phew.

Thank you for all your kind words and texts about my dress fiasco. You are all so sweet and thoughtful.

I have good news- well great news!- I found another dress. I love it even more than the first one! We are rushing the alterations and it will be done before my bridals in a week and a half! AMAZING. 

Thank you so much to Alta Moda Bridal. I love them and their boutique. 

I wish I could post of picture of my dress on here! It's so perfect and lovely and ivory.

In other news- Todd and I are loving our south of campus neighborhood. We walked 8 blocks to the South End market last night from his apartment (it will be OURs soon!) where shave ice is and other yummy things. I am loving shave ice. Cannot get enough tigers blood. Rawr. Yum.

♥

it happens.

So remember how my wedding dress is gone? Yeah. I found out today. It's a long story. Basically the company/designer who was making it went out of buisness and they don't have my dress. No one knows where it is. 

Along with that- I ruined dinner for Todd and I tonight. I hardly ever ruin food- I am just not in it today I guess. 

So tomorrow is a new day. With a wedding comes problems and I am sure this is not the last of it. I am trying really hard to have a positive attitude about it. I have bridals in two weeks. So that is stressing me out a little bit. 

My mom and my wedding planner are being amazing and doing everything they can to help me. I don't know what I would do without them. 

Tomorrow I am going wedding dress shopping all day. And I will find the perfect dress. Even more perfect than the last one. It is going to be beautiful. And my day will be beautiful. 

Obviously it happened for a reason- either for me to learn patience or to learn how to deal with trials in stressful times. I am grateful for trials. I am going to keep my head high and put a smile on my face and I will come out on top. 

♥

the remote caddy.

This was my latest little project. I am not very crafty so whenever I make something I am very proud of it. I found this on pinterest but it is originally from Martha's website. Click here for the link. It was so easy and took maybe 15 minutes. There is a great video tutorial on the website on each step.

 It is sitting in Todd's apartment (our future apt) on top of our cute new coffee table. Our apt is slowly coming together...luckily we have time to get it all into place before I move in.

Did I mention there are only 34 days left?? Less than 5 weeks! SO excited.

♥

let freedom ring.

Have I told you how much I adore our country's birthday? Something about country music, pancake breakfasts in parks, and awfully wonderful parade floats makes me so happy.

We had another amazing small town celebration in Huntsville this year at my parent's house. It was the first year that I got to watch fireworks with a handsome guy that I love. He held my hand the entire time and I realized that this was my favorite Fourth of July ever.

Another reason that made this 4th so fun, was a bunch of our friends came up to stay and play with us! I have been raving about Huntsville's 4th to them for a while and they just couldn't resist not coming! They all ran the 5k in the morning and they entered into the sand volleyball tournament and won second place!! It was a blast watching them and yelling at the ref when he made stupid calls.

We ate great good. Rode the jet ski's on the lake. Swam in the pool. Played latter-ball. Roasted marshmallows. Pet lots of doggies. And had the Forrest Gump soundtrack playing all day. So American.

Thanks Mom and Dad for hosting all of us. My family is so great. The fourth wouldn't be the same without them. We missed the Walkers over in NYC!

Thank you George, Thomas, Alexander, Benjamin, John, and James. You guys are the best.

♥

poolside.

There are great perks to having your fiance work as a mechanic at a public pool. Not only does he get extremely tan (eye candy) but I get to lay out at a awesome pool and go down slides for free. And occasionally he brings me diet cokes and we get to talk on his breaks. Win/win for everyone. #ilovesummer.

♥

it's our vacation.

Summertime in Utah. Nothing beats it. It always makes me wonder why students leave in the summertime and come back for winter? It doesn't make any sense to me. 

Todd and I had a fun filled weekend. We went on a picnic up Vivian park canyon on Friday and saw the Manti Pageant with Taylor and Abbey on Saturday. The Manti Pageant was really fun and... interesting. Lots of protestors. 'Nuff said. 

Another couple of great milestones in our relationship happened this week. We got the keys to our new apartment! Todd is moving in at the end of this week! We are so excited and happy about our own little space. 

We also recieved our new apple green KITCHENAID!!! I have never been happier. Todd snapped sneaky photos of me not wanting to leave its side the other night... Let's just say, my hand mixing days are over!

♥

oh hi.

Got my stitches out.

Had my wonderful family bridal shower hosted by Meems. 

Waited at two DMV's for hours. 

Finally got my handipass. 

Future FIL came into town. 

Saw Midnight in Paris and loved Scotty Fitzgerald. 

Trying to walk without the boot. 

Working a lot. 

Went suit shopping with T for the wedding. 

Enjoying this wonderful weather.

♥

the jeff holt.

