The perfect wedding

Wow, it certainly has been a long time since I've updated everyone on my life.  In my defense, life has been pretty crazy, what with learning how to be engaged (believe me, it takes a little work), planning a wedding (which takes even more work), packing and moving to a new home, and finally the wonderful nuptial event itself. It was a wonderful, busy, fast, crazy, lovely two months.  Things have slowly started to settle down, but just barely.  Now I'm learning how to be married.  :)

But before I get started on all of the fun things that have been happening, I want to give a shout out to my wonderful mother who basically planned my wedding for me.  It was beautiful!!  Absolutely perfect, and it was all because of her patience, planning, and persistence.  She is AMAZING!


I also need to thank my dad, who not only put together a fun slide show for our wedding (including, to my horror, some of the most grotesque pictures of me you'll ever see!) but also for financially giving me this ten cow wedding.  Click here to see just how I feel about my dad.


My sister, Kathleen, also worked hard at the last minute to make us this beautiful guest sign in book.  It preserves not only pictures of our engagement, but the memories of all those who supported us at our wedding.  We are so grateful to all who came, and especially to you Kathleen for preserving these memories for us in such a beautiful way!


Kristine also helped out a ton at the wedding by preparing and helping serve all of the fruits and vegetables served at our buffet.  She really is a pastry chef and should be preparing something much more exquisite than vegetables, but that's what we wanted and she was nice enough to help us out.  She has many, many talents and also made us a beautiful wedding journal where we could record our first thoughts as a married couple.  It means so much to us. THANK YOU!


My brothers Daniel and Darren kept me stocked with food and drink while we were greeting all of our guests in the line.  This was seriously a life saver as the line wound through the house and outside.  I even managed to eat some gelato at my wedding, which was a serious goal for me. I wasn't leaving without any.  It was amazing!  (If anyone wants to try this great stuff, check out Patrizio Senturro at Salt Lake's Farmers Market.)


And Daniel and Tara catered to everyone else as well.  Somehow they got dragged into pouring the Italian sodas for our guests as well as suggesting the best flavors.  Thanks for being able to see a need and being willing to fill it!


My sister Kathleen and her husband Adam sang our wedding song - "Lucky" by Jason Mraz.  Jason, my brother-in-law, accompanied them on the guitar.  It was so fun to have my family sing our "first dance."  They did a great job and it made the moment extra special!


A little bit behind the scenes, Larynn and Darren made us an awesome honeymoon package filled with everything we would ever need and hilarious notes making sure we knew exactly how to use each item.  ;)  


My family helped create so many special moments for the wedding and I am so grateful for every one of them!

                      .....more about wedding and honeymoon to oregon in 
                                  the next post.            
                                   love ya!

HIJACKED!!!

Welcome to the married life!
Since the wedding, I have heard people are awaiting some kind of response, some update from the new and exciting life behind the newlyweds; like we are going to unveil something new or exciting that is unexpected. Of course I usually hear about this at night when I get home from work and we are talking about all the things we still need to get done.
So, since Kara stays so busy at work, and since we haven't had internet in our house for the last week and half and I am at school, and because Kara's laptop remembers her password to log onto her blog, I am going to be the one that makes the first update. Yes, it is me, the devilishly good looking, if not abnormally tall, husband Chris!
For all those worried about he future of the blog, Do Not Fret! I will, usually, leave this to Kara, because she has a much better way with words, and because let's me honest it is her blog. I know that she wanted to add some pictures of Oregon for everyone, which was absolutely beautiful. I would recommend a trip to the north-western coast to anyone and everyone. We saw so many fun things up there, but I will leave you wrapped in anticipation until Kara can get the pictures up. Think of it as this, a promise of a great blog post to come!
Married life is fantastic, we are totally loving it. It was so funny to come home from the honeymoon and realize why they call it real life. Because it is definitely not the fun loving, free life we lived for that week. Our first week back we took Monday and unpacked the house, and both of us went back to work on Tuesday. Kara from 8-5 and me from 2-10. So we went from seeing eachother every second of every day, to waking up to her leaving, and coming home and crawling into bed with eachother. And now that school has started that schedule is about the same except that now she wakes up at 5 with me (that is when I catch the bus).
We are so excited to be starting this new chapter with eachother, because we are in love. Madly deeply in love, for eternity!

C.S. Hill (the tall one)
To Eternity and BEYOND!

Unanimous

Thanks everyone!  It appears that the vote has been unanimous.  

It is a love song!!  

That's basically all that we needed to know.  It is about traveling to fun, new destinations, but the underlying tone is being with the one you love.  Live is a journey that is made ever more sweet when you travel with your sweetheart by your side.

POLL

Okay everyone, I need your help with something.  Please listen to the song below and tell me what you think about when you  hear it.  What is this song really about?

Thanks!

P.S. This is really, really, really important!!!

"THE" LOVENOTE!! My Side of the Story...

HAPPY DAY!!

