Our First Family Pictures (taken 11/28/09)

December in a nutshell.

I need to hop on the blog bandwagon and blog more than once a month! I feel like when I finally blog, I have so much I want to say, but I can never remember it all. So forgive me if this blog is random and doesn’t make a lot of sense.
First off, happy late Christmas, and early New Years! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday, I did! It was exciting starting a new tradition with Rob. We did “gifts” at midnight. I think that will be fun, then when we have kids of our own, Christmas morning can be just for them, letting them see what “Santa” brought them. We got some fun new stuff for our house. We got some Pots and pans, dishes, and a vacuum; we also got some fun looking games that I’m super excited to play. Christmas eve I went to Rob’s parents house for brunch, (Rob had to work) it was really good, and it was fun seeing all the little kids going to town on the chocolate fountain. When Rob was off work, we ran a few errands, and then we had a lot of people over to my mom’s house for dinner. I got to see my cousin Steve, and that was really exciting. I haven’t seen him for 2 years. He was a marine stationed in San Diego, but now he just lives there. It was fun to see him and meet Angela. All in all there were about 20 people there; it was loud and chaotic, and so much fun! Like I said, Rob woke me up and midnight and we did our “gifts” I was a little frustrated with the whole situation. Rob and I decided not to do anything for each other because of the wedding, I wanted to get him scriptures, but things came up unexpectedly, that needed to be taken care of right then (my alterations on my dress namely) so we weren’t going to do anything. That’s not how I wanted our first Christmas, and it was really hard on me (if any of you know how wonderfully Rob treats me, you would understand why I felt bad) anyway, he thought he was funny and put party poppers on the box, so when I opened it, it would pop and scare me (it didn’t, I was too asleep to have it affect me) anyway, he got me the new Carrie Underwood CD, and a new iPod Nano. I love them both; my iPod is a great companion for work. (in fact, I’m listening to it right now as we speak) as far as saying we wouldn’t get each other anything, apparently Rob said that after he got me something, so I got an iPod, and he got an I.O.U for new scriptures. (yeah, I suck, I know- I knew I should have just done something anyway, I figured he would be a terd.) Later that night, we went to the Carter’s house, and hung out, and then they got to call Scott, Rob’s brother who is serving a full time mission in Mexico. It was talking to him and putting a voice with the pictures I’ve seen. I’m excited to meet him in June; he seems like a really cool guy. After that, we went back to my house and just watched a Christmas movie. It was really fun. I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas, and I’m looking forward to spending an eternity of Christmases with the people I love.
Well, as mentioned earlier, Rob and I have gotten a townhouse. I’m so excited. The location is great for my work and what used to be Rob’s work (I’ll get into that a little later) The best thing about our townhouse is that it is only a few doors down from Rob’s best friend Tony and his wife (well, almost wife, they are getting married tomorrow) Its nice knowing that you have instant friends in the ward. And both Tony and Loni are so much fun, I enjoy hanging out with them, and look forward to doing it more, and getting to know them better.
As far as work goes, we both have gone through some changes. I was hired as the full time receptionist for Jean Brown Research at the end of October of this year. Since then, for about the last 2 or 3 weeks I have been moved into my own office, and I now handle all the patient checks from both buildings and I’m in charge of making sure that our patients are happy with the studies they are doing, and making sure they just have a good time all around (or as much of a good time as you can have when you are giving 7 viles of blood in one sitting) Rob also got some news this month about his work, He was working at the South Jordan Branch for America First Credit Union, and has been at that branch since mid to late August (I think) He got a call, or email, or however they give news in that company, that he was being transferred to the America Fork Branch, located in the Wal-Mart. I wasn’t very pleased about it. It’s a long way from home (a lot longer than what we are used to) and this branch is open an hour later on the weekdays, and 4 Hours later on Saturdays. So he wouldn’t get home until about 8PM on weekdays and Saturdays, He would have 2 days off during the week, but my only day off is Saturday, So I was not happy with this new development. Anyways, I was in a bitter sweet mood about the whole thing, there were defiantly advantages to him leaving that branch in South Jordan, but I wished he was going to somewhere closer to me, and closer to home. About two weeks ago, Rob was told that he was no longer going to American Fork, and I was excited, and then on Christmas Eve, Rob was told that his last day was Saturday, and he would start in American Fork on Monday (today). It’s been a huge emotional roller coaster ride, but all in all, Rob is in American Fork, and I hope it doesn’t last long. I hope they find someone to replace him and he can be transferred to a branch closer to home, I know, it’s useless, but a girl can dream).
Another note, Rob and I got together with some friends earlier this month and went to the festival of trees, and then we went to my house and had homemade scones and hot chocolate and played games. I had a lot of fun doing that! We had Brent and Katy (Rob’s brother and his wife) and my friend Elisa and her husband Josh. Games and dessert is something I want to do more of, like once a month, and get more couples to join us (Tony and Loni are in when they get through all their wedding stuff) I’m just excited to hang out with friends and get to know them better, It was a lot of fun, and I look forward to doing it more.
On a last note, wedding plans are going smoothly. With the help of friends, we have been able to get a lot of “good deals” on things. We have everything planned, except for the announcements, food, and I need to pick Rob’s ring. I’m sure there will be little things that pop up closer to the actual date, but I think that we are on a good track. I’m just ready for it to be March 6th. Planning a wedding is stressful, and Running off to Vegas has crossed my mind more than once.
Anyway, now that I have wasted away a good deal of time from your day, I’m going to go now, I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season, and have the best and most blessed upcoming year.

