I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts...

Well, my summer is quickly cranking along. Steve and I have been doing more house shopping. We made an offer on a place last week, but it went under contract the day before we could get to it. I looked at several more today and we've found a few that we're going to try for. Definitely exciting times.

We were also able to spend the weekend at one of my favorite places in the whole world, Panguitch Lake. I've been going to the lake every summer for about 15 years now, so it was really special to be able to take Steve this year. He got to meet my whole crazy family, experience playing with the kids (he was awesome, and my little cousins LOVED him!), and experience some of the best fishing ever. We were only able to fish Monday morning cause we didn't arrive til late Saturday night, but we had some good times on the boat with my brother Zach and his best friend Kellen. We sang some songs for the fish (I swear they like it and we catch more), gave tributes to Bill and Shirley (the God of Panguitch lake and Poseiden's brother, and the fickle Goddess of the Panguitch winds), and lost some pop-gear. All in all a good morning's fishin'. Also, on Sunday my awesome little brother was ordained as an Elder at the Panguitch Lake Branch. It was a great experience for all involved, and we were drafted by the branch president to, as a family, give the whole Father's Day sacrament meeting next year. I guess it's a good thing we've got some talent.

We also got our engagment pictures done last weekend. I recieved the proofs today and they look pretty good. Some are better than others, but there's definitely some useable ones. Steve, of course, hates them and says he looks forced. I think he looks as handsome as ever. If you're interested you can check them out here: http://www.visualimprint.com/annicka. Please, let me know which ones you like best. I won't be able to decide on my own. Also, we're quickly getting close to the time where I'll send out announcements, so if you would like one and you haven't yet sent me your address, please do so.

Oh, and I decided to go without a veil. I found a really beautiful (okay, 4 really beautiful) brooches on ebay that will be easy to convert to hair clips. I happened to win all of my auctions, so I may use the extra brooches to make some hair clips for my awesome bridesmaids. Other than that nothing new is going on. Just trekking through one day at a time. Hope everyone else is doing well and having a fantastically rainy June.

To Veil or Not to Veil...

Alright, fair readers, the time has come for your input on my wedding (via my blog). I've been having a bit of stress lately deciding on what to do with my hair. Part of me wants to be a bit more traditional and do the classic updo with a veil. And then there's a part of me that wants to nix the veil and put a cute accessory in my hair.

Now, for the veiled side of the argument:

I have great hair for an updo... longish, dark, and naturally curly. My grandma would be making my veil for me, which would be a nice thing to pass on as a family heirloom someday. If I choose a veil I'd like for it to look something like this:

Medium length, two layers, pearl studded, and on a comb. I'd do my hair up in a higher style and attach the veil underneath. Very simple.

And for the naked side of things:

If I decide to go sans veil things will be quite a bit different, I realize that this style is much more contemporary, casual, and less traditional. I'd do my hair in a simpler style, it'd still be up, but it'd be more on the nape of my neck and less elaborate. I'd also accessorize with some sort of flower, comb, or combination of the two like these:

So, please, give me your input, ideas, suggestions, or just plain commentary. I look forward to hearing from you!

Where do liars go?

I'm too A.D.D. for long car rides. I need tos tart packing myself an activities bag anytime I take one and I'm not driving. (Note to self: buy some coloring books, crayons, books on cd, etc)

Steve and I took our first real "road trip" together this past weekend. A friend of his got married in Idaho Falls on Saturday, so we hopped in the car and drove the 3.5 hours to get there. He drove, I controlled the iPod and talked his ear off about stupid stuff. We got to the wedding, jumped out of the car, and promptly realized that we didn't have jackets... and it was cold. So, we ate some meat off the pig they'd roasted, hugged the bride, shook hands with the groom, shivered our way through the wedding video, and turned around and got back in the car.

A few points of interest about Idaho: We waved to the families of Toffer and Cy as we drove through Pocatello. We decided never to live in Idaho, but we will someday return to explore the wonders that are to behold at the Blackfoot Potato Museum. A whole museum dedicated to my favorite food, what could be better?!

