My Beliefs & an Update!

The last two weeks in Relief Society we have been focusing on missionary work. Yesterday during our lesson the Bishops wife (who was teaching the lesson) asked what have we done to share the gospel. Not those exact words, but close. She really got me thinking though. I would say the majority of my friends are not LDS and I have spoken to quite a few of them about what I believe and what the church believes. It is always so interesting, not only for them but for me. As I was sitting in class I kept thinking I should really do better and sharing the gospel because it really could be helpful to someone. Last night I got on Facebook and I had a friend make a comment about his opinion on legalizing gay marriage. This was posted off of an article about Google having a campaign for it and therefore was pretty much available to anyone to comment back on it. As I read all these comments I realized that I was getting really heated about it and I wanted to say something, but when it comes to gay marriage I have my opinion and my beliefs, but wouldn't be able to back it up any more then that. I also know that I wouldn't be able to take anything that was shot back at me to attack my beliefs. I continued to read just what everyone was saying and then being Mormon comes up and they of course attack that. One guy even said it was the dumbest religion second to Scientology. (I'm glad we at least beat Scientology). When I read that it actually got me really upset and I wanted to say something about it, I wanted to just prove to that guy that he had no idea what he was talking about. Which brought me back to my RS lesson. I want to be able to share my beliefs and to have an opinion but I won't ever be able to do that, at least not in the way my friend so boldly did on Facebook. I would love be able to go back and forth with someone, show them what I truly believe and be able to continue without being attacked. Instead of throwing in my opinion I just liked my friends comments and our other friends comments.
So, I figured I would make a small little opinion here on my blog where only friends and family read and not very many people read it any way so I figure I'm pretty safe. (However, if someone doesn't agree, realize I don't want to hear about it and you can stop reading.) As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. This link should sum up what I believe about the family. The Family I don't think that being gay is something you are born with. In my opinion it is a trial in life and you have the choice to take the "easy" way by going with your feelings and being gay, or you can take the harder way and choose to be with the opposite sex and have the blessing of one day getting married to the person you love. I have heard of people who felt more attracted to the same sex, but were able to get past it enough to marry someone of the opposite sex and even have a family. Now when I say "easy" way it's really not that easy. Obviously, being gay is not easy for very many people, which actually surprises me that so many people do choose to be gay, it's not always accepted by others. When I say "easy" way I mean that when you have those feelings of being attracted to the same sex it really would be easier (for some) to take the criticism so they can feel complete with someone of the same sex. I still think that it would be easier for someone to ignore those feelings, but I have never had to deal with it and don't fully know. I assume it would be difficult, but doable. Now, I believe that we all have our free agency to choose what we want to do, it's part of the plan. (The Plan of Salvation definition: Plan of Salvation ) So, with that agency we can choose to be straight or gay. Whatever the choice I, in my own opinion, accept whoever someone chooses to be. Growing up in California I have a lot of gay friends, some I didn't even know were gay until after High School. Even though they choose to be gay doesn't mean I don't like them as people, I just don't agree with their lifestyle choice for myself. However, I feel that if you choose to be gay you are choosing to not get married because I feel (as I stated before) that marriage is between a man and a woman. You went into that choice knowing that gay marriage wasn't legal and you should realize that that is how it is. Now something that kind of explains more of why I believe this is because if gay marriage does become legal (this was what I heard four years ago during Prop 8) then in California they weren't going to allow LDS people to get married in the temple first. They would have to have a civil marriage before they were allowed to go through the temple because our church doesn't allow same-sex marriage. I just didn't think that was right. I just don't like that my religion was going to be put out because of our beliefs. If gay people want equal rights I think that we shouldn't have to give up our right to get married in a temple. This is where I had my issues with gay marriage along with just my initial belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
Now, I am sure this was all scattered and if people were to actually read this I'm betting they could pick it apart. I also know that I am sure I could write more and perfect this better, but I don't really want to take any more time to do so. (Mainly because I don't really see many people reading it ;) ) I just wanted to put out there what I believe and I guess to make myself feel better about sharing what I believe and what the LDS church believes. If for some reason someone reads this and doesn't agree with what I believe, as I said before I don't like to be attacked and I don't have much else to say or much to back it up then I already said. I take my opinion mostly from what my church believes and just my own beliefs in general. So, I'd rather not have any comments :)

