Wedding Planning

My goodness planning weddings are hard. Being as this would have been my third wedding I've planned, you'd think I'd be an expert at this point. Not even close.

Weddings are not my thing. I was never the little girl that played pretend wedding with the pillow case over my head as a veil. I never dreamed about a huge reception with hundreds of people, most of whom I've never met, trying to talk to me for ten minutes a pop. I never wanted to throw away thousands of dollars on flowers I'll never see again, food I didn't get to eat and centerpieces no one noticed. 

That just wasn't me. I was the girl who wanted to elope in Hawaii or Europe and only invite our parents. I was the girl who desperately wanted to get married on a beach at sunset with only my fiance, myself and the priest. 

Unfortunately, you can't have everything you want. So I dedicate this blog to young girls out there trying to get started on wedding planning. These are some tips I've learned along the way. 

1) Pick your dress alone. Don't invite anyone to your dress fitting. You already know what you want, you know what looks good on you. Try on hundreds of dresses if you must, but do it alone with only the help of your bridal consultant. This will save you the most pain and stress of all. Once you've picked your dress, don't let anyone, including mothers and MOHs, talk you out of it. Period. Stick with your choice!

2) Don't purchase floral centerpieces. They're expensive and pointless. Honestly, what are you going to do with the centerpieces after your wedding? Don't waste the money there. No one notices them anyway!

3) Opt out of renting a tux for your groom. They're expensive and sooo last decade. A nice suit will be something he'll wear all the time. Get a tailored suit and call it good. 

4) Don't use a DJ. Unless said DJ is your best friend since birth, don't allow some stranger to run the show at your wedding. No one likes the same old songs DJs play anyway. Either get your own iPod mix and just have it playing throughout the night, or better yet, hire a cover band! They're so much more fun and cost the same as a DJ. 

5) Choose colors that are 'in' for the season. When you choose a popular color, you won't have a hard time finding nick nacks that match. If you choose an out of season color, don't even bother going anywhere but online to shop for decor. 

6) Hire a photographer well in advance. Get to know him. The best thing about our photographer is he took my 3 sets of engagement pictures, graduation pictures AND my wedding pictures. After going through so many sessions with him, he felt like part of the family. We actually call him Uncle Jared now. 

7) If you're on a budget, skimp on everything but the photography. You won't remember the food, the entertainment, the decor or the cake, but you will remember the photos taken on your special day. See number 6, and make sure to hire someone comfortable so you look comfortable in front of the camera. Be willing to spend a pretty penny for a great photographer because you'll have these forever! 

8) Don't worry about food. Unless you have an army of ladies ready to potluck your wedding, don't bother with food. It's expensive and not worth it. Just provide hor d'oeuvres and dessert and no one will no the difference. People come to wedding for cake anyway. Dessert bars are super popular. Do something different like a s'mores bar or a candy bar. People will remember that.

9) Read reviews. For the venue, the entertainment, the vendors, everything. Make sure you know what you're getting by reading about previous gigs. Learn from other people's mistakes, not your own!

10) Let things happen. If your sister-in-laws don't want to wear your dress, don't make them. If your fiance wants to wear a tie with paisleys (blah!) let him. If two of your bridesmaids are pregnant at the time of your wedding, who cares?! If your dress doesn't fit right and your sleeves look retarded, get them fixed. This is not something you just let happen :)

11) Love your in-laws. There is nothing more horrible about starting a marriage off with feuds. Forgive and move on. They are now a part of your family. They will be in your life forever, so you might as well learn to love them and get passed your differences because guess what, people are going to be different. Not everyone is going to love your colors or your dress or your choice of anything, and they might speak out. Who cares. 

12) My number one piece of advice I can give is to stand by your fiance through everything. Let little things go. If things don't go as planned, who cares. It's a fun story. And if things get too heated, don't go through with it. Don't worry about disappointing anyone. You want to look back on your engagement with nothing but happy thoughts. 

13) Love your fiance's ideas. You don't always have to use them, but make sure he knows his opinion is valued. 

14) Take deep breaths. When that doesn't work, cry and eat chocolate. A good sob session followed by a Snicker's bar was the best therapy I've ever had. And always watch 'Friends' in times of stress. 

15) Let your mom wear whatever the heck she wants to wear!!! A happy mom makes for a happy wedding. 

16) Get names of vendors from friends and relatives. Utilize your resources! We learned that one of my dad's friends was the lead in a cover band. A lady that makes cake was in my fiance's ward. One of my bridesmaids was a hair stylist. Use who you know!
17) Start your birth control well in advance. Learned that lesson the hard way.
18) Get on Pinterest! If you don't have a Pinterest, first of all, welcome to the 21st century, second of all, you cannot plan a wedding without Pinterest! No, seriously.
19) Don't send out invitations on Facebook or any electronic invitations. I don't go to weddings where I haven't been formally invited, or at least I don't bring a present. So tacky!
20) Don't go into debt for your wedding. Again, I learned this the hard way.

Those are the main lessons I learned from my wedding planning adventures. After it was all said and done, I can now look back on that day and honestly say it was the happiest day of my life! 