Anyway, we decided to stay the night in Smithfield with Steve's best friend Jared, and his wife Brittany. We made the trek back by way of Preston (quite the detour, let me tell you), but got to see Jared's new store there. It's very cool and I recommend checking it out if you're ever in Preston. It's a new/used/scratch & dent store right next to the DI. I was gifted with the best dish scrubbers EVER, we checked out Jared's piles of junk still needing to be sorted, and then we jumped back in the car for more driving fun. We arrived safely at the lovely Jorgensen trailer-home, and got comfy for the night. After kicking everyone's trash at Skip-bo I decided I was ready to crash. So, we turned in for the night with high hopes for small town church the next day.

Sunday dawned a lovely morning... except for the fact that the air mattress I was asleep on had deflated in the night and I was now lying on the hard cold floor with achey hips. Not to worry, however, because my lovely fiance soon came in to wake me up because it was time for breakfast. Since Brittany is pregnant she can't fast and was kind enough to make breakfast for the whole clan of us. There's always next Sunday to fast, right?

A short while later we attended the Smithfield first ward and I got to go to Primary with Brittany. It was a joyous experience all around. I love small town church! We heard some random testimonies in sacrament meeting, and then returned to the lovely Jorgie abode for some dinner.

All in all it was a lovely weekend and great to spend so much time with Steve. We're headed on many more adventures in the next few weeks, so I'm sure I'll have more stories to follow!

It's a good thing I don't own a gun...

Well, it's been awhile since I've updated anything blog-wise, so I figure I'll throw one down with the highlights of the past few weeks...

Wedding stuff: Nothing new here, really. I'm still trying to decide what to do for cake and invitations. One of the few requests Steve had for the wedding was that we have chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, if possible. Since my colors are coral and brown this shouldn't be a problem. As for invitations, my sister has graciously put together a few prototypes for me and I think we're going to make them (in all of our spare time). We changed the fabric for the bridesmaid skirts... again. We finally settled on a semi-satin-y fabric. It's kind of creamy khaki colored with white bullseye style polka dots. It sounds goofy, I know, but it's really cute and will allow my bridesmaids to choose their shirts in a whole range of options.

Work stuff: Work is good, we're dropping patients again which means I've floated to other floors lately. Everyone else has had bad experiences with a certain floor, but they treated me really well. I would float there again.

Other stuff: About a month ago a bird took up residence in my wall. Without my knowledge (it wasn't like I could ask, after all) it built a nest and laid some eggs. So, what started out as one bird in my wall, annoying but I could live with it, has turned into a family of them. Let's just say it's a good thing I don't own a gun or we'd have a whole bunch of dead birds on our hands. It took me three weeks to get in touch with anyone from the HOA, and when I finally did the dude told me he'd put me on a list of things that needed to be taken care of. Now, if I were any other person, the birds wouldn't be a problem because they sleep at night and are awake during the day. Unfortunately, I work night shifts, which means opposite schedules for me and the family of winged creatures in my wall. I hate being kicked out of my own bed by unwelcome and unwanted guests.

In other news, Steve and I bought bicycles this week. We went for a ride the other night, and even though I hadn't ridden one in probably a decade I jumped on and started pedaling away. I guess when they say "it's just like riding a bike" they aren't kidding... My plan is to eventually be in good enough shape to ride to and from work. The way gas prices are looking I think it'll save me some money... plus I could use the exercise. Speaking of exercise... some coworkers and I are doing weight watchers together. I'm pretty excited, it's time to get rid of the pounds I put on during nursing school. We've also started a team here called Naughty Night Nurses. If anyone else would like to join please feel free, even if you're not a naughty night nurse.

I've got a few bridal showers planned in the near future in various places throughout the state, so if you'd like an invite to one please let me know. St. George on June 28th, one in my parents neighborhood July 9th, and possibly a few others.

Steve and I have been house shopping and we've come across a few that we're interested in. Once our loan application is completed and approved we're going to make some offers. I hope we get a cute little place to start our lives together.

I can't think of any other updates for now, so I'll leave you all in peace (wait, you came here to read this...)

