Art critics

My current calling is FHE Mom. Technically it's called home evening group leader but "Mom" is easier to remember. Anyway, for our big ward FHE for the semester we had a modern art show. Each group had to create a piece of artwork which was then displayed for all to see. Cheese, crackers, and cream puffs were served so obviously it was a high class event.Our piece most definitely had the most, "stop and stare" factor going for it because it was decided early on that grotesque and shocking were the two words that we wanted people to use to describe it. Mostly, I think we succeeded.

Mostly, I still don't know what to think.

Selective neglect

Four weeks from Saturday marks the start of finals week. My SIXTH finals week at BYU, seventh if you count that one Spring semester. I feel like there is more work left to do in the semester than has already been done. Oy vey. I'm in for a crazy four weeks. Let me introduce to you something my clinical instructor taught me about. It's called selective neglect. There are a few things I'm selectively neglecting and I know it is good for my soul.

Lemme tell you about some other things--

I had NG pass-offs today but read the schedule wrong and thought they were next week. WRONG. Lucky for me I've got an excellent friend that will have their husband bring me one of her scrub tops to wear. Also, it turns out that placing an NG tube in a mannequin is just about as easy as shoving a long straw down someone's nose. Passed with flying colors.

I been lifting weights to try and strengthen my weak Williams' arms. Mostly I've still got weak arms with really well defined deltoids. Now I kind of just want to bite the chunk of muscle right there.

This weekend is the Rex Lee Run, the weekend after that is the Festival of Colors, and the weekend after that is General Conference, and the weekend after that is nothing super exciting, and then the weekend after that is finals week. CRAZY!

We finally got a vacuum to replace the one that broke in October. I must say, nothing makes a house look cleaner than vacuum lines on the carpet.

My left pointer finger got smashed between the metal sink and about ten lunch trays at work. It's a pretty good battle wound.

Provo has given us a taste of Spring and I fear that it will be taken away soon. I almost want to pack up my winter coats but don't want to tempt the cold to return.

Sometimes I feel like the last week of my life has been make believe. Am I for really reals engaged to be married? Then I spy the shiny, shiny ring on my finger and remember about that cute boy that loves me. So many great things are happening.

The day I said yes to forever

Can I tell you a story? A story about how a certain boy made me the happiest girl in the world? If you answered yes to either of those questions then, by all means, continue reading.

Joshua got into Utah a little after 10pm on Friday night and we stayed at Alaina and Brad's snazzy new house. Neither of us slept very well that night mostly because the anticipation of two whole days in the same place is even greater than that of a child waiting for Christmas morning. At least, that's why I couldn't sleep. I found out later that Joshua had at least one huge reason to lay awake.

Needless to say, Saturday started super early and we were excited about it. We visited with Brad and Alaina for a bit and got ready for the day. Joshua was keen on hiking, for some reason, and Brad told us about the Stewart Falls trail. We made our way down to Provo and then up the canyon to find Stewart Falls. We drove around Sundance and could not find the trail head anywhere. The gas light was on in the car, there was snow everywhere, and I was getting sort of grumpy. We gave up on Stewart Falls and decided to make our way back out of the canyon to try find another, better marked, trail.

We found a trail that we had been on before that lead to a beaver dam and decided to try and find it. There was snow well, mostly snow that had been packed into ice, all over the trail. It was a slow climb but we where determined to find something beautiful. We gave up on finding the dam and sat on some logs by a stream. We talked for a while and then Joshua started saying nice things about me. I wish I could remember what he said because they were REALLY nice things. Anyway, after a few minutes of that he asked if he could show me what he'd made. Of course I said yes and he pulled a plastic box out of his backpack. Inside the box was a paper mache, anatomically correct (mostly), heart. He presented it to me and said, "Can I ask you a question?" "Yes" I replied. He opened the heart and said, "Will you marry me?"

Surprised doesn't even begin to cover how I felt in that moment. I knew for a fact that we were not going to get engaged this weekend and there was this boy in front of me asking me to marry him. I didn't have words. "Yes, yes, yes. Without a doubt yes!" was my reply after a few seconds to soak it all in.

He picked out this ring all by himself. We'd been ring shopping before but never found anything we couldn't live without. He told me later that he picked it out because he knew I was too indecisive to pick something for myself. This boy knows me so well.

I am elated! I've had that pit of my stomach, Christmas morning excited feeling ever since Saturday. This has been the best, most exciting weekend of my life. I cannot wait to start forever with my best friend. I look forward to a life will always be exciting, hilarious, and joyful.

I am the luckiest.