Polka Dotted and Pretty day!

Well, I am sure that for those of you that read my blog, you are awaiting some pictures. I have some that my family took and I am still awaiting some others. For lack of words to describe such an awesome day, I will just post a bunch. Sorry, there is no real organization to these. I will add more later. Enjoy!!!

Coming out of the Boston Temple

Schillemats (Aunt Cheryl, Daryl, Dad, Gramma & Grampa)

Patricia Meneses

Most of the sisters and brothers (sorry Nathan!)

My "little" Brothers

My dress with polka dotted shoes

My little sisters (don't they look pretty?!)

Sarah and David Oviatt (Thanks for coming!!!)

Davis and Melanie Erickson (buddies for life)

My side of the family (Liam is going to town on his hand)

Jimmy's side of the family (Sorry we can't see you Joe!)

Us with our parents

Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy Cooprider

Temple Excursions

Here is a little story about visiting LDS Temples all over the place. I have pictures for some, and others I will find from the internet. But here we go, mostly around Utah and a little into Idaho! In no particular order.

Bountiful Temple Utah

Draper Temple Utah

Salt Lake Temple Utah

Timpanogas Temple Utah

Vernal Temple Utah

Jordan River Temple Utah

Rexburg Temple Idaho

Provo Temple Utah

Manti Temple Utah

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

It has been so much fun to visit all these places. Our next big excursion is to the Boston Temple! And you know what that means!!

Tips for the anxious at heart

Here is a little advice for all of you people who are waiting for something big, but the days just don't seem to be passing fast enough.

1. Board games...Jimmy is obsessed, but they do help pass the time. Plus you make new friends, and life just seems a little bit more eventful when there are more people around.

2. Walks - Yes, Jimmy and I have probably walked the same streets over one hundred times, but it somehow helps to get outside even if it is hot. We seem to have some of the best conversations on these walks. And not to mention adventure as we zig-zag around sprinklers that probably don't need to be watering the sidewalk.

3. Cook - Yes, cooking is a good relaxation tool. For a while Jimmy and I watched a lot of the Food Network. Now I think we have decided to put some of that knowledge to use. Well, actually I have been utterly lazy about cooking and Jimmy has been a masterful creator. I am impressed with what he comes up with everyday.

4. Outings - We went to the sliding rocks as previously mentioned, but on a smaller scale there is an awesome farmer market just 5 or so blocks from where we live. We visited this last Saturday and I bought dehydrated strawberries and Jimmy some bread and spicy mango and pineapple. Plus Jimmy talked it up with a scout troop and we got some yummy authentic Mexican tacos. Mmmmm...

5. Take a trip - As we have also mentioned before, going for a little trip, for example to the East of Utah, or to the North of Provo for a few hours really helps to calm the anxious nerves. We have made small trips almost every Friday this summer. Absolutely beneficial. This coming week we are going to Bountiful to hopefully meet up with one of my old companions.

6. Pray - Okay, for those of you who are not as religious, I still think this is a valuable tool. Pray to whomever you like, but pray. It really does bring a lot of peace to your mind and at least an opportunity to talk to yourself without feeling weird about it.

7. Give hugs - You have no idea how amazing hugs are. They can squeeze all the tension right out of you. I am a fan, and if you are in need, please don't hesitate to bring your needs to my attention. I am more than willing. I have been monopolizing Jimmy's hug time and I think it only fair I share this wonderful opportunity with others.

8. Make yourself smile - Okay, so I have been quite bad at this lately. So I am making a new effort to smile even though I don't always feel like it. Let me tell you the truth about smiling. It is healing, and sometimes downright amazing. Try it on for size. It just might make your day better.

9. Write down your thoughts - It has been a wonderful release for me to write down my ever-so wondering thoughts. Again, I highly recommend it. Do not hesitate to write it all down. Don't be shy, be brave and let your emotions lead the way.

10. Try not to be too serious - I have taken it upon myself to be wayyyy to serious about life. It makes me so much more stressed than I need to be. Laugh, giggle, be lively.

Okay, this was by far the most random post ever. I hope you enjoy a few of my words of semi-important wisdom.

August is upon us

We have now passed the July barrier and are and now heading into the wedding month. Today, just in case you can't count (because we are highly aware of the number of days left) is 18 days from our wedding. 11 days until we go home, and a week from that is our excited and all-important day of wedding bliss.

Thankfully I am feeling better and life seems to be getting better. I am happy and excited for what our new future will hold. Friday we went to the Vernal Temple in you guessed it, Vernal UT. It was 3 hours away but well worth the drive. We had a very enjoyable Friday afternoon.


Then yesterday my roommate and sister hosted a bridal shower for me. It was nice, simple and very relaxing. And Jen made these insanely yummy chocolate-covered oreo truffles. Delightful!

After the Bridal shower Jimmy and I went to a place with natural slide. It was freezing but so much fun. We got back and watched "Kung Fu Panda" on the wall of our apartment complex. It was a very eventful day. That is how we like it. I don't like being bored and I hate getting all anxious about the wedding. It is no fun my friends, no fun at all.

Quote of the day "What matters the most, lasts the longest." Yup, it is true!!! The pictures above describe some of our adventures.

21 days.....3 weeks

Jimmy and I are officially 3 weeks away from our wedding. Can I get a wahoo?!

These last few weeks have been very stressful. And you may say, well duh! You are are getting married soon. Well, it is actually the fact that we don't have much to do that has been making it hard. I am have become a royal spaz about life, and Jimmy has to lull me into reality and remind me that everything is going to be alright. He really is amazing.

This week has been pretty uneventful. My advisor is gone, so I have to wait for his e-mails to really get anywhere, and the work is slow anyways. Plus, all I think about is going home and getting married. Distraction to the max. Tomorrow we may be going to the Vernal Temple. I am always excited for these weekly excursions. It is a chance for my mind to clear a bit.

Just thought I would keep you updated. The flowers are just a reminder of how much I love nature....random....

The latest happenings!

I think I need to figure out a more efficient way to upload pictures. This is all I have the gusto for, as of now. They do however, give a pretty good description of what we have been doing lately. On Friday, Pioneer day, we hiked Mount Timpanogas. It was a good 14 mile hike, and I was sufficiently burned to a crisp afterwards. But it was beautiful and I really did enjoy being outside. Earleir that week we participated in the Pinewood Derby, as was explained in the last post. Here we are with the winning car. Hopefully I will be more motivated to post pictures later.

Optimus and Bolt...winning cars!

Yesterday was a very exciting event. As a Church group we re-enacted our boy scout days and had a pine wood derby. Generally every Monday we meet as smaller groups to talk about Gospel related topics and enjoy each other's company. This week all the groups made cars and we raced against each other. It was fantastic! Our group made two cars, one in honor of Transformers, Optimus Prime, and the other well...we named Bolt, because it did in fact have a bolt attached to it. There was no weight limit or restrictions. To our suprize, Optimus came in third and with the help of my physics related knowledge, Bolt won! Yeah, you heard me, Bolt won. We had to race the two fastest cars numerous times because it looked like a tie each time, but in the end, with it witnessed on camera Bolt surpassed the other fast-moving car shaped as a double-decker bus. It is always fun to remember what it is like to be a kid. I promise I will add some pictures when I get a minute to upload them.