'Tis the Season

The weather outside has been a bit frightful so far this season but I, for one, am very grateful for it. Bad weather means fresh snow in the mountains for me to enjoy! I love the snow and I love the feeling of floating through the freshly fallen powder. We have been trying to save money by not going to the resorts and instead we "skin" up to the slopes and then after hours of leg tiring hiking we get to ski the most amazing untouched powder on the most varied terrain I have ever seen! It sure took me a long time to be okay with the hiking part but now I really am starting to love it all. Another amazing bonus is that I'm actually doing a good deal of exercise and getting stronger and healthier without really noticing it. I feel so good and I'm always ridiculously sore afterward (like today) but I am slowly getting stronger and each time I go gets that much easier.

A New Addiction... Of the Best Kind???

So my husband has recently acquired a new and rather bizarre addiction: buying me stuff, especially ski and climbing gear. In all honesty, it's the best kind of addiction for a husband to get. He's constantly trying to spoil me or buy the things we need to go out and have a ridiculous amount of fun and be safe and warm while doing so. I let him buy me a set of skis, bindings, skins, and poles that all in all would have retailed for over $700.00 but since we bought it off KSL.com and the woman really didn't know what she had since it was given to her by a friend it was only $200.00! Pretty freakin amazing! Anyway, that has instilled in him a new bug to find the best deals on all the rest of the gear we need to go skiing without the resort passes. (which actually is still turning out to be cheaper than to get a season pass for both of us and just use the skiis we already have. It's cute and funny how much I can tease him now because I can almost always catch him on the internet searching KSL for the next piece of equipment he's decided we need. He's so funny about it too. Last night, I was reading my book, waiting for him to come to bed and I asked him what he was doing. I knew he was on the computer and he knew he was busted so he said "I'm on Facebook." Which just made me bust up laughing because that is the very last site he would be on late at night. First choice would be KSL, then weather, then the daily avalanche report. Always looking for the next ski trip!!! I just love that amazing yet silly guy!

The talent of the Allen girls!

Allen girls have musical and theatrical talent, it's just in the blood. My sister got the lead parts in a lot of plays and musicals all through junior high and high school. My cousin Taun was an amazing star of the BHS drum line in her day, and now her little sister, Kirsten, is performing the lead role in the musical Hello Dolly. I, however am not to be included in this since all I ever did as far as the performing arts goes is score some great background and chorus roles. I'm not a solo girl, they had me sing a solo for one acts in high school and I nearly passed out although it didn't go as horribly as I expected I just have a very strong case of stage fright when it comes to singing. Anyway, the point of this post is to tell the world, by which I mean the few people who actually read my random banter, that my cousin is amazing! The play was great as is expected of a Bonneville High production although they don't have as strong of a chorus this year during the ensemble pieces (see, I did play a very important role!). The leads were all amazing and very energetic and in tune with the mood of their parts. My cousin as Mrs. Dolly Levi was just incredible. She was able to adapt her singing and talking voice to fit the time period the musical was set in and she was just so funny. I have been very impressed with how much my younger cousins are accomplishing nowadays. It's crazy to see her on stage in the spotlight. Go Kirsten!!!

A lighter note

We had a very good weekend! It was so much fun to play with our friends and family the entire weekend. On Saturday we went to see Inception which was a mind-blowing must-see movie. Sunday was the usual: Breakfast with Jeremiah (gourmet belgian waffles this week), followed by disc golf in Riverdale and showing JJ how to trim his hair. and then climbing at the Ramp Routes with Andy and Emily, stopping by the Bauters' house to visit and see Grandma Henderson's new 9 week old french bulldog puppy. We finished out the weekend by coming back home to let Ben study and then we cuddled up on the couch to watch a movie on Netflix.

Today I'm very excited because my Dad invited us to see my amazing cousin Kirsten perform in Bonneville High's production of Hello Dolly. She got a lead role and I'm stoked to see her!

