Hey, it's been awhile.

Just wanted to make sure everyone knew I am still alive and my life is thriving (although I haven't blogged for . . . eh . . . was it 4 months? Oops :) I will strive to keep up more thoroughly.

So, what has happened since I returned safely from Europe?

Well, plenty of things. To start with:

The weekend after I returned, our ward went to the Manti Pageant which was a lot of fun. It was my first time attending the Manti Pageant and I have to say it's a way cool image to have the play go on the hillside of the radiant temple. Gorgeous temple! But all I really have two things to say about the actual performance: whoever wrote the script is racist and sexist. That is all.

Shortly after that, I went with Parker, Kellie, and Sara to an outdoor, acoustic Lady Danville concert. We had a little picnic next to where they were playing, and I was just so happy to be back with my friends. And I'm incredibly jealous of Sara's blue hair, jealous that she did it, and jealous she no longer goes to BYU and can get away with it!

More ward fun! I went with the ward to sleep over at the Bishop's cabin. It was surely an adventure to just get to the cabin, travelling through unsteady, muddy terrain, passing several polygamist gatherings with their army of children who could actually take over us all if they set their minds to it. This picture was probably the moment in which I was attempting to convince Parker to not, for all that is holy, sleep outside all night! The mosquitoes love him you see, and is constantly in trouble of having his blood sucked dry. But alas, he did it, with fairly little damage. What a man I've got eh?

On to the next adventure! This particular adventure tested my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual limits . . . but mostly my physical :) It was probably a good thing that I had no idea how unbelievably difficult it would be for me before I left. We had to continue up such steep hills that it was really a cliff that we had to get on all fours to conquer, after our legs were already turned to jelly. We started out at the base at midnight and reached the top by 6:30 am, just in time to see the sunrise, which was absolutely breathtaking . . . . mostly because I was so cold :( In this particular picture, if I moved a few inches back, I literally would have tumbled down into the Utah Valley below. It was a sublime experience, and quite frightening at times. I'm really glad I did it, but I would wait many many years till I do it again, once I forget how hard it is!

The most important part of this post is probably about an announcement that I think everybody already knows. But I don't care! Parker and I are engaged!!!!!! I guess while I was over in Europe was when we subconsciously both decided we didn't want to live apart from each other anymore, at least I did.

Being engaged is the most weird, surreal experience ever. Parker agrees wholeheartedly with me. We've talked several times how weirded out we get by the fact that we're going to get married! It's one of those things you know will happen eventually, but you have no idea what it will actually be like. For all those wondering, it's so incredibly wonderful to be able to call the guy I'm head over heals for my own. To feel like I belong to someone makes me feel like I will always be at home, but it's a home I've never known before.

The happy day will be on May 10, 2012. No. It's not too far away. Yes. We can wait. But thank you for your concern :)

This Halloween I was happy just because I got to have blue hair and have red lipstick. Our gang dressed as various Scott Pilgrim characters. I, in case you can't tell, am Ramona Flowers. And of course, Parker was the shaggy Scott. Kellie was the deliciously sensuous Envy, Sara was Scott's fake high school girl friend Knives, and Morgan was the incorrigible Todd.

We all had so much fun! One of my favorite aspects of our group was the fact that Knives had blue highlights that could literally be punched out! Well, and I loved that I had blue hair :)