Pinterest Challenge: How to celebrate birthdays at Disneyland

I don't go to Disneyland as often as I would like to but luckily, my siblings and step-family decided to surprise my dad with a trip to Disneyland for his 50th birthday! It was one of the most memorable trips I've ever had to the happiest place on earth. 

Before leaving, I wanted to make sure we studied tips and tricks of what to do when celebrating birthdays at the park. I looked all over the internet and found some great ideas. 

MousePlanet was one of the most helpful sites. It supplies a plethora of must-tries for anyone celebrating a birthday Disney style. 

One of the best ideas was getting a birthday pin. This is a MUST if you're wanting to get the most out of your birthday experience. It doesn't have to be the actual day of your birthday. They don't check IDs or anything. Seriously though, this made my dad's birthday so much more memorable. Anyone and everyone that saw that pin said happy birthday to him. Characters in parades, cast members running the rides, random cast members walking around the park and even Crush from the attraction "Turtle Talk". It's amazing how these cast members are so good at spotting that little pin. I swear they get trained to do so. It was so cool to watch the parade on the sidewalk and literally, dancers would come right up to him and say "Happy Birthday Robert!" and get back into formation and continue with their dance. 

Another fun thing to start off a Disney birthday is to go to City Hall (where you get the pin) and they'll say, "we have a call waiting for you!" and then Goofy gets on the phone and sings happy birthday and tells you how excited he is to celebrate with you. What a simple idea that makes you feel so special right from the get go!

Another fun thing that the pin did was get him a seat right next to the Jungle Cruise captain. He became the butt of many of the Jungle Cruise jokes. It totally made the Jungle Cruise that much more enjoyable and hilarious!

We also had lunch at the Blue Bayou restaurant located in the middle of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. They give you a delicious free chocolate mousse for your birthday. After stuffing our faces with the Monte Cristo sandwiches, that dessert was the perfect size for all of us to have a couple bites and be completely satisfied. 

There were so many new things we got to experience just because we were celebrating a birthday. I can't believe after the years and years of going to Disneyland (well over 100 times) that I had never actually gone to celebrate something before. Imagine what they would do if you were spending your honeymoon there or an anniversary or a first timer?? If there's one thing I've learned from Disney, it's that it doesn't matter if you're 1 years old or 100 years old, newly weds or a giant family of 12, you will always have a great time. Disney knows how to make you feel like the most special person in the world. 

Thank you MousePlanet for the great tips! I recommend visiting their website before going on a Disney vacation so you can get the most out of your trip. 

Pinterest Challenge: The Amazing Spiderman

Worst. Movie. Ever.

Okay, maybe not THE worst movie, but it has definitely got to be in the bottom of the barrel when it comes to the list of good quality of movies. Of course, this is only my opinion, so go see it at your own discretion. My advice, save the small fortune it costs to see movies these days and go treat yourself to any other activity in the world, because anything would have been better than sitting through that. 

It was beyond cheezy. The lines, the acting, the action, all very cheezy. There is absolutely NO humor, no charm, and absolutely no passion throughout the entire movie. It doesn't compare to one other superhero movie out there. It was definitely at the bottom of the superhero list and most other movies I've ever seen. 

Blake and I went into it thinking they had done to Spiderman what they had done to Batman in the Dark Knight. The Dark Knight revolutionized the world of Batman. The Amazing Spiderman did nothing for the cheezy superhero story of Peter Parker. 

I liked the Tobey Mcguire series better, and he was the worst actor I've ever seen! (If that tells you anything). It is the exact same take on the adventures Toby had with the awful Kirsten Dunst. They did nothing original. 

The only good thing about this movie was the suit. They did the best they could with Spiderman's already too cheezy suit. It looked as cool as it's going to get. It's hard to make a bright red and blue unitard look cool, but they did succeed on that. 


Not recommended and two thumbs WAAYYY down. 

Pinterest Challenge: Arizona Derby Games

Blake and I always like trying out new things together. Whether it's trying new restaurants or visiting new places, it's a fun way to get to know each other better. When you put yourself outside of your element, you get to know people in a different way. It's fun and keeps things fresh. 

I saw a special on Arizona Highways one day that talked about different events going on in the valley. It showed the hostess going to a roller derby track. She tried out the track and the gear and she even got pushed around quite a bit by those masculine women on skates. It looked like a lot of fun and it was definitely something I'd never seen, so I looked up roller derby games in our area. 

Sure enough, the Arizona Derby Games Championship was coming up. At only $10 a ticket, we definitely had to go. We got there and immediately felt out of place. I don't think one of the girls' hair styles were a natural color. Apparently pigtails and pigtail braids are the style for these games? Also, there were a lot of tulle tutus and pink striped knee-high socks. Up until then, I'd only seen these types of styles during Halloween. I was excited to know there were people who didn't wait for October 31st to play dress up! I've never felt so out of place before in my life and I also felt like if I looked at one of them the wrong way, I'd get the crap beat out of me! Some of these women could have probably beaten the crap out of Blake too! They were huge and mean looking and ready to take on the world. 

