It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Well okay, except for the lack of snow here in GA, which is what I generally think about every time I hear that song. That's okay though... I am known by my mother as the family's little "Christmas Angel" and I'm here to stay. As soon as I can- I like to pull out my decorations, much of which are some sort of version of a snowman. I like snowmen, I cannot deny it- nor will I. I am sort of picky about my snowmen though- so unless you've seen "my style"- don't rush out be buy me one yet! The day after Thanksgiving, Ryan let me drag him out to some Christmas tree vendors which was a new experience for him because his family has a fake tree. So it was fun to get to go and buy our first tree together for our first Christmas together! We bought a LEETLE (yes I really spelled it that way on purpose) tree at a place called something like "Big Dan's Tree Lot"... and took it home and pretty much while Ryan slept or watched- I decorated. My tree is cute though- and he put his newly purchased porcupine ornament right where he wanted it. I love the smell it has and the homeyness it brings to the apartment. I'm super excited to get to go visit my family in Utah and take Ryan on his first trip to the Western U.S.! He will love the beautiful mountains, I can feel it now.

Another thing we got to do this past weekend was go to Callaway Gardens to see the Fantasy in Lights. Our friend Ashley G. got us free tickets to go and we rode down with some friends! It was fun to ride the trolley all bundled up in our jackets and blanket. And good to be with our friends!

Ashley and Elliott

Ashley G., Hillary and Candace

Me and Ryan

As I mentioned in another entry, I just dig the Holidays tons- Christmas time especially (if you couldn't already tell). I get excited to see all the hustle and bustle and to find presents for people, the smells, the food, the colors, the clothes you get to wear in winter, being with family... I could go on! I am excited for this time of year in general, but I'm grateful to celebrate the real reason for this season. I hope all is not forgotten about our Lord and His birth and sacrifice.

We had a good Thanksgiving too, I got to spend it with Ryan and his family. The picts are of Ryan's sister Kelly, his mom and nephew Nicholas. I got to meet some of his extended family as well. They are so nice and loving and all very accepting of me! It's great to have a family away from mine. And to have an awesome fiance (weird to say) that I know will take care of me no matter what! Have I expressed my love for him? Well, I love him this much )(!!!!

Speaking of fiances, the date has been set for March 24th, 2007! It's coming up soon!So set the date aside! And please, cheer me on... tell me I can do this! I need the all the encouragement I can get!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS Y'ALL!!!

Well, it's official that I'm excited!

Get your own countdown at BlingyBlob.com
My friend Megan is getting married in February, and she has a count down on her page and I wanted one too! Just in case you needed an update on how many months, days, hours and possible minutes you had left to plan to come to the big wedding day!

Well, the good news is...

I'M ENGAGED!!!!

Ryan proposed to me last night. Since I've been asked a few times how it happened- I'll share it on the blog. As a precursor- last Wednesday I was sick and it was a rainy day so Ryan didn't have to work. He told me that he was going to come over but that he had to run some errands and go to Target to pick some stuff up there. I thought that was kind of strange because usually he's in a hurry to come and see me- but I just went back to sleep and figured he'd get there when he could.

Well last night, after work I had him meet me at my apt because we were going with some friends to the Death Cab for Cutie concert at the Fox Theatre. I told him I had to run in really quick and grab a jacket and then I'd run back out to meet him at his truck. He said he needed to come in to go to the bathroom so he was going to park his truck and come in. I was in my bedroom switching out my purse and he came into my room and started to shut the door. And as I had my back turned to him I said "I thought you needed to go to the bathroom?" and turned around to look at him and he said "I have a confession..." and I said "okay??" and then he said "I don't have to go to the bathroom, and I didn't go to Target the other day. I got you something else..." and as he said that, he pulled a large white box out of his pocket and opened it up and said "Will you marry me?"!!! It was so great, and the ring is so beautiful! I would have to say that it's perfect for me, and the great thing about it is that he picked it out all on his own. He wouldn't let me have anything to do with it, and it means that much more to me. Oh and, I said YES!!!

We kind of looked crazy in this picture- but it's the only one from RIGHT after it happened.

I am truly in love with one of the best men in the world, and feel SO lucky to have him in my life. I really feel that we were meant for one another in the way our personalities compliment each other. So, here I am the future Mrs. Smith!

