ReAL? Pshhh!

As fabulous as the ReAL Salt Lake soccer games are - last Saturday Mike and I discovered a new soccer team to love, even more than RSL. Possible? Heck yes.

The game began - and this girl couldn't have been more excited!

 She was smiling literally the entire time!

 She is pretty dang good at being aggressive. 

Determination.

 (Half-time! Taking a break!)

 Back to the game.

 Now if you watch this next series of picture - you will see her score...

Step 1: Find the ball

 Step 2: Attack

 Step 3: Steal the ball

 Step 4: Drive to the goal

Step 5: Give your coach a high five for scoring!

 Here we go again... towards the goal.

 Stay aggressive.

Modest Nika - she just scored again (see the coach digging the ball from the net?).

 This time all of her team mates gave her a million high fives
(so cute to watch).

the end - nice job team.

 Sportsmanship.

 VICTORY!!!!

 the fans:

 One happy little soccer player!

LOVE HER!!!!

Love Story

Sometimes there are a million things to do, yet all I want to do is sit and blog. I don't know how people are able to do it every day! Ooooiii! It must be at the top of their priority list. Lately, I ditch the stuff I need to do and then I come to blog, but instead of blogging I just look at wedding pictures over and over and over again. I am pretty sure that Mike and I had more photographers than any other couple in the history of getting married - let me count - (3) engagement sessions by (3) different photographers, (3) bridal/groomal sessions by (3) different photographers, (2) photographers at the temple, and (2) photographers at the reception (the reception was a different day than the temple), as well as our 4 videographer sessions by (2) different videographers. HA! Like pictures much? LoL. As much as I love photographs (if you know me well - you have known since I was a baby that I love taking photos, scrapbooking, and making photobooks) anyway - both Mike and I were ready to be done. I am so happy that we did have all of those sessions though because each one provided us with something different, unique, and fantastic! I can't wait to enlarge the photos and put them on our walls! Probably above everything else, I am so excited to make photobooks that we can look at relive our special day.

It really was perfect. I don't know if I will go into more details later or not, but it was perfect for us. We got lots of comments on how the reception was "so you [us]". Which was great because we wanted to make it very unique and more like a party. Sadly, the beginning there had to be the dinky little line (every venue we looked at told us we had to have one otherwise one will just form because it's Utah) - but after the line dispersed, we started the party. Thanks so much to everyone who came and especially those who stayed and partied with us until the very end when we drove away. I think the end of receptions is always the funnest.

Well, here is the date video that was made by my very most favorite videographer - Jared Wortley - from OneiLove Media. (Totally recommend him to anyone getting married :0).)

http://vimeo.com/46446331

psssssst: the password is antelope :)

Wedding Slideshow

Mike and I had an amazing wedding! Credit goes to our wonderful family & friends who helped us prepare and carry out our dream event. I never knew how much work it was planning a wedding; finding dresses, ties, and shoes for everyone; picking out my dress, the colors, the cake, the flowers; selecting the right vendors (DJ, florist, photographers, cinematographers, venue, invitation people, etc. etc.); and making sure everything happens at just the right time, in just the right place.

I was so pleased with everything, even if something wasn't perfect, I wouldn't change a thing.

I can't wait to get all of our photos back and see all the moments that I may have missed or that slipped my eye, or the moments that were captured through someone else's eye... But until then I have this little slideshow to watch a couple of times a day :). One of our photographers, Kristin Brown from Vive La Fete Photos put it together only days after the event. I was so impressed with her speed and with the moments that she captured.

http://www.vivelafetephotos.com/m-j-wedding-reception/

I also never realized how much support means. We have some absolutely incredible friends and family. I am so grateful that they took the time to schedule the night (and for some the weekend) for just Mike & I. The fact that they came to the reception, and those that stayed until the very end to send us off, it means more to us than any of them will probably ever know.

Thanks a million to everyone who celebrated with us!!! We love you!!!

June 9: the Tour de Cure 2012 and 10 Year Reunion

I am so tired. It reminds me how I felt on Saturday, June 9. Less than a week after returning home from our vacation to the Dominican Republic and Las Vegas I was spearheading a ten year class reunion and riding the Tour de Cure century bike ride in Brigham City. In my spare time I was trying to plan a wedding and figure out what was happening with my work (government contractor/contract ended).

But I woke up at the crack of dawn, made sure I had everything I would need for the day, and I set out for Brigham City, UT. The Tour de Cure is such a pretty ride. For some reason it always seems windy, but there are lots of mountains and open fields - such excellent scenery when you are going to be sitting on your bum for an extended period of time. This is the route map they gave us:

 

 This is the elevation map they gave us:

I haven't been putting near enough time in the saddle so my butt hurt pretty bad after the ride. In fact, it was bruised. I hadn't had a bruised behind since Lotoja 2010. Sad. But I did finish and that was awesome. Nobody was waiting for me at the finish line, but thankfully everyone there cheered for me anyway. That was nice. :)

After the ride I went to my grandparents house, I showered and got ready and then I headed to the Lodge at Maddox to set up for the high school reunion.