It was surprising to me that there were so many people that got into it. There were signs and banners and shirts made to support the teams. Granted, there were only about a thousand people there, but I guess I live in a bubble and didn't realize these events actually existed so it was nice to know that there were quite a few people out there that got into these kinds of events. 

We sat right behind who appeared to be the expert of roller derby and she gave her two cents after every "play". She was so hung up over this one kid who was only 18. Everyone that came within 5 feet of her she said "have you seen that kid? he's only 18 years old!!" I thought to myself, "yeah, they all look 18 years old. I'm not expecting a grown man to ride around in circles hitting people on roller skates." but apparently that was super young for a roller derby player. Who knew?

After learning the ins and outs of the game, I realized it was just an excuse to beat the crap out of someone. It's a bunch of girls or guys riding around on roller skates, trying to push the other team down or off the track. It was hilarious. These girls get so into it! This is their life. Most of the girls have normal jobs and families. It's just weird to think that these monstrous women can go back to leading normal lives after that. Apparently, the captain of the Arizona team is the girl who cuts Blake's hair. I was laughing so hard when I found that out. At least now he'll have something to talk to her about when he goes in next. 

 As you can probably tell, we weren't exactly dressed for the occasion.

 After Arizona won the championship, they gathered around the railing and people treated them like celebs. It was weird. 

Please check out the face painting! WTF? Apparently that is pertinent to the uniform.

 All in all, we had a blast. We learned about a new "sport" and we hung out with some interesting people. And who doesn't like to see a good fight every now and then? Haha date night = success.

Pinterest Challenge

I was introduced to Pinterest a couple months ago. I didn't quite grasp the concept at first, but after playing with it for a while, I realized, it's awesome. 

My name is Megan and I'm a Pinterest addict. 

I decided a while back that I was going to start trying out some of the things that I've pinned. I thought to myself, these are obviously things that caught my attention and looked good to me at the time, so why not give them a try?

I started trying a couple recipes and date night ideas here and there but nothing to out of the norm. Then I decided to give myself a challenge. I'm always up for a good challenge. I've challenged myself to try out EVERY pin I've ever posted on that addicting site. Recipes, crafts, beauty tricks, fitness tips, holiday ideas, everything. 

You might think this is crazy, and who knows how long I can actually keep this up, but I'm going to do one pinterest activity a day until I've done them all. I want to see which pins actually work and which pins are just plain crap. Plus, I get bored a lot while everyone else is in school. 

I have 1,564 pins at the moment. I pin about 25 new things a week though so this could add up really fast. I'll try to take pictures of everything as I go. Challenge accepted. Wish me luck!

Getting hit on is ALWAYS a compliment, no matter how old he is

I always go to the bank right by my office to deposit or pull out money. The ATM is located right inside of the bank, as most ATMs are. Whenever I go in and there is no one there, I leave my car running. I know, stupid of me, but we're in the "good" side of town and it takes literally 30 seconds. (I might have a post in the future entitled: I wish I didn't leave my car running outside the bank...)

So I get my money out and walk back to my car. The person parked next to me, a gentleman wearing ripped up jeans, a dirty t-shirt and looked no less than 65, decided to have the following conversation with me: 

Guy: "It's a good thing we're not in New York, or you wouldn't be able to leave your car on when you go into the bank!"

Me: "I know, right?! Welcome to Mesa."

Guy: "So did you get your jeans at a store named Buckles? 

Me (assuming he meant the famous denim store, Buckle): "No, they don't sell MEKs anymore. I got these at the Rack."

Guy: "Oh like Nordstrom?" 

Me: "Right."

We then discuss the location of the Racks, the price of the jeans and...

Guy: "Well, without trying to sound creepy, they look very good on you."

Me: "Thank you, and that's never creepy to get a compliment, even from a stranger."

Guy: "Well, I was meaning the pockets. The pockets look good on you. I hope you don't think I was staring, but the pockets make you look really good."

(He continued to go on for about 30 more seconds on how great the pockets looked and in so many words, he was saying my butt looked good in my jeans. He went around the bush maybe 4-5 times.)

Me (trying not to make it awkward): "Well, that's not creepy. I guess that's what they're there for."

Guy: "Yes, yes they are."

And with that, I proceeded to get in my car, but not before the elderly gentleman winked at me. You think I'm making this up. Nope, he winked at me. It was kind of adorable. 

Is it weird that it was like really flattering? That a guy checked out my ASSets at the bank? I don't think so. Thank you bank guy. You made my day :)


- Megan

Discovery of Pinterest

I got onto Pinterest about a year ago. I had NO clue how to use it. I'm the type of girl that made boards like ESPN and "Latest in Sports" and NFL and stuff like that. 

I've been to innumerable showers and parties with cute decorations and ideas and every time I ask where they got that idea from, without fail, the answer was Pinterest. So I assumed I was using it wrong. I'm sure that the ladies out there who are looking for cute invitations and yummy recipes aren't also looking for what the latest happenings are with the Colts. 

So I spent some time on there and discovered, it's pretty awesome. For a person who has ZERO experience in crafts, baking, decor or kids, I still found my passions come to life on the website. It's such a cool idea! So I figured I'd share some tips of what I discovered on Pinterest.