Now as to just a regular update!
This summer has been a lot of fun so far. Landen and I have been enjoying our time together before he starts back up in school. Just last week Landen hit a raccoon in our Taurus and the damage was $2300 so since we bought the care for $1000 we decided to just buy a cheap car to get us another year or so before we need to get a car loan. (We also want to get my student loans paid off before we take on a new loan) I'm currently looking for a new job that will be able to help with bills and savings! (Pray that I get the job I am currently waiting to hear from because I really don't want to work where I am now! :/) Anyway, Landen's cousin just got baptized which was great! Also our sister in law just had her third child a little girl name McKenzee!! She is just so cute and so fun to hold! :) We went to the USU fireworks on the 3rd which was a lot of fun and then on the Fourth of July we went to the Lewiston Fireworks. I love the Fourth of July! I love being part of the United States and being able to celebrate our freedom and the men and women who risk their lives in order for all of us to have that freedom. My birthday is coming up which I am excited for and Bear Lake with the Kidd's!!! I think that's about it for now. I know we've done some stuff, but I am hoping to give a better update later and add pictures. :)

The Next Chapter

I graduated!!! Yep, that's right! I have officially graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a Bachelors degree in Psychology with a minor in Child Development and I was able to graduate with a cumulative GPA of a 3.5! :) I don't have the pictures from graduation... so here's a cute one of me and my favorite husband...Landen! ;) Once I get more pictures I will most likely post them on Facebook and maybe on here!

We moved!!! So, right after my graduation ceremony we moved to Logan, Utah! Our new place is at least twice as big as our last place! So great! We have a two bedroom townhouse with a living room and a family room and a ton of counter space in our kitchen!! With our new place we had some extra space we thought we should fill so we saved up some money and bought a new washer and dryer and some new couches so we could sit. Oh and we just bought our new stools yesterday so we don't have to eat on the couches anymore!

So here's our new washer, dryer, and couches!!!

Next big news! I got a job!! I am now employed as a Communication Intervener for Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind. I will be working with a child who is deaf/blind and has other medical issues as well. I will pretty much spend all of the child's school day with her and help her to communicate and get as much information in as possible! I've already had my first day and it is going to be a pretty difficult/stressful job, but I know it will all be worth it! I am also currently looking for some part time work because this summer I will only be getting about 10 hours a week. Once school starts it'll be more.

Lastly, I have read all of the hunger games books within three days... and really it was less than even 24 hours for probably all of them combined. I absolutely LOVED them! I was told that they weren't as good after the first one. Not true. First off, as an adult reading a book meant for young adults (about ages 12-18) I don't typically have high expectations for the book because it is below my reading level. However, I love reading young adult books, they are my absolute favorite and I would recommend these books to anyone and everyone! If you haven't read it or had those feelings of "the first was the best" then I just have to tell you that you must not really get the big picture of it all. The books weren't JUST about the hunger games the entire book was based off of a rebellion for freedom and without those last two books I would have been left completely hanging and wondering what was going to happen with their entire country. Here is something that Suzanne Collins actually said when asked how she created these books, "I was channel surfing between reality TV programming and actual war coverage when Katniss’s story came to me. One night I’m sitting there flipping around and on one channel there’s a group of young people competing for, I don’t know, money maybe? And on the next, there’s a group of young people fighting an actual war. And I was tired, and the lines began to blur in this very unsettling way, and I thought of this story." I guess I completely agree with her. Many people today are just like the people in the Capitol where they were watching the tributes fight to their death. I thought that these were amazing books that really meant more then what people may have actually got out of them. As for the romance aspect-- I love Peeta! He's definitely the ideal guy! ;)

The End.