The deeper side of things.

I watched the movie Charles Darwin: Creation today while working on my painting and christmas presents for Ben's mom. That movie was so interesting and not at all what I was expecting. I was worried that it would bash on belief in God but that's not even close to the message it was trying to send. Charles Darwin was a very smart scientist who was not trying to disprove God, in fact quite the opposite: he and his wife were a very loving, religious family. Darwin was actually quite afraid of his own research because he did not want to alter his belief in God. He also didn't want anything to damage the relationship between he and his wife. When he was working on his research he tried at every opportunity to end it and to just continue living his normal quiet life. In fact, when he finished his book "The Origin of Species" he didn't honestly know what to do with it. He wanted to have it reviewed from a more religious perspective so he gave it to his wife and said he'd do whatever she wanted him to do with it as long as she read it first. His wife was very opposed to his work as well but after reading it she said it had to be published. The struggles caused such a strain in their marriage that Charles said it may have been a mistake for them to get married in the first place. I was left in awe of her final statement: "Knowing what I know now, I'd still marry you tomorrow." They continued to be happily married through the remainder of their lives. I feel like that is the key thing to be learned from this: no matter how big the differences and struggles may be as you go throughout marriage, it can still work, and the love doesn't have to waiver. I love my husband and yes, he is very different than me, we don't always see everything in exactly the same ways but that is what makes us work. We are best friends and fit so well because of our differences and I love that he keeps me well rounded in everything by opening my eyes to another view on this same big world. With those differences also come a lot of very fundamental similarities that also help us to connect and have fun growing together every day. It doesn't matter to me whether you believe in God or not, the key is to always see the beauty in life and love and the situations that come about due to both.

Birthday Fun

We had so much fun this past weekend, Friday night was the Reel Rock video tour and it was so awesome! I ended up helping out by taking/selling tickets with two other girls while Ben helped Tim set up and I was amazed! We sold over 100 tickets! Sadly, even at $7.oo a piece I still doubt that the OP even broke even with the cost to be able to show the film as part of the tour. (kind of a rip off). But it was still so worth it. Everybody seemed to have fun and the video was awesome! Even if you're not an avid climber there was plenty of humor and impressive stunts in there to keep you entertained. After the film, a few of us went over to the pie to have some pizza and cheesy bread. Mmm! I don't think that night could have gotten any better!

Ben had to work Saturday but Saturday night we had a dinner party where we made some stroganof and peach pie. Our guests kinda all bailed so we only had Brit over to eat and James came over to hang out later and watch a movie at just about the time Brit was getting ready to leave but let's just say it was still a blast! I love having people over for dinner! I can't wait until I can have enough couples to come for a multi-course semi-fancy meal all together, but until then, stroganof and pie will make me plenty happy.

Sunday we cleaned, played some disc golf with J-J, went to the library so Ben could meet with his group about all the projects they have due soon, and then we celebrated Mary's birthday which was actually Saturday. We went out to Olive Garden with the fam, gave her presents (I had crocheted a super cute flower headband for her and drawn a crazy card). and then we went back to their house for some cake and ice cream. It was so much fun to be around the family! It's crazy how much I start to miss my in-laws when I haven't seen them in a week. The night got cut short by Ben's need for sleep before a really rough day of school but it was still a very good weekend that we made the very most of!

What Your Parents Never Taught You.