You can search for anything and everything! Using the "Search" bar at the top left corner, I found some of the coolest ideas from one word than I could ever imagine! 

You can also search for things in a specific category. I was starving at work so naturally I looked "Food & Drink" under the category search and it pulled up the latest pins on everything food related - desserts, breakfast, healthy cooking, baking, seasonal foods, you name it, you can find it there. 

You can also keep up with all of your friends' boards, but better yet, you can copy their ideas so you can always remember them. I discovered the art of repinning, but better yet, I discovered that when you click on the picture, there are a million other cool ideas that are on the original source's website! I've found more ideas that way, than what I've found on the Pinterest website. 

I am a very tech-savvy person, but I just couldn't seem to figure out what this website was trying to accomplish. Now that I've explored and conquered, I am kind of addicted. Happy Pinning!

- Megan

Decisions, Decisions

After going through everything with Blake, and taking a step back with our relationship, there have been several questions people have asked me. 

One of the most common questions is, "why don't you go to graduate school now that things aren't working out with you and Blake?"

Grad school has always been my dream. I've always wanted to further my education and make sure I have a stable career so that I can always support myself. I've always dreamed of getting out of Arizona and living on my own for a couple years while I try to better my future. I love learning and I have always seen myself as a student. I would love so much to be on the beaches of Miami right now getting ready to attend Florida International as a graduate student. 

It seems like everything happened for a reason. Like it was perfect timing for me to go and be on my own for a while. 

But then I realized an even bigger dream of mine. The man I love more than anything on this earth is willing to figure things out in our relationship and give it another chance. He is my bigger dream. Spending the rest of my life with him outweighs any other dream I've ever had. Being with him is the happiest I've ever been. 

So let me just clarify, I'm not giving up any dream. I'm simply letting one dream go so I can have a better one come true. If there is a chance to make things work with Blake and have a family with him, then grad school doesn't even matter anymore. If things don't work out, I will have no regrets. Because I will be able to look back and know that I gave my all to the dream I've wanted since before this life. 

I love Blake. I love the fact that he's stronger than me. He's strong enough to overlook all of the politics and the outside pressure of a wedding and a marriage. I'm weak in that area. I'm so proud of him for making his own decisions. I'm so proud to know that I have a man who will not rush into anything without really thinking it through.

So when I got two calls from two different graduate programs saying that the deadlines are passing soon and they need to know my decision of whether or not I'm going to attend, I didn't even think twice about turning them down. A wise bishop once told me that "God has to close one door for him to open up another one."

Thank you, Blake. I love you for helping me make this decision. 

- Megan 

Wedding Countdown: Day 18

The time keeps flying by and I can't slow it down! Last night was awesome! I went to Costa Vida with some amazing people for my birthday dinner. So yummy! Then we went home and I wrestled off my Costa Vida weight with my siblings. Of course Derek won. All he has to do is squeeze us all to death with his massive arms. He's such a brat. But I love him! haha 

Then we went over to Blake's parents' house to set up some more lights in the trees for the reception. We learned two valuable lessons: 1) water does mix with electricity and 2) wedges should not be the first shoe choice while working in the backyard. 

After letting the strands of lights sit in the freshly watered grass for long periods of time, we shorted out the extension cord and had to call it a night. So we went in the house and proceeded to fix three stubborn light strands. With the help of some wire tape, pliers, tin foil, several individual functional lights and a lot of Ghormley persistence, we were able to fix most of the strands. We were at that until we were about to pass out. It was a great bonding experience haha. But the backyard is looking gorgeous!!! I'm getting excited!

Today I drove to Africa (Chandler) to pick up some lanterns we're going to try for our decor. I had lunch with my dad today. That was a really great break in my very stressful day! He's so easy to talk to! He makes me feel so good about myself. Thanks for the birthday lunch, Padre!

This evening, I'm meeting with the caterer, florist and baker. They all have issues they need resolved. Super psyched. Then we have to go try, again, to hang the lights in more trees. It's going to be another long night. 

On a more fun note: we got our second present today, yay! We love getting things in the mail! It's so exciting. Also, I got Blake's ring in the mail. Of course, it's too big, but it's gorgeous! I love it. It's so him. 

We are getting closer and closer!! I can't wait! I honestly am getting really excited now. At the beginning of all of this, I was against having a reception. Now that I've had a small preview of the lit up backyard and other little details are falling into place, I'm very excited! Plus, my dress is HOT! haha next fitting on Friday! Yay!! I love weddings. haha did I just say that?? I'm just kidding. But I love my wedding!

Wedding Countdown: Day 19

19 Days to go!! 

Today I did the following:

Started packing for the honeymoon, bought some super cute swim suits and cover ups for our cruise!

Bough Blake's present (shhhhh, don't tell)

Finalized the flowers and reception music

Sent emails to family with itinerary - that was kind of huge

Made sure, for the millionth time, that the boys get fitted for their tuxes... still haven't gone. 

