Thank you!!

Thanks to my new Taylor sisters for the fun bridal shower last night! I love hanging out with all of you! I had a good time and the food was amazing! :)
I'm looking forward to many sister's trips with you girls and many more family functions!! I'm so glad to have such great in-laws!
Only 16 more sleeps until the wedding day! Jake will be home in exactly 2 weeks from now! Yippie!!! I'm very excited to have him home and be able to go with him this time when he leaves again! Everyone come visit us in Washington! :)
I have an appointment to meet with the stake president on sunday morning to have him sign my recommend! I'm very excited to finally go through the temple! And very, very excited to be sealed to Jake!!
Remember that everyone is invited to the 11:00 endowment session on the 15th when I receive my endowment! My family and I are planning on eating lunch at PF Chang's afterwards and everybody is invited to that, as well! I hope you all can make it!

Invitations are sent! Thanks to my mom and to Heather for helping me address all the envelopes! We got them all written out so quick and I was able to get them sent out on friday morning! It is such a relief to have those done with and sent out. *sigh*
Next on the list is bridals! I'll be taking pictures in a studio this wednesday or thursday and then more pictures outside at Utah Lake next week! I'm very excited to get those done and to wear my dress!!
Here's a schedule of that weekend's events for everyone!
Friday, Februrary 15th-
11:00 endowment session-I receive my endowments!
We'll probably be going out to lunch afterwards, too.
Everyone is invited to both of these things that day!
Saturday, February 16th-
11:00 sealing ceremony-arrive 30 minutes early!
2:00 Luncheon at Riverside in Provo
4:30 Be at Thanksgiving Point Garden Room for pictures before the reception
6:30-8:30 Reception!

I think that is all that everyone needs to know.. Ask me or Jake if you have any other questions!

One more thing done!

The invitations are printed! All 300 of them.
I dropped off the envelopes to a printing place yesterday to have them print the return address on the back flap of them and have them print out our temple cards! I'll be picking them up at about 3:30 this afternoon and then it's on to lots of addressing! So, I was thinking that we could have an addressing party tonight at about 6:00. If you girls are interested and not busy tonight then your help would be greatly appreciated! Give me a call or text me to let me know when you can come over tonight and we'll play! If I don't hear from you, I'll probably just call to make sure no one gets left out! We're wanting to mail them out tomorrow so we'll be up until they are all finished!
Bridal portraits are next week sometime and I need to get the rest of my temple stuff and try on my temple dress again to make sure I don't need to hem it. It is super loong! There's just a few other minor details to take care of but pretty much everything is coming together!
Jake told me all about the luncheon and it sounds amazing! I am very excited!
Photography news.. My friend, Mari, that was at the bridal shower has a younger sister that is a senior in high school. Her sister asked me to do her Senior portraits in 2 weeks! It should be a really fun time with her because she's goofy and will be great to work with! Very exciting!
Thank you for keeping my family and I in your prayers. This has been the hardest on my mom but she is doing very well. I've been keeping her as busy as I can with wedding stuff and just spending time together.
I love you all!

update.

Well, life has been interesting and quite crazy lately. Where to begin?!

My grandma (my mom's mom) passed away on monday from Lou Gherig's disease. We had her funeral yesterday. (on my sister's birthday) We had the viewing and funeral service in the morning at her church up in West Valley. It was really hard to have a non-LDS funeral service. I could feel my muscles tensing up as I sat there listening to the Pastor ramble on about things that were so close to being good and right but he had no idea what he was talking about. I didn't realize the comfort that I normally feel at funerals that are LDS until this one. Our immediate family gathered in a room so that my Uncle Kenny could give a family prayer and that was the only time we felt the spirit. They fed us some lunch after the service and then we all got in our cars and drove to Delta where my grandma would be laid to rest. She was originally supposed to be buried at the Camp William's cemetery because my grandpa is a retired Army guy. Well, we found out that he had started drinking again about 2 years ago, when we first found out about my grandma's illness. He wasn't taking good care of my grandma because he was drunk all the time and was even abusive towards my poor grandma. When we found out about this, we took my grandma and moved her into my Uncle Dave's house to be cared for. We found out that there was an extra plot that we owned that was next to her parents in Delta and we felt better about having her there. We all got to the cemetery and my Uncle Sid dedicated her grave. It was good to be with all of my family and my sister was even able to fly in for the weekend to be there with us. It was hard to see my grandma but I am so grateful that she is free from that body.

This one older looking lady came up to me at the cemetery and held onto my arm as she looked at the casket. I didn't recognize this woman but I still comforted her. She turned to me and said that she was her next door neighbor and that they went to first grade together. She told me some stories about her and asked how I was related to Carolyn. I told her that she was my grandma and she said that she could see the resemblance. It was good to think of how I would like to always remember her.

I'm truly grateful for my grandma's example. She has taught me so many things just by the way she lives her life. It was her that taught me to always look my best. She taught me how to clean and to keep my house looking nice. She taught my mom how to properly set a table and my mom has passed that on to me. My grandma always looked beautiful and took such pride in her appearance. I know that she is healthy and beautiful again and that she is with our Heavenly Father and her parents.

There's the story! Sorry to go on about this but I think this is theraputic.

Also, my Uncle Reed (he's on my mom's dad's side of the family) has been going through tough times with his crazy wife. She got a protective order against my uncle and he hasn't been able to go home or to see his two youngest girls. He went to court yesterday morning and now has visitation rights and his wife finally filed for divorce. What a mess. So, we are praying that everything with turn out well for him.

Okay, lets move on to HAPPY NEWS! The wedding is in just 35 days! There are only a few details left to get done and then it's time for the big day! I am so excited. I'm ready for it to be here already so Jake and I can be together! No more waiting! Bridals are next week, invitations should be printed next week, we have our video filmed...things are great! My last day of work is February 5th! I'm ready to be out of that place. People are just too cranky and demanding and expect me to fix everything for them. Boo.

Well, that's about all the updating I can think of right now.. I hope that everyone's new year is amazing so far! :)