One Long Weekend

So the week after I got engaged, we went to my Grandfathers funeral. They scheduled it on a Thursday. Kathryn flew in to Salt Lake and rode to Libby with Rachael and her kids. Korth, Jeremy, Matt and Nathan all had work going on, and Matt had a class on Wednesday that he couldn't miss or he would fail. So Nate picked up Matt on his way home from work, and they met up with Korth and Jeremy in Eagle Mountain, and they left about 6 pm. I got a ride from a friend to Idaho Falls around 9pm, the time that Nate and everyone got there. Then I rode with them, I kept Nate awake for the next four hours. Then Matt took a turn, and Korth finished off the last hour when Matt got too tired, but we made it to Libby around 4-5am. Then the 5 of us took a nap until 9-10am and got up and got ready for the funeral. Here are some of the pictures my sister took of the day.

 Holding me in the Relief Society Room where Grandad's Casket was before the services

 Nathan being the tall man helping carry the Casket

 During the Ceremony the wind blew a few leaves around, one landed perfectly on the casket, as if we were in a movie.

 This is the Gun and Helmet that people wore during the Korean War, which is the one my Grandad served in.

 21 Gun Salute

 Presenting of the flag. You can just see Nate holding me and resting his head on mine in the Left.

And her his Nate holding little Joseph. It's amazing! Nate rarely holds kids.

And then after the funeral there was a big luncheon. On Friday morning, Kathryn, Matt, Nate and I took off for Utah. We dropped Kathryn off at the Missoula Airport. Then finished our drive to Utah. Nate and I went to Provo to drop Matt at his house, went and switch Jeremy and Sarah's Car for our Nadia, and headed up to Bountiful to spend Conference Weekend with his Mom. I listened to the Announcement that Men can serve missions at 18, and Women can serve at 19. Nate was outside helping his mom take out a big tree. We then had to leave and go to a wedding rehearsal. That took up through the second session. Then we spent the night there again, and drove down to Eagle Mountain for the Morning and Afternoon sessions of conference. I listened to the morning, but slept through most of the afternoon. Needless to say I didn't get much out of conference that weekend. Then I meet up with my Roommate Bethany and she drove me back to Rexburg, since she was in Utah for conference. :)

This Is Real

So I went to Rexburg for my Junior Year of school. I had it in my head all summer that I needed to go off to school before I could make a decision between Nathan and Carl. Nate came to visit me the middle of September. We went on a walk around the Nature Park. I saw our shadows and just had to take a picture. As I was walking with him, there was just a feeling inside that I knew Nate was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. 

The next day (Saturday) we went to Monkey Rock to swim behind the waterfall...we never made it, 1 the water was freezing, and 2 the current was to strong to really get there. But it was really fun. Then we drove around and ended up at the Teton Dam. We cuddled in his back seat. It was quite and I looked at Nate, who was staring off toward the dam lost in thought for a long time. I finally asked what he was thinking. His response? "Will you marry me?" I was excited but still scared. I told him yes, but that I wasn't ready to make it official yet, that I wanted to tell Carl about it and all that. But we both knew then that we were going to get married.

Well, a week or so later my Grandfather was taken to the Hospital. He was the one we went to Libby for the first time around. My family just knew it was going to be time for him to pass on. It was a Friday, and my mom left Utah with one of my sisters and they drove down to see him. I was having a hard time and I called Nate. He left to come to Rexburg to be with me. I told my mom Nate was coming. She called him when my grandfather passed on, and since he was within 20 minutes of me by that time, my mom waited to call me until He was with me. He picked me up and we were on our way to his car Nadia, when my phone rang. I knew what was coming, but it was so nice to be able to cry in Nathan's arms. He's so big I get swallowed up. That night we drove out to a place in Parker that's pretty secluded and just talked, and I cried, and he held me. When it was almost curfew, he drove me back to my apartment. It was really hard to say good bye.

The next day (Sept 29th) he picked me up and we went and bought sandwich food. We went to Park Street Park and had a picnic. Before we had left my apartment that morning, I handed him an $8 walmart fake engagement ring and he put it in his pocket. So then we went to the park. We played on the merry-go-round and then set up a blanket and our food. As we were sitting there, Nathan pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him. I  said yes!

Then we made all the phone calls you make to friends and family when you get engaged. And then just spent time together being happy, even with so much going on in our lives.

The Ending of a Summer (a year late)

So before I left for school last fall, Nathan and I spent a LOT of time together. We did baptisms for the dead together a few times and the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. After one trip we saw Hunger Games was playing in the cheap theater, and since I hadn't seen it yet, we went together. It was there that I had the first stirrings of strength of being able to leave behind what I had planned (mostly Carl out on his mission) for what I was enjoying then. This feeling came from knowing who was Peeta and who was Gale in my life. But I still wasn't completely ready to let go of what I'd know for the past few years.
The weekend before I left, Nate went out with his friend Brett to pick Pine Nuts...I really missed him, and was confused why he wanted to leave me when I was going to leave myself in a few days. But I understand as well, we spent everyday together since our first date, and I could see how he and I both needed that time without each other to figure out more of our feelings. They had car trouble, but ended up making it back before I left for school, to say good bye. I'm so grateful for that chance, and I'm grateful for Nate's patience with me.

Life Update

Alright, as Nathan and I have been married for 4 months...and my last post was 5 months ago....I guess I should use my time off to catch up a little. I'm sure I'll do a post about the wedding day, so I'll skip those details right now.
After the honey moon Nathan and I came back to Eagle Mountain to start off our lives as a married couple. Can I just say the fact that we don't have to say good night and drop me off at my house is wonderful!
He worked a swing shift for a few weeks, so when he came home we could just go to bed.
I found a part time job as a janitor at a company called Xango (my janitor company was called RBM) at Thanksgiving point. I worked from 6pm to 10 pm. Well, Nate's swing job decided since he worked so hard it made everyone else look bad and so they replaced him. He found a job at Car Quest in Saratoga Springs, and then at Cabela's unloading trucks and shelving items and what not.
Around June I decided to go back to work at McDonalds, so Nate and I both had 2 part time jobs, so we hardly saw each other, except at night and Sundays.
I was able to take my Math and Physics Praxis tests for student teaching. I took them on the computer and both temporary scores they gave me where passing, but I'm still waiting for my official scores to come in.
On August 7th, we moved to Rexburg! We found a contract starting in August so we moved so Nate could find a job before all the students moved in for the fall semester!
On the 16th he found out that he got a job! He is an iron worker again, which he loves! Right now he is working on a job in Jackson, WY that is behind and they are supposed to be done with the sight on Friday...so he was been working 12 hours a day, plus the commute. So he leaves around 5 am and gets home around 9 pm. So again we see each other at night and on Sunday. But the paycheck is going to be wonderful, he works the same hours, but now its the same company so he'll get overtime pay! Plus he makes more an hour to begin with than in Utah.
As for me I've been spending time with my sister and her 5 kids to keep from going crazy. As well as watch a ton of Netflix. I have found 2 new shows that I love! Life and The Glades....I finished Life because Nate had already seen all the episodes, but I can only watch Glades with Nate, which saves me from watching it all day long.
Another show I've loved since we started watching together in Eagle Mountain is Numb3rs. I just can't get enough of Charlie and the Physics Professor Larry. Plus all the Math and Science they use to help the FBI solve crime. I love it! (Although, Nate kinda got bored of it, so I'm not watching it as much anymore)
And that's about how our life is right now.