So Sappy You'll be able to Make Syrup When I'm Done.

Last weekend marked one year since I technically, officially met my amazing husband.  If you had told me that one year later we'd be married, I probably would have laughed at you.  What a fantastic year it's been!

I was feeling sentimental the other day, so I was looking through my old journals.  Yikes.  Never gonna do that again.  All I ever talked about was depression and boys.  Really, it's a bummer.  However, I did find this checklist for the perfect mate I made when I was 18.  Let's see how my hubby measures up, shall we?

The Checklist

1. Is he LDS, a priesthood holder and temple worthy?  Check, check and check.
2. Can you always honor and respect him?  Check.
3. Does he bring out the best in you?  Check.
4. Does he have good communication skills?  Check.
5. Can you give him your all?  Double check.
6. Does he love the Lord more than he loves you?  Check.
7. Is he patient, understanding, open-minded, calm, forgiving and kind?  Check, check, checkity-check.
8. Would he be a good father?  Boy-howdy, check.
9. Do you love him?  Checks up the wazoo.
10. Have you both had spiritual confirmation?  Check.
11. Does he have self control?  Check.
12. Is he sociable?  Check.
13. Does your family like him?  A-check.
14. Do your friends like him?  Check.
15. Is he a full tithe payer?  Check.
16. Does he have a burning testimony of the Book of Mormon?  Check.
17. Does he possess charity?  Check.
18. Does he have strong faith?  Check-a-roonie.

Is it just me or does the work "Check" look really weird now?

Anyway, as this little list clearly demonstrates, a year ago I met my soul mate on a hay ride at Ensign Ranch, and I didn't even know it.

Lucky me.

Wedding Album Love

I spent weeks working on this album through Shutterfly. I spent a few more weeks waiting for a sale and my bank account to coincide. I was finally able to order my book (and at a great price, thankyouverymuch) and now I can share it too! Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

You'll love Shutterflys award-winning photo books. Try it today.

Charity: The Pure Love of Christ

For almost as long as I can remember, one of my favorite quotes has been by Spencer W. Kimball:

"God does notice us, and He watches over us.  But it is usually through another person that He meets our needs."

As I've gotten older, I've realized that this quote has multiple meanings.  It can be seen from the perspective of the person providing the service, or from the person being served.  Either way, it's a beautiful reminder of how much our Heavenly Father loves us, and how important it is for us to love each other.

The last couple of months have been tough for us.  Joe left his job at Frank's Tire Factory in early August.  We weren't sure how long it would be before he found a job, we didn't have much saved, and we didn't know how long we could last on one salary.  What we did know was that we had put a lot of thought and prayer into this decision, and we both felt that we'd received a clear answer as to what our Heavenly Father wanted us to do.  With that in mind, we moved forward with faith.

For the most part, we managed pretty well.  Our rent was paid, we didn't starve.  Joe found another job fairly quickly, which was a huge blessing in itself.  We were a little bit behind on bills, but not bad.  We found that people are pretty willing to work with you, as long as you have a plan.

Still, it seemed like every time we thought we were reaching the end of our financial struggles, something else would come up.  For example, just as we thought we were close to catching up and had a little extra cash, we realized that the tags on my car were expired.  $50.  Joe needed new work shoes.  $40.  Whoops!  Now that we've cleaned out the fridge, we realize we desperately need to go to the grocery store.  You see the pattern here.

This morning, a member of the Relief Society presidency in our ward called me.  She told me she had something she needed to give me, and asked if I would be home today.  I told her I was about to take my break from work and that I would be happy to meet her where she was.

When I arrived, she handed me some adorable cookies, as well as a sealed, blank envelope.  She said, "I don't know what this is, I just know a ward member asked us to get it to you."  We chatted a bit, then I got back in my car and headed back to work.

In the parking lot, I opened the envelope.  There was a short note inside that read:

"We saw you in the ward, heard Joe might be out of work, knew you were newly married, and thought you might be able to use this.  Welcome to our ward.
--Some friends who like couples in love"

Enclosed was $500 in cash.

I called Joe at work to tell him the news.  I cried.  I called my mom.  I cried.  I sat in my car for a few minutes and cried.  I valiantly tried to pull myself together and get back to work, but every few minutes I would think about this amazing, Christ-like, generous miracle, and I would cry some more.

There are no words sufficient to express my gratitude to these wonderful people.  I don't know if it was one couple or several people.  I don't know who they are, or if I would even recognize them.  I do know that God was watching over us, and that He inspired these people to help take care of us.

I wrote a thank-you note that I will try to pass back along the same channels the money came through.  I hope it gets to our friends.  I know I will never know who made such a generous gesture, but they will forever be in my heart and my prayers.  A thank-you note seems so insufficient to express gratitude for such a blessing.

