Tis the Season 2

Well, I guess I was right in saying this season is the time for engagements.  As of December 20, 2010 (a year and a day from our first date) I am engaged to Scott Cardon.  I love him.  He is so great for me and is my best buddy.  He is so funny and handsome and sweet.  It was hard for me to commit to something so huge.  I mean, temple marriage is kind of a big deal-we're talking eternity!  But, I finally decided that I want Scott.  He will be a really good companion and will take care of me and love me forever.  So, I said "yes" confidently and with the faith and assurance that everything will be ok.

I'm excited!  I'm excited to finally live in the same state as him again.  I'm excited to do everything together and I'm excited to not say good-bye after we hang out each night.

So, tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la laa la la la LA!

Accents

The other day, my buddy Dan asked, "Where's your accent come from?"  My accent?  What is he talking about?  I don't have an accent.  At least, I don't think I do...  I asked my roommate Malia if I have an accent.  "Yeah, totally," she said.  "What?!  Are you joking me?"  "No, you definitely have an accent."  I still could not believe it.  I needed more proof.  So, yesterday, I asked my coworkers: "Do I have an accent?"  Every single one of them, including my boss answered, "Yes," enthusiastically and without hesitation.  At first, I thought they were all pulling my leg, but they were being serious.  So I guess I have an accent.  They all concluded that its not quite a regional accent.  My boss said, "Its very Megan-esque."

I never had an accent before, and now I have one.  Its so freaky.  But then again, maybe I have always had one, but nobody ever mentioned it before.  I'll admit, I'm slightly embarrassed, but everyone assured me that it is totally ok to have an accent.

On the bright side, for our ward Christmas party, I was in a Harry Potter-Meets-BYU 130th Ward skit.  I played Hermione.  Everyone said I sounded just like her.  One guy in my ward came up to me and said that he had served his mission in England, and that my accent was pretty legit.  So, I guess accents are ok.

Deck the Hars

With Bowrs of Harrrry, Far rar rar rar raaarrr rar rar rar rar....

Yesterday, my boss came in and said, "If I have to stay here doing the Holidays, it has got to be festive.  Stop working and spend the rest of the day making this place festive."  I.Love.My.Job.

He gave me the company car, the company credit card, and sent me and my coworker off to buy whatever supplies I needed.  I have spent the past two days being crafty and decorating the office so that it is Festive. I am in Heaven.  It's so fun, I even took some of my "work" home with me so that I would have crafting projects over the weekend.  If only everyday could be a crafting day...

I have the best coworkers!  They stole, borrowed I mean, 7 poinsettias from other areas around the office so that we could use them in our department's office.  We put them up on display surrounded with pine garland, cinnamon-scented pine cones, red berries, and a strand of Christmas lights.  It looks lovely and much more classy than the crayon-colored holiday coloring book pages of yester years.  Now I'm working on a "MERRY CHRISTMAS" banner, paper snowflakes, and a paper star.  It is definitely Festive.  Happy Christmas!

 PS-While at Michael's craft store picking up supplies, I discovered a glitter multi pack that comes with 24 vials of different colors.  I am obsessed.  It's on my Christmas list.  Oh Martha...

 

Tis the Season...

to be engaged.  Seriously, I feel like everyone is getting engaged these days.  Its like the thing to do now-get engaged.  Not that I'm opposed.  I love that so many people are in love and ready to start their new lives together.  And what a better time to be in LOVE than around Christmastime, when we celebrate the birth of Him who loves perfectly.

  

All of Me

I can't get "All of Me" by Billie Holiday out of my head. It's just so lovely. It reminds me of You've Got Mail and daisies, both of which are also lovely.

Last night, I spent three hours washing vegetables and prepping healthy food so I can be conveniently healthy. I made up a new soup that turned out pretty good.  It was kind of like a stone soup:

Stone Soup (Stone is Optional)   

Into the pot goes a chopped onion, 

a couple cloves of minced garlic, 

and some Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

After the onions started to look translucent, 

pour in enough chicken broth to fill the pan halfway, 

then added some water.

Next into the pot goes two chopped red potatoes 

and five minutes later, throw in a few handfuls of 

chopped celery and carrots.

Now, into the pot, goes any vegetables you can find:

Cabbage/Spinach, Leeks, Frozen Peas, Lima Beans, 
Green Beans , White Beans, Black Beans, Human Beans.

You can also add some type of noodles.

I like the corkscrew kind.

Add lots of salt and pepper, 

some oregano and basil and some Parmesan on top.

Voila!