Found super cute decorations online

Still so many things to do! But I'm having fun writing all of it down so that way when I'm sane and don't have a million things going on, I can remember all the fun I had trying to plan this wedding :)

Graduate School Decision

I know you have all been hanging on the edge of your seat for this one, haha no, but I have. It's been a crazy last couple of months. With planning the wedding, applying to eleven different graduate programs, trying to plan a future with my man, I really didn't know how I was going to make it through. If you haven't noticed, I don't handle stress very well. I've tried to keep people updated as much as possible as to where I got accepted / rejected. Things got in the way and I kind of lost track of everything. 

A couple amazing things have happened these past couple months as we've tried to make this decision. Blake was offered a promotion and an increased pay rate at his current job. I was offered a dream job as a cheer coach at my high school Alma Mater. I was also requested as a full time gymnastics coach for a small gymnastics gym in Mesa. We have been given some amazing blessings here and we both have incredible jobs that are stable with great income. So these were all things we would have to leave if we choose to go to grad school. 

We would be going with no money, no set jobs, no place to live and have absolutely no friends / family within thousands of miles. It would be a great leap of faith to be able to go and survive on our own out there, but we were both willing to do that to pursue our goals. It would have been nice to be away from everyone and learn to depend on each other. 

Which brings me to the decision that we've made on grad school. We got accepted to 3 of our top schools. Montana, Florida and Texas. Unfortunately at this time in our lives, we've decided to turn down the offers and remain in Arizona. Blake is going to finish up his education at Arizona State, my Alma Mater, and I am going to pursue a second undergrad at Grand Canyon University so I can finally become a certified athletic trainer. 

We are thrilled with the opportunities that lie ahead and even more excited to stay close to our family and friends as we start off our marriage. We thank you for all the support and prayers in our behalf. It really does take a village. But we are staying in good old AZ for at least the next two years and we are excited to get to share the first years of our marriage in the state that raised us. Here's to the future and the unknown adventures ahead!!!

26th Birthday - It's All Downhill From Here

Haha, I'm not saying 26 is old or anything, but it's definitely not as close to my earlier years as I would prefer. I'm so blessed to be able to share my birthday with all the people I love! I woke up this morning and decided to just sleep in. I wasn't going to miss work or anything, but I wasn't going to rush to be on time. I usually wake up at 7am, but today I got an extra hour and a half! It meant, hair up and no makeup, but totally worth it. (If you're wondering, yes, I still showered). 

I checked my phone and got my grandparent's message. They always sing me happy birthday and leave the sweetest message for me. I also got millions of texts and a call from my dad this morning. I don't get to talk to him much so it meant the world to me that he called me first thing in the morning. 

My mom gave me my second present (the first one was a camera that she gave me a couple weeks ago). My second present was the Rapunzel Barbie from Disney. Yes, I do collect Barbies, especially Disney Barbies. She's so pretty! Definitely one of the prettier Disney Princesses. Obsessed! My mom knows me so well!!

Saturday night, my amazing fiance took me to my number one favorite restaurant, Cheesecake Factory. He is so good to me! He took me out on the town afterwards and we had an amazing night. I can't wait to be able to spend birthdays as a married couple. 

My in-laws sang happy birthday to me on Sunday evening after dinner. I was having a particularly bad night because of wedding planning stress, but that was the best possible thing they could have done. They have a tradition of singing in the worst way possible. I mean literally, it's the worst thing possible. One of these days I'm going to record it. I couldn't help but laugh at their awful singing which put me into a much better mood. That, and the indescribable coconut cupcakes my sister-in-law made. She's so talented when it comes to cooking. 

Today I got to have an awesome lunch from Olive Garden with my co-workers. My boss gets us birthday lunches anytime there is a birthday in the office. He's so good to us. I got a killer chicken parm and we picked up some Krispy Kremes. My favorite. 

Tonight I get to spend more time celebrating my birthday with some of the most amazing people on this planet. My family and friends are celebrating with me at Costa Vida and I can't wait! Again, I am so beyond blessed to have such amazing friends and family to celebrate these special days with. It was a nice day to be able to talk about something other than flowers or cake or pictures or lights or tables. 

I'm still sad that I'm now 26, but I have to start practicing lying about my age for the future, so I'm still 25 if anyone asks :)

Wedding Countdown: Day 22

As these past couple months have gone by, I noticed today that I can't remember one distinctive thing that's happened. It's quite sad actually because they were leading up to the happiest day of my life, and I definitely want recollection in the future. The ups, the downs, the waaaayyyy downs, the laughs the cries, the stress, the joy, and the in betweens. Planning this wedding hasn't been easy or fun to say the least, but it's taught Blake and I lessons that we could never learn otherwise and I wouldn't trade these last 4 months for the world! (Except if that world was a world of sleep, then I'd consider it.)

So I've decided to start keeping track of these last couple days before the wedding. I'm going to try to write something down for the next 22 days so when I look back, I can remember all the wonderful / awful experiences we went through trying to prepare for what will be one of the greatest days of our lives. I'll start taking pictures too so it'll be a little more interesting and colorful.

Today, Friday the 13th.