We got to go with Ashley, Clint, Taylor Giddens and Jared to the DCFC concert and it was lots of fun. It was the end to a perfect night and SO fun to spend time with our friends! I am SO blessed!!!!! The (historic) Fox Theatre is AMAZAZING! I'd never been there before and it was so cool inside. I hope to go to a few more shows there in the future!

Ashley & Clint

Jared & Taylor

Me & Ryan

Death Cab For Cutie

I took this photo on Sunday on the Atlanta Temple Grounds. I love the Fall and it's beauty.

Happy Halloween

So, I'm not especially fond of Halloween- but not totally opposed to it either. I'm working on trying to like, mostly for the sake of my future children. I think it's fun that so many people get into it and like to dress up. But it's not really my favorite thing to dress up, not because of the actual process of dressing up- but that I never feel like I have good ideas of what to dress up as. My sorry excuse for looking like Mrs. White in the move "Clue" which Madeline Kahn plays and makes me laugh every time I see it. Yeah, I know- not even close. So you catch my drift I'm sure. And Ryan... Well, we're still not really sure what he was supposed to look like. One of the Beastie Boys from the Sabotage video? A Beatle maybe? Nah...
I don't really like the horror movies either. But I DO like some of the Halloween cartoons. You know, like Charlie Brown's "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" movie... or the Tim Burton films Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride. I wanted to give a shout out for the Nightmare movie though because I watched it the other night and remembered how much I love that movie and how long I've loved it! I remember when it came out and a friend of mine went to Disneyworld or Universal Studios or somewhere cool like that and brought me pencils with each of the "trick or treaters" (Lock, Shock and Barrell) on them. I swear I kept those things around well after I moved out of the house because I loved them so much!
May I add that I also just REALLY love Tim Burton films a lot- and I think it's because they are so strange and far out. And that their humor is so great and creative. I know a lot of people really don't grasp or even like him that much- but I am a fan for sure. So here's my shout out to Tim... and yes, I'm pretending to know him on a first name basis.

So that's my take on Halloween. And that's all I have to say, mostly because it's time to leave work!

Acorn Hunt and Leaf Raking with the Colliers

So Ryan, Delinda and I went to Gilbert, S.C. to visit my Uncle Mark and Aunt Sally and cousins Laura, Jack, Elaine and their kids Grace, Christian and Aidan. We had a really good time there, our main purpose was to go and help clean up the yard but we also had a fun time laughing and being family and just having a good time!

Gracie (who now has a nice little crush on Ryan!) headed up a wild acorn hunt where she recruited all of us adults to walk around the yard and pick up acorns- which ended up being thrown at each other most of the time. I think most of us all got pelted in the head by SOMEONE... Not sure what she's going to do with all of those acorns, but more power to her!
Then Ryan and I raked up leaves and pine straw as they call it here in the South, I personally refer to them as pine needles... anyway- we did about half the yard and loaded them into Uncle Mark's trusty blue kiddy swimming pool and hauled them to the spot where we made a bonfire.

After a walk with my sis and cousin Laura and her kids, we all went in for dinner and then moved our way out to the yard again to make s'mores! It was a beautiful and warm fall day and it was even better to have been able to spend it with my family! It is a memory I will always keep and cherish!

My cousin Laura and her kids

Our trusty bonfire and Delinda actually working!

And I want you to know I feel lucky to know you

Cut open my heart And you'll see that it's true

I want you to know I feel lucky to know you

Yeah summer fades into fall And with it

Came the writing on the wall

So I sent a thousand letters on the Backs of silver angels through the sky

And I want you to know I feel lucky to know you

Cut open my heart And you'll see that it's true I want you to know I feel lucky to know you

Midnight train to Georgia...