Life's Lessons

Well to start... ELIZABETH KAY MATTSON IS HERE!!! :) She is SUCH a cutie... from what I can see in pictures... I can't wait to meet her!

Recently I have come across a few things.. First: I had one of my visiting teachers come over and she taught Elder Uchtdorf's talk from General Conference. She told me something she got out of it and I thought it was great! She said that Heavenly Father doesn't judge us according to how other rate us, like in school. Heavenly Father doesn't care what grades we get and how other people will rank us in life, what's important is what we do to become more like Him. It's important that we are doing things that the Lord would have us do. Something I learned from this is that the purpose of school isn't always to stress to get straight A's, but to take the time to actually try and learn something rather then cramming for an A on the test. This is hard for me cause I like getting A's, but it has stressed me out so much this semester that I've decided I really need to stop stressing over school. As long as I am trying my best in everything the Lord will be happy with who I am and what I am doing. Second: There's a book called "Man's Search For Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. This is such a great book and I had to read the second half of it, again, for my Personality class. It was great! It just reminded me that whatever we go through in life has a meaning. Whether we are suffering or things are going well they all have some kind of meaning. He also talked about how it's the way we react to situations that can determine how they turn out. If there is something wrong, then have a better attitude and realize that there is a reason for all of this and we can get through it all. Lastly: someone posted a link about if you lived in the 90's and how there are 10 things we are going to have to explain to our children. I thought it was great. So here it is:

10 Things 90s Kids Will Have To Explain To Their

Children

While most things we experienced as tots in that headiest of eras seems pretty self-explanatory (plaid was everywhere, Leonardo DiCaprio was the molten ball of light around which the solar system turned, and there was no color too bright for your sweatpants) there are some things that will be a bit harder to explain. Here, a primer for when your future children want to know what the hell you were doing with your boxy, multicolored electronics.

NOV. 23, 2011

By CHELSEA FAGAN

1. Topanga was at some point in human history considered not only a legitimate first name for a human being, but the kind of name that would inspire in malleable teenage boys a life-long infatuation. Topanga, in our day, was leading lady name-material. Topanga (pronounced Tah-payne-ga, for those who will have only ever seen in it written down) is the name of the quintessential girl-next-door who will live, along with Feeney, in our hearts forever.

2. At some point, we carried around little plastic eggs with tiny screens on them — in these screens lived our hearts, our pets, our raison d’etre, our very own Tamagotchi. We loved them, we listened to their tiny electronic screams of malnourishment, and we occasionally forgot to pick up their poop for long enough that they died a tortured, poop-filled death. They were perhaps our first foray into the life-consuming world of electronics and self-absorption, later to be fully manifested by Facebook.

3. The black Power Ranger was black and the yellow Power Ranger was Asian because…we were so completely ahead of our time and beyond the capacity to even think in terms of something as inconsequential as race that… uh… I don’t know. Casting directors were racist in the nineties.

4. Long before he was spending his days foisting his mediocre children on us, Will Smith was actually the perfect human specimen. He also undoubtedly holds some world record for saving the world the most times while simultaneously delivering flawless catchphrases and giving cool guy nods to the camera. The Men In Black rap song, at the time, was created and received by the public without the slightest trace of irony. Really. He was that good.

5. In some inevitable shift of the time-space continuum in which James Cameron continues to rob humanity of all that is good and sacred in this world, Fern Gully will be known as that movie that ripped off Avatar. It will be up to us to crusade for what is right. It is up to us to explain that Fern Gully was not only a predecessor to Avatar, but far better, in that it contained both Tim Curry as a singing pile of molasses and Robin Williams rapping about animal testing in the pharmaceutical industry. (As a side note, if you have not recently listened to the full lyrics of the “Batty Rap,” I recommend you do, as they are horrifying.)

6. A neighborhood boy who completely disregards your family and puts a ladder directly under the teenage girl’s window to climb up at his discretion is not only acceptable, it’s charming. It’s the kind of stuff that would make said family take the ladder boy under their wing and into their heart. The nineties were a simpler time, one where we didn’t have to worry about things like breaking and entering. Clarissa today would have steel bars on the inside of her window and her father would continually remind her that the next-door boy with his ladder and his touchy hands have no place in his household.