My dad rules. Seriously, he is a man of all trades. I cannot even begin to tell you all of his hobbies. They are ENDLESS. I'll just name a few...

making mailboxes for us and neighbors
belt making
wood carving
shooting and hunting (mainly magpies from his office window)
hair braiding
bird watching
singing
cooking omlets
restoring old cars
painting and drawing
bike riding
running
snowboarding and skiing
eating sleeves of ritz crackers with squeeze cheese
writing and memorizing poems
investment banking
crazy ideas (life size Sorry board and hedge maze in our yard)
james bond movies

The list goes on. I am convinced that him and Thomas Jefferson were besties in Heaven. Thomas Jefferson had crazy ideas and millions of hobbies too and was one of the smartest men in the world. My dad knows EVERYTHING. I honestly don't think there is one question he cannot answer.

I love my Dadaruso. He is such a wonderful father, provider, and husband to my mom. I cannot wait for our father/daughter dance at my wedding!

♥

couch potato.

Thanks to my ankle surgery I am officially a couch potato. My sister asked me why I was "pinning" so much on Pinterest. It's because my ankle is super bruised and I can barely walk in my boot. So my computer is my best friend. But I am taking the bruising as a good thing. It means it's healing right? Ha...hope so. I want to be in flip flops, swim suit coverups, and drinking diet dp by the pool. Soon.

{hawaii 2008}

I don't have much to blog about. Just wanted to say hi. I hope everyone's summer is off to a good start!!

Today I got my wedding shoes in the mail from Nordies. I wore the left shoe on my good foot and admired them and dreamed about my wedding day in TWO months from today!! I can't believe we've been engaged for four months already. Time flies!!

I cannot wait to marry the man that makes me laugh more than anyone, opens every door for me, watches the Bachelorette with me and pretends to be interested, buys me Sonic drinks when I need it most, remembers to say a prayer before our homemade dinners together, brags about our wedding food to his friends, and always greets me with a kiss.

♥

vampire baby.

So I know, most people have decided to hate the Twilight series of books/movies. Edward is ugly, Jacob is a bad actor, Bella is annoying...blah blah. But putting all these things aside, I enjoy them. I get excited when a new one comes out in the theaters. It may not win Academy Awards but I think they are entertaining and I like them.

That being said- I just saw this and I am really excited for November 18th. I am so curious as to how the movie shows the first part of this crazy book. (!!!)

♥

june showers.

Bridal showers that is. I am lucky enough to have THREE bridal showers this month. Two of which were in my home town, Danville, last weekend. I cannot tell you how much fun it was to see so many wonderful women and girls from home.

There were at least 50 ladies from my ward, my neighborhood, and friends of my parents at my first shower. I was completely spoiled by them and recieved so many wonderful presents. After each present, they gave me marriage advice as well. I learned a lot and laughed a lot from what they had to tell me. I love all of those women so much and am so grateful for the influence they have had in my life. Thank you Danville Women!!!

My second shower was a little less frilly and a little more lacy...if you know what I mean. My gorgeous and hilarious friend from high school, Lauren, hosted a little bachelorette party at her house for me. I loved having most all of my high school girlfriends with me in the same room. It was so great to have girl talk for hours. I cannot wait for them to all be there with me on my special day. I couldn't ask for better girls in my life.

♥

bone spurs.

This is the never ending story of my broken ankle. This morning I had ankle surgery for two bone spurs that had grown in there while I was in a cast. I have been able to walk fine but I can't run or dance. This surgery will fix all of that. Wii Dance and Zumba, here I come!! I have missed them.

Todd was with me the whole time at Tosh- Orthopedic Surgery Hospital. I like the name. Tosh. It's so posh. I was so glad to have him there when I woke up. He is going to be the best husband.

They put me under and I had a nice sleep while they made little incisions into my ankle. Dr. Morgan told us that everything went really well and that my bone spurs were bigger than he thought so surgery was a smart move.

Todd drove me to Huntsville so that my mom and brother can take care of me while he goes to work and school. I will be in bed for a couple days (eating ice cream and watching the bachelorette!!) and then in a walking boot for a couple weeks. This is NOTHING compared to when I broke it so I am a pretty happy girl.

On my way to an ankle pain free girl!

before. so ready. and a little scared.

after. so sleepy. 

♥

a cold one.

Memorial day was too cold. Way too cold. What's up with this weather, Utah? It's officially June 1st. I refuse for you to be any colder than 70 degrees.

Although it was cold, I had a wonderful weekend in Cedar City with Todd at his parents house. Todd's brother and his wife were there from Arizona with their two little boys. I think Todd and I won the favorite aunt and uncle award for the weekend. Van and Dax are the cutest little boys. Dax is the best baby that has ever been on this earth. So happy and so sleepy.

At one point during the weekend, Garett and Todd discovered their old instruments that they played in middle school. It was hilarious and ear peircing all at the same time. They were loving it.

We had a great time playing Phase 10, eating chips, watching HGTV, and throwing the frisbee to Bones. It is always a good time with the Utterbacks. I couldn't have been luckier with my future in-laws.

♥

sneaky peak.

Got some of our engagement photos today!! 

We get the rest later this week. Cannot wait to chose one to send out. 

Amelia Lyon was our photographer. She is AMAZING. I have been stalking her blog for years now. Years. I was so excited to have her do our session! They were taken in San Francisco :)

{isn't he so haaaandsome?}

Ah. Can't wait to marry this boy. 

♥