It finally hit me that there are 3 weeks until the wedding. It keeps getting closer and closer and I can't stop it. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than excited to marry my best friend and soul mate, but I'm kind of overly stressed with the finances and planning of the reception so it gets a little overwhelming at times.

8am: wake up and realize that I'm about to be late to work.
8:30am: realize that I don't care what I look like at work and go with no makeup or hair done. Great way to show up to a legal office.
9am - 3pm: pretend to work, but really be thinking about the wedding.
3pm: pay of a million dollars to the photographer on my first credit card. That will be a fun bill to pay back in the future. Finalize flower arrangements for the reception. Realize I haven't eaten anything except 2 kitkats for the last 6 hours. Realize I'm still not hungry.
3:15pm: Dress fitting - find out sleeves and hem aren't done and I can't see her until next week. Freak out because that's two weeks before the wedding. Calm down because regardless of how the sleeves turn out, I look fabulous in that dress. Without trying to sound conceded or cocky.
4 - 7pm: Coach gymnastics and try to take my mind off of the wedding. Doesn't work.
7pm: get shower; go pick up pictures for our DVD, receive Victoria's Secret stuff in the mail (YESSS), buy Blake's ring, go to dinner with Krystal and Devin at Costa Vida.
8pm: Visit Taryn and Brock at the hospital to see their new baby. Find out I'm super baby hungry and that Blake looks even sexier holding a little baby. Crap. That's $600 down the drain for this stupid IUD.
10pm: Have an hour long conversation with Blake in the parking lot of Costa Vida about babies. Yay!
11pm: Watch Back to the Future III snuggled up next to my man. Remember how awesomely stupid that series is and enjoy the crap out of it because it's with Blake.
2am: Drive home and fall asleep.

"The Hunger Games" In Review

I'm not a movie critic but every once in a while I see a memorable film that I have to share my thoughts on. Sometimes my review serves as a warning to stay away from the film, other times it serves as a recommendation to go on your "must see" list. After seeing the newest Hollywood hit "The Hunger Games", I realize I need a new category for my movies. I'm not sure whether or not to give it my highest recommendation or warn you against it. 

I must confess though before you read this, I have not read the book, so take this for what it's worth. But in saying that, after seeing the film, I am grateful I did not read the book. I got caught up in all the hype of the book due to my very literature savvy friends and family. They are always reading and giving recommendations on their latest reads. This was on the top of my reading list after hearing such great praise. 

I asked a friend and she told me the premise of it. 

Apparently it's about a civilization in the future which was separated in to 12 geographical locations and were ordered by the government to fight to the death in a "last man standing" tournament. Oh, did I mention that these "warriors" were children? Yes, 24 randomly selected children would fight to the death to bring "honor" and food to their district.

After hearing about the plot, I was a little skeptical. I was assured by all previous readers of the book that "it's not like that" though. I was told it wasn't very gruesome, it didn't have a lot of details on the violence and it wasn't as bad as it sounds. Well either the movie was COMPLETELY off, or these people are lying to me. 

The movie was one of the more disturbing films I've seen. Right up there with Saving Private Ryan. 

It was a very well made movie. Props to the director for his direction on such an amazing film. The costumes were awesome, the acting was fantastic, the scenes were breathtaking and the stunts were incredible. 

I'm just not sure what to think of this movie though. I do have a weaker stomach than most and some of the violence was a little too much to handle, but overall, I enjoyed the movie. With that being said, after seeing that film, in no way do I ever want to read the series. I have a very vivid imagination and books are way more detailed than movies. I am a little anxious to fill in a couple points, but IT IS exactly what it says it is. It's a blood bath, to the death until one man (in this case, two people) were left standing. There were throats slit, necks broken, multiple stabs and slits from knives and swords, bows and arrows, a lethal attack of wasps, and endless acts of violence and killing throughout the entire movie. 

When did this become okay??? This book was on the Best Selling list for quite some time and became one of the most talked about movies in Hollywood. I think the movie was very well done, but since when did it become okay for children to murder other children for entertainment purposes? I'm very disturbed in the thought of these books making it so big and this kind of violence becoming so sought after. 

I'm in no way against violent films. I love a good action packed movie every now and again. But I would not classify this as an action film. It is somehow portrayed as a love story because of a forced alliance with two of the tributes. I'm very confused. Very confused. Not about the story per say, but about why it got to be so big. I have no doubt that the books are good reads, but I also know that they are EXACTLY what they say they are. Gruesome and violent. 

So take this review for what it's worth. I will be seeing the rest of the movies just because they were well done, but I won't be touching the books. And I would definitely not recommend either to children.  


Meanwhile I got to experience yet another midnight movie with amazing friends and even better treats :)

Fifty Favorites

No it's not V-Day, it's not his birthday, it's just time for a cheezy moment. 


Blake and I have been together for a little over one year now and have been engaged for 83 days now. It is exactly 50 days until we finally get to spend the rest of our lives together. I thought I would  take some time to reflect on what he actually means to me. So I've compiled a list of my top 50 things that I love about him. Yes, cheezy. Get over it.


