I Have an Announcement!!

Yes, you heard right.  I have an announcement to make.  Actually I’m sure most of you have already heard it, but I shall announce it anyways. 

Once upon a time, not too long ago, I was single.  I was doing what most single girls do, going to activities, hanging out  and having fun.  Then a man entered into my life.  He was handsome, charming, and much of what I dreamed a man should be.  He started talking to me after an institute class and eventually found a way to get my phone number.  We started to talk as two people do, and eventually he asked if I would play ping pong with him.  I accepted his request and began to play ping pong often.  As I played I asked questions and he asked me and began to find that we were very similar in many ways.  He asked me on a date, working at the cannery for a service project.  I had never seen so many peaches in my life before.  On September 17^th we decided that we would be officially dating.  Things of course sped up from there.  We had many fun activities including going to General Conference, visiting both of our families, trips to the temple, Friday Forum, Institute, touring the Salt Lake City Library, Temple Square, and so many more.  Slowly and gently you could say, I fell in love.  We began to talk of marriage and our relationship deepened.  Then on Wednesday November 24^th we decided to go for breakfast at Kneaders.  Which I must say is a new favorite restaurant.  As we were driving back, this handsome man suggested that we go for a walk on the Mt. Timpanogas Temple Grounds.  As we looked at the flowers blooming, partially frozen from the frost, we sat on a cold stone bench.  Then as we talked he pulled out a cherry red box, with a simple diamond ring inside it.  Very simply the words were asked, and quietly the word yes was said.  And thus ends the first chapter of a wonderful life with Jeremy Crane.

Yes I’m engaged, that is my announcement.  I’m totally excited and happy.  It’s crazy, every girl thinks of this day or time, when a man loves her enough to spend money on some tiny ring.  But it’s almost surreal, as if it may never happen.  Then a whirlwind comes and next thing you know he is there with a boy asking you if you will, and you saying yes.  Exciting and exhilarating!  

Sometimes I almost can’t believe it.  But I’m so ready for this next step!  Ps I love my ring!  I told Jeremy I wanted the ring to be a surprise.  I’m kinda traditional that way; I also wanted him to formally ask me before we’d tell everyone that we were engaged.  We did do some window-ring shopping where I pointed out different styles I liked.  I know I’m picky enough if I wanted to like my ring I’d better give the poor guy a good idea of what I like.  He did such a good job.  I liked it when I first put it on, but the more I wear it the more I love it.  It’s perfect, so me!  I promised pictures, so this is what it looks like.  The real thing looks better! :-D  If you look closely on the one on the right in the prongs are these tiny little diamonds.  Love it!  Anyways now begins the next big thing…Wedding Planning.  I hav e no idea quite where to start.  We haven’t set a date yet, we’re waiting on Jeremy’s school schedule.  That should be taken care of in the next couple of days and then we will set a date.  We do know it will be sometime around UVU’s Spring break, so mid-march-ish.  We’re thinking the Mt. Timpanogas Temple.  It’s halfway between both our families, so everyone can drive and then decide if they want to continue to the reception if they so desire.  So everyone start digging out different ideas and tips for planning a wedding, I’m going to need all the help I can get!

Well that’s the big news.  Thanksgiving was great.  We went to both families, his first and then spent the weekend with mine. We did get a flat tire on I-15 between the two.  That was quite the adventure.  I’ve never broken down before on the freeway.  I’d rather not do it again.  I was driving Jeremy’s car while he slept.  All of the sudden I hear a THUD THUD THUD! “JEREMY!” I yell!  Poor guy is sound asleep.  “FIX IT!” I manage to pull over to the side.  And he fixes it. :-D  I survived my first freeway breakdown. I’m good now, I don’t think I need another.  We finally made it home in once piece, which I was grateful for. Grandma Downs had her Christmas party which was a lot of fun.  We had a white elephant exchange and played volleyball with a huge ball. Volleyball was a lot of fun, that’s usually my favorite.  Kelly also had us doing a bunch of minute to win it games.  I liked the one where we paired up and had to keep five balloons in the air.  We spent the weekend in Cache Valley and then came home.  After all that traveling, I was glad to be home.