The other night I spent some time with my sister and it was nice. We didn't do anything special, we just went and ate and then watched CSI together- but it was enjoyable to laugh at stupid things with her and be all into the show together and just talk. After she left, I went to bed and I got to thinking about the day and it's happenings and how I missed Ryan because I only got to see him for a total of 5 minutes for the WHOLE day! (I know, sad isn't it??!) I had the window open and I was all snuggled up in my comfy, warm blankets and as I was thinking I started to listen to the sounds coming from outside. I could hear the crickets and frogs... frogs.
I decided in that moment of listening and thinking that I really like the sound of the frogs, as long as they're not TOO loud. I feel that it can be a soothing sound. Now, I'm from the West where there aren't a whole lot of frogs to be seen or heard for that matter. The only thing that even resembles a frog that I remember seeing in Flagstaff, Arizona were Horny Toads. Yes they are similar in that they are both amphibious, but the two are NOT similar in looks at all!! And horny toads don't make a chirp like the frogs here do. Here's one in case you were wondering what they looked like. I used to love catching them when I was little.
Anyway- moving on with my story... My next train of thought after this momentous realization of me liking the sound of frogs was that I would have never pictured myself living in Georgia someday. I knew that Georgia was a state, and I'd flown through it one time on the way to Europe- but I didn't really think of it as a place where people lived and had a culture of their own!! I didn't know about grits, or that some people consider Mac & Cheese to be a "vegetable" or that people could drive so horribly!!! Probably just like people here have never really thought about Arizona, and if they do- they most likely think of it only as the desert with rattle snakes and cacti and all that stuff. Which is quite the contrary to where I grew up. Flagstaff is a small beautiful town in the Northern part of Arizona only about 70 or so miles away from the Grand Canyon. The elevation is 7000 feet and our landscape consisted of LOTS of Ponderosa Pine trees and the San Francisco Peaks. It snows a good amount just about every year and there are hardly ANY cactus there, unless someone decides to use it in their landscape! A good portion of the people I've talked to that have actually been to Flagstaff got caught in a snow storm there! You learn something new every day! Unless, of course, you already knew that...
The difference between the way life is in Flagstaff and in Atlanta is huge (except for the pine trees!) and it has taken a lot to get used to. Being in the midst of VERY tall highrise buildings was and still is at times overwhelming. I almost feel that I am used to it all now and although I do miss Flag a lot- I really like Georgia. Someday I'll get used to calling it "home"!
I think of my life and where I've been so far and how I've gotten to each place. I know that where I've been the last ten years I was supposed to have been for one reason or another. I have had many neat experiences and seen so many cool things and most of all learned TONS about myself. I also feel really grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost and it's small and sweet whisperings and promptings. I feel that had I not listened to those promptings that I wouldn't be here in Atlanta. I wouldn't have grown the way I feel I have, I wouldn't have become closer to my sister like I have in the last two years, I wouldn't have met the friends I have, and I know that I couldn't have found a better man than my Ry-ry.

I can't wait to see where I am going to go next in life! There is so much ahead of me that I am so excited and ready for and it's good to know I'm not doing it alone! I feel so blessed, I feel like I'm one of the luckiest girls in the world and completely undeserving of it.
All in all- I realized that life is a crazy unsure thing. That you NEVER know where you'll end up- even if you have a "plan" in mind, things can always change. And if you don't have a plan in mind- you may never expect what lies ahead of you! Who would've thought little Heather would've ended up all the way in Atlanta, GA? Not me!
"No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for."

It's Fall... And I'm lovin' it!

To me, there are two times of the year that are the best; first is in the Spring when life is being breathed back into the winter torn nature and it's starting to become warmer and bearable outside. You can start hearing the birds singing again, and the beautiful blossoms on the trees and the deep blue skies. I also love the Fall when it's starting to FINALLY cool down and the leaves change into beautiful colors and there's that great breeze and smell in the air. It's also like a precursor for the Holiday's for me too. It means that Halloween is right around the corner, then shortly after that it's Thanksgiving... Then shortly after that it's already Christmas! After New Year's though I'm done with the winter and am already looking forward to Spring again. But until then, I am super excited! I love wearing sweaters and warm clothes and cuddling up in nice comfy soft blankets, and now especially with my boy! I love the activities to look forward to in the Fall too- going to haunted houses, making pies and soup or any comfort food, raking the leaves at my uncle's and jumping in them or burning them is fun too, pigging out at Thanksgiving and chilling with the fam. And then it's already time to start thinking of Christmas presents to buy and getting a Christmas tree and decorating and getting out my Christmas music!!! I love it!
I also wanted to mention that I am so grateful for the people I am surrounded by. I think I've mentioned that before, but I really am so lucky. I get to do so many cool things with them, I get to learn new Gospel principles or about new music or just laugh a lot!!! I feel VERY loved and unworthy of it- but I hope it never ends!
HAPPY FALL!!!!