Parents are amazing, that's just it, they work day and night to keep us safe, healthy, happy, and slowly prepare us to someday run out into the world and be able to survive and do all of those things for ourselves. They taught me how to stay safe, cook, clean, get a job, work, save money, love unconditionally, and the basic skills required to survive.
Getting married and starting my life with Ben, I felt very well prepared, and still do. However, there are still some things that I am slowly figuring out one by one that my parents never could have taught me: They say your family should always work together as a unified team. and that's the idea but they never explain how minuscule details can sneak in and become a huge issue... Especially when you're engaged to your soon-to-be husband. I remember how nervous I got when we were working on the wedding plans and we'd get hung up on little decisions like the invitations and times. I know they also tell you to never sweat the small stuff but they don't ever explain that sometimes that requires you actually taking the time to sit down with your significant other and talk about your main goal. To remember that the most important thing at the end of the day is that the two of you are married, loved, and totally honest and committed to each other. The other key is to make sure you both are on the same page and in order to do that, communication is HUGE! If you don't have open, honest, and safe conversations very frequently you get lost in the little things. Along with all of this you have to remember to take time for yourself and by yourself. A night out with the girls is always very therapeutic for me but sometimes I realize that all I really need is just a few hours to myself. When you take the time for yourself, you learn to be more in tune with your body and your own emotions. Until you are in tune with yourself, you could never be in tune with those close to you. When you are very self-aware, you have the time and focus to notice changes in your family and to realize what it is that they need as well. People have needs and when you make a conscious effort, you start to realize how easy it is to fulfill their needs as well. The other key to staying connected and meeting each others' needs is taking time for each other. Be sure you have time together, just the two of you. Otherwise it's too easy to get caught up in the competition, jealousy, and drama that can so closely follow those around you.
Once again, I know, I've come up with a post that really is a bit jumbled and probably doesn't make any sense. But, then again, when do I really make complete sense???

I Am

Sometimes in life it's nice to take a step back and look at who you really are and what your key roles are in life. It helps you not only feel appreciated but to also put everything into perspective. I feel for some reason that I am needing to get this all written down today:

I AM:
wife
daughter
sister
"mother" (to the hound)
friend
dental hygienist
lawn mower and landscaper
laundry maid
cook (when Ben lets me)
painter and artist
chocolate chip cookie maker
climbing partner
co-captain of the gear boat
teammate
support crew
study partner
nerd
I AM ME

Everyone has their role in life. I try to never forget that because sometimes even when life is getting a little crazy and rough it helps to look at how your life and your works can affect other people. If you can see the value and the importance you have as an individual, you will have even more motivation as you go through life to be the very best you can be. I hope everyone can take a minute from their day to look at their own value and just allow yourself to feel good about what you do no matter how insignificant it may seem.

One Step Forward, Ten Steps Back.

Well, Saturday, Dani and I took two girls from Women On Edge to 5.8 wall in Ogden Canyon. We showed them first how to set up a top rope and then to repel down, tie in, and start climbing. Everyone was able to make it to the top of each of the three routes we set up. It was so much fun to get these girls outside for the first time and let them see the wonderful world that is outdoor climbing.

Monday night, Ben did a lead belay clinic in which four people showed up and it was so neat. Everyone was soaking in all the information quickly and asking good questions and trying to really learn the best and safest methods of lead climbing. It was so much fun to be Ben's assistant!

Last night we had another regular meeting at the Weber State Gym where I planned on going over different holds and how to use them and different ways to use your hands when climbing in hopes of breaking my climbers of the ladder method that so easily becomes a habit at first. I had my friend Chris come along with Ben to help run the clinic and show us some demonstrations. Of course, Dani couldn't make it and apparently neither could any of the other regulars. We had two new girls show up around 7:20pm who had to pick up a car before nine and... oh, did I mention that one of them had a boot? Hehe, it was fun still but definitely interesting when they showed up, started filling out the paperwork and then said: "do we have to climb today?" Needless to say, we started out with a discussion on what they were wanting to accomplish that night and in the end we decided to go ahead and do a belay clinic using Tim to climb so the girl without the boot could also learn the belay. We'll have to go over it all again when they come back to make sure they remember.

Best Husband EVER!!!

Well, Ben and I are both a bunch of crazies, I know. We're always trying to cram as much as possible into each day. That's just how I feel about him. I don't ever feel like I'll get enough, the more time we spend together, the more time we want to spend together. It especially helps that we're always doing something crazy and fun together.

