Are you ready for this?

I can't imagine having any more news than I do right now.  November has been quite a month!

On the 18th it was Aaron and I's one year anniversary!  He sent me a beautiful carribbean bouquet, and we both ordered chinese food for the other and ate it together on Skype.  I think we talked for six hours that night.  Probably our last real celebration of the 18th ♥.

I also had a surprise bridal shower thrown by my maid of honor, Christina!  My sister Jessica tricked me into going shoppipng with her so they could get everything set up, and I came home to a bunch of my friends and a very purple apartment!  We played games, ate great food, and had a lot of fun.  It was a day that I've been looking forward to for a long time.

Then, of course, Thanksgiving break!  I was only home for six days so we packed them full of family, wedding planning, and love.  I flew into Chicago on Monday night and drove home with one of my best friends, Alyssa, who was on the same flight as me!  Aaron was waiting at my house with my parents so I had quite a reception.  It was definitely worth the wait.

On Tuesday I got my hair dyed for the wedding and went decoration shopping with my mom.  The best part of Tuesday was getting a big surprise from my sister Jessica; SHE'S PREGNANT!!  I really wanted her to be pregnant at my wedding to continue the family tradition of a marriage and a pregnancy coinciding.

Aaron and I ended the night seeing New Moon together.  Words cannot describe it.  I saw it the weekend it came out with my roommate Beth, but it was hard to wait three days to see it again!  Aaron doesn't quite understand my infatuation, but he is a good sport about it.  He does refuse to own the Twilight board game, however, which is a crying shame.

Aaron only had to work a half-day on Wednesday, so we went to a matinee with my dad to see "The Blind Side."  Words cannot describe my dad's feelings about this story.  He read the book it is based on three times, saw the movie opening night, and wanted to take us to see it the next week.  He uses this story in his high council talks, at every family dinner, and probably dreams about it.  If you don't know about Michael Oher, then you don't know Gary Bucey.  It was fun to see it with him and he bought lots of popcorn!

My niece Alyssa slept over on Wednesday night and begged me to share a bed with her, so my Thursday morning started very early.  At 5:30am she said "Amy!  I'm really excited to eat the turkey cookies I made yesterday!"  She went with me to pick up Aaron and didn't want to go back home because Aaron's apartment was so fun.  She's excited for us to babysit her there once we're married.  When we got back we watched the parade, snacked, and worked on a 1,000 piece puzzle of Cinderella.  Alyssa was driving Aaron crazy messing up the pieces so we got out a little 100 piece puzzle of David & Goliath for her to do, but it ended up entertaining my dad for the rest of the day instead. 

We had dinner with Aaron's friend from work, the sister missionaries, and my brother-in-law Bobby and two of his daughters, since my sister Holly and their daughter Reese were sick with the flu at home.  It was quite the feast!  The rest of the day was football watching and Black Friday shopping planning, even though we didn't end up going.

On Friday my bridesmaid and best friend Michelle threw me another bridal shower!  It was really nice to have Holly and my mom there with me.  We had a chocolate fountain which is my favorite!  Aaron came for the last 15 minutes and we played a newlywed game and failed miserably!  How was I supposed to know that if he was a super hero and could choose any power he would choose to have unlimited brain power!?

Saturday was our day in Chicago.  Aaron, my parents and I drove up early and were at the temple by 11:00am. We had an appointment for the 1:00pm endowment session but there was a lot to do before then!  I got to wear the dress I am going to be married in, and it was just really special for us all to be there together.  it was a really wonderful experience.

Afterwards we went to Steak 'N Shake for dinner, then they dropped me off at the Chicago airport to come home.  It went by so fast that it was really hard to leave, but it was very comforting to know that I would be coming back in only 16 days, and this time for good!  Now I'm down to 15 days until I'm back in Illinois, and 30 days until the wedding!  Life really is happening.

Little fact :)

I realized late Sunday night that November 1st sounded important.  I started thinking back to where I was last year at this time, and the funniest thing came to mind.  November 1st was the day that I publically admitted to liking Aaron :).

I know that sounds pretty silly, but it was a long road to get there.  I was sure I would never see him other than Christmas break so when I went back to school I had no thoughts of us even being good friends.  Aaron and I ended up texting all of the time, and every last one of my friends told me that I was secretly in love with him!  I denied it every single day.

On the night of November 1st last year I opened my bedroom door where my roommate Christina was studying on her bed, and I said "I like Aaron" and then I closed the door and waited in our study for her to come running out after me to question me about it.  Nothing happened.  I thought that maybe she hadn't heard me, so I opened the door again and she was still sitting on her bed studying.  I asked her, "Did you hear me!?" and she looked up at me confused and said, "Oh I'm sorry- was that supposed to be news?"

That was a good day.  I like where we are much better this year, though ♥.