Okay, I'm sure you have all heard the wonderful news - Chris and I are officially engaged!!!!  I'm sorry to any of you that I may have awakened in the wee hours of the morning to whisper my tale to.  Thanks for listening.  For everyone else, here are all of the delightful details of that beautiful night.


Unfortunately, Christopher made it to his blog a little quicker that I did and has already written his side of the story.  Feel free to read his version.  However, I would like to recount for you the true tale of our elated engagement.  (You should probably read his first so that I can correct all of the misperceptions.)


Christopher and I had known that we were going to get married on May 22nd.  We went ring shopping on the 24th and I told my parents on the 25th.  Once we decided to get married, things started happening pretty quickly as plans were already starting to be made.  It was a little overwhelming for me.  However, things slowed down alright.  Chris had known that he needed to have "the talk" with my father before he could officially ask me anything.  He kept me waiting for two weeks! He cleverly kept taking me ring shopping, even though we had found "the ring" the first day we went shopping.  In an effort not to lie to me he simply kept telling me that he was nervous to talk to my dad and he wanted to find the right time.  I think I even told him to "buck up and be a man" because I was starting to get impatient. :)   


Finally the day came, but I didn't really have a clue.  I had a hope, but he kind of did a good job of crushing that....


Chris is a caterer at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  Last week they had the 100 Years Celebration and Chris had to work almost every night.  It was going to be a crazy week.  Chris told me that they had given him a gift certificate to The Roof Restaurant but it was only good through a certain date and we needed to use it by Monday (June 6th).   This is where my hope began.  "Hmmm, dinner at The Roof," I thought to myself. "Could it be?"  So I dressed up nice and he picked me up at my house.  


Dinner was beautiful with a terrific view of the temple and fabulous food.  However, Christopher didn't seem nervous or overly anxious at all.  I checked for a ring box or something bulky in his pocket but I didn't see anything.  Chris was also very low on the compliment meter.  I think in an effort to throw me off, he steered clear of almost anything mushy.  So my hopes began to diminish.  


After dinner he simply started to walk to his car.  We usually walk around temple square when we do something in the area, so I asked if we were going to go for a stroll.  He casually agreed.  He was so casual about it that I didn't want to go anymore.  I asked him what he wanted to do and he said, "Whatever.  I hadn't really planned anything after this."  Seriously, he didn't have anything planned?!   Now, Chris isn't the biggest planner, so this wasn't too uncommon.  I tried to  imitate  his casual tone and suggested that we could just go back home and watch a movie or something.   He again said, "Whatever."  Geez.  :)


We got in the car and started driving.  Then he sort of gasped, as if he'd just remembered something.  "Hey, do you want to go see that garden I was telling you about," he suggested?  He had been telling me about a garden behind a church house that we could take engagement pictures in.  Well, he had wanted to show it to me and we didn't have anything else planned, so I agreed.  He had sufficiently dashed my hopes by then so I didn't really think anything of it.


He drove around for awhile "trying to find" the church.  We eventually got there and he pulled into the parking lot.  We walked around to the back of the church and I got my first glimpse of the garden.  There is a large pond with a small waterfall surrounded by brick pathways and hand crafted benches.  On this particular night, the pathways were lined with burning candles and the pond was filled with floating candles.

"Hmmm," Christopher said.  "Someone must have already been here."  Okay, now there was no doubt.  It was going to be tonight!!  Chris walked me around the pathway to a bench on the other side of the pond.  In a vase by the bench was a beautiful bouquet of orange lilies (my favorite flower).  Chris picked up the bouquet and handed it to me.  Inside I found a card that I softly read aloud.  All I kept thinking in my head was, "It's here, it's finally here."   I couldn't stop thinking that as he pulled my ring out of a calli lily and got down on one knee.  All I could wait for was, "Kara, will you marry me?"  I think I squealed a little as I leapt onto his knee and said "Yes!" about six times.   

And that's how it happened.   Anything that Christopher says beyond this is fabrication.


Okay, okay, not complete fabrication, but he did get a few of the details wrong!  Firstly, we had already finished the actual proposal before I started "dancing around."  We had walked back to the other side of the pond because I wanted to take pictures and "bask in the moment."   But yes I did have to go to the bathroom.  And yes, I had just gone to the bathroom about fifteen minutes earlier.  But when you've gotta go, you've gotta go!  I was trying my best to hold it, but to little avail.  I remember Chris saying, "You know, it's pretty  hard to bask in the moment with you prancing around me."  That's when I told him.  I've gotta go!!


After trying to convince me to go in the bushes (honestly, Chris, in the bushes on my proposal  night) he finally consented to take me to a gas station.  And I know that he is a good man and tries to obey the laws of the land, but seriously, the ox was in the mire here!  I swear he was going 25 miles per hour the whole time!  I'm going to have to drive myself to the hospital when I go into labor, cause I sure won't be waiting for that when the contractions kick in!


Luckily, once that was taken care of, we were able to go back to the gardens and comfortably bask in the moment.  Everything from here on out in Chris's story is pretty accurate.    

