Dear Wendy...

Wendell, my most favorite roommate-turned-Nebraskan-law-student! Remember how we used to live together, and we talked on a regular basis, and we knew what was going in each other's lives, and it was fun? Yeah...I miss that. So. Let's play a game. I'm gonna tell you everything that's been going on for the last 6 months. And then it's your turn, yes?

I love this game already =)

Okay. Engaged in November. Super awesome. Couldn't be happier.

The problem with getting engaged at the end of November, is that December is way too Holiday Crazy to even think of beginning to plan a wedding. So we skipped December (probably not a good idea), and decided we'd start the first of January. BUT. Of course our Disney Annual Passes were expiring so we took Saydee and roadtripped one last time to Disneyland that first week. Also probably not a good idea...but So Much Fun.

So, we get back. And we have one month to plan a wedding. What the H, right? Yeah, talk about stressful:

My dress had yet to be seen altered. I mean, it was going from sleeveless, strapless,backless, cleavage-bare-all, 4 sizes to big--to hopefully the most beautiful dress ever (we both know my standards and expectations about wedding dressings). Stress.

In an act of insanity, we fired our uncooperative photographer. That's right. Bridals weren't done, we weren't getting a refund ($900 loss, wowza) and trying to find an inexpensive photographer with such short notice was a headache migraine.

I don't know if you know this, but I have 3 sisters and 1 sister-in-law. And Matt has 3 sisters and 2 sister-in-laws. All of which I was dressing for the wedding. Horrible idea. Next time I try to find something that 9 (NINE!) women can all agree on, please have me committed.

My poor sister, who I love, somehow got roped into making my bouquet. I know, sounds easy enough. Throw some flowers together, Tie a bow around it. Voila.

Yeah...that would make sense in the world of the normal. But in the world of Kate, I dream of pearls. Lots of pearls. Like. 600 pearls. Emily agreed to do it...I just don't know if she agreed to staying up til 4 am for weeks, hand threading individual pearls. With wire. I can't really complain about the stress on this one...but just thinking about it, wears me out. I can only imagine what she was thinking.

Another insane moment in the brain of Kate? I made Matt make me walls. That's right. Walls. I had a vision. My reception (in Matt's explanations) was going to be like going to visit your great aunt in old South Virginia, who invites you into her parlor for tea. And in order to get this, I needed walls.

7 to be exact. Wallpapered, with white trim. And I wouldn't take no for an answer.

Also in my vision, I saw chandeliers. I found 3 on Amazon. They were actually the first thing we bought...so that part should have been crossed off my ever-growing list weeks and weeks before the special day, right? Ha ha ha. Only one problem. How do you hang chandeliers in a church gym?? Wrap your brain around that for a minute.

Oh, and did I mention the invites? We had some issues with finding pictures to use for the invites. Our photographer (the one we axed) somehow managed to not take one picture of us both looking at the camera, smiling. How do you send out invites where to can't see the couple's faces?! Okay, I might have been a little bridezilla on this, but that just wasn't acceptable. So I convince my boss to find an old barn we can stand in front of, and snap some shots of us smiling and being in love. Got a great picture. But. We didn't get them to the printer until 3 weeks before the wedding. 3 WEEKS. Cutting it close? (ps. I sent one to you...did it make it?)

We did find a photographer, eventually. (3 weeks before the wedding) Lindsey Shaun Photography. Live saver. She really saved the day, and worked with our budget, and had our bridals scheduled for the day after we talked to her. So wonderful.

Can you see how I might have been a little bit overwhelmed? It's my own fault, I know. I'm a little to ambitious for my own good. I realized this at about the 2 week mark. I was pretty sure nothing was going to get done, and i was going to hate everything, no one cared about my vision, and it was all going to fall apart.

Enter Matt.

Enter My Family(s)

Oh Wendy. Everything turned out just like I planned. It couldn't have been more perfect. I so, SO, wish you could have come. You would have been so impressed. The temple was incredible. Our sealing was so special. The most amazing moment in my life, hands down. It was super SUPER freezing and windy, so that made for interesting pictures, but it was still sunny, and lovely.

My dress was beautiful. And i wore the most fabulous, burgundy suede, 4 inch heels. Holla.

My bouquet was to die for. Seriously. I mean, it weighed in at 5 lbs, and we both know I have scrawny arms, so I couldn't hold it for very long without breaking a sweat, but it was seriously so magnificent.