7. Though on the surface, they are the exact same thing in every conceivable way, whether you liked The Backstreet Boys or N*SYNC said more about your character than all of the terrible macaroni art you could ever make for your child psychologist. Essentially, liking *NSYNC meant you liked Justin Timberlake, as he was clearly the Seabiscuit in that race from the get-go. You even liked him with his terrible, icy-blond mini-fro. Liking the Backstreet Boys gave you a bit more of a cultured palate, as there was no clear Diana in those Supremes. Nick was kind of the wholesome, if northern-Florida-redneck safe choice (save for his humiliating younger brother, Aaron). Brian was the shy, sensitive type. AJ was the hottt, dangerous meth addict. Kevin Richardson was mute with sexy, sculpted facial hair. No one liked Howie. Choosing between the two groups was like choosing between two beloved children, but once that line was crossed–there was no going back.

8. “I wanna really really really wanna zig a zig ahh,” has a meaning, and all true nineties kids know it, but we must never share it. Like the Illuminati, it must remain between us, the keyholders. With great power comes great responsibility.

9. Lisa Frank is not the name of a woman, it is the name of a movement, a culture, a way of living. It is a theory, a concept, a belief in something greater than yourself. It is the belief that all girls are entitled to dolphins covered with rainbows, jewel-encrusted frogs, and unicorns in acid-trip colors hugging each other. It is the ideology that no notebook is complete until it literally hurts your eyes to look at from so much color saturation. It is the hope that no school supply, no matter how insignificant, will be left un-bedazzled. It is the knowledge that your eraser cap, and that of your granddaughter’s, and her granddaughter’s after her, will not be some boring little nub–it will be a diamond covered with butterflies in a rainbow of colors. It is the dream of a better tomorrow.

10. Incredibly depressing women in Indiana covered in cats and glass figurines they buy at The Hallmark Store used to troll the web 1.0 to invest thousands of dollars in tiny stuffed animals filled with plastic beans. That happened. Beanie Babies were not just significant, they were the first example most of us had of envy, greed, and wrath. If someone messed up that little heart-shaped Ty tag, so help you God, that was the end of whatever contact you had with that monster of a human being. That tag-less Beanie Baby was now trash, and you had to deal with the consequence. It was at that moment, that de-valued Beanie Baby moment, that most of us accepted the truth… we’ll never have nice things.

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/10-things-90s-kids-will-have-to-explain-to-their-children/

I'm Married!!!

Well, Landen and I are officially married!! Whoop whoop!! :) We are so excited to be starting this phase of our lives together! So the wedding day went by very smoothly. I was actually able to sleep the night before after getting my hair curled by Andrea right before I went to bed! (We had them up in curlers and a lovely shower cap over them to sleep in.) The morning of the wedding I did the parts of my make-up that I needed to do and headed over to Andrea and Sean's hotel room where Andrea did my hair :) She did such a great job and I absolutely loved it!! There was one point where she burnt my ear and I started to cry, I felt so bad because it wasn't just the burn it was the whole stress of the wedding and the fact that in just a little over an hour I was going to be getting married! (Andrea- It really wasn't your fault!! haha)

I had to be at the temple at 8:15 so I was rushing to get out and not be late. Thankfully, I made it in time... Landen can not say the same. I don't remember who asked me, it very well could have been Landen, but someone asked if I was nervous that he wasn't going to show up... I wasn't scared, I knew he was going to be late because he said he was going to leave early... When does he ever leave early? Haha. Landen being late was expected so I was completely content. The sealing was so great, even though Landen stepped on my dress at least 2 times coming in. Once the sealing was over we (Andrea and I) went and made some adjustments to my hair and made sure I was completely ready to come out of the temple! After we did that Andrea left and I just got ready to go find Landen. Coming out of the temple was great! There were so many people that came to share the day with us and we loved it! We took pictures for some time and it was SUPER hot outside! Thank goodness for Landen's cousin! His Aunt and cousin stuck behind to take a video of us- which looks great! So, his Uncle brought them drinks and Nicole got Powerade! I got a nice big sip of that and felt so much better! Just so everyone knows- if you plan to get married in the summer be sure to have a drink while taking pictures! :) After we took pictures we had about 30 mins or so before we had to head over to the luncheon so Landen and I went and got slurpees!! :) They tasted SO SO good!