Over Labor Day weekend, we went to Island Park with my parents and two other couples who happen to be very good cooks! Right before we left, Ben showed me the brand new Black Diamond backpack that he bought me at the Canyon Sports Labor Day sale. I've been needing a backpack of my own so I can stop having to rent them from Ben's work and now I can customize and adjust it to fit me perfectly.

On our way up, we stopped at Walmart in Idaho Falls to pick up some things and they also happened to be having a big sale too so we got Ben some new shirts and he surprised me with a fly rod case! No more plastic case that requires me to completely derig my rod after fishing each time which will save me a lot of time and tippet:)

We didn't make it to Island Park until almost midnight so we snuck in quietly and went right to bed. In the morning, after waking up to a chilly morning and some delicious, hot and savory style steel cut oatmeal, we tried to make a plan for the day. The weather showed afternoon thunder storms so whatever we wanted to do, we had to do it fast. Somehow, I convinced myself that it was not too cold to go out on the boat to waterski and surf... Boy am I glad I did that! I haven't had one single opportunity to be drug behind a ski boat this entire summer until Island Park. I felt so good water skiing!!! Seriously, there's not a lot that can compare to the feeling of doing the smoothest, tightest turns possible while being drug 30 mph behind a speed boat. The exhilaration, the breathlessness, the sore muscles that you forgot were even there afterward is so amazing and unique to that sport alone. I love it!!! ...although my arms, back, and legs are still sore even though that was three days ago! Ben doesn't have quite as fond of a connection with boating as I do since he's only water skied about 4 times and each of those times was with me and my family, but he still gets pretty excited about being there with me and going out for his annual "glorified drowning" session. He did so good! He got up and skied and did some pretty good turns in the process and even had enough energy to wake surf in the end.

After boating followed by a nice lunch, we inflated the tandem kayaks and took off to float Big Springs. It was a long, slow trip in the river, it was rough and didn't help with the sore muscles. I must admit, however, that Ben and I did cheat a little down the river... we brought along our trolling motor: Bagheera! She loves swimming so we just hooked her leash to the front of the boat and let her go swim. We even took small pebbles and tossed them out in front of her to keep her going fast and in the right direction.

The rest of the weekend was pretty cold and windy, even rainy at times with snow in the mountains so Ben and I did a lot of reading, playing with the puppies, hot tubbing, walking, four wheeling, and watching our new addiction: Dexter. I must say, it's really weird that Ben and I are actually getting into a television show together. We don't even have TV at our house because we really just don't watch it that much and whenever we try we usually make it to the first commercial when we both lose interest. (it helps that Ben and I have been watching Dexter on Netflix so there aren't any commercials!)

Overall, it was just a really great weekend to be able to go out and have a "couples retreat" so to say, even though it was with my parents and their friends, it was perfect. We were so included and had so much fun with the group and at the same time we didn't feel we were the ones who needed to entertain so we also got plenty of alone time with just him and me. I loved it so much and Ben and I needed it more than I think we realized at first. I love him so much and I'm so proud of how well he's doing at school and work even through the 19 credit hours this semester! He really is pretty amazing.

Women On Edge: Week 2

Yesterday was our second meeting for Women On Edge (my womens climbing group). It was great! Last week, only 2 girls showed up but this time, there were 7 so with the three leaders that made 10 women all working together to climb! I was so excited about the turnout and I hope it keeps going that way if not increasing! The only downside was that the 2 girls from last week didn't show so it was 7 new girls so yet again we had to start over with the belay clinics and all, but it was so worth it. The other downside was that 3 of the girls seemed to come just so they could climb together and they didn't really want to be much a part of our group including warm up and cool down and getting to know each other. They were still fun but we'll see if they actually ever make it back here, the other 4, however, were so much fun! They were pushing each other, working over fears, trying difficult routes, and during cool down exercises, we had so much fun together! We all got in a circle and went around saying our names, something about ourselves, and then demonstrated our favorite stretches. I really think that at least some of them will be back and really participate in the group. I can't wait for next week!

