My 22nd birthday! The best EVER :)

So, I had to stay in CA for a few extra days without Jeff because I had a doctor's appointment I had to be at, and so I flew in from CA really late on my birthday Tuesday night. After Jeff picked me up from the airport around 11 at night, we got home and he asked if I wanted to see my present right then in the lounge. Of course, I eagerly told him YES! I then followed him to the door of his apartment and peeked around the corner, and there was a GIANT hunk of a birthday present. Just for me!! I was really excited/VERY scared that his roommate Neil would pop out of it, or that it was a live animal or something. You really never know with Jeff! I think that's probably one of the things I love most about him :D

So, he carried my monstrous present over to the lounge and he continued to thoroughly enjoy my hesitant/terrified reaction to this mysterious gift.

Like I said, I was a bit terrified. Doesn't it look like it could very well be his roommate Neil curled up inside that innocent-looking wrapping paper?!

Oops, false alarm. Just some giant gifts!

Here's the aftermath of the present opening ceremony. It was AWESOME. It's fun enough to just have one great gift on your birthday, but to have like ten!! Woohoo!

Here are all the little gifts he gave me. I just love him :)

This one requires a bit of explanation. He meant to put a nicer picture in this little frame that we could put in our house, but he ran out of time putting together all these great gifts, so instead he created a drawing of our honeymoon! We are going on a week-long cruise to the "Mexican Riviera" and we are also going zip-lining on an off shore excursion as a part of it. And we are both WAY excited about it. (Okay, I might be a bit terrified of it actually, but I know it's going to be SO much fun!!)

And the night didn't end there! My amazing roommates Laurel, Natalie, and Loie all waited up for me because they knew I had a late flight (but it was still my birthday), so as soon as I opened the door, they had strange music playing (I'll leave it at that), and they were all sitting there waiting for me so we could celebrate! So, they popped open some Martinelli's and they had made me one of my FAVORITE things ever (smores toffee) and they all had written in a cute little card for me. Can you say best roommates EVER??!  

I just love them.

I loved Natalie's socks so much that I had to snap a picture. I want these socks, they are absolutely fantastic. :D

This was the sign they had posted on the door for my return home. They are just great :)

Thanks to all of you who made my birthday so wonderful!!!! It was seriously one of the best ever!

My amazing bridal shower! 11-12-11

So, I had my bridal shower on Saturday November 12th, 12-2 pm at the lovely Sister Gaskin's home. It was absolutely amazing. My two roommates Loie Benson and Laurel Martin were in charge of planning everything, and they did an amazing job! It was so much fun, and there was SO much good food. And anyone who knows me knows that that is definitely an important and key factor.

Loie literally stayed up ALL night baking all kinds of yummy goodies for the shower. She is one of the most amazing girls I know. What a great friend. Love her to death.

Pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes.

Funfetti cupcakes and white chocolate cupcakes. YUM.

Here are all the different kinds Loie made. There was: white chocolate, regular chocolate, funfetti, more white chocolate, pumpkin chocolate chip, and red velvet. Can you say YUMMY?!

Here is a kind of smores toffee type dessert. It was SO good. They went pretty fast at the shower.

"Jeff and Jill went up the hill, to start their family tree. They're starting out, so help them out and leave a recipe (for food or happiness advice)." LOVE this idea. So cute!

Our recipe (and happiness advice) family tree.

Here are the favors that Loie and Laurel put together. Loie made HOMEMADE delicious cranberry and white chocolate biscotti and put them in these cute little bags for each of the girls to take home. Best idea EVER.

The party favors: homemade white chocolate and cranberry biscotti. SO good!

Loie was absolutely pooped after the shower. She and Laurel worked really really hard to make the whole shower a total success. They are SO AWESOME!! Thank you Loie and Laurel! Love you girls so much!!

20 more days!

     

Looking back... I am so THANKFUL to have met such an amazing guy.

THANKFUL for all the fun memories together.

THANKFUL for love and joy and that we get to share that with one another.

THANKFUL that we get to be together FOREVER.

THANKFUL that we get to have our "happily ever after."

THANKFUL that we have a lifetime together ahead of us.

I just couldn't be more THANKFUL for all the blessings we enjoy together!

Thanksgiving in NorCal with Jeffy!

So Jeff and I got to to my house in Benicia for Thanksgiving and we spent a few days with my parents and my little brother David. It was really nice to see all of Jeff's reactions to my hometown. We visited the Oakland Temple (where we will be sealed on December 17th!) It was a great experience, and it made both of us even more excited.

We even got to visit Rutherford and eat at Rutherford Grill. It was SO delicious! We took some fun pictures outside the restaurant while we waited to be seated.

At Rutherford Grill, we celebrated my 22nd birthday with some SQUASH cake! It was surprisingly very yummy.

This is from when we were still waiting to be seated at Rutherford Grill. The restaurant gave us a cozy complimentary blanket and a cute little nook to wait. It was fun just to talk and enjoy each others' company.