Everyone looked so perfect. My babies (the boys) all wore cute little vests and ties. Pretty much the most adorable thing you've ever seen. And all the girls looked gorg' in their homemade skirts, and pearl necklaces.

The reception was a dream. Not a thing out of place.

My fake great-aunt in Virginia would be proud.

Since then, things have been pretty calm.

(I'm not even going to mention our honeymoon to Hawaii. It was a disaster. Think, 6 days in paradise spent bedridden with the flu.)

Still adjusting to living with a man. Boys are weird.

But. I've never been happier. I love coming home to him, and I love doing his laundry, and love that I haven't had to cook one meal since we got married (Matt is an amazing chef, who knew). I love cuddling on our couch, watching our tv, in our apartment. I haven't quite gotten used to the name change, but I love being Kate Jaynes. It has a ring to it, yes?

Anyway. That's my life. Super boring, but super awesome. I hope you’re being fabulous, per usual. I miss you like crazy. Let's be friends again, k? Maybe I'll try that whole Twitter thing...

Love ya,

Kate...with a J.

Wanna hear a story?

November 22nd. It was a Tuesday.

And I knew what was going to happen.

(Matt will try to tell you that he was super sneaky, and there was no way I guess what was going on. But. I did. The Sunday before, I even told my dad "Dad. I think Matt's gonna propose on Tuesday, just so you know." Totally right. Boo-ya.)

That morning, he showed up at my apartment...cuz we carpooled every morning...and I thought to myself, "Matt sure looks like he just got a haircut. Hmm...a proposal haircut?" Hello. Clue #1

We go to work, and I was busy, busy, busy. It was my last week at the Training Center in Sandy, and I was trying to get a lot done before I transferred up North. We had planned to go to lunch at 1:00, and Matt showed up, surprisingly right on time. And in a different outfit then he was wearing when he picked me up for work. He had changed--and into my favorite red sweater, I might add. Yup, Clue #2.

I was on the phone with Karlene, discussing the Trust Account section of our training manual and working out some editing. Matt stood there patiently for all of 5 seconds...kinda uncharacteristic for Matt. I looked over and he was glaring at me, and pointing to the imaginary wristwatch he wasn't wearing, and mouthed "We got to go. I have a meeting i got to get back to". Two things here:

 

1. Matt is not impatient

And.

2. Matt doesn't have urgent meetings. Ever.

Clues #3 and #4.

So I hurridly hung up on Karlene, and told work I'd be back in an hour. We walk out and Matt starts talking in his go to Southern Accent. Clue #5---when Matt's hding something he switches to a Southern Accent. No one knows why.

I ask him where we're going as we get off the elevator, and he says "Some things just got to be a surprise"...and then continues to hand me some sunglasses...and says "You got to put these on."

Required sunglasses? What?

Not just ordinary sunglasses. These sunglasses had black paper covering the lenses. And blinders. Clue #5. (sidenote: One of the reasons I know Matt is the perfect man for me. He didn't want to ruin my hair with a blindfold.) (He knows me so well).

So we get in the car and start driving...for like 20 minutes. At this point I knew it was coming, and I was freaking out. Not because I was going to be getting engaged. No no no. I was freaking out, cuz we left 15 minutes late, and spent 20 minutes driving, and Matt had a "meeting" to get back to...so my proposal was going to go something like this "So, wanna? Yeah? Done. I'll give you the ring in the car." I didn't want a rushed proposal!

While I was internally panicing about the timetable of events, we arrived at our supposed destination. He came and opened the door, and helped me out...I was still "blindfolded", although, because they were just sunglasses, I'm sure people thought I was crazy, with my hands out, trying to feel my way.
Matt met up with someone who said "follow me"...So we did. We followed this stranger right down a dark, cold, side ally, into a strange back door. A little creeped out at this point. Matt guided me inside, and into an open area, quiet area. Quiet, but echoy.

What the H was going on?

Matt took my sunglasses, but told  me to keep my eyes closed. He took my hands, and told me how much he loved me, and how much I meant to him. (Matt has this emotional voice he switches to, where he speaks in broken sentences and says and alot. It's very cute.) Emotional Speech--Clue #6.

I opened my eyes and Matt was kneeling on the stage of the Capital Theater, ring outreached. He said something about me being the center of his stage and the star of his show. (I'm sure it was very cute and awesome...but i seriously can't remember what he said)....And asked me to spend the rest of our lives and eternity together.