I LOVE MY LIFE!!! ...hopefully it continues as it has been.

Well, first of all I must say that work today was amazing! I had a good, solid, class IV patient (nice messy perio) on whom I was able to use some local anesthetic which I haven't been able to do since school because I've been to big of a wimp to do shots for the Dr. but no more!!! Watch out cavities... here I come! It was fun to do something different and to actually feel like I'm working really really hard for that patient. I'm also coming in special just for her because I really enjoy working on her and she really seems to trust me and my hands. It seriously feels so good... I get the biggest high from doing hard work and stressing myself out and seeing that the patient actually appreciates and really does trust me and all the hard work I do.

Second of all, this summer has been a blast! I know you really wouldn't be able to tell from my blog since I hardly write anymore but I've just been so busy! I work on Thursday and Friday only for now with some subbing as an assistant and/or hygienist at my office and other local offices. I loved that schedule this summer because Ben worked Thursday and Friday with some Saturdays so when he was done with work on Sat or sometimes even Fri, we could head out on some crazy climbing, fishing, rafting, backpacking, camping, or whatever other type of adventure we felt like having that week with no need to be back until Wednesday night! I may have lost out on a few job offers over the summer but I don't regret it one bit... it was so worth it!!!

The problem I have now is this fall. I have all of this free time with only working two days a week and all but Ben will be starting 19 credits of intense Clinical Lab Science classes to finish up his license and degree. On top of that he will be running a monthly climbing clinic at Weber's rock climbing wall and working every other Saturday at the WSU Outdoor Programs. I don't know when he'll have time to be with me or if... I'm so worried about what I'm going to do with all of that time. I'm going to be running a weekly women's climbing group called Women On Edge at the Weber wall in the Stromberg gym. (ps. it's open to all students and community members... it's free for students and for community it's $5.00 per week which is a great deal and basically helps with equipment costs. So if you're a girl and you climb, or you've always wanted to try it out, come join us!) Aside from that, I don't know what's going to happen or what I will do to try and fill my free time... I guess a lot of painting and knitting! Hopefully all goes well.

Climbing My Guts Out

After a month long break from the rocks, we're now back with a new fury! I climbed with our buddy Chris at WSU's wall while Ben was on the Green River with the boys, and since he's been back, we've been climbing like crazy! We went to Logan Canyon on Monday with Chris and Erica and then Ben's Buddy Brad and his friend Jake came into town so we went to the Ramp Routes on Schoolroom, 9th street, Hole in the Wall, and Nuts N' Bolts in two consecutive days! Tons of hiking and climbing so I'm beat now! I love it! We're going out to the boulder field tonight, just Ben and I.

22 much better than 21!

My birthday was very very good. The day before, Ben and I drove Chris to the airport and hung out for a while in SLC. We really just wanted to go to REI to get me some Chacos but they didn't open until 10:00AM. We went out to breakfast at some little local diner and listened to our crazy book on tape called Wildfire. After getting my sweet green chacos, we ran home to get ready for our family pool party with Ben's cousins. It was so much fun to have all of them over for swimming and BBQ. The cousins are so awesome and cute! We got a little rained out at the end so our party came to a very abrupt stop, but at least we got to swim for quite some time.

For my birthday, I had work all day and Ben got stuck at his work a little late, so our date didn't get started until almost 7:00. We went out to Outback for steak and ribs and then came back home and listened to the rest of our book on tape.

