My First Post

Devon's being bugging me all day to post something....Since he's gone to all the work of making this our blog instead of just his, I'd better oblige. Besides that these last few months (especially the last few weeks) have been pretty eventful.

It all began a few months ago....Devon and I decided that we were going to get married. I've been married previously, so I knew I needed to start working on the process for my temple sealing cancelation. I contacted my ex and met with the bishop before we were officially engaged. We felt good setting a date, as we would have 4 1/2 months to get everything done. Things went smoothly, we got letters from everyone in less than a month. Everything was then turned into my Stake President. This is where the fun began. I contacted the stake executive secretary multiple times to get an appointment. Each time I was informed the Stake President was busy, but would try to get me 'next week.' After a few weeks of this, the stake split and my ward became part of a newly organized stake. Apparently my former Stake President wanted my new Stake President to handle this, hence why the executive secretary kept putting me off. Finally after a month of trying I had an appointment with the Stake President! At the meeting he told me he was going out of town and would write the letter and submit the paperwork as soon as he got home. With a month and a half to go I was notified, by my bishop, that the paperwork had been submitted. Everyday I was out checking the mail. With about 3 weeks to go till we were getting married, I still had nothing. Worry turned to fear when Devon and I were hiking down from the Y on May 6th. We ran into my Bishop, who informed us that my Stake President hadn't actually sent in the paperwork because he was waiting for his official church stationary. We were assured that someone would be contacting Salt Lake.

Just two weeks before the wedding we received official notification that the paper work had been received by the First Presidency and that we could call on Friday (just one week before the wedding) to see if it had been reviewed yet. On Friday I received a call that there was no word on my paperwork, but we could check back Tuesday. On Tuesday, we were told that a decision was possible on Thursday. My hopes of heading off to California worry free were shattered. But I still had hope for something to come through Thursday.

About half way to California on Wednesday I received a call from my Bishop that he had just spoken to the First Presidency's office and my sealing had been canceled!!!! They had even agreed to call the Newport Beach Temple and verbally give permission for us to be sealed, since there wouldn't be time to mail a letter to me. We were ecstatic!!!!!!!! Then after about 2 hours worth of phone calls to the temple, sealers, stake presidents, our family and friends, everything was set!

I heard it said, and even experienced it, that every wedding has a wedding day disaster. Ours was a wedding week disaster that had a very happy ending. After that everything else went perfectly. Minus some June Gloom, our wedding day we wonderful. I was able to marry the man that I love, in a place that would allow us to be sealed forever. I never realized how much I took getting married in the temple for granted. It's just something that you do. It wasn't until there was a chance of it not happening that I really realized how much it meant to me.

I'm not really sure how to judge the actual length of this post, but I'm thinking it's pretty long. So, I'll have to give more details about the wedding, receptions and honeymoon later. :)

Real life...

The honeymoon is over. We're back at a normal Utah County elevation near a more normal sized lake. I've got a few scattered items I still have to get from my parents' house, but other than that I'm moved in and will start the slow process of unpacking.

Over too is the ice cream reception, though if you need any chocolate syrup let us know... we've got enough to last us through the millenium.

So I'm back to picking up whatever part-time money I can scorekeeping softball or refereeing or whatever. I have two referee evaluation camps coming up in the next couple of weeks. If I do well at those I'll hopefully get a few more varsity games this next basketball season.

And... back applying for jobs. Yes, we'd almost forgotten we were unemployed but were reminded when we realized we didn't have to get up and go to work this morning.

Let the real fun begin!

Suitable...

My how time flies. Two-and-a-half months later and we're down to just 12 days before the wedding.

After putting it off for a few weeks Annette and I finally got out and did some suit shopping. I haven't worn a suit since my mission and we figured my own wedding was an appropriate occasion to make a new purchase.

The most interesting part of the suit shopping experience for me is seeing the different personalities and the varied effectiveness of the salesmen.

Our first stop was Mr. Mac where we found the sales staff to be nice, but underwhelming. After showing us two suits, the salesmen concluded that they just didn't have what we were looking for and recommended that we come back some other time when they had more inventory.

We made a brief foray into Missionary Mall and actually found a workable suit, but decided the durability-to-style ratio was not favorable. And, the salesman there looked completely lost when faced with a prospective buyer that was not 19-years-old singing "Armies of Helaman" as he walked in the door. The most excited he got was when the topic of where I served my own mission came up.

We ended up making a purchase from Men's Warehouse, where the salesman was very good and got us what we wanted. We got a two-for-one deal on some very nice, high quality suits which will set me up for the wedding and other formal occasions down the road.

Hopefully this marks our last major expense.

The Recession Hits Saratoga Springs

Eight-six days till the wedding and Annette and I just found out - less than four days apart - that we are both now unemployed.

I got told on Monday that I had two more weeks left to work before being laid off. This morning she was told her entire department was shutting down. Ouch.

I suppose it's not all bad. It will be a good story to tell our kids when they start grumbling about having to go to work when they're teenagers.

94 days...

Who knew this could be so complicated?

No, I'm not talking about the dress, the colors, or pictures.

It has nothing to do with the reception or the cake.

No, none of that. The issue at hand now causing so much complication is honeymoon related - more specifically, hotels.

Annette and I went to dinner last night and then back to her house where I was eager to watch the BYU game. After BYU fell way behind in the first half I switched the game off and we started looking at room rates online. We already know where and when we're going, but the issue of where exactly to stay became the subject tedious research and comparison.

I turned the game back on midway through the second half to find that BYU was making a comeback. All the while Annette was pecking away on the keyboard visiting this website and that analyzing locations and amenities.

I tried to get her to turn the computer off and watch the end game with me, but it was to no avail. Maybe this is one of those things that a man is just not going to understand, but I never would have guessed that this would become such a serious issue in the wedding planning process.

Mercifully, she thinks she has found what she is looking for and I'm hopeful that a final resolution and reservation will be forthcoming soon.

I can only imagine what other facets of wedding planning will be like if this alone requires so much time and attention.

106 days...

I've decided I don't like being engaged.

I love my beautiful fiance, and I'm very excited about moving into this new stage of life. But, the intermediate period is no fun at all. I wish we could just skip right to marriage.

Engagement just seems to bring the expected increase in responsibility, but with ever-limited benefits. I suppose I should take President Monson's advice to just live in the present and enjoy the moment.

But, I will be very happy when I don't have to drive back home to Orem every night.

Engaged

Yes, after many months of dating/courtship, Annette and I are finally engaged - officially.

The truth is we had been talking about marriage for some time, and at one point even had tentative ideas of getting married in March. But, around December we settled on a late spring wedding and started getting serious about it.

We first went ring shopping in November, and Annette found what she thought she wanted. But, as the weeks passed those ideas changed, and we went shopping a couple more times through the holidays and into January.

The ring was finally purchased about a week ago at Sierra West with the help of the famous Bro. Bowen, John and Michelle's former bishop, a current counselor in my bishopric, and VP of the company.

I officially proposed on Thursday, and we made requisite announcements throughout the weekend.

Originally we had planned on June 6, but that has now been bumped back a week to May 30. We will be getting married in California, either in the LA Temple or the Newport Beach Temple. After a honeymoon to Lake Tahoe, we will return to Utah, hold an open-house on June 6, and be done with it.

Of course I will be moving to Saratoga Springs, which will increase general commute times, but is overall something I'm looking forward to.