Clue #7.

And I jumped into his arms, kissed his face, and told him yes. 

November 22nd. Gonna rememeber that date for a long time.

Proposaling, Engageding, Weddinging, Smiling...

I got me a fiancé =)

Go ahead. Shout your Hoorays.

I've been meaning to document this for months. But (who knew), wedding planning is a pretty extensive, time consuming thing. There are things to tell you though. I even made a list

1) About my lover-fiancé-face

2) How he proposed

3) Show you cute pictures of our happiness

Feel free to take notes on how romantic is done.

(This will probably get spread out over a couple different posts. But I'll try to post quickly. I know how anxious you are to know the deets.)

Meet Matthew Warren Jaynes.

24 year old, Blue-eyed, BYU graduated Accountant. Cooking Extraordinaire. Disneyland Annual Passholder. Self-Proclaimed Genius. Gospel Loving, Family Prioritized, Fast Driver.

Grey's Anatomy-Watching-To-Make-Me-Happy, Bearded Stud Muffin.

He's pretty much my perfect man.

We used to work together at America First Credit Union, in their training department. He trained all the newbie tellers, and I trained everyone else. We actually worked together for 6 months before the thought even crossed our minds to be attracted to each other. In fact, we were both dating other people for that first 6 months. Strangely, we both broke up with those other people around the same time...and within weeks, we went on our first date. Within weeks of that, Matthew was already hopelessly in love with me. And within weeks of that we pretty much spent every second we could together.

And we are the happiest people I know.

Obviously.

I’m Gone…

Goodbye #412…

        

Goodbye overly loud and humid laundry room the made my walls vibrate at all hours of the night…

Goodbye Martha, my crazy neighbors who rudely interrupted my life most the time I was sleeping…

  

Goodbye Otis, our mostly reliable, semi-suicidal elevator.

Goodbye creepy iron gate that scared away everyone, welcome visitors or not.

Goodbye my most favorite drive out of SLC.

Goodbye Chateau Le Man. It’s been a good two years. Miss me.

Movin On (part deux)

You know, the first post I ever wrote was written on the first night I slept in my new apartment in downtown Salt Lake City. 2 and a half years ago. I can’t really think about it, cuz it kinda seems like yesterday. And it doesn’t really make sense to be packing up the apartment I just moved into yesterday.

My Wendell is being all ambitious and moving to Nebraska for law school (Go Creighton!), and now I’m un-shelving my books and boxing pots and pans.

Bittersweet, really. On the bright side, I'm moving to Riverdale, back to my old basement apartment (yup, the one I’ve moved in and out of. Twice.) I'll be close to my family, close to my babies, close to the school I’m sure I’ll eventually graduate from.

Downside? I currently live in the heart of an amazing city. Interesting places, interesting people, and all my favorite restaurants within 7 minutes of my apartment. I live with the most fabulous roommate, and her almost mostly fabulous puppy. I have one really nice neighbor, and hundreds of others that don’t talk to me, which I really appreciate. And my building is called Chateau Le Man. Um, hello. That makes it awesome.

I’m gonna miss it. Muchos. Times two.

Oh well. Got to keep moving. Hopefully this is me making good decisions.

Absolute Faves.

I don't know if you know this, but I'm related to the cutest little babies ever.

Proof?

Meet Max(right) and Owen(left).

Aww...They're holding hands. Tote Adorbs =)

Day 8

 

Short Term Goals for the Month…

I thought I’d wait until the first of the month to post this---give myself a full 31 days to complete.

(I kinda hate goals, I won’t lie. I’ve made a point not to make any…reduces the chances of failure, I’ve found)

But, in the spirit of blogging, I’ll concede.

Goals for the month of May

…Blah…

1. Finish my book Tess of the D'Urbervilles—I’ve only been reading it on and off for a year…so maybe its time.
2. Do my visiting teaching.
3. Make progress on my painting (I went from finish, to significant progress, to progress. I aim high)
4. Go camping. In a tent.
5. I’m trying to lessen my sugar intake. So we’ll make that a goal—Eat less chocolate.
6. Work-out like…twice a week.
7. Wear a hat out and about.
8. Visit Four Corners.
9. Practice the piano and the guitar weekly.
10. Ride the Sky Coaster at Lagoon.
11. Go to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point.