Learning how to Live

Sometimes in life you're faced with tough decisions. I thought I understood that phrase, but now I'm starting to realize that once you're married, it's a whole different world. Ben had the opportunity to go on a once in a lifetime trip with one of his best friends, he'd be gone on a river in Idaho for a week without any way to contact me or anyone else the entire time. And he's supposed to leave tomorrow (three days after we got back from our honeymoon). What do I do? It's an amazing trip for him, and once in a lifetime, but it could be dangerous and I'll have to be without him for a week just ten days after our wedding... I'm trying to be a good wife, I love him so much and I want him to be happy and I'm hoping that by letting him go, I am doing what is best for us. It'll be really hard for us both to be apart that long so soon. However, I know that it should be worth it, Ben loves rivers and camping, he's almost like a fish in that he needs them to get by. I can always tell when it's been too long because there's just a pent up longing inside of him that I can see causing him to become kind of stir crazy. Whenever he returns from long adventurous trips like this, especially when he goes without me, he always returns better than when he left, it's like the flame inside of his eyes burns brighter. It's really hard to explain, but I know it is important for him and, in turn, for us. As long as he makes it back safely, I'll be 100% okay and it will have been very worth it.

Driving to Island Park

Ben and I left for our Honeymoon in Island Park on Sunday afternoon, it's about a four hour drive plus we made a bunch of stops on the way so we didn't get there until it was already almost time for bed. It was so much fun, as always with Ben in the car. We listened to the first part of a really intense book on tape about crazy government plotting with weapons of mass destruction.
Ben filling up at the gas station... yeah I know I take a lot of weird pictures but it's fun for me.

Just me in the car, on our way.

Stopping for lunch at arctic circle... Triple berry shakes are amazing!

This is his hand with his ring, I was so excited about the ring, but we think it may be too small, we got it in his size but tungsten is kind of a sticky metal so he really can't get it off without tons of soap and water and force. I'm kind of worried that it may damage his finger so he hasn't worn it for the past few days :(.


This is Ben trying to take a picture with me while keeping his eye on the road... such a good driver! hehe

Honeymoon to Island Park!

Our original plan for our Island Park trip was to come up here and fish our guts out with a few intermittent trips to Yellowstone in between. On our way here, we picked up some year long Idaho fishing licenses and a fly tying kit so we were stoked and ready to slay some hog.
When we got here, we realized that Idaho has the most confusing fishing rules we've ever seen. Luckily we decided to stop at the local fly shop for some guidance on where the best place to fish was. We learned that most of the rivers and streams around here are closed! All we could fish was Island Park Reservoir which is huge and difficult to fish, or we could drive all the way back to Ashton or we could head up to Madison and buy another fishing license to hit the hot fishing spots. Not wanting to buy another license, we headed to Ashton the first day and tried and tried on every part of the river that was legal to fish and didn't catch a single thing. Ben and I each got a bite but we didn't land any. Bummer

Ben holding up the biggest fish we caught the whole day: his fly.

Being happy standing by my dirty car that was so tastefully decorated by our friends and family, even though we told them not to touch it. Thanks guys... at least it was cute:)


Second day we went up to Yellowstone and within 10 minutes of being in the park we pulled off onto Riverside Drive and saw this:

A small pack of gray wolves feeding on a moose or buffalo... not quite sure which. They were across the river so we felt safe but they were so huge!!! These pictures seriously don't do them justice. The two light wolves were smaller but still way bigger than me and the dark wolf was just massive!!! I think he was either hurt or old or both because he was limping on his front right paw and instead of going for the good meat that he'd have to rip off the bones, he went for the soft parts that had been cast aside by the other two.

On our way out of the park we stopped by here again the the small wolves were gone and so was the carcass but the big wolf was there laying in the grass still soaking up some sun.

This elk we saw along with a small herd of cow elk along the side of the road. We were so excited at first we took tons of pictures but then we realized that elk are seriously everywhere in Yellowstone so the excitement quickly wore off.

This is the firehole waterfall that was so cool, Ben wanted to kayak it... thank goodness that's not legal. Yikes!