Thanksgiving, A time for giving thanks.

As this time of year approaches, I wanted to take a few moments to express my gratitude for all the many blessings that have come into my life.
First off (and there is no order to this) but I am very grateful for The Carters. I love how they have accepted me into their family with open and loving arms. I am blessed to be getting another mom who is so loving and kind. I am also happy to be getting a father who is a worthy priesthood holder, and who is willing to do whatever he can for his family. Im excited to be getting so many new siblings, every time we get together, no matter what we are doing, its always fun and exciting. I was blessed to meet some more family this last weekend in California, and I am so blessed because of all of you. I was so glad to finally say I have met Larry and Jerry, and it was fun to meet again with Roy. I also love all of their wives, they are all amazing women. I am glad to be joining in a family where there is so much love. I was also lucky enough to meet Dan and Dania, and I am grateful for the love that they have. Im also grateful for grandma and grandpa and their love and examples they have and are for me.
Im also grateful for my own family. They are so helpful, especially when it comes to planning the wedding. They are always willing to help me in whatever way they can, especially my mom. She is so Strong and has made it known that her family is the most important thing to her. She is a great example of love and strength.
I am also grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the happiness it brings to my life. I am grateful for the atonement and the great love our savior has for us. Im also grateful for the country that we live in, and the freedoms that we have and all the many opportunities. Im also grateful for my job and the people there that have made starting a new job comfortable and easy.
Last, but certainly not Least, I am so grateful for Rob. He is my strength and my rock, everything that is good in my life, I have come to realize, or has come as a direct result of his love and example. I am so lucky to be able to spend eternity with not only the love of my life, but for being able to love and spend forever with my best friend. Words can not express how thankful I am for him being in my life. I would be lost without him. Because of him, I finally know what love is, and know that there is meaning in my life.
As this holiday season begins, I hope we all take some time out of our busy lives to remember everything we are blessed with, and how lucky we truly are.