We arrived at the luncheon and got ready for the ring ceremony. We didn't know where my parents were though because my grandma was in the hospital and we couldn't get a hold of anyone. Right before we were going to start my parents showed up and we got ready for the ceremony. It was really nice. Curt (Landen's Dad) led it and my Dad was able to talk and give us advice too. I thought it went really well and we enjoyed it. Once I got changed we went back for the luncheon, which was delicious!! We had chicken cordon bleu, rolls, and a baked potato. So good!! ...and for dessert? Cheesecake!! Mmmmm!!!!! While we ate dessert we watched the picture video that Angie (Landen's Aunt) put together for us. It was so fun to watch!!

After the luncheon, Landen and I stopped at Wal-Mart and then went over to our hotel to check in. We stayed at the Anniversary Inn in Logan. We stayed in two different rooms the Rain forest room and the Drive-In. After that we went over to the church took more pictures and had the reception. It was so pretty and a lot of fun. The only thing I would change about it is dancing. I wanted dancing, but because we were in Utah standing in a line the entire time is expected... :( So, music was a no go. BUT for record, Landen and I do have a song- "At the Beginning" from Anastasia.

After the reception we cleaned off the car :) and headed back to Logan for the hotel. Anniversary Inn is so wonderful!! I LOVE their breakfast!! We got to pick what we wanted in the morning and it was the best!! Once I download pictures I'll attempt to post them. We stayed there two nights and then went on to Jackson Wyoming for two more nights. Tuesday night we went to the Bar-J Wranglers. SUCH a great show!! These guys are hilarious! Their food is good too!! We got to talk to some people around us and they were really cool. There was one couple who just got back from their mission in Upstate New York, another family across from us that come at least once a month while the show is going, and then another couple from the East that asked if we were newlyweds because they said they acted the same way on their honeymoon when the guy asked if anyone was on their honeymoon. They were all really sweet people and had a lot of interesting stuff to talk about! The day we left we were going to go do some stuff but there was a fire somewhere so we decided not to go up on the mountain and breathe all the smoke in. :)

That's pretty much all the fun stuff... Since we have been married we've gone to Logan to take family pictures with the Kidd's and we went to a Blink -182- concert in Salt Lake!! :) We also just went to the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot! It was Landen's first time! :D We got the wrist bands so we could ride all the rides and Landen had his first Tiger ear! It was such a fun day and it's a lot more fun to always have someone to go on rides with you and to always be with you having fun!

NEWS----- So, Landen started his job Wednesday!!! He is working for a landscaping company. The plus of this is 1) he has a job 2) it pays well (Especially for Idaho) 3) it's full time 4) it's only Monday through Friday. However, there are downfalls 1) it's extremely tiring and Landen enjoys sleep- which he isn't getting much of 2) We don't get to see each other as much... Landen leaves for work around 7:15 am and comes back home between 6 and 7 pm. This won't be as big of a problem when I'm in school (starting Monday) because MWF I will be on campus from 9-5:30ish... Tuesday and Thursday will suck though because I'll be done by 11:45... BUT I plan to use that time to clean, do homework, go grocery shopping, and just get things done that need to be done! I think once school gets going a lot that those days will be filled with stuff to do.

Well, I think that is it! Landen and I are having a great time being married! We absolutely love it!! We can't wait for what's next... (Except usually what's next is a baby--so that can wait ;) )

This was long, but I hope you enjoy! Maybe one day I will add pictures so it's more exciting to read! :)

OHHHHH--- and this is my 2nd to LAST semester at BYU-I come April I will be a college graduate with a bachelor's in Psychology-- and I have NO idea what I'm doing with it ;)

Bear Lake!!! and... 15 DAYS!!!