This chipmunk was hanging out around the firehole swim area and him and his buddy scared me half to death by jumping out of the rocks all of a sudden right next to me. He was a little stunned to so he stuck around for a bit to let me snag this sweet picture.

Ben posing near the swim area... unfortunately way too cold still to swim.

Yes, this picture was taken through my windshield in the parking lot. He decided to jump on my hood instead of fly away when a car came to park right where he was standing in the next space.

Honestly can't remember what this hole is but the pools are my favorites with all the cool colors and this was a fun picture of both of us.

One of my favorite sites called Red Spouter that kind of reminds me of a mini version of the top of a volcano. In the summer it's thicker mud instead of the red water but either way it's pretty cool.

I think this was Fountain Geyser or something like that...

This is just next to Excelsior Geyser and Grand Prismatic pool. It says that Grand Prismatic pool pours out 500gallons of boiling hot water per minute into the firehole river!

Grand prismatic pool!

Grand Prismatic pool... again with both of us.

Ben stretching outside the bathrooms in the parking lot.

Cool picture of our car... With a Bison right behind it!

Stretching again in Black Sand Basin. His back was hurting so he stretched the whole time!

Old Faithful... of course!

Whoa! It's still going!


Ben and I decided after Yellowstone we needed a slow day so we hung around the cabin (which was fine in the bad weather. He worked on tying flies and I played with the puzzle my dad got me. It was a very good day. The morning was a little too eventful though... First of all I must explain the doors here in the cabin: when they're locked you can go out but you can't come back in. Ben and I decided to take my dad's advice about swimsuits being optional in the hot tub and went out for a peaceful morning soak. You guessed it... we didn't check the stupid doorknob and as soon as we shut it we realized what we had done. We were locked out! ...naked! Yikes!!!! I remembered my dad saying there was a lockbox with a spare key out front so Ben grabbed the towel and went for a little walk in search of the key while I waited in the hot tub. I finally grew tired of waiting so I threw on the sarong that Ben for no apparent reason brought out with us and wandered around the yard too. We found the box but didn't know the combination... and we had no cell phones. After fiddling with different numbers for a while I sucked it up and walked to the neighbors to ask for a phone to call my dad. The neighbor answered and luckily he actually had a spare key! As I walked across the yard back to our cabin he yelled out to Ben: "Hey, next time you get locked out... put some clothes on first!!!" Moral of the story: when it comes to the hot tub, always bring a spare key with you!

Ben playing with his fly tying kit. He's so good at it it's taking him over.

Later that day we decided to go fishing so Ben drug out our little raft and trolling motor and drove us across the lake

It was pretty cold and we struggled with the lines getting tangled in the wind for a bit and the boat was taking on some water in the bottom but it was a very fun little outing and a perfect end to a very fun "lazy" day.

Ben fishing across the lake with his home tied wooly bugger flies! We didn't actually catch anything but we felt some real hits... we also felt a lot of false hits. I can also proudly say that I caught the most "grass pikes." (literally a large string of grass... exciting at first but a real let down when you realize your "fish" isn't actually fighting.

Wedding

So there it was, the most memborable, important, and wonderful moment of my life so far. That moment I've been waiting for, dreaming about and imagining for as long as I can remember. Now, I must say I'm not one of those girls who had every detail planned and drawn out since she was 10, more like someone who is so clueless and easy going that I didn't even have the slightest idea of what I wanted, I just knew that I wanted to be married to Ben. I knew I wanted a white dress and an outdoor wedding and that I was going to enjoy my wedding food and cake. For being completely unaware as to the proper wedding etiquette and being totally carefree and open to whatever my mom, aunts, mother-in-law, dad, and any other random person or friend I would come in contact with suggested, it turned out to be perfect. The whole wedding was awesomely fun and it was exactly how I had "envisioned" it. We had a taco cart there along with tons of fruit, salsa, guacamole, chips, and brie cheese as well as rice, beans, cake, and Coldstone ice cream cake! (yes, I was in heaven!!! and even more so with my new husband!)

