Sunbeams!

After our second week in our new ward the Bishop and his first councilor came over to have a meet & greet with Aaron and I.  They called me to be in serve as an Activity Days leader- a get together the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month with the 8-11 year old girls in the ward.  We get to do service activities, crafts, and work on the Faith in God award requirements.  Fun!  My partner is a great girl named Carli.  The first one is in three days!  We only have three girls in that age range in primary so I hope they all come.

A few days after that call a member of the primary presidency (who was my young woman leader all through high school, which is fun) called me and wanted to make sure that I knew I was the new Sunbeam teacher.  I was glad she called, because I didn't :).  I had my first Sunday as a Sunbeam teacher today and it was so adorable.  I have six children in my class- five boys and one girl, and all three years-old!  They are quite a diverse bunch when it comes to temperament and size, which is why it was so fun to get to know them all today.  I think my days of wearing stilettos to church are over!  I don't have a co-teacher yet so Aaron is going to help me teach my class until I get one.  He was just called as the Assistant Ward Clerk so some primary with definitely spice up his Sunday :).

Aaron is pretty sick today.  He threw up all last night and couldn't make it to church today.  Keep him in your prayers that he will be able to feel better and make it in to the lab tomorrow!

Love you all!

Honeymoon ♥

Aaron and I stayed in San Diego on the 30th and the 31st, then left for Daytona Beach, FL, early in the morning on January 1st.  Happy New Years!

The first night we got a lot of attention from the hotel, and were treated so special!  They sent us complimentary chocolates and a bubbly lemon drink (non-alcoholic, miraculously) with a little card to the bride & groom.  The concierge took special interest in us and followed us around the hotel taking pictures of us, just laughing hysterically and acting crazy the whole time!  That was a fun memory.

We went to the Knowlton home on the 31st to open presents and to say goodbye to everyone.  Clark's girlfriend Mikelle flew in that day from Washington so the excitement wasn't over at the house!  It was sad to say goodbye, not knowing when the next time we will see everyone!

It was a long day flying from San Diego to Orlando, especially with the time difference, but we were really excited to get there and to see the resort!

We had an amazing view of the beach from our room, which was great because all we wanted to do with it was look at it :).  It just so happened that our week in Daytona Beach was the coldest in 10 years, some nights reaching 30 year record lows!  Being from Illinois we could handle Florida cold, but we would have done a lot better with it if we had thought to bring jackets of any kind!  Aaron only had this hoodie, so you will see him wearing it in just about every honeymoon picture we have, unless the picture was taken inside before he put it on!

We didn't let the cold ruin our fun, it just limited our beach time.  We did go out on the beach our first full day in Daytona, and it was beautiful.  The sand is packed SO tight on this beach that we saw bikers, and there was a traffic lane to drive right on the sand!  We had to try that out, so we took a short drive of our own.

The highlight of the trip for Aaron was definitely going parasailing.  He called the place that did it one of our first days there and they said the weather was too bad and they weren't open.  Our last day there was gorgeous and sunny with almost no wind, and they reopened.  Miracle!  I was feeling very calm about the whole experience- we were supposed to go up 1,200 ft. and I felt more secure with water under me than cement.  We went out on the boat into the ocean, which was a highlight in itself.  Finally the time came, and they opened the parachute.  When they strapped us into the parachute still on the back of the boat, the panic began to set it.  We were NOT secure.  There was a strap around our waist, and that was about it.  The hooks that attached us to the parachute seemed like they could easily come undone.  The captain unhooked one of my two hooks to the parachute telling me not to touch them because of how easily he just showed me they could come off.  Then he turned and gave the signal to the driver to let us out and the boat picked up speed.  I was only half hooked in!!  I was going to die!!  I screamed hysterically for them to stop, and they all laughed at me.  What a cruel joke!

They let Aaron and I up the 1,200 ft., then to our surprise they gradually let out the rest of the 2,000 ft. rope!  We were so high!  It was really quiet and peaceful up there, just sitting with Aaron above the world.  Granted, it was much more peaceful for him because he wasn't holding on for dear life the entire time.  Coming down was one of the most fun parts, because we scooped right down above the water.  On the boat ride back we saw a lot of dolphins jumping together!  It was exhilarating all around.