Christina ♥

Yesterday was my best friend Christina's 21st birthday!  We had been planning on going to the haunted forest, but with the weather forcast we decided to go to a movie instead.  Christy got lots of flowers, helium balloons, a HUGE monkey, a brownie cake, peeps, a CD, and more from friends and family (can you tell she is loved?) so our apartment looked great!  Beth & I decorated the apartment with streamers and balloons, and we got her a dress from Down East with a matching cami and earrings.  Lots of friends were there to sing happy birthday.

When Beth and I were writing her card we started thinking about time in lots of ways.  I have been there for Christy's birthday as her roommate since her 18th birthday, and this is the last!  Eighteen seems so long ago, and we were so different back then.  Almost crazier to think about is where we will all be next year.  Beth will be about to graduate, I will be married doing who knows what as a job, and Christina has every option in the world!  That's a little scary, but mostly exciting.  I'm really excited about what is coming in our lives in the next year.  It's going to be a big one.

Happy birthday Christy!

Mid-Semester Vacation

Mmm- life is sweet.  On Tuesday night I arrived back in Utah after a five day visit home in Illinois with Aaron and my family.  My life minus school plus Aaron?  It really can't get much better than that.

I had these travel plans since the beginning of September and had been planning on surprising Aaron.  A week and a few days before I was to fly home, it just started getting really hard and we both knew that we just needed to see each other, so Aaron started taking matters into his own hands and wanted to book a flight for me the weekend before I was already coming home!  The surprise was ruined in order to stop him, but I think it was for the best, because then he had something to look forward to as I was looking forward to it.


Aaron and I went hiking on a perfect fall day at Starved Rock, went bowling, played $5.00 worth of DDR at the bowling alley, went to the movies, went to the library, played games, spent time with my family, went to church, went out to eat, went shopping, and just had a blast.  It's so wonderful having my best friend who I can always count on and get to do everything with.  He even showed me his fossils and sent one home with me for my roommate Christina :).

I thought being back at school would be extra hard, but I feel wonderful.  I got just the boost I needed, and now we're only 30 days from Thanksgiving break!  In the four days since I've been home, I feel like I have done everything within my control for the wedding.  I have more appointments set than the president, I swear!  Today I bought a dress to wear to the rehearsal dinner and that was just the icing on the cake.  I can't wait to be a bride.

We are so thankful to our angels who have made this possible.

My New Umbrella

Last month I told Aaron that when we get married I want to get a very fancy, stylish umbrella.  I've always wanted one, but being at college and moving around and coming home so often just makes it impractical, but when we're married I'll finally be staying put!  He started sending me websites that sell fashion umbrellas and asking me what my favorites were.  I couldn't believe that he paid so much attention to my little passing comment.  I told him a pretty blue and white one was my favorite, and he said maybe I would get it for Christmas if I was very good.

Yesterday I came home to a very odd shaped package with my name on it!  My umbrella!  What a surprise.  I absolutely love it and there was a 50% chance of rain today so I took it to campus with me.  I am just hoping for a good rain now :).

Thank you Aaron!

The Wedding Post

My sister Jessica flew to Illinois this week and let me have her car while she was gone.  I came to find that a bride-to-be with a car is like wedding planning on steroids!  I am really excited about everything that has been finished and planned, so I just wanted to share my news!  Granted not all of these things have been finished in the past week, but here is an all-inclusive update for anyone willing to suffer through it :).

First of all, I got my wedding invitation in the mail yesterday!  I had seen an electronic version but never the real thing.  I really like how they turned out, and have been so happy to hear from many friends already that they have received it in the mail!  Having an actual invitation just makes it seem so much more official.  People are being invited to the biggest party of my life!

The next biggest news is that I found Bridesmaid dresses!  The plan was that my mom was going to make them, but my sister Jessica and I spotted these dresses on clearance in a little shop in Spanish Fork and we just couldn't resist them!  This is Christy (the Maid of Honor) modeling it for us, and then a picture of me showing off the neck line (which was our favorite part).  We're going to take a few steps to "formalize" it, like getting a thicker, longer, facier ribbon to tie around the waist, and making a tulle skirt underneath the dress to poof it out, and add some texture along the bottom.  We bought earrings to match, too!

While on the topic of dresses, this afternoon I went to the mall and bought the dresses for our five sweet little nieces.  The dresses are so darling, I just can't wait to see the little girls in them!  It was fun because Annie and Alyssa are the same size, and so are Reese and Rachel, so we are name and size coordinated!  I hope they are all little friends.  Here is a picture of all of the dresses and then one of the back.  The flash made the dresses look a lighter color than they are, so don't worry, they'll match alright!

 

The last dress I bought this week was my dress for the temple.  I got to go with my sister Jessica to buy it and it was a really sweet sister experience for us.  The Distribution Center gives half-off for first time owners, so I got a great deal on a very sweet dress.  It's nice to know that I finally have the dress I will actually be getting married in.