Here are a bunch of us with the missionaries that have been teaching Ryan. The one on the right has been here through the long haul and goes home this week sadly enough. He's a good man though and I'm so excited for him to get going on his new life back home!

Grease Traps

I love www.wikipedia.org because I can really find just about anything I want to know about on there.

I took this picture of the grease trap at Taco Mac just because it was amusing to me and it also in a way grossed me out. So I did research on the subject to see why such a thing is necessary. A grease trap is a receptacle that kitchen wastewater flows through before entering the sanitary sewer lines. This receptacle captures, or "traps", grease. (This was interesting to me) Passive grease traps date back to 1885 when the first US patent was issued. Today's large and small grease traps use the same basic operating design as the 1885 model. While they do a fine job trapping grease, removing the grease is a task left to the owner.

Not sure which trap this kind was... but it reminds me of all the little things that become important that you have to remember to do when you are a business owner, especially in the restaurant industry.

This may be yet the most boring blog I've posted. But I hope that someday this information becomes one of those "Hmmm, that's interesting" moments for someone! :)

Some women can be a pain in the toosh!

So I went to get a pedicure this afternoon during my lunch break. I'm no pro at getting a pedicure, but I've been enough times to know what I like and what I don't. But for the most part- I just let the person do what they do because it's their job. I mostly enjoy it because who wouldn't love their feet and legs to be rubbed while sitting in a massage chair? Well, there may be some that don't, but to me- it's close to heaven. While in the spa I was sitting next to two women who really sort of angered me. Not only for the way they were acting but how they were treating the ladies working on their feet.
I have a issue first of all with people who treat those who are serving them at a restaurant or the spa place like they are "servants" or there at their beck and call. To me, they are doing their job just like I do mine or the person they are "serving". Ryan and I went to Taco Mac a couple weeks ago and there was a large group at a table near us that made their waitress cry and it made me really angry. And that's kind of how I felt today at the pedicure place. These women were talking down to the ladies working on their feet. Here's the thing, most of them are Vietnamese (or wherever their from) and there may be a language barrier- but just because they don't speak great English, doesn't mean their STUPID. These women were just being plain catty and talking to each other about how "she must not understand me" or "where's the other girl who knows what she's doing?..." They can hear you! One of the women was throwing a fit because she didn't know what the type of manicure she wanted was called and was arguing with the poor girl about it. I tried my hardest to be nice to the girl helping me out because I felt bad for the others who had to deal with those wenchy women.
It made me think about the "princess" mentality and how I hope I never become like that. I think it's great to be pampered, and when you are paying a decent amount of money service is important- but why is it necessary to be petty or rude about it when it doesn't quite go your way? I just don't feel like that gets anything done. It makes everyone around you uncomfortable, it makes the person that's helping you feel worthless and possibly even more angry at you for being impossible and it makes you uptight and marked as an unpleasant person. So do you think that frame of mind comes from how that person is raised or what kind of a lifestyle they live or have lived? Do you think it has to do with being a woman? I'm not sure of that- but I don't think I see too many men (unless they are on the effeminate side) act that way. To me, it gives women a bad wrap. I get upset or frustrated with men who think women in general are high maintenance or are a nuisance. Because I don't feel like I'm like that. Or at least I could be A LOT worse. But when some women act like that, I don't blame them for thinking it! I promise we're not ALL like that guys!

Anyway... I think I'll get off my soap box now and show you my cute toes and give the cute lady at Nail Talk & Tan props for putting little flowers on my toes! I'm always really thrilled when they can get it on the little itty bitty baby toes too! Yes, I know my toes look like little Vienna Sausages!

Side note: I hate it when I go to the restroom here at work of which there are several stalls to choose from and I hear someone come in go to the bathroom and then leave with out washing their hands. SICK!

Georgia Aquarium

Ryan and I had a date today and we went to the world's largest new Georgia Aquarium! http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/ It was a lot of fun!
It's a very large place and instead of being herded through as cattle like they do at the Chattahoochee Aquarium- you can choose which area you want to go in to. Here are some shots of our adventure.

The Beluga Whales

Another one of our famous self taken photos

The Whale Shark Exhibit

Aren't they awesome? I'll give you a couple shots of these guys...

Ryan looking good in front of the Ocean fish exhibit.