Wow. So, here it is, June 23, two days before our two-month anniversary. Not that we have anything terribly special planned for the day. It's a Wednesday, and we both have work and Ryan has classes. What would you do for a two-month anniversary, anyways?
But holy cow! After 25 years of waiting, here I am, officially married! We have our marriage certificate and everything. Almost everything. I still have to change my name. We need to merge our bank accounts and files and the tedious paperwork of our lives. We need to finish moving in. Through all this, we're both working to finish school and support ourselves.
The wedding was beautiful. April 25th in Oakland California is a gorgeous day, as our pictures can attest. It was simple, yet profound, as anyone who has been married in an LDS Temple knows. Eveything went perfect. Nobody was late, we didn't forget anything, nobody was violently ill.
I did pull a small prank on Ryan on our way to California. After we arrived at the airport, I told him I'd forgotten the recommends that would get us into the Temple. Poor guy. He was so sweet that I instantly regretted it.
After the wedding we had the luncheon. It was fun. Simple, but fun. That night was the reception, and I had a lot of fun there. I hope my guests did. Even Ryan said it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. We had dinner, and dancing, and flowers, and bubbles, and handcuffs... much fun. Yes, I did say handcuffs. The bishop of my home ward got up to say a few words. Incidently, he had also gotten up at my parents wedding to say a few words. At the time of their reception, he had been a police officer, so as a joke, he handcuffed them together. Tradition held, and he came and cuffed me and Ryan together. It makes for a fun story. It also makes for some fun pictures.
The honeymoon was at Monterey, CA. I got to show Ryan around the Monterey Bay Acquarium, and the Wharf, and Cannery Row. We went to Church, and spent Sunday afternoon on some rocks at the beach. Just past the rocks we saw sea otters playing in the water. We tried to get pictures of them, but were not terribly successful. We did get some beautiful pictures of the ocean, though.
The honeymoon was necesarily short. We came back to Utah on Monday just in time to start classes on Tuesday. We had classes for a week before we had our other two receptions that weekend. The first was in Sandy, UT. The second, the next day, was in Idaho Falls. Both were quite fun, though quite a bit simpler than the one in California. We enjoyed them, though. If truth be told, my favorite part of that weekend was Hawaii.
Yes, his parents sent us to Hawaii for a night. Well, sortof. It was Destinations Inn, where every room has a different elaborate theme. Ours had a beautiful beach scene painted on the wall, and rocks, and palm trees, and a huge wonderful glorious bathtub, and a massage table, and a fountain, and complimentary cheesecake and Martinelli's, and a projector, and breakfast in bed. It was a wonderful night. Completely wonderful. I want to go back. :)
The past six weeks have been filled with the day-to-day aspects of getting our lives in order. We've taken back the gifts that we didn't want and organized the ones that we did. Our house is liveable, though not exactly clean. We'll get there. We've finished our first semester together and are now starting in on the second.
Mixed in with this huge project of adjusting my entire life are also the day-to-day aspects of living. Impressions? :) I wake up to a kiss and a hug and an "I love you" every morning. He rarely puts his towel away in the morning. He loves me and spoils me and does the dishes for me when I'm exhausted and can do no more, even though dishes are his least favorite thing to do. He listens to me, and understands me, and talks to me, and we share so much that is the same, and at the same time have so much within us that is different. Yet we work well together. It has been difficult for me, adjusting to this huge change. But he will hold me or leave me alone or be quiet with me or talk to me, and his every desire that comes through in his every action is that of my happiness. How have I been so phenomenally blessed?
I love living in a city that, though intrinsically connected, is not a college town. We get fliers about community activities! It's wonderful! Orem is a city not completely dependent on BYU! I love having a friend at every activity. I love that our fridge is full, and all the food in there is ours. I don't have to label my food anymore! Glorious! I love cooking for two. Last night I created a concoction of grains wrapped up in cabbage leaves, smothered in sauce and cooked for half an hour. It was an interesting dish, especially considering that I don't particularly like cabbage leaves. I made jell-o for dessert. It froze in our fridge that is perpetually too cold, despite the fact that we have it on the lowest setting. Have you ever seen frozen jell-o? It's quite amusing. There are always dishes to do, a bed to make, laundry to fold... I feel like a housewife, which I have wanted for so long. It's fun. It will be very nice when the thank-you notes are written, and I've organized and deep-cleaned everything and bought us a bed-skirt. Of course, there will always be projects to work on, which is good. It would be a shame to run out of things to do.
My current projects? Well, I've decided to sell Melaleuca more aggressively than I have been. I gave one presentation last week, and the girl signed up. Very encouraging! My goal is to make Melaleuca pay for itself, first. Then, the sky's the limit! I'd also like to write a book. I know I've been saying that forever, but this one is a completely different genre. It's geared toward girls of all ages, and is not fiction. It's about accepting yourself for who you are. I also want to graduate college. You see, as soon as I do that, I can start having babies. :) :) :) That will be wonderful. I'm so excited. Ryan is so supportive of all I want to do. He gives me ideas for my book, and supports me when I give Melaleuca presentations, and it doesn't bother him in the slightest that I may end up making more money than he does. And when we do start having children, he wants me to stay home. He wants to get us horses, and he wants me to stay at home. I am so looking forward to that. I may continue to sell Melaleuca, but that is something I can do from home quite easily.
Incidently, yesterday Ruth and Robert came over for breakfast yesterday morning. With them they brought Ruth's sister Eve, and their beautiful daughter Michelle. I haven't seen them in four years, and it was so wonderful to see them again. Ryan liked them, and they seemed to like him, which was good. They also inspired me to write on my blog again. Now that I know somebody actually reads this, perhaps I will try to keep it more updated. (Hey, Ruth? What's your blog address? I don't know where it is anymore, and I'd love to read yours!)
Anyway, now that I have written a novel and the heat is getting ever worse outside, I should probably go for my run before doing so would result in heat stroke.
Yes, I'm happy. I'm busy and tired, but happy. I enjoy life.
Live well, laugh often, love much.