1 - He loves his family
2 - He is amazing with kids
3 - He loves football just as much as me
4 - He has the nicest body ever!
5 - He loves the church and makes it a priority
6 - He is not afraid to try anything new
7 - He takes care of me when I'm sick
8 - He has great taste in music 
9 - He loves to travel
10 - He is a kid at heart
11 - He loves Disney
12 - He honors his priesthood
13 - He cares about taking care of his body
14 - He makes me feel good about my awful cooking
15 - He knows how to work, hard!
16 - He has a crooked smile with gorgeous teeth
17 - He is the best athlete I've ever seen
18 - He loves my family
19 - He loves just being with me no matter what
20 - He encourages me to achieve my goals
21 - He wants a dog
22 - He knows how to dress
23 - He can carry me on his back for hours without complaining
24 - He is an amazing kisser!
25 - He lets me win wrestling matches
26 - He can make me laugh harder than I've ever laughed before
27 - He thinks I'm sexy with no makeup, hair in a pony tail, sweats and a t-shirt
28 - He is motivated in school and one of the smartest people I know
29 - He gives me the confidence to overcome anything, including my crippling fear of heights
30 - He is willing to look past my flaws
31 - He is good at everything he tries
32 - He doesn't wear tank tops :)
33 - He IM's me all day at work just to see how I'm doing 
34 - He sends me flowers for no reason
35 - He is going to be an amazing dad
36 - He has mesmerizing blue eyes
37 - He loves Christmas
38 - He keeps me in line
39 - He looks great in blue
40 - He gets along with my friends
41 - He dances with me anywhere and everywhere
42 - He brings out the little kid in me
43 - He gives the world's best massages
44 - He holds me for hours no matter how numb his limbs might be
45 - He will do anything to make me happy
46 - He is quick to forgive
47 - He has more patience than anyone I know
48 - He knows how to handle money
49 - He has made me into the person I am today
50 - He loves me more than anyone has ever loved me before

I thought it would be hard to come with all 50, but I actually had to revise my list several times to take some off. He's just that amazing. I love you, Blake! I couldn't be happier. And while I know we have our differences and our moments, I couldn't have asked for a better match to complete my life. I literally can not wait to spend forever with you!

- Megan

Bridal Shower

My amazing neighbors offered to throw me a bridal shower this past weekend. I was so thrilled because one particular neighbor is incredibly crafty and I couldn't wait to see what she came up with. She did not disappoint! She made the shower look amazing! Everything had this rustic antiquey look and it turned out so cute! So I had to share some pictures on my blog. 

My hot mama!! None of this would have happened if she hadn't helped me through everything! Thanks mom!

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Such gorgeous weather!

Such delicious food!!!! I think I may have gained ten pounds, but it was so worth it!

My MOH. Couldn't have been more helpful!

My grandma and her sister in super bright colors! We are done with Winter. 

The ladies behind the magic :) Thanks Steph!

So many incredible presents!! I'm so grateful!

My gorgeous fiance came for a few minutes at the end to say hi to everyone. He's so handsome!! :)

Apparently all of the ideas came right off of Pinterest. I'm not sure exactly how that site works, all I know is it was responsible for making my bridal shower look awesome!!

I am so grateful for the people who took the time to bake and provide the most delectable treats ever. Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy Saturdays to enjoy this day with me! Thanks for all the amazing gifts and all of the fun times. Blake and I are so appreciative for all the support we've received throughout this entire process. It really does take a village. 


- Megan

Grad School Update

1) University of Hawaii, Manoa

2) Texas Tech University

3) University of Arkansas

4) Florida International University

5) Weber State University

6) University of Nebraska, Omaha

7) University of Tennessee, Chattanooga

8) Montana State University, Billings

9) Long Island University, Brooklyn

10) Oklahoma State University

All Good Things Come to an End

In recent events, my favorite NFL player of all time, Peyton Manning, has been let go from his team of 14 seasons. While it was extremely heartbreaking to watch him give his goodbyes to Indianapolis, it just goes to show that when one door closes another one opens. This could be one of the greatest opportunities for him to go to the Super Bowl for a second time. 

Rumor has it he is down to three teams to sign with for next season. One is the Denver Broncos. The Broncos currently have a quarterback who may eventually be Super Bowl material, but isn't quite there yet. He is the one and only, Tim Tebow. He doesn't quite have what it takes to take the Broncos to a title, but he is young and definitely progressing. These two quarterbacks would not co-exist if Manning decided to sign with them, so we would either see one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time take over and have Tebow fans everywhere be distraught, or Timmy would continue to progress as he keeps his reign in Denver. The Broncos have some very big decisions to make. 

Miami has also shown great interest in the HOF quarterback, Manning. With WR Brandon Marshall at the top of his game, Peyton may have a chance to take the Dolphins all the way. And with their need for a quarterback, Peyton would be a great fit. 

The opened door I was referring to earlier was the opportunity Manning has to play with the Arizona Cardinals. With Fitz and Doucet ready to rock and the possibility of taking Reggie Wayne as a package deal with Peyton, this new Cardinals team would be a force to be reckoned with. 