Another highlight was going to Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios in Orlando!  We went on all of the big coasters (some of which almost made me cry, some of which did now), and played around in Seuss Land.  It was a really cold day so we periodically had to seek shelter inside!  We both really liked the 3D Spiderman ride which was a surprise favorite.  We were just exhausted by the time we went on all of the adult rides, and we headed back to Daytona Beach where we probably watched The Office and ate grilled cheese sandwiches :).

Our final thrill-seeking adventure was the human slingshot.  180 ft. tall structure with seats attached that throw you 300 ft. up into the air, 0-60 mph in 2 seconds.  I couldn't eat or relax all day before we did it- I was nearly shaking for at least an hour just at the thought of it.  I have no idea how Aaron convinced me that it would be a fun idea.  Luckily, it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be.  It was FUN!  There was a huge rush as we got flung to the top, then it was pretty tame bouncing after that.  I would definitely do  that again!

Other fun activities included mini golfing, eating at the "Top of Daytona" restaurant, grocery shopping and making lunches together, hot tubbing at the resort, seeing mini alligators, going to see the Ponce Inlet lighthouse, playing arcade games, listening to a time share presentation, checking out the Daytona race track, going to the movies, shopping, and lots of other fun little things.  It felt as though we had all of Daytona Beach to ourselves, because we were the only people in most restaurants and stores we went to, and were usually the only ones on the beach!  It was shocking to see all of the people when we went to Orlando :).

I just have to end by showing you our view.  It was gorgeous.  These are all taken from our room or from our balcony.  The honeymoon was wonderful, but I love being with Aaron at home in our little apartment, too.

Wedding highlights

I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't say something about the wedding!

Can that just say it all?  It was so perfect. 

The rehearsal dinner was the night before the wedding, and everyone was there at the beautiful restaurant.  The food was great, the speeches made me cry, and Aaron made a video slideshow of us.  It was fun to say goodnight for the last time as we left.

I had a sleepover with the bridesmaids and we went to bed at 11:30pm, but Aaron had a late night with Clark and Cory.  My alarm was set for 7am but I think I woke up at 4am so excited that I never actually went back to sleep.  All the girls got their hair done, then my parents and I left for the temple!

I remember exactly how Aaron looked the first time I saw him that day.  I remember thinking about the first time I ever saw him as we went into the temple together.

The sealing was wonderful and the bridal room was beautiful.  The temple was the highlight of my day.

Everything happened so quickly when we came out of the temple- pictures, hugs, and suddenly everyone was off!  I can't wait to see all of the pictures from Tony Corbell- he was amazing.

Aaron and I were so hungry after leaving the temple, that we went through the drive-through at In 'N Out.  We got some looks, because my dress took up the entire front half of the car!

Aaron and I didn't find out about the rain in Escondido and the reception being moved until about an hour and a half before, but that was great for me because there was little time to stress.  I was so happy with how everything turned out with the reception.  The music was great and there were just so many special moments.  Cutting the cake, the first dance, the toasts, just everything!  It really was everything I wanted.  The reception went really fast- I didn't have a chance to eat a thing!  I didn't get nearly enough time to say goodbye to everyone, but everything was such a rush.  I'm married!

Aaron and I are so thankful to everyone for their help with our wedding.  It is so overwhelming to think of the hours of hard work and love that so many people put into our special day.

Married. FINALLY!

Hello, world!  Aaron and I have been married for three weeks now, and I feel like I am finally starting to poke my head out again and socialize with people!  It has been a full time job setting up the apartment and getting all moved in, but one that I LOVE.  I keep asking Aaron if I can stop job-searching to be a full time wife, but he says no :(.  Lol.  I heard someone say something recently, and I think it was Mom Knowlton (how do people differentiate without sounding goofy?), about a girl who was a great girl, but when she got married she really found her niche in life and excelled.  I feel like being married is my niche.  Granted, I don't have a job or children so it's a pretty sheltered version of wifehood, but it's amazing.

I'm going to split up all of my blogging into a few posts so I can write a little when I feel so inspired :).  I'll end this one with my favorite photo of January.  This is Aaron painting Reese's nails for the wedding reception in Champaign.  She loves Uncle Aaron and kept him entertained while I was getting my hair done.

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 ♥.