If you wonder if God notices you, He does.  If you wonder if He is ever going to help you, He will.  If you wonder if there are any truly good people left in the world, there are.

I know.  I go to church with some.

Speaking of Wheels . . .

Did you know that Joe has a new job?  It's true.  He's the newest employee of Auto Focus, a local company that does cosmetic restoration and repair on vehicles (mostly at dealerships).  How this whole "new job" thing came about is kind of a long story, but in a nutshell: Old job sucked, boss was a jerkface, new job is awesome!

Look how handsome he looks in his new work clothes.  I just love those work clothes.  They're so rugged and manly.  Right before I took this picture I said, "Ok, smile!  I want to take a picture for the blog."  And he said, "You're lucky I love you."

Here are some examples of the kind of work they do.  These photos were taken with Joe's camera, which is clearly better than mine.

A guy brought this baby into a dealership after he scraped his wheels up on a curb (apparantly "curbing" is also a verb - who knew?).  Isn't it pretty?  I want one like it.  Only convertible.  Without racing stripes.  And maybe in a different color.

Here's what the wheels looked like.  Ugly, huh?

And here is what they looked like after they'd been ground down, sanded, buffed and painted by none other than my amazing husband.

Ok, ok.  It was some other guy that did most of the work.  But my husband was there. 

Pretty impressive, right?  Can't even tell they're the same wheels.  Joe says these wheels run about $1500 each, and they charged the customer about $200, so you can see there's demand for this kind of work. 

Needless to say (if you know Joe at all), they love him down there.  Working for people who actually compliment his work is a new and unusual experience for him, one that's taking some getting used to.  I'm thinking he'll adjust pretty quickly.  He's been flying through the training, impressing the pants of everyone.  In fact, they were planning on hiring two new techs, but Joe was the only one out of all the applicants who cut the mustard. 

I'm just so proud I can hardly stand it.



I'm a terrible blogger.

I try to be a good blogger.  I really do.

I take pictures of stuff.  We'll be out and about and I'll think, "Ooh, I should blog about this!"  *Click!* Take a picture.  My camera phone makes that cool shutter noise, so I can say that.

But I have a problem.  I have a mental queue of blog posts in my head, and I haven't posted any of them!  I say to myself, "Well, I can't post these pictures until I've posted those pictures.  And I can't post those  pictures until I post those other pictures . . . " and on and on.  Now I have a camera full of unposted pictures.

Here's my solution: I'm defying chronological order, and I'm cramming all those posts into one.  Ready?  Here we go!

*****



Pictures of Joe (and I) at Temple Square in Salt Lake City . . . proof that Joe has finally made the pilgramage to Utah.  Seriously, what kind of Mormon hasn't been to Utah?

Lunch at Nauvoo Cafe on Temple Square.  Isn't he handsome?  He's always happy after he gets fed.

When we were in Colorado, my parents had an open house for us, and my oldest friend Katie was able to come!  We hadn't seen each other in almost 10 years.  The one on the right is Cara, my 2nd oldest friend, and I don't even know the last time we were all together.  It was amazing.

I'm pretty sure I have the coolest niece ever, as demonstrated by this awesome shirt she's wearing (which she bought with a gift card I gave her, thankyouverymuch).  I heard to explaining it to my dad.  It involved this statement, "No Grandpa, it's not racist!"

The first fancy, homemade Sunday dinner I cooked for my hubby.  Ham, green beans, potatos and biscuits.  Aren't I domestic?

We went to the Vintiques car show the first weekend of August, because we're "car people."  That's where I found the prettiest car I've ever seen.  I don't remember the year (shh, don't tell Joe!), but it's a late 60's Camaro SS, and isn't it gorgeous?  The buttery yellow paint, the luscious curves, and oh! the houndstooth interior.  It oozes sexy class, and that's a hard line to walk.  Yes, please.  I'll take it.  Because wouldn't I look fantastic in this car?

A fancy pants dessert I made.  Ok, it's really not that fancy.  It was really really easy.  But it looks fancy, and that's what's important here.

And finally, a tribute to my latest obsession - shaved ice.  In my humble opinion, shaved ice is one of the life's greatest luxuries.  It makes my heart happy.  It makes me to my happy food dance.  It's so soft and light a melty and sweet.  Joe and I discovered our local shaved ice stand late in the season, so we had to get our fill in.  Is it bad when the Shaved Ice Girls recognize you and ask if you want your usual?  Sadly, all good things must come to an end, include shaved ice season.  This photo is of my last shaved ice until Memorial Day (or until someone wises up and realizes that shaved ice is ALWAYS bomb, not just in the summer).  It's my favorite flavor combo - half Honeydew and half Melonberry, which is a mix of Watermelon and Strawberry.  It was love at first bite. *Sigh*

*****

Ok, that's it.  That's all the pictures from my phone.  I'm not saying this is a full update of what's been going on in our lives, not hardly, but it's a start.  Still on the agenda to blog about: Colorado vacation, and Hello! Wedding pictures.