Peyton's final decision is apparently based off of what city would be best for his family. Well, Peyton, if you ever did read this, it doesn't get much better than AZ! Great weather, great schools and so much to do! It's within driving distance to everything. The beach, the snow, lakes, and one of the 7 wonders of the world, all only a few hours away. You don't have to worry about floods, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, or anything like that. In Miami, obviously you have hurricanes. You may or may not freeze your bum off in Denver. But in Phoenix, the worst thing you have to worry about is third degree burns from your steering wheel. Nothing a little remote starter or some oven mitts can't fix. 

If there was one thing I could say to Peyton Manning, it's that Arizona is the next best fit for him besides the Colts and he would be more than welcomed here. I can not wait for this NFL season to start up. He apparently decides in a couple days so I'll be watching Sports Center religiously until he decides. There are so many exciting things happening in the NFL right now! I literally can not wait to see who he chooses. 

On a side note: for those of you who know me, I will always be a Colts fan. I will never desert my team because of the loss of a player, even one as great as Manning. However, I will be jumping on the band wagon for whatever team Peyton decides to sign with. I will always have a loyalty to both Peyton Manning and the Colts and will always support both wherever they go. It looks like I get to buy a new jersey this year though. Yay!!

Susan G. Komen's 3-Day Walk

Donate to my sister's 3-day walk for breast cancer! She's a first-time walker and is so excited to participate. We've know several people that have survived breast cancer so she walks for them and every other woman in America trying to fight this tragic disease. I couldn't be more proud of her. Thanks for the support. I know she appreciates it! I'll be doing it next year. I can't wait to take part in such an amazing cause!

No One Mourns the WICKED!!!

This past weekend was awesome! We put aside wedding planning for a weekend and just had fun. It was so relaxing and very much needed. Friday night we had tickets to go see the Broadway musical, Wicked. It tells the story of how the good witch Glinda and the wicked witch of the West met in witch school and how they became friends. It gives one a different perspective on the Wizard of Oz. It was quite the event. We had such a great group with us. We went out to dinner and had amazing steaks (some of which, were still alive) and then headed off to the show. I found out earlier that week that Blake had never seen a musical before in his life. Sad story, but that was about to change. I was a little nervous he might not enjoy as much as I expected, but I was so wrong. He loved it! I'm so glad we can now add musicals to our list of things we do together without wanting to stab our eyes out. Believe me, there have been some things we don't particularly enjoy doing with each other. (For instance, wedding planning haha). 

Saturday was pretty chill. Literally, we watched three movies and just talked all day. It was probably one of the best days I've had in a while. Blake let me fall asleep on his lap while he did homework. I can't recall a better nap. We went out with some friends that night for my friend's husband's birthday and played cards, which of course Blake and I dominated at. Don't play games with us. It's not pretty. And you will lose. 

Sunday we attended church together, which is one of my most favorite things to do with him. He is so ridiculously handsome in his shirt and tie. Cool story, Danny White, ex-NFL quarterback, attends the same church as me, and he said he would help Blake get on to ASU's football team if he wanted it. Blake has been training for quite some time, so he's physically ready, but it's always nice to have an in like that to put in a good word. I thought that was so cool! He said some amazingly nice things about Blake and his ability to be great in that career path. I might be more excited than Blake to have him play again. It's kind of incredible to see someone you love doing something they love and makes them happy. 

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. I can't wait to get this wedding planning behind us so we can spend most weekends that way in our OWN home. Now it's back to the grind. T-minus 38 hours left in my work week. TONS of wedding plans to take care of this week. So many things to do and so little time to do it in, but it was so worth the sacrifice to have a weekend like that. This weekend is bridal shower weekend so that'll be a blast too! Yay for weekends that don't suck! haha

- Megan

Snowboarding Lessons

Blake has a natural talent when it comes to boards. He can longboard, skateboard, wakeboard and snowboard like nobody's business. That is not the case, however, for his future wife. So this past weekend, I wanted him to help me learn how to snowboard like him. Apparently, I've been doing the wrong technique my whole life. Instead of enjoying his snowboarding experience and getting down the mountain at his own pace, he patiently taught me the skills of proper snowboarding. 

I can't say that I enjoyed every second of it, because the next morning I would wake up feeling like I got hit by a train. I can honestly say though, that in spite of all the falls and the fact that snow got down my pants every five seconds, I have the most patient, loving man I could ever ask for. He was so kind and understanding when it took a million years to get down the mountain. He had every reason to leave me behind, and yet he stood by my side the entire time, boarding at my pace and being there for me when I took a tumble. (Which was literally every 2 minutes). 

Despite the fact that I'm pretty sure I have internal bleeding and maybe a chipped bone, I am so grateful we went on that trip. Thank you, my love, for your never ending patience. I can't wait for you to be able to teach our children how to board!


The best part of the trip though was him holding my hand in the car the whole way home while we sang our hearts out to old school 90's punk. It doesn't get much more fun than that!

PS I have to say, I finally got the hang of how to snowboard. I'm not good at it by any means, but now I can at least work on improving that skill rather than still trying to figure it out. It's definitely a lot easier than my way :)