I'm getting married in 15 days!!! WHAT?!?!?! Hey oh!!! I can't wait!

I just spent a week at Bear Lake with Landen and his family. This includes his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and his cousins which is about a total of 30 I believe. It started off kind of rough, but as we went on throughout the week I ignored the annoying things and just had fun. The first day each family chips in to pay for renting a boat. We took the Tsunami's out to drag behind the boat. (It's like a tube without the middle and you have like 8 handle bars you hand on to, it is extremely intense and tons of fun!) Anyway, I definitely gained a lot of muscle from that and the first day the only time I would fall off was when the boat stopped and I forgot to sit back on it so the water wouldn't get on top and start to sink it... It was a lot of fun!! Then Landen's family loves to jet ski. So, they rent a jet ski everyday for the family to use. It was my first time on a jet ski and I was a little nervous at first. Landen is a crazy driver!! I'm pretty sure at one point I got whiplash. I was freaking out a bit so I ended up driving it. OH MY GOSH it is SOOOO fun!! I now understand why he drove the way he did!! SO GREAT!! I loved it! Once I figured it all out I was ok with everything! The next day each family got a jet ski and so we all got to ride again and we had a ton of fun. We fell off it once and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, however, I now have a huge bruise on my leg and I have no idea what I hit when we were falling. I do know that it was during that fall though because before I fell off my leg was fine as soon as I was swimming to get back on I was... not so fine. haha. (Oh by the way... I got a sunburn on the first day... I even had sunscreen on... So from then on I wore a baseball hat, sunglasses, and put sunscreen on AT LEAST twice a day- I am not going to be peeling at the wedding!!) Anyway, the third and last day we rode the boat again and this time it was bit more intense then the first time! Our driver (Landen's uncle, Brad) decided that it was a good day to do sharp turns and go in more circles then before. So we are all holding on legs flying all over the place. There were a few times my legs were in the water but I was able to pull myself back on. We had the ropes cross at one point and almost gave me and his cousin nicole some bad rope burn (She definitely got it worse I was able to only have it rub for about a second). We fell off a couple times and there was one point my knee got stuck in a position and now it's a little bruised. Oh well though, it was all worth it!! I had such a great time and I am SO glad that this is something we do in the Kidd family EVERY YEAR!!! (No joke, Bear Lake is extremely important to everyone and you have to go or you are not part of the family, haha) It's the best and I can't wait until next year! (Landen and I will also be married by that point so we'll be able to be in the same room and no one can say anything!) Anyway, I had a great week and now I am excited to continue on with reality and get back to the busy-ness of life! :)

This coming week will be a pretty busy one! Sunday I head back to Idaho and Monday at 9am I get to do a walk through for our APARTMENT!!! and then I'll start moving everything in that I have! Then Tuesday I am supposed to go with my Grandma and Mom to go get some temple items! Wednesday I am headed to Utah for Sydney's reception and I'll spend the night at her parents because the next day is Stephanie's (Landen's cousin's) wedding and then I will be in Logan until Sunday when I will get my temple recommend and then head back to Idaho until the 19th.. Quick run through of that week.. crazy!! Sean, Andrea, and Owen will get to Idaho on Wednesday morning most likely and that day will hopefully be bridals and hair run throughs and what not along with a Mattson Family Dinner!! YA! Then Thursday I go through the temple!!! and Friday we head to Logan and set up the reception and Saturday I'm getting married at 9:15 am! Hey hey! So ya! These next two weeks are going to be a little busy, but they will be a ton of fun and very exciting!! I can't wait!!!

:)

New Happenings!!

