game that weekend. BYU had dominated, and it was very likely that we would win, so many "fans" left. The true fans (myself included, obviously) stuck it out and LOVED the snow. I mean, our fight song states: "We will fight, day or night, rain or snow."

The year before this I waited through a 40-minute long lightning delay and was much colder then because I was soaked. But it was a ton of fun. Oh, I love college football!

That Christmas (2007) I ended up hanging out with my little cousins most of the time. They were running around like crazy, and I joined them for a while, but got tired. So I sat on the couch and took pictures of them. They are so cool. And all good friends. My cousins are cool like that.

Bottom right picture, L to R: Nat, Brian, Tory, Melinda, Sarah, Rachel.

Then I skip to Summer 2008. Apparently I didn't take any pictures between those times. My boss on BYU grounds crew was pretty awesome. So awesome in fact, that when he found a ring of dry grass, he proceeded to gather sticks to spell out his name (Lloyd) and then posed with it. Actually, I can't remember if he gathered the sticks or if one of us on the crew did, but we sure had a blast.

When I went home to visit in July, my brother proved to be just as funny as ever. He mowed the lawn in a bulls-eye pattern. This was a fairly common thing; he had a bow and arrow he loved to shoot from the deck down into the grass. Then a while later I looked out the window to see this:

Apparently the grass circles weren't enough! He went into the garage and found a can of paint so that he could make a more distinct pattern. Brian was 11 at the time. He painted a "Hi" in the grass after I took this picture. We were all extremely curious as to what my dad would say when he saw it. My dad is very particular about his grass (a trait that used to annoy me, but now I am grateful for because he trained me well). Well, as soon as Dad got home, Brian grabbed him by the hand and towed him to the deck; "Look what I did, Dad!" We all crowded around the window that we cracked open so we could hear his response. "Oh. That's nice Brian. Where did you get the paint?" Whew. No blow-ups there. :) My dad explained to Brian that he should not just get paint or tools on his own; he needs to ask permission first. And then he asked Brian to not paint the grass again. And Brian hasn't.

Also while I was home, my family went to Ensign Ranch for the day. My mom and sister Heather were certified to supervise the rock climbing wall, so we played on that for a while. My cousin Alyssa was really bored. She just wanted to go play on the giant slip-n-slide that they have there. She just looked so adorable with her helmet on too big and wearing the inflatable tube around that I just had to take a picture.

At the end of July, I went to a chemistry teachers conference in Indiana. After the conference, my friend Mary and I went to Purdue. I was thinking about applying for their chemistry teaching masters or doctorate program (it's really good). While visiting a lab, this comic was posted on the wall (they printed it out from xkcd.com).

I think it is hilariously funny, probably because it is kind of true.

For some reason or another, during Fall of 2008 Heather and I went up to Salt Lake. Maybe we went to the General Relief Society broadcast. I think that was it. When it was over, we had someone take a picture of us. The picture is dark, but I like it anyway.

Temples are beautiful, no matter where in the world they are.

That winter (2009) I went to St. George quite a bit. While I was there, I was at a person's house who had this fridge magnet:

It made me laugh, so I took a picture.

Mini Update

Life has got so busy at the end of this quarter. I can't believe that it's over this week. Crazy. And i'm moving on Friday to the apartment where Hollis and I will live. It's kind of exciting. But I don't have a summer job. I'm hoping something will turn up. The biggest problem I have is that we're going to be gone a lot: two family reunions, three receptions (ours), two or three weddings (not counting ours), and a week in Utah for family visiting and honeymoon, and them another week in Mexico for honeymoon Part II.

But before all that I need to study for my final that is tomorrow morning. But I need Hollis to get off work so I can go home and study. Because I'm waiting in the car for him so he doesn't have to wait for the bus in the rain. Aren't i so nice? He's now ten minutes late getting out, but I suppose i can survive. Oh! Here he comes!