Well, actually . . . all the wedding pictures are on Facebook.  And let's face it, if you're reading this you probably got here from my Facebook page.  So just go look at them there, ok?  And I can stop feeling guilty for not posting them. 

I am currently working on an AWESOME wedding album on Shutterfly.com.  I don't know if I'll be able to post the finished product, but it's coming together very nicely.  And when we finally decide which of the wonderful pictures (thanks, Jessie!) to blow up and frame, I'll post those.  Deal?

Okay.  Phew.  Blog updated.  Check that off my list.  Check!

Good Times, Good Times

Joe and I have been married for one month today.

It's been the greatest month ever. Being married is awesome! What's not to love about always being with your best friend?

One of my favorite things about Joe, one of the things that drew me to him, is that he is stinkin' funny. He's always saying things that crack me up. He does it so often I can only remember the most recent few, but I can pretty much guarantee they were all silly. That's how I knew he was the perfect man for me. He's a goober.

For example, he laughs his head off every time he sees this commercial. Seriously, it kills him.

The funny Joe quote for today?

This was said while he was drinking a Diet Pepsi (leftover from our BBQ, he'd kill me if I ever actually bought it).

"This is terrible! It's like Pepsi's retarded cousin peed in it!"

Since I'm a goober too, it cracked me up.

Finally, just because I like you, here's a sneak peek at our wedding pics! My amazing friend Jessie Alexis Evans took them, and she sent me a few for display at our open house in Colorado.

I Heart Crate and Barrel

While we were on our honeymoon in Bellevue, I discovered my new love.

Not my husband. Crate & Barrel.

I love my husband. A lot. But have you ever been inside a Crate & Barrel? It's like paradise.

Here's the cute stuff we bought:

This shower curtain looks super cute with our "No Skinny Dipping" sign.

Cute, cute, cute! I thought they were cute before I noticed the fruits were actually letters. Then I just had to have them. (On sale, Mom, calm down)

We'd been looking and looking for a rug the right size, color, and price. We got a killer deal on this one!

And here's the cute stuff I want:

We saw this chair, and I immediately started pining over it. It just so me. Even Joe said so. And comfy, to boot. I know it doesn't look it, but trust me. Sit in this chair and you'll never want to leave.

Um, how cute are these?


And this. This is just plain gorgeous. I know it doesn't go with the other chair, but we'll just have to get a bigger house so they can go in different rooms. Choosing one or the other would be like Sophie's Choice.

Sigh.

Dear Crate & Barrel,

I miss you. I've been thinking of you. I hope we can meet again soon.

Love,
Betsy

Honeymoon - Part Un

In case you were wondering . . .

a) "Un" is French for one.

b) This isn't a two part post, it's going to be a two part honeymoon.

So now that we've got that out of the way, I can tell you all about our adventures in Bellevue.

For you non-Washitonions, Bellevue is basically a suburb of Seattle, although it's a pretty cute little city in it's own right. We stayed in the Courtyard Marriott there, a super nice hotel that we got a CRAZY good deal on because Joe's dad works for Marriott. It was very fancy; right in the middle of the city, five or six floors, a full menu of room service.

Sunday morning (ok, noon), we went out for brunch. We asked the girls at the front desk for a recommendation, and they suggested a little place called The Pancake Corral. It was meant to be, because look what was on the menu!

I think the best part is that it's "for the undecided," because Joe was like, "Hmmm, I'm torn between the assortment and the french toast." Irony. In then end he went with the Joe Adams because, well, he's Joe Adams, and it would have been just plain wrong not to take advantage of that.

Our meal provided an excellent opportunity for a comparison of our eating habits . . . and by habits, I mean amounts. I got the Child's Plate. Three silver dollar pancakes, a strip of bacon and an egg (which I didn't even touch). I also got a hot chocolate. See?

Joe got the Joe Adams Assortment - a big ol' potato pancake, three silver dollar buttermilk pancakes, two silver dollar buckwheat pancakes and a strawberry crepe. Oh yeah, and he also added scrambled eggs, three sausage links, orange juice AND hot chocolate. A picture for comparison:

The man is going to eat me out of house and home. Good thing he's so handsome.