The Proposal (No, not the movie)

So as many of you know, Rob and I are now engaged (or have been for a month today!) so I guess we will tell the story of how that all went down. It was Wednesday September 30, 2009. I took Rob to work because I needed to car to watch my sisters kids so she and her husband could go to the temple. I ended up helping my sister out earlier than I thought, so I just went to her house without really getting ready for the day. I asked her if I could use her shower and get ready before I went to go pick up Rob from work, because I had an idea of what was going to happen that night (my mom kind of said something that set me off, I don’t remember what she said, or what made me think he was proposing that night, but it did) Well, Knowing me, I was afraid to leave the kids alone without supervision while I jumped in the shower. (it’s a 3 year old and a 2 month old) so I tried fixing my hair, but it didn’t really work, so I just pulled it back up into a pony tail and I went to get Rob from work. We got back to my sisters house, and we took the kids inside and waited for my sister to get home. She had moved her apt up, so I expected her earlier than she had said. So as we waited, we just talked about our day and what not. Then my sister Brittany (a different one then the one I was sitting for) asked me if I could come to her house and look at these little dresses we had decided to make for the little girls. So I told her we could. I told Rob that, and he asked if we could stop by his house (which is basically across the street from my sister) so he could change out of his work clothes and get into jeans (he had brought shorts to change into, but the weather was bad that day) so we went to his house first, and he got out of the car, and I just sat there, I figured if he was just changing his clothes, then I was fine waiting in the car because he would only be a few seconds. Well, he asked me again, so I said fine. As we walked into the house, the first thing I noticed was the music playing. We went through the garage and I had noticed that his roommates cars were not there, then I smelt candles, then we walked into the kitchen. The song playing was “Everything” by Michael Buble (the first song Rob sang to me) the kitchen table was covered in candles, and we turned to the living room and the lights were off but the room was lit with a lot of candles, and there were roses all over and there was a fire going, and a picnic set up by the fireplace, complete with my favorite foods ( pizza, and toast with peanut butter, and hot chocolate) so we sat down by the picnic and we started kind of talking, but you could tell we were both nervous. Then Rob asked me to dance (Im not a big dancer, but for some reason I love dancing with Rob) so we danced a few minutes, and then he sat me down on a chair, and he got down on both knees. Im not going to go into detail about what he said, because I think that is between he and I, but I will tell you one thing…. He did sing part of a song to me, and I LOVED it! Then he asked. I was kind of in shock of the whole minute. I told him yes, and then we stood up. Rob says I didn’t even look at the ring. But I did. I just didn’t look at the ring for very long, I glanced at it. Saw it. Loved it. ( I didn’t stare at it because its not the ring that makes it all important. It is the meaning of it) after that, we tried eating again, but neither of us were really hungry. So then went to my sister Brittany’s house, on the way Rob called his mom and told her and I called mine. Brittany did have dresses to show us, but she knew Rob was proposing that night and she wanted to be the first to be told and see the ring, so we went there, and then as we were talking to her, her in-laws came over (friends of mine) and so we showed them, then we called my sister Theresa, and then I had to go to my sister Mindi’s house to show her. All the while we were calling and texting family and friends to let them know. To me, the night was perfect. I think Rob wanted to do it out at the lake we met out, but the weather was not on his side that day. His roommates are wonderful for helping him out on it, I think it was PERFECT just the way it was, and Im glad we could “officially” start planning our lives together. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am so blessed and grateful for all the love and support he offers me everyday. He really is my best friend, and my strength in so many ways!

The Month of September

The month of September went by in a blur. We started out the month by going to the BYU vs. OU game at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. It was fun. But the travel details gave both of us a head ache, I think we were both glad to see each other in Dallas because of all the craziness. For the game, Rob and I dressed as opposing teams, he of course wore BYU and I wore OU colors. It was funny because a lot of people would see us holding hands or what not and they would come up and ask if they could take out picture, or they would tell us that our relationship wouldn’t work. It was fun to have that little banter going on. All in all, BYU won, and I was kind of sad, but it was good, atleast Brent and Rob were happy about it. While we were in Dallas we also went with Tony and Loni to a few different sights. We went to where President Kennedy was shot, and we went to Babes chicken. It was an old restaurant. But it was fun! Tony and Rob decided to randomly get up and do the Hokie Pokie with the waitresses. After we got back from Texas, we just played a little. We took my Nephew Konnor to the park and to the arcade. And we just kind of played around in the Valley. We went on a few random hikes too, my favorite was gaurdsmans pass. I really liked the view, and we were able to take some really fun pictures. I was half expecting Rob to propose on this hike, because hiking is something we did a lot. (not so much anymore because of the weather) so that was September in a nut shell. The month went by really fast, I wish I would have been better at blogging about it as I remembered the details. But oh well. I’m new at this and I’ll catch up soon!