Another things off the list are my wedding shoes.  I got these white heels at the mall, and I just love the gold on the inside.  I think they look very classy!

I received my long white gloves in the mail this week as well, that I mentioned in a previous post.  So, the gloves I actually got don't look a thing like the picture, but I luckily like them much better!  They are fingerless long white gloves with lace and pearls at the top, which should match my dress very well.  I am definitely bringing everything home with me on Thursday so I can try the whole ensemble on together!

I have been thinking a lot about how I want my hair to be done fo the wedding, and I think that I have decided on this for the FRONT:

and this for the BACK:

I want to get little pearls for the back so it looks like the buttons that go up the back of my dress.  Exciting!

When I go home next week I am going to let Aaron try on his ring before I get it engraved to make sure it fits and it is what he wants.  I can't wait until he can have his ring just to wear every day like I get to have mine.

We also picked the first dance songs, after much deliberating.  My dad and I are going to be dancing to "I Loved Her First" by Heartland, and Aaron and I are going to be dancing to "That's All" sung by Michael Buble.  I can't wait to dance at my wedding in my big dress and my fancy gloves and my beautiful hair and my handsome husband.  Clark is going to be singing at the wedding, but we haven't picked a song yet!  We have it narrowed down to a few really good ones though, so I am excited to hear what he chooses.  That will be a very special moment.

Aaron and I have a wedding website-

 mywedding.com/aaronandamyknowlton

which isn't updated as much as this blog, but it has fun things like a photo album, wedding details, and where we are registered.  We are so going to get married ♥.

Taking it to the next level

When I was growing up, my sister Melanie always had to one up us. For example, when I was really satisfied to have a nice warm mug of hot chocolate, Melanie would go to the cupboard and get marshmallows to make it even better. Or when I was happy with my quesidilla, Melanie would add sour cream. This is why Melanie is so smart and leads an enjoyable life, she recognizes simple ways to significantly improve quality of living.

Amy is very similar, she is always trying to get to the next best thing. There is a clear hierarchy in the values of different forms of communication. It goes something like this

Talking in Person > Video Chat on Skype > Talking on the Phone during the day > Talking on the phone when I am tired > Skype Chatting > Facebook Chatting > Texting >>>>> Not talking at all

As we talk, she always tries to convince me to upgrade our communication. When we are texting, she begs that we Skype chat. When we Skype chat she wants me to call or to use the webcam and when we use the webcam all we can do is talk about how much we miss each other and would rather be together in person.

I am lucky to have a girl that wants as much of me as possible. It makes me feel super appreciated. I feel like giving her those upgrades is like the marshmallows on the hot chocolate or the sour cream on quesidillas.

The Bumpbrella

Aaron's newest desire. If only we could register for one! Haha.  I don't think it's actually on sale yet, but once they are, no more pokey metal wires will be walking our streets on rainy days!

Aaron's Dream World

When Aaron and I are talking on the phone and it's getting late, I can always tell when Aaron is going to say goodbye because he hits this wall of incoherence. Usually we hang up the phone just after that, but a few days ago Aaron went from tired to basically sleep talking within a minute.  He wanted me to record this conversation for him, so I thought the blog would be a fun place.

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"The evolutionary animals!"
"Evolutionary animals??"
"Wait... what was the question?"
"What were you thinking about them?"
"Well, I was just thinking about prehistoric evolution and how fish become birds and birds become cats and cats become monkeys and monkeys become fish and monkeys become cows."
"Monkeys become both fish and cows?"
"Well it depends which species of monkey!"
"What do chimpanzees become?"
"Chimpanzees are Toys R Us kids- they never grow up, so they never become anything.  And they don't mate because they're too fast."
"Ohh... and what about apes?"
"I don't think I really know."
"What about Rhesus monkeys?"
"Rhesus monkeys don't become anything because they all get AIDS and die."
"Why do they get AIDS!?"
"Because the researchers all give it to them."
"What about gorillas?"
"Oooh gorillas!"
"Do you like gorillas Aaron?"
"Yes and no."
"What don't you like about them?"
"Yes, because of their huge houses in India!"
"What don't you like about them?"
"I don't like gorillas.  Wait... what was the question?"
"You don't like gorillas even though they have those huge houses in the middle east?"
"Amy- India is in Asia."
"Oh, sorry."
"But horses are such wimps.  Everyone thinks they are so cool and wants them but cows are so much tougher."
"Oh yeah?  Why are cows tougher?"
"Because when cows get sick you can just stick medicine in their butts and they get better.  If you give that medicine to horses the same way their butts will bleed and they will die."
"Aaron!  That's gross!"
"Cows are so cool."
"Do you want to go to sleep?"
"MmmHmmm..."

I told him this a few days later and he didn't remember any of it.  His favorite part was that no matter how incoherent he was, he could still teach me things about geography.

Thank You Kathy!

We love the new look <3