My favorite part of the honeymoon was when the room service guy called me Mrs. Adams. I kept right on talking, the screeched to a halt and said, "Did you just call me Mrs. Adams?" You should have seen the look on his face! It very clearly said, "Oh crap, I just stepped in it." His mouth said something like, "I, uh, yeah . . . I'm . . . aren't you . . ." I called back to Joe, "Honey! He just called me Mrs. Adams!" Then I looked back at the guy, saw the "I'm gonna get fired" look on his face, and took pity on him and explained that we'd just gotten married and he was the first person to call me that. I'm not sure I've ever seen someone look so relieved.

It was a great mini-honeymoon, although it was far too short. I'm so excited for our Colorado trip in July. Coming back to work was a hard pill to swallow, but this made it a little easier.

Check me out. I'm Mrs. Adams! Wild.

Wedding Fun!

Well, the long awaited day has come and gone. Hooray! We are officially Mr. and Mrs. Adams! Sort of. I guess it depends on your definition of "official." Oh, we're officially, legally married and all that. It's the name change thing - what a pain! Anyway, that's a different story.

It was a crazy few days leading up to the wedding, but we had a great time seeing our friends and family. Most of them arrived Thursday, so we all had dinner at Olive Garden that night. Here's the text conversation I had with Kim (Joe's sister, remember?):

KG: We still going at 6:30 or 7?
BA(!!): Looks like 7:30. The verdict was to wait for J since he is the groom and all. Meet us there?
KG: Sounds good
BA: Fair warning, my family is kind crazy
KG: Lol, have you met mine? ;)
BA: Yes, but mine is MUCH bigger. And only half is here.

It turned out that we had 16 people (plus a toddler). 5 of them belonged to (or were) Joe. Do the math - that leaves 11 Browns. Plus a Brown toddler. Yeah, I hope we tipped them well.

Friday was filled with mani-pedis, packing, moving, a bar-be-que and bachelor/bachelorrette parties. It was a fun-filled but thoroughly exhausting day.


Sisters are the best.

Pretty post-pedi feet!

Me and Felicia - we may have a sugar addiction.

Me and my niece, Katie. Check her out, all sassy in her hat.

Me and Cara, aka Care Bear, aka CB. We've been friends since we were 3. So glad she could come!

Um, is my Mommy adorable or what?

And then . . . SATURDAY! The Big Day. It was wonderful, beautiful, amazing and perfect. I almost cried three times on the way to the temple. I was pretty sure I was about to stroke out any second. Then we got there, I saw Joe, all handsome in his suit, and we went into the temple. After that, it was just peace and contentment. The sealing was beautiful, although I don't really remember what was said - I just remember looking into Joe's eyes as we both struggled not to cry. And just like that, we were married!

Before

After! Mr. & Mrs. Adams!

More pictures to come, as soon as I get them from my rocking photographer, Jessie Alexis. By the way, she totally saved me. And she's awesome.

Reason #389 Why I Love Working at Tree Top

The people.

The people here are awesome. And they love me. I know, because they threw me a fantastic bridal shower yesterday. It was hosted by these two lovely ladies.

The one on the left is Brenda. She's just a plain nice person. She was also one of the few people who knew about the engagement before it was official. The one on the right is Jackie. She's my supervisor, but pretty much the coolest one I've ever had. She likes to hear my silly wedding stories, and she bought me a pen shaped like a microphone for Christmas. I'm the one wearing the tiara, obviously.

It was a potluck lunch thing, so there was tons of yummy food there, including these sweet cupcakes made by Pam (who runs the Outlet Store). See how they mimic my invitations? Aren't they adorable? Yummy too.

*Just tilt your head a little. Blogger keeps auto rotating this one.

I was amazed at how many people came. One of the great things about my job is that I get to meet and become friends with people from all departments, so there were lots of different people there. They brought flowers, there were balloons, they made me a ribbon bouquet. It was just plain fun, and it made me feel so loved and appreciated. See all this stuff?

They were generous too. I made out like a bandit! It took three trips to get it all to the car. Check out my loot.

You can't tell from the picture, but I got no less than 5 oven mitts. Full fledged mitts - I'm not even counting potholders. I'm never going to burn myself again!

Joe and I may have had a little puppet show/war with them. Maybe, but I couldn't say for sure.

Sigh. I love that man.

Good Days

On Saturday, Joe went through the temple for the first time. He went to the Columbia River Temple, where we will be married next weekend (squee!).

Isn't he handsome?

His parents were able to go with him.

And me too, of course. Like I'd miss that.

We were also joined by Joe's aunt and uncle, Craig and Marie Westbrook. My aunt and uncle were there as well, but they didn't take any pictures with us because they were working in the temple.

All in all, it was a pretty fantastic day.

*If you aren't a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or "Mormon"), and you want to know more about temples, click here.