August Fun

August was a fun month, full of firsts for both of us. Our first date was Aug 1st, but we have already gone over that, but the rest of August was a blast! Here are some Highlights. August 2nd, we went on a hike up Butterfield Canyon, it was a lot of fun, and we had a chance to talk and get to know each other a lot more. We tried to find a waterfal that a random Jeep driver told us about, we either took a wrong turn, or the guy needed to look up the defination of a waterfall in the dictionary. Either way, it was a fun hike. August 5th, we went and saw Cirque Du Soleil at the E Center, the show was Saltimbanco. It was awesome. I really liked it. its a crazy acrobatic show. they are popular in Las Vegas, and I always want to see one when I am there, but nobody else wants to. What stuck out to both of us was that we were really close the whole time, and apparently, we wanted to hold hands with each other, but it never happened. On August 8h, we went up to Bear Lake. This was a scary day for me. We went up to bear lake to go boating with some of his family. I was scared because Im normally really shy when it comes to meeting new people, but his family is wonderful, and I didnt feel all that shy, they were all very welcoming. We went boating, played on the 4 wheeler, played soccer in the yard, tossed the football, and it was the first time we held hands. On the way home, we learned how the other person can sing. the first song I heard Rob sing was Everything by Michael Buble, and I totally melted. I sang a Carrie Underwood song, and the first song we sang together was Destiny by Jim Brickman (I never knew I would find someone with the same random music taste as me, but i did!) On August 9th, we watched a movie at my house, and Rob Kissed me. I thought it would NEVER happen, I half expected it to happen at the Lake. On Auguest 11th it was Robs birthday. We went to his parents house and had dinner. I got to meet his grandparents, and his brother Brent. It was fun, and I learned that his brother has a really funny personality. On August 14th, Rob and I had an off day. I got home from work, and on my front porch was a rubiks cube with writting on each side. But the cube was messed up so I had to figure out the message. I went to a wedding reception and asked EVERYONE to solve the cube so I could figure out the message, but I couldnt get it figured out. By the end of the night, I ended up showing up on Robs front porch and told him I needed it solved. By the time it was finally solved, most of the Marker had come off, so I had Rob just tell me what it said. one side said "when Im with you, Im not so blue." one side said "the grass is always greener when im by your side" one side had a heart drawn on it, and the other were lyrics to a song, I believe it said "I wanna be the one" (a song by Lonestar that Rob sent the lyrics to) and "now all I want to do is take your breath away" (another Lonestar song, this is the one I had Rob listen to) On Auguest 23rd, we went on a hike up Silver Lake, it was here where we took our first picture together, atleast that I can remember. On August 29th/30th. I had fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie (a walk to remember) It was a weird sleep, Rob says I was totally out of it, "unconcious" well, while I was sleeping, I thought I heard him say something, but it wasnt in english. and i was so out of it that I fell right back to sleep. the next day we were driving to my nephews baby blessing, and I couldnt take it anymore, I had to ask Rob if he said something in spanish, or if I had dreamt it. I started out by asking him what "Ti Amo" meant (I had a pretty good idea what it was, but I wanted to make sure) Rob had his glasses on, but I guess he was pretty embarassed. He asked why, and I asked him if he said that to me last night while sleeping. He laughed and said "that all the things I could have heard while unconcious, thats was it." Later that night. it was said again, while I was awake. It was in english, and we both said it. That is August in a Nut Shell. it was full of firsts, and new expreiences. The month went by in a blur. I think we saw each other everyday (except maybe 1 or 2 days) and we text or instant messaged constantly.