Well, wedding planning has been going!
First off, Landen and I are getting married on August 20th, 2011!! We are both really excited for it! We've been working on plans slowly, but we are getting there. I think we have most of it done. I think we just need to start buying items! It's pretty fun! I don't think I ever want to be a wedding planner though! :)
School is crazy! My schedule is packed with a ton of different things! I work, go to school, then go to my internship. MWF I don't have much time to live, but that's ok. I was busy TTH as well, but Landen started back to work so now those nights until 10:30 I have some down time. (I don't think I mentioned this on any other post, so, I did get the internship at the Family Crisis Center... I don't even know if I wrote about it, haha.) Anyway, I keep myself pretty busy and it's good because it passes the time quickly, but it's not good because I never have free time.
My job right now is pretty lame, but it's a job. I work in the Child Development Department as a TA for a few teachers. Last week I got a whole 4.6 hours of work! Wow! ;) haha. I wish I got paid for the internship, I feel like I'm there all the time. The internship has been trying to make this semester be more exciting for the interns so we all have projects. I somehow have 3... So, one project is that I help maintain the shelter. I will be doing inside and outside work. My next is helping with the Board and organizing them. Last, I will be helping with fundraisers.
So, busy semester. I'm excited to finish this semester and be done with it! I'm excited for the wedding and there are only 109 days left!!! :)

I'm ENGAGED!!!!

I'm getting good at this... two posts within a 6 month period.. not bad ;) Well... to my three followers (haha) I'm engaged!! So here is the wonderful story of how it all happened! On Tuesday, April 12th 2011 Landen Kidd and I decided to take a trip to San Francisco. Our main attraction was to be a boat trip to Alcatraz because I had never been there. So we decided to head out on our journey at around 9:30 am. We got to San Francisco really fast so we had a lot of time prior to Alcatraz. So, with that time we headed down Pier 39. We walked around and decided to have some lunch at Bubba Gumps ;) I don't know if you guys have ever been there but they quiz you with Forrest Gump questions. Somehow, Landen knew almost EVERY answer! Crazy. Anyway.. so we ate our lunch and realized that our lemonades were approx. $4.50 each and we didn't get free refills.... so.... if you ever want to go there to eat, remember that because it was sad. However, the lemonade was delicious! Anyway, after we had lunch we headed on over to Pier 33 to wait for the boat to take us to Alcatraz. As we waited I kept joking with Landen that we had to keep all the papers that were involved for... "the scrapbook". I do not scrapbook. I just thought it was funny and I said something like.. "this is where it all begins" which freaked out Landen because he thought I might know something.. I didn't I was just talking and saying stuff... I guess in my head thinking that I had never been to Alcatraz, even though I have always lived in California and it was a new experience for me. We took the boat on over to Alcatraz and when we got there we walked around. I gave Landen a tour... I didn't know anything- he actually knew more then I did... but I gave him a tour anyway. This consisted of me pretending that I knew what each building was and acting like I wasn't reading the sign that said what it was as we walked past. :) We went on out to the yard aka "the prison playground" and walked out the back door that led down to the gardens. The gardens were right by a ledge that overlooked the Ocean and... the Golden Gate Bridge. I wanted to get a picture of the bridge so I went and took a picture and then Landen and I took a picture with each other. I turned around and asked him if he wanted pictures of the flowers... As I was about to take a picture of the flowers he comes up behind me and says, "Hey, question for you." So, knowing he says this all the time I say, "YEAH?!" all peppy-like and as I turn around he is holding the ring and says, "Will you marry me?" My initial response was "REALLY?!" then I stood there for like 5 seconds.. which felt more like minutes because I was just in shock because I had no idea he even had the ring and when I looked down at the ring again... it was ACTUALLY there! :D Once I realized this was real I said yes. I have no idea what my actual phrasing of "yes" that was used, but the important part is that I didn't say no ;) So there you have it. I was proposed to on Alcatraz, standing on prison grounds overlooking the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. I don't think I could have picture anything better. I find it hilarious. I think this was the perfect way for Landen to propose. I personally think it shows how we are... not really that romantic, it was more humorous :) Anyway. That's it! Now, we are getting married on August 20th, 2011 in the Logan, Utah temple! We are both very excited and I definitely can't wait until August 20th! :)