As for the rest of my life…school is keeping me busy.  Yesterday was the last day of classes.  I’m kind of sad about it.  I’ve had fun traveling to school, riding trax, going to institute.  I’ve met some very intriguing people.  Like the bus driver, he’s a hoot.  I only see him on days when I get out of English early but he’s this odd quirky guy who knows a little bit about everything and talks to everyone.  I like to BS with him and we match wits.  He’s very much up my alley as far as people to try and antagonize.  There are certain personalities I do that to, and his is one of them.  He’s gone to school has a degree, done a little bit of a lot, but yet drives the bus for UTA.  He is a returned missionary, but I’m not sure if he considers himself mormon anymore.  Too bad I didn’t get more time to figure that out.  My teachers have been fascinating as well. Especially my music teacher and English teacher.  My music teacher can talk forever on just about any subject, particularly music ones. What really fascinates me about him is how much he’s lived.  He was a medic in the gulf war, did security for concerts in Las Vegas, traveled all over the United States and also performed outside.  He’s a Southern Baptist, but works with mormon productions such as Forgotten Carols and Lex De Azvedo’s Hosanna.  He runs a BBQ catering company, sings opera and teaches college.  His wife works for OSHA.  Just listening to him in class and the sheer volume of things he’s done fascinates me.  Then my English teacher, a tree hugging, hiking, rafting, don’t shave my legs type has also been interesting to get to know.  When I first came to her class she was kinda snappy and rude.  But as I got to know her I found she has a very nice personality, as long as she’s not feeling sick.  Then she goes back to the snappy rude person.  I thought maybe she was raised Mormon because of her saying she was raised in a strict environment, then I find out she’s the daughter of a mission president.  That surprised me.  I’ve loved getting to know all these different personalities.  I think it’s something left from my mission.  I liked it before, but ever since I came home, I just love learning about people.  In particular, those outside of my traditional Mormon world.  Everyone is unique and interesting, but sometimes it seems when I just stick to those in the church as my only social life I rarely get the people that hold a fascination for me like my bus driver or music teacher.  I think its because they’ve lived a life so foreign to mine, a world so different from the one I know.  I had that in Colorado, but here in Salt Lake there’s the added fascination of how they are related to the LDS world.  Its like you can’t live in Utah and be completely isolated from the Mormons.  Somehow they have a tie, and finding out that tie and how they look at it is pretty cool.  I’m going to miss that.  Hopefully when I get a job, I can find some of that again. 

Finally I do have one other item I wish to address.  Those with squeamish stomachs may want to just stop reading here…  I was having such a nice Sunday.  I’d gotten up at a decent time. Showered, gotten dressed, studied my scriptures... I was having a nice Sunday.  I was sitting on the lovesack playing on my laptop.  I was cold and I knew there was a blanket down there, probably behind me. So I reached around and I hear a ripping sound.  There was a can with an open lid, yup you guessed it…I sliced my finger on that can.  My right index finger…you know the one you use the most. I quickly ran upstairs to the bathroom to grab some toilet paper to stop the bleeding.  I was surprised at how much blood there was!  So I’m putting pressure on it, trying to stop the bleeding, and it’s not really stopping.  After showing Kim and making her stomach turn, we decided I probably needed to get stitches.  Kim offered to take me, but then she’d have to pile the boys in the car and that’d be a pain.  So I just decided I’d make Jeremy take me (What else is new? :-D) We went to the Saratoga Springs Instacare, and that one was closed on Sundays.  So I one handedly (literally) googled instacare on my phone.  There was one in Orem.  So off we go.  We get to Orem and start filling out paperwork only to find out they don’t accept our insurance.  So off we go to a different urgent care clinic that does take out insurance. This one is in Provo.  They numbed and stitched me up.  And that hurt worse than slicing my finger in the first place, especially the needle being stuck in my finger for the pain.  It numbed it up mostly, but I could still feel the point of the needle and the thread sliding through when the doctor stitched me up.  It took three stitches.  Kinda pathetic, all this work for so little.  But it needed to be done.  So that was quite the adventure.  I’m sure Jeremy’s going to start thinking I’m a lot of work!  We missed our church, but made it to the Spanish sacrament meeting.  That was nice to take the sacrament.  It brought back memories of playing piano in Spanish sacrament meetings in Pueblo.  If we ever get a chance to do that again, it would be cool.

Well I think that be the highlights of the past month.  Its been a while since I’ve blogged, but I was kinda waiting for news to share before I blogged again.  Being engaged is all sorts of exciting.  Everyone start digging out wedding ideas, because I’m going to need all the help I can get.  We’re going up to Cache Valley this weekend…I’m excited.  Meeting up with friends, hanging out with family, Christmas party…  School is almost over!  It will be good. Yea for weekends!