It was a beautiful night and sometimes I still can't believe that it's real.  I keep staring at my ring telling myself that it is real!  I am really going to marry the most amazing man that I've ever met!!  Fabulous.  

We are going to be sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on August 6th.  

Save the date!

California, here we come

"Have you been to California, seen the sights and people there?  Walked the streets of sleepy sea towns, tasted salt ocean air?" 

The weekend started off right with a Saturday morning visit to the San Diego temple.  I have always heard  good things about the San Diego temple, but seeing it is sooo much better.  The architecture looks like a modern castle with crystal white walls beautifully set against the windy grey backdrop of La Jolla.  However, the exterior is nothing compared to what lies inside those pretty walls.  It's like comparing a tree bud in the beginning of spring to the full bloom of a summer flower.  Large stained glass windows illuminated the spacious celestial room.  Spiral staircases and detailed wood work made the San Diego temple one of the most beautiful that I have ever visited.  Kara's Recommendation: all must visit one day.I have!!  I just spent Memorial day weekend in San Diego with one of my best friends, Lindsey.  It was a perfect vacaction.  I spent the long, wonderful weekend not worrying about anything in the world.  Can you imagine, three days of glorious girl time?

After the temple, Linds and I spent the afternoon eating pizza, lots of mexican food, shopping, and updating each other on the details of our lives.  We were both beat by the end of the day and crashed into our respective beds (Linds, a nice queen sized bed; me, a lovely air mattress.)  I slept like a baby.

Virgin, of course.  :)

Sunday was a wonderfully restful day.  I went to Lindsey's ward and met a few of her friends.  After church we ate leftover mexcian food (yum), gave each other pedicures, and watched the Lion King.  (Aaaaah, savenyaaa, alamiiiisimlamoooo, savenyaya.  Okay, I'll give fifty cents to anyone who can tell what I was just doing there.)   And of course, the day would not be a complete without an hour long photo shoot full of ugly pictures.  :)  

  

Monday was beach day!!!!   We started early (10:00am) and picked out a luscious spot on the beach.  For hours we simply basked in the sun reading books, taking naps and talking.  We ate at a great oceanside burger place with the best fries ever!  

 

Oh, and highlight of my day, I saw the biggest bird I've ever seen!  I didn't even know what it was.  Lindsey informed me that it was a pelican.  I didn't think they got that big, but it was amazing.  Birds are cool.  God is cool for creating cool birds.  Yeah, those are my deep thoughts on that subject.  :)  


In all seriousness, I am so grateful for good friends who know you inside out.  I am so thankful for a friendship that has lasted for more than 10 years.  It's good to know that I always have a home inside the heart of my best friends. 

Love you guys!!

P.S. I am just waiting for pictures before I can update you on all the latest happening with my bestest bestest friend, Christopher.  I'm the luckiest girl around and I can't wait to tell everyone all about it! :)

What a week...

Well, first things first.  Below you will see the sad remains of my cellular phone.  Yes, I have officially killed my phone, after a good few years of use.  

The murder weapon - the washing machine.  

And let me tell you, that washing machine does its job well!  I came home from a fun dinner with my friends Saturday night with so many things to do.  Since I work Monday through Friday and then volunteer at the temple on Saturdays, I don't have a ton of time for some of the basic things like washing my clothes, cleaning the apartment, mowing the lawn, etc.  So in my mad rush to finish my errands Saturday night I decided to throw a few things in the wash.  When I came home from my errands I was looking everywhere for my phone and I couldn't find it.  I had looked everywhere.  Then I checked my pants pockets and a sinking feeling entered my heart -- I hadn't been wearing these pants all day.  I had thrown the jeans I had been wearing into the wash.  No...I couldn't have...could I?  I rushed to the washing machine and found there buried within my clothes, my poor, water-logged cell phone.   

So I will hopefully be getting a new phone soon.  In the meantime, everyone, email me. :)

However, this week wasn't a complete failure.  I happened to find the cutest pair of high heels a month or so ago.  I contemplated buying them but as you can see, they are pink.  What would I wear them with, I thought?  I was strong and I left the store without them.  But I didn't stop thinking about them.  Oh no.  For the next month I contemplated how many outfits I could wear these lovely shoes with.  By the time the month was over, I had convinced myself.  So I marched right back to the store and bought them.  Of course, this was before I new that I would also have to buy a new phone.  So, this will probably be my last purchase for awhile.  But I do love them and I am excited to wear them soon!

Also, Chris returned from Europe!  (Man those two and a half weeks felt like a long time!)  I was so excited to see him and I got a little surprise when he came over.  He had not shaved the whole time in Europe and had grown quite a healthy beard.  I didn't know if I would like it, but I actually thought it looked really good!  Too bad that he has to shave for work.  So of course, we had to document this momentous occasion before he took the razor to his face.  (And he said I could put it on my blog, so it's all good.)  


Just for kicks, I found a pretty funny quote about beards here.  Gotta love the early Christians...


"How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!…For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest--a sign of strength and rule." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275