We set up the computer for the slideshow, checked the sound, set up our check-in table, and people were there (actually people were there before I even arrived (30 minutes early)).

So the agenda was:

Mingle/Soda Bar
Dinner
Slideshow of Updates
People's Choice Awards
Mingle

I think that it went well. Honestly, I was just so happy to have it over. I had a lot of help from people so I am very thankful for that. Ashley Fortune Alder handled all the money and the RSVP's and Leah Nelson Thompson put together the update slideshow. They put it tons of time and I don't know how it would have gotten done without them. The slideshow was a lot of fun, it was fun to see people we went to school with (some now in different countries across the world) and see what they are up to and what they have done in the last 10 years.

We got a photographer to come and take pictures of people as they came. This is me & Ashley - heading up to our area so we could sit and check people in.

Oh! There we are checking people in.

Mike was so good to stand there all night and be there for me. I was busy helping people and so I couldn't really focus an ounce of attention on him and he didn't complain once. What a fabulous man I have got. Handsome and patient!

I heard a lot of people talk about how much they enjoyed it. It definitely was fun for people just to see people again and remember the connection that they had with them in high school and learn what they are up to now. I enjoyed that part and I am glad that other people did too. Good memories surfaced that were almost forgotten.

I left at 9:30 and there was still a large number of people still there talking so I have no idea what time they finally left. I didn't want to drive home so I went back to my grandparents and right after sitting in their recliner, I fell asleep. I could not stay awake for the life of me. I am so happy June 9 is over.

Wedding Update: One Month

You may remember back on May 10, 2012 when Mike so perfectly proposed to me (if not - you can read and reread the story as many times as you want here - it's one of my favorite things to do). 

Well fast forward two months to today and we are only one month away from getting married!!!!

That's right - in one month (almost even to the dot on the time) I will be in the Logan LDS temple getting sealed to this handsome and wonderful man for the rest of time and for all of eternity.

Excited? ....................... Greatly!!

There are countless reasons why I love him. But I do completely adore him!

And since 10 seems to be our lucky number (engaged and married on the 10th) I will share ten reasons why I love him.

 10- He is very smart in a variety of fields.

9 - He is a hard worker.

 8- He is supportive of me in my choices and passions.

7- He is patient.

6- He makes me laugh.

5- He is incredibly attractive. (Best eyes and legs I have ever seen.)

4- He holds the Priesthood and he honors it.

3- He is constantly serving others and gives of everything that he has been blessed with.

2- He loves stronger, deeper and more than most people you will ever meet.

1- I love Mike because he makes me want to be a better person and he treats me as if I already am.

I can't wait for the next month to be over, and for the crazy wedding planning to be done so that Mike and I can be together - always, always, always!!!!!

ONE MONTH FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Le Cordon Bleu Technique Restaurant Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada.

Less than 2 hours after arriving home from the Dominican Republic, Mike & I were at Alisha and Brian's house unpacking and repacking, getting ready to meet his mom and sister for a weekend trip to Vegas. We were headed down there for a wedding, but decided to extend the stay to do a little site seeing since his mom and sister had never been there before.

They went shopping while we went to the wedding and then afterwards we went to the Technique Restaurant. It's a restaurant where students attending Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School actually apply what they have learned in a real-life situation. Like their capstone class. It was really fun to visit and I credit my younger sister Allison for this great find. :)

You have to have reservations to eat at Technique Restaurant so we actually called and made our reservation before we left for the Dominican Republic. (So a few weeks in advance.)

the menu. Short and Sweet

So for this meal I decided to be the type of person that takes pictures of ALL the food!

Half of the fun of eating here was the presentation - so I hope that you enjoy "food porn" as much as I do. Just looking at the pictures makes me want to go back!

Sherry's Appetizer: Moroccan Couscous Salad - I love Moroccan food. I love Couscous. I recommended it and I don't think she was a fan :( Sorry Sherry.

My Appetizer: Caprese Martini - because Caprese salads are my favorite!

Mike's Appetizer: Mini Brick Oven Flat Bread (to the rest of us known as pizza) - the day's selection was pepperoni

Whitney's Appetizer: Soup (ugh, I can't remember what kind the soup of the day was!)

My Meal: Poached Sea Bass - but they were out of Sea Bass so it was Salmon.

Sherry's Meal: Seared Beef Strips Stroganoff

Mike's Meal: Herbed Mustart Crusted Pork Loin - Um, that tomato in the middle... AMAZING!

Whitney's Meal: Braised Chicken "Coq Au Vin"

My dessert: Banana Foster - but they were out of bananas so.... Strawberry Foster :)

Mike's Dessert: Flourless Chocolate Cake - my new favorite thing. We switched.

Whitney's Dessert: Flourless Chocolate Cake - look familiar?

Sherry's Dessert: Flavored Panna Cotta - recommended by the waitress.

Our waitress told us that they may be closing Technique Restaurant because Le Cordon Bleu is changing their program. I hope that they don't end up closing it because I think it would be fun to go back again one day. If you go to Vegas, you should definitely check out the Technique Restaurant for one of your meals :)