Stone Soup by Ann McGovern 

Some Highs & Lows

September 18 was my birthday.  In the days prior, Scott kept saying he didn't know what to get me. I just kept thinking, "All I want is for you to come here."  But I know school and work keep him busy, so I didn't say anything.  It would be a perfect weekend for him to come, but I didn't want to push it. I just kept my mouth shut and kept wishing with all my heart he would come.  

It was Friday night, my birthday eve, and Scott's sister Rachel (who lives in Salt Lake) planned to take me out to dinner for my birthday.  Scott said he got me a present and that Rachel was going to bring it to me.  I kept hoping that he was the present, but throughout the day he kept texting me about how he was so busy at work and what his plans were for the night, etc.  As the day wore on, I was pretty convinced that he was not coming.  I was so upset.  

In the attempts of lightening my mood, I started listening to a BYU devotional about gratitude.  I tried to implement her sentiments by saying to myself: "I am grateful that Scott is not coming this weekend because that will make next weekend so much more fun."  (We were planning on meeting up in Vegas next weekend.)  It helped a little.

Then Scott called to talk.  He told me that he was on his way to bring dinner to his grandpa and was meeting up with his friends after, so he won't have much time to talk.  We talked a little.  Then he told me that Vegas next weekend is a no-go because he had a test to study for.  And then he had to quickly get off the phone because he was at his grandpas house.  

I was devastated.  I tried again to be grateful, but mostly I was just heartbroken and upset.  "He doesn't even care about me.  All he cares about is work and school," I thought.  

I was so bummed, I considered canceling dinner with Rachel, but before I could, she called to say she was here and had been knocking but no one answered the door.  (My roommates weren't home and I was in the back room, so this was believable.)  I frantically finished getting ready and then rushed to open the door.  

And standing there, instead of Rachel, was Scott.  

I. was. shocked.  Jaw dropped.  Bag dropped.  The first words out of my mouth were, "I hate you."  And the next were, "And I love you."  It was so great.  I was so happy and excited that my insides were shaking.  He took off work, postponed studying and drove up the whole way by himself just to be with me.  It is definitely out of character for him.  He must really like me.

It was such an amazing weekend!  From hiking with Jenna's family, hanging with some of Scott's family: Rachel, Andrew, Michelle, and baby Drew, delicious gormet dinner with the Nethercotts, walks around Provo with my best friend, and a much-looked-forward-to annual birthday dinner at PF Changs (gluten & dairy free!) with Scott, two of my roomies: Brittany Warnock & Malia Anderson, Jacob & Natalli Ellsworth, Jenna Russell, Bronson Lott and Sierra Sullivan.  It was so great & so fun!  

Gormet dinner with the Nethercott's-DELISH!  My "cake" was dairy and gluten free!!!

Hiking with Jenna and her family was so pleasant and it was so beautiful!

I looked forward to this dinner all year, and it exceeded all my expectations!

Then it was back to the daily grind.

Tuesday, I wasn't feeling too well.  As I climbed on my bike to ride home from work, my boss asked if I was going to be ok riding home on my bike, considering the fact that I was ill & the sun was hot.  I told him I would be just fine...

Riding down 900 east.  Breezy.  Easy.  Downhill.  I was picking up speed and began to feel nervous about being in the bike lane with the cars right next to me.  I saw a driveway with just a 1-inch curb.  Perfect place to get up onto the sidewalk.  Or so I thought...

Actual Site of Injury

I quickly learned that riding downhill, braking, and trying to hop a curb on a bike all at the same time is not the best idea.  I crashed and fell, luckily onto the sidewalk (had I fallen the other way, into the street, I would have probably died.)  

My ankle hurt.  A lot.  A man came out to make sure I was alright.  Then these two angels (I don't even remember their names), pushed me on my bike so I didn’t have to walk, hailed down a car to drive me home, rode my bike home for me and carried my stuff up three flights of stairs.  Good Samaritans.

Once home, all my roommates were either gone or sleeping so I grabbed an ice pack and cried to myself.  My ankle hurt SO BAD.  The pain was so intense that I passed out.  Luckily, by this time, my roommate Caitlin was home and woke up Brittany who immediately rushed to my side to help. 

Since that moment, Brittany took care of me day and night, from wrapping/icing my ankle, driving me everywhere-to the doctor, to get lunch, to school, to work, to the gap.  She’s provided me with crutches, ace wraps and helped me get a parking pass.  She made me breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  She bought me boxes of Almond Dreams (delicious ice cream sandwiches made with Almond milk), and more.  I am so grateful to her.  She is a blessed saint I tell you!  

