almost there!

10 days and counting! Nathan and I are almost husband and wife! We've been approved for a newer, nicer, 2 bedroom apartment closer to work AND Rapper, the wedding dress has been altered (and fits perfectly!), I'm getting a haircut and going tanning today, wedding gifts are arriving every day and Frenchie will be here on Saturday! It's all coming together!

In other news - the boys are loving the Oympics. No, seriously. They love sitting on the coffee table, watching the events...volleyball and water polo are their favorites - although last night, Simon discovered that gymnastics are pretty neat, too.

Hope everyone else is enjoying their summer as much as I am!

3 weeks!

Well I had a really nice post all set up, but Fisher just walked across my keyboard and managed to delete it somehow. And I'm not in the mood to retype it. So, bottom line: three weeks till the wedding, getting really excited, you know the story.

And in other news, Nathan and I are looking for a "newlywed apartment." At first, we were just thinking that he'd move in here with me and we'd rough it in a one bedroom apartment for a little while. But...well...we don't have enough room for all our stuff! We need a two bedroom, and after Tylor and Amanda's car got broken into just blocks from here earlier this week, I'm kinda ready to move into a nicer neighborhood.

We went and looked at Parkside Apartments last night and I have to say, I'm IN LOVE with the place. It's closer to Rapper by about 15 minutes and right near Beltline so I could get to work in less than ten minutes. The units they have available are all upstairs with vaulted ceilings, new carpet and full-size washers and dryers. Plus, there's a grocery store within walking distance and the grounds are immaculate. Nathan and I are going to pray about it before making any final decisions, but hopefully come mid-September, we'll be moving to OUR brand-new apartment!

PS: here are some pictures I never posted from the Temple on June 28th. Enjoy!

25 days!

In 25 days I'll be MRS. SHAW! I can't say I'm thrilled about the "Mrs." part - that'll make me feel so old - but I can't wait to be married to Nathan! In all honesty, I don't think much will change except for...well, the obvious ;)...but it will be so nice to know that no matter what happens here in this life, we will be able to be together FOREVER!
I'm getting really excited for the wedding DAY, too. I've been planning this since last September (and thinking about it since our one month anniversary, haha) and it's going to be so great to see it all come together. I think some of my favorite parts are the little details that make our wedding so unique to US. For instance...

• Camp Colton used to be an outdoor school - that my dad went to
• it was also the location for the first wedding I ever photographed with Adams and Faith
• since we don't drink, we're having an Italian Soda bar instead
• Clayton's "Ring Bear"
• the white rose in my bouquet as a tribute to my Grandpa

I'm trying to talk my mom into retiring early so that she and I can start our own wedding planning business. Seriously, I think with her organizational skills and my knowledge of what looks good (thanks Art degree!) we'd have ourselves a business.

25 days!

PS: on a more somber note, EVERYONE should download the Into the Wild soundtrack..."Society" and "Guarantee" will give you some perspective.

almost there!

One month from today, Nathan and I will be getting married! Seriously - our sealing time at the temple is 11:00 on August 23rd! This morning, Nathan and I went to the courthouse to get our marriage license, the wedding dress has been delivered, bridesmaids' dresses are here, lingerie is on the way (hee hee) and I've got final hair appointments made - it's official, we're really going to get married!

into the wild

I always knew I was in love with Christopher Johnson McCandless...more with the idea of him than him as a person...after all, how can you be in love with someone you never met? Someone who died when you were just a child?
But now...I know him...he's the wildest, most untamed part of me that longs to be free and untouched. The part of me that would succumb to wanderlust if I wasn't so deeply committed to the life I have.

Read the book.

Watch the movie.

And try to deny that you've never felt those same feelings.

Happy Birthday!

Well, my boys are 3 months old today! And wow, are they terrors - running at top speed around and around the house, climbing up everything, unrolling the toilet paper, then going back and shredding it, and climbing into every cardboard box and plastic bag in the house. They jump on me when I'm trying to nap, pounce on me when I least suspect it and seem to think that my legs are meant to climb up...But it's all worth it when they hop up on my lap, purring, and want to nuzzle my neck - or when they wait at the door for me to come home. I'm so glad we adopted these little miracles and that they're such wonderful kittens!