the B.A.D. club shower

My girl friends from High School threw me a bridal shower up in Logan last Saturday. We went back to our favorite restaurant/hang out "Fredrico's Pizza" and then to Amy's house for gifts and dessert. We were a pretty tight knit group back then, and whenever we are together we can still pick things like good friends. It is really quite fun. Even if they all got married a good 10 yrs ago and have 2-3 kids each by now. I am the last remaining one, by a long shot. They were all so excited I was engaged they kind of had to fight over who got to throw the shower... they worked it out and all helped out in some way. :)

We had this self made club back in High School called the "Boys Are Dumb" club. We even got little bead necklaces that said BAD on them, which we loved because they made our moms cringe. Yup, we were sooo rebellious. So much that we even made quilts... where we each sewed squares about ourselves and then traded. One of the squares we wrote Boys Are Dumb and got all of our guy friends to sign...or we may have forged a few signatures...

Domestic, rebellious teenage girls...

I love you guys! Especially since we have almost all made it back to northern Utah somehow.

Singles Wards

And so I say goodbye to the world of singles wards, for good. It's been fun...they have been a big part of my life for the last...let's say, a really long time. Longer than most people would ever expect or think is possible. From a few months before my 18th birthday till a few months before my 31st, excepting my mission of course, I have been very involved in a singles ward.

Now I get to re-acclimate to the world of family wards: complete with crying children during the sacrament, ward choirs of 8 people, relief societies with little old ladies, deacons passing the sacrament, etc. Thankfully, the church is true no matter where you are and I am excited for this new change. I have always been one that looks forward to change, and since other "changes" aren't happening as quickly as I had planned, this will have to do.

I am very grateful for the establishment of singles wards. They certainly provide an environment to learn leadership and church responsibility, while offering the great sociality of peers with the same beliefs. I never feared moving to a new city as long as I could connect with the singles ward there. I would instantly have friends and activities to attend. My coworkers always thought it amazing how quickly I was acclimated to the area and people. I can honestly say that I was able to meet and work among amazing, very talented, and dedicated saints. I was constantly inspired to be better by my peers there, as we supported each other through similar struggles.

I didn't think my singles ward experience would end like this...months before I could officially "graduate" by getting married-or by turning 31-or both, a complete overhaul of the Salt Lake valley's university and YSA wards threw everything into chaos. It just makes most sense to make the transition into the established family ward of my area now.

May I just send a shout-out to the USU 40th, USU 39th, USU 11th, Sam Houston, University 39th, El Dorado, Harbor 2nd, and the great University 48th wards! Thanks for all the great lessons and times!

My advice to anyone attending a singles ward:

Get Involved!!!! Jump in head first, attend activities, sit by different people (everyone else is probably somewhat shy and new to the ward as well), get to know them, always volunteer to help, fulfill your calling completely, and flirt mercilessly (guys don't get the subtle clues or "playing hard to get"...get over it). It only takes a few people dedicated to making it a fun, friendly ward and it will catch on like wildfire. Remember those things and you will always have a marvelous experience.

Aprils Fools Dinner

I made a fun dinner for April Fools Day

We started with dessert first:

Cake with Raspberry filling, cream cheese frosting/decorations. (meatloaf with ketchup, pureed cauliflower and spinach flowers)

Ice Cream sundaes with hazelnuts, caramel sauce and cherry

(mashed potatoes, mushroom bits, gravy and cherry tomato)
Then we had our meal:

Mashed potatoes and gravy (ice cream with caramel sauce)

and peas and carrots (green skittles and cut orange starbursts)

It was tasty and fun, despite the strange looks Ben made when he first saw them.

On a side note, it was my very first attempt at meatloaf (which I typically don't like) but it turned out surprisingly good. Thanks "SimplyRecipes" blog.

Wisdom

Good Advice I was once given, that have influenced my life at critical points:

• Question everything and find your own answers
• Don't go to school for something you already know how to do, go to learn something new
• Don't let your fears overcome your faith and goals. God can help you accomplish anything
• Don't ever make important decisions when PMS-y
• If you act very confident in what you are doing, others will believe you more
• The best way to give a talk is to study, prepare, and write it all out... Then leave it at home.
• Simplify, simplify, simplify. What is MOST important, and what is "fluff"?
• Once there has been genuine illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. Don't give up when the pressure mounts.
• Life is Hard, and then you die...

The Story

I've had several requests for the engagement story. Here's my favorite version:

The night he proposed, Ben took me back to Red Butte Cafe, the restaurant where we met on a blind date almost exactly 2 years ago. It was kind of neat to reminisce on our time together since then. Back at my house, when he came in the door, he gave me a big hug and started telling me that he was sorry, he knew that I had been waiting a long time and I had been very patient, but I just needed to wait a little longer... I got pretty disappointed right about then, sure that it meant that it wouldn't happen that night. Then he stopped and said "I have a better idea" and knelt down on one knee and asked "Emily, will you marry me?". I was startled at the shift and said "Are you kidding me?" (in my defense, he had been teasing me about it all week). At which point, he pulled out the ring box and told me how he loved me, trusted me and wanted me to wear this... There was the most beautiful ring I ever saw (ok, I did help design it so I knew I would love it). I definitely said YES! I think he was just as excited to see it on my hand as I was.

The announcement you've all been waiting for...

Yes, I'm engaged! It's official now. I have found the love of my life, someone that is perfect for me. Someone I am excited to share eternity with...and I have a very sparkly ring to show for it. :)

Things you don't mention to a hypochondriac

I think every health care professional ends up as a hypochondriac of sorts. Especially those of us who never did the medical school thing but know just enough to be dangerous. We are familiar with a few signs and dangers, but not enough to know the whole story.

So, symptoms that others might get very worked up over, we can dismiss easily as nothing significant. But what many people will dismiss as something weird, turns us to fretting we have cancer. We get even worse when we socialize around other medical personnel. Since I seem to have surrounded myself with nurses, in and out of work, I get all sorts of interesting perspectives and opinions. I consequently was almost convinced last night that I had had a mini-stoke. Thanks for that, Ben.

Thankfully, I have hilarious sisters that kept me laughing about it and let me blame all my horrible raquetball playing on that...