It wasn't without it's mistakes but I was still very happy.

• The photographer showed up late, but my Aunt Karla had decided to show up early to snap some fun photos of everyone getting all ready.
  
• Right before I walked down the aisle with my dad, I had heard that Ben was inside waiting for me. I was freaking out! How can I walk down the aisle and see the love in Ben's eyes if he was at the top of the basement stairs waiting for me? I walked out anyway... whatever happens happens right? and there he was staring at me with the strongest moment of awe and love and excitement I've ever experienced.
• During the ceremony, my mom's dog Tikki decided she wanted to be a bridesmaid (still not sure how she got outside) so she walked herself down the aisle and tried to start wrestling with Bear my puppy who had been part ring bearer. It was so cute, the actual ring bearers: Brody and Marcus (Ben's cousins) were petting and playing with the puppies the whole ceremony!
• When Bobbye showed up with the coconut/green tea wedding cake she opened the box and the cake looked kind of like a smashed watermelon! It was in pieces and there was frosting all over the box! Lucky for Bobbye, I was a very good bride to have a smashed wedding cake. She pieced it together, refrosted it, and stuck stargazer lilies over the damaged parts. It still turned out very nice.
  
• After the wedding, when Ben and I had already left for the hotel, Hailey (my sister) decided to give the groom cake (my surprise peanut butter bars for Ben) to Ben's family. We didn't realize until the next day so I called Sue Bauter and she said that it was already half gone but she'd save the rest of it until we got back from the honeymoon... :( sad day.
  

Okay, so these are out of order, but this is us in the hotel room just before Ben went out to put the parking pass in the car. When he had been gone for a couple minutes, I heard the door open and close again so I ran out to greet him but no one was there! He actually didn't show up again for another 5 or so minutes! ...they do say that hotel is haunted... who knows? This is in the getaway car that everyone so thoughtfully decorated with streamers, car paint, saran wrap, oreos, condoms and a pregnancy test! Yikes!!! Ben had to lift me up and set me in the car and then he ran around the car ripping off any problem decorations. Before we took off to the Ben Lomond Hotel! (such a cool place!)

Preparing to be a bride

Aside from loving and supporting my fiance Ben as usual, especially as he is taking his Practicum exam for clinical lab sciences, I have been very busy with the help of Ben preparing for the wedding. We sanded and stained the entire deck (which is HUGE for those who haven't seen it in person). We also weeded the whole yard and created a beautiful arbor which will soon be the background for our wedding ceremony if all goes well, especially the weather. I've also been working on gathering together all the decorations and arranging for flowers, food, drinks, cake, pictures, and all of those other little wedding needs.
This was the first trial of my wedding hair. Ben's aunt Emily is doing my hair and she's so much fun! This day, at first it was just Emily and I playing with my hair until she put the veil in... then we both almost lost it. Then it became real that I was getting married to her nephew and that she was going to help me get ready for it. We've been discussing options as far as taking care of my grand growout line of brassy to ashy hair. We talked about extensions or coloring. Extensions would be expensive but I really didn't want to color my hair either. Chelsey gave me the option of using a toner and said her mom who is also a very talented stylist could probably do it. It's just a temporary color used to take the brassiness out of the ends of my hair and mellow out the color change. Thanks so much Karen and Emily for helping me with all of my crazy hair so far. You two are seriously awesome!
This is still a before, I'll get an after shot later, I just haven't received any yet:) The other biggie was the dress! The most important and memorable part of a wedding is the picture collection that remains. Therefore, hair and dress, as well as tux, ties, and good photographer are pretty important.
This is the back of my dress without the bustle that my mom so cleverly devised. It has a pretty long train and is actually a size 4 but we are able to cinch it down to fit me VERY snugly.
This is the front, it's so pretty and I absolutely love it! It really does make the whole wedding seem more real and I'm getting VERY excited!