Bridezilla

I'm really, really trying not to be a bridezilla... and I think I'm doing a pretty good job of it. With a wedding 4 months and 2 days away I have almost everything planned already. A big sealing room at the temple is reserved, the reception center is booked, menu is decided upon, dress bought, photographer chosen and booked, flowers arranged, fabric chosen for bridesmaid skirts, etc. About the only things I have left to do are: order the cake, help find ties for the men involved, okay the mom dresses, make and send out invites, make a music mix for my iPod, and wait until August 5th. All in all, not too shabby.

I just want to give a special thanks to my mom and my sister, Maddie, for being so patient with me through these last few weeks and for helping with all the plans. You guys have been awesome and your support has made all the difference in the world.

And now, a few links for those interested:

The dress (obviously, mine is white)
The reception center
The bridesmaid skirt fabric
The bridesmaid skirt pattern (It's the middle one)
The photographer
The shoes

Hooray for weddings!

VIP

I saw this on another blog and thought it would be fun to do one for myself. This is an all-about-me in the format of an elementary school VIP poster- including pictures where the students would put them. Oh, and it might be because I've been up all night, but the thought of being the VIP made me think of a song my mom used to sing. Weird. Anyway:

All About Me

I am 23 years old.

My favorite color is pink.

My favorite animal is the giraffe.

My favorite food is potatoes.

This is what I look like:

My Family...:
Home is my favorite place.

When I grow up I want to be a mom:

My favorite thing to do is be with Steve:

If I had one wish I would wish for everyone I know to be happy:

Five

I stole this from Lena... thought it would be appropriate to fill out at 5 in the morning. :)

5 years ago I was ... getting ready to graduate high school, still trying to decide where to do my first semester of college, singing with the a'cappella choir, finishing up my cna license, and working 3 jobs.

5 months ago I was ... still waiting for Steve to figure out how amazing I am, working on decorating a house, settling in at the new hospital post-move, reading tons of books, and making my Christmas list

5 hours ago I was ... turning patients, checking a blood sugar, settling someone into bed, taking vitals, and deciding what to eat for dinner

5 minutes ago I was ... listening to someone talk about how he eloped, getting a warm blanket, eating chex mix, copying this survey, and trying to stay awake

5 things on my 'to do' list today: pick up Mac, library, grocery store, call the seamstress, and cook dinner

5 recent pieces of mail I've received: wedding announcement, gas bill, zoo party invite, t-ville news, victoria's secret catalog

5 of my bad habits: nail biting, swearing, gum popping, cracking my knuckles, and sarcasm

5 good memories: slurpees with Ally, the night Steve proposed, receiving my endowment, anything with my sister, long talks with my mom

5 films I watch over and over again: Princess Bride, Grease, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Transporter, Transformers

5 places I've lived: Creek Road, Sandy, Saint George, Taylorsville, and Murray

5 songs I love: Question (Old 97's), Habanera (Kate Nash), Hotel Song (Regina Spekter), Don't Move (Butch Walker), Cigarette Lighter Love Song (Butch Walker)

5 jobs I've had: Janitor, Piano Teacher, Wedding Server, CNA, RN

5 things most people don't know about me: I can't whistle, I can say the alphabet backward, I make a really good monkey face, I once had my belly button pierced, I am now the proud owner of a wedding dress

5 things in my virtual shopping bags: Tungsten wedding band for Steve, Hot shoes for the wedding, some digital prints I just sent to walgreens, a super cute dress, some new make up

5 books I love to death: The twilight series, Agnes and the Hitman, The Book of Mormon (I'm counting the series as the three books it actually is)

5 things that are out of place around my house: Some dishes in the sink, some shoes on my floor, a cup on the coffee table, a blanket on the living room floor, and my second set of sheets (they're in the dryer)

5 films I want to see: Definitely, maybe; Kung Fu Panda; the original Italian Job; Indiana Jones; Wall E

5 things I love to eat: Ice cream, steak, baked potatoes, homemade stuffing, brocolli

5 destinations I'm dying to see: New York City, D.C., Portugal, Africa, South America

5 scents I love: Steve, my laundry detergent, fresh cut grass, rain, pot roast

5 people (who are not blood relations or in-laws) who have had a positive impact on my life: Ally, Steve, Bishop Decker, The Brighton Babes (I'm counting you all as 1 person), Lauren