At the judgement bar, when God is trying to decide whether or not to let her into heaven, I will shout out, “YES!  Please let her in!  She should get a free ticket in because of all the good she has done for me!”  I don’t know what I would have done without her.  We have practically become Siamese twins because we are together nearly every hour of the day from before sun-up til after sun-down.  I LOVE MY BRITTANY! 

So…What have I learned from all this?  Miracles have not ceased.  Angels exist.  Blessings help.  Birthdays are great.  Brittany is a saint. Crutches are a pain, but are great for developing solid deltoids.  There is good in the world!  And sprained ankles hurt.  Bad.  

For three weeks, this was my view from the couch.  Lovely.

Provo

So I've been reading all of my friends' blogs and I am inspired to finally begin writing on this blog that Laura Webster created for me about a month ago.  After reading so many wonderfully written blogs and admiring them for the fun pictures, clever writing, and neat experiences, I'm slightly intimidated to start writing my own blog.  But, lets be honest, who else is going to read this other than me and possibly my posterity.  Actually, scratch that, by the time my posterity are old enough to read, blogs will be a thing of the past like 8-tracks and VHS.

Today is my one month anniversary of moving to Provo.  And so far, its been great!  I love the weather, my apartment, my roommates, job, boss, coworkers, ward, Bishop, new friends, independence and the excitement of all the new things up here.  But I miss my family, my friends, and my boyfriend.  Last weekend, I went home for a visit and it was So good.  I surprised my little siblings.  When I first got home only my mom and Jake were there.  Jacob was happy to see me and a little confused. He had to show me his new monkish haircut and then gave me lots of hugs and kisses!  The other kids weren't home from school yet so I hid in their bedroom and waited.

First to come home was Kassie, she went to her room to drop off her stuff.  As she opened the door, I yelled, "Surprise!"  Lots of screaming and hugging and bawling from the both of us.  Next to come home were Kieran, Brecklyn, and Brigdon.   My mom told the kids to put their stuff away in their room.  Of course, none of them listened right away but surprisingly, Brecklyn was the first to obey.  I shouted, "Surprise" again and she grabbed onto me laughing and crying.  Kieran pretended like she wasn't happy to see me, but in here heart I'm sure she was ecstatic.  Brigdon walked into the room with a huge grin then jumped on me-wrapping both arms and legs around my legs.  "I'm never letting go!" he yelled.  It was pretty epic.

Next, it was over to the Cardons to surprise Scott.  Scott wasn't feeling good and was about to take a nap, so when Bishop asked him to come help him with something, he was not happy.  He walked out of his room, head down looking annoyed.  I walked towards him and timidly said, "Surprise."  He looked up, stepped back surprised.  His whole face lit up with a huge smile.  It was so great!  In fact, the whole weekend was great.  I got to hang with my family, go to the temple with two of my sisters, shop with some of my besties, go to the baby blessing of my godbaby-Tillman Steel Webster, and go on a fun date with Scott to the park to feed the ducks and then to Pita Jungle for dinner.

It was an awesome trip and it was hard to come back here, but I am actually loving it here.  I am quite happy.  Today was regional conference and I got to hear Elder Snow of the Seventy, Sister Beck of the Relief Society Presidency, Elder Holland and President Packer of the quorum of the twelve apostles speak LIVE at the Marriot Center.  It was awesome and I really appreciated all of their messages and the reminder by Sister Beck that although I am doing better than I think I am, I could be doing better than I am.  Also, I was reminded that Heavenly Father loves us, that we should remember the good things He has done and that He is in fact, our Father and will care for us accordingly.  Furthermore, we (by we, I mean I) need to exercise more faith like Pioneers of old.

Later, I got to listen to Elder Scott speak for the CES fireside.  He talked about marriage-it was wonderful!  I am so grateful for everything he said.  The other day I was talking to my coworker about how the thought of marriage sometimes terrifies me: "What if I marry some guy and one day he ends up being a total jerkface?"  My coworker said, "Russian Roulette, marriage is like Russian Roulette."  Basically, the game consists of putting only one bullet in a gun barrel, spinning the barrel, then pointing the gun to your head, shooting, and hoping that you don't end up with a bullet in your brains.  "What if I get the bullet?!"  I cried as he laughed demoniacally.  With such a risk, why do we get married anyway?!  Listening to Elder Scott's talk helped me to think about all of the positive aspects of marriage and joys that can be experienced only in marriage.  I'm excited for those blessings someday and when it comes to Russian Roulette, I plan on shooting a blank.

New Blog

Hello everyone this is my new blog! :)