Emily's Side of the Story

My cousin Amie had a crazy idea to set me up with her co-worker, Rob Carter. When she first mentioned it, i was reluctant to say yes, but after a day or two of thinking it over, I said yes. After I agreed, i asked Amie what his name was, when she told me it, I decided to see if I could find him on facebook (Rob says I facebook stalked him, I wouldnt call it stalking, more me being curious.) After that, I had questions about Rob, so I kept asking Amie. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Rob finally text me. After that, we talked via text almost all day, everyday. We had a blind date set for August 1st. on July 28th, I was at the lake at Day Break reading my book and texting. I said "why havent we met" and Rob said "I dont know" then I said "so, whats up" and Rob said "what are you doing" and then I said I was at Day break lake, and Then Rob asked if I wanted company. after what Rob says was a half hour (I dont think it was that long) I said yes. (Now- I hate to mention this, but its funny to us now. After I said yes, I text my friend Trish and told her I was about to meet Rob, I told her where we were meeting, and what I was wearing, in case I ended up missing. yes-that is a true story) When I first saw Rob, I thought he was cute. His smile took me by surprise, I instantly felt more comfortable than I even expected. We sat on my blanket and talked. There was an overly friendly goose that I thought wanted to eat me alive, and Rob was ok letting it peck at his fingers. We ended up getting ran out of my spot on the grass because of the sprinklers, so we ended up walking around the lake and talked. we probably talked for about 3 or 4 hours. It was comfortable, and I remember laughing a lot. When we said goodbye, as we were driving home, we began texting each other again. We continued to text and my anticipation for our "blind date" was getting out of hand. I was really excited. When Saturday came, I was a mess, and had the worse case of butterflies I had ever had. I was a total mess. We were supposed to double with Amie, and her husband Joe, but plans fell through. Rob and I decided to keep our plans for our date. We ended up going minature golfing, it was fun, even if I did lose. After Mini golfing, we met up with Amie and Joe and had dinner, then went back to there place and watched a movie (accepted) I remember there was a lot of flirting and laughing (at least on my end) I wanted Rob to hold my hand, but he didnt. After the movie he took me home, and gave me a hug. 10 minutes (if that) we started texting again. Since then, it hasnt stopped. It was, and has been the most unexpected and exciting ride of my life, as its said, the rest is history.

Robs Side of the Story

So this is how it all started on my end. I was sitting at work when Amie (Emily's cousin) came up to me and told me that she wanted to set me up with her cousin, but that she was pretty sure she would say no. She mentioned that Emily had never been on a blind date and had refused all previous "blind date" offers. Well, I said ok to the plan and then that was that. Nothing else was said about it. A couple days later, Amie came over and said that Emily had agreed to the blind date. I said ok, and we started talking about things that we could do for the blind date. During this time I guess Emily and Amie were texting back and forth cuz Amie would IM me every once in a while to ask me a question the Emily had asked her. Then Amie told me that Emily had looked me up on facebook and was stalking me. lol. After a few more questions from Amie I thought it would be better to just get Emily's number and text her myself. I text Emily almost immediately and we started our "text" relationship. We text everyday and pretty much all day just asking questions about each other. If I remember correctly, we started texting a little over a week before our "Blind Date" was supposed to take place. Well, to make a long story short, I felt we got along through text quite well. We talked about everything, in fact, Emily learned a lot more about me than she probably wanted before we even met. Then the wednesday before we were supposed to me, I couldn't take it anymore. Emily mentioned that she was at a lake near my house so I asked her if she wanted company. She reluctantly accepted, so I went and met her at Day Break lake. My first impression was that she was way cute. Then we just talked all while fighting off a very feisty goose. It was nice. Until the sprinklers came on. So, the first meeting went well. I think for Emily, she was just relieved that I wasn't a serial killer. Although I think she was still nervous around me for the next couple of meetings. Anyway, a couple of days later we went on our first official date. We went minature golfing. I usually hate mini golf but I had fun this time. Then after that, we met up with Amie and her husband and finished off the night with dinner and a movie. It was the first blind date I had enjoyed ever and the first time in 2 years that I wanted to see a girl again after the first date. So, I would say it was a good first date.