Goodbye Ms. Blaylock!

This is probably the last time I'll have a chance to really write anything down or blog until after I'm married.

Crazy.

Last night I had another bridal shower put on by my dearest BFF Sarah. It was delightful and I had a really great time just talking and spending time with my future family and my dearest friends. I love it because everyone really thought about something I need and want and so I'm taken care for my wedding. Makes my heart full!

Look at that amazing food! All of my favorites!

Red Velvet Brownies!

7 Layer Dip

Of course my beverage of choice...

Amanda and Brittany

It's crazy to think that I'm getting married, and saying goodbye to single-hood. Something I've known for 10 years. I've had some amazing roommates and great memories. Honestly I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. I have learned so much about life and about who I am that is only going to make married life better. Granted I've made mistakes, and I could have done things maybe a little differently but that's part of life. I feel like the last day of the semester when you are all packed up and it's time to say goodbye to your roommates. It's so bittersweet. Knowing you've created awesome memories and you'll miss it but knowing the future is going to be another great and wonderful adventure. I know though that I'm getting  a really good roommate now, HA!

To all those who've helped me this far in life I'll be forever grateful, each person that I have formed a friendship with as taught me something about life and living it. To my friends who have been with me for the past couple years and letting me cry on your shoulder about B and who knows what else (like endless emails, messages, etc..), thank you! To my family who is working so hard to make sure I have the best day ever, I can't express how much I love you. Finally to my B, I love you, I'm so excited to be Mrs. Taylor, and to laugh every day of forever with you!

Don't worry you know I'll take a ton of pictures, and have the best time, we all know I love to party! Hope to see you there!

Much love, 

Savy B

From Miss to Mrs.

Sadly this is the only picture I personally took of my bridal shower. My mom and sisters took the rest. It was a really fun time, and I love the all the people from Parma that came. OK and relatives NOT living in Parma. It was mostly women who have helped raise me or been my church leaders, or friends, and of course family. It turned out really fun, Mackenzie and Emma made food, as well as my grandma, mom, and Mariah. Emma did a "how well do you know Brycen game" and I got all of them right! Booyah. Ok so he missed one because he said my celebrity crush was Justin Bieber. Uh, really?! Everyone knows it's Zac Efron and Channing Tatum. I was like, um yeah I like his music but I would never DATE him. HA! Oh well. For the most part though it was fun to eat, and chat and see all the fun things I can use for my wedding. I had a great time!

I just kept thinking, oh wow this is so weird, this is my own shower. I've been to so many bridal showers I can't even name them, but it was great that it was actually my own! Sort of one of those "whoa this is crazy" moments.

I'm trying not to be overwhelmed, but I get more annoyed because I can't help my family back in Parma. I feel guilty that they are doing all the hard work and I'm here at work in Rexburg, and can't do as much as I would like. I sure am blessed to have amazing parents who know how important this day is to me. They've worked so hard (and so has the rest of my family) to make sure I'm happy and that's so great. I also have a lot of great friends too who are so willing to help and some even let me have another reception in their back yard, it makes my heart full... and I get emotional just thinking about it. Blessed indeed.

So we are 10 days away. Still a lot is needing to get done, but I get to take all next week off and that will help a lot. AH! It's crazy! So exciting too, beyond exciting really, it's awesome!

My Life Changes & Pre-Wedding Pictures!

Another weekend down, only two more to go until I get married. Yesterday at church we had Stake Conference and honestly I can say it was one of the best I've been too. Usually I sort of listen, and I don't take anything really away from it (my fault I know), but this time it was different. I was moved. I was moved to be better, and felt that prompting of get it together Savanna. I haven't felt that in a long time, that motivation to be better, I think I've just used the excuse of "well I'll be getting married, I'll make my decisions then", which is totally bogus and ridiculous. This morning thoughts of what I had learned still hadn't left my mind, and I'm sure that's part of the "do something about it". I'm just a mess of emotions, to feeling inadequate, to the feeling of fear of change, to the feeling of excitement and overwhelming stress. Isn't it just crazy? I mean I take it all in, because I've felt the feeling of "change" before.

I felt it when I graduated high school. I was no longer going to have my mom and dad there. I was moving on and being an adult. I thought I was ready but after the first week of school all I was just scared. I didn't want to make changes, I wanted to stay the same, but again it's that feeling of get it together Savanna. So I did, well and look my life was forever changed because of college and BYU-Idaho. 

When I graduated college and left for Vegas I was scared. Beyond scared. I remembered when I dropped my dad off at the airport, I cried and cried. I think my dad was scared a little because I'm the one who always has it together, but I was genuinely scared. Big town, a classroom full of students, and me just this girl from a little town in Idaho. Scary. I learned so much there, and even though I learned that I didn't want to live there forever, I found Sarah there, and well she's a friend I will have forever. Honestly, if I didn't have her there I don't know how I would have made it.

Then I graduated and I had NO idea what to do with my life. Pathetic I know. So my mom devised this plan for me to move to Florida and to take a job out there and live with my aunt. An aunt I knew but not really, I mean my grandparents were out there but still. When I said goodbye to my mom at the airport I flat out was ugly crying. I mean that cry that is so bad no one should ever really see it. I didn't want to go, but knew that I had to. I cried in the plane all the way there I'm pretty sure, and for the next couple of weeks actually. I had the hardest time embracing that change, but looking back I learned a LOT about what I believe and had the opportunity to share the gospel a TON! I would like to call this part of my life my mission, because essentially that's exactly what it felt like! It was fun to live in Orlando, and I met a lot of great people and grew closer to my extended family. I somehow always knew though that it would temporary!

Enter Idaho Falls and Rexburg, the place I never thought I would end up. A job sort of just fell in my lap and  I experienced so many things up here. I became Relief Society President, I forced myself to get involved by myself, and ultimately finding B and putting myself out there. I did things I never thought I could, and for once I fell in love with someone who fell in love with me. Now well I'm embarking on a whole other change. A change of something that's bigger than me. Something that I'm committed to forever. I am nervous, anxious, excited, and I'll admit scared. It's just a whole new realm of things that at one time I just didn't think were in my future. I am so happy though that this time I don't have to do this journey by myself, I have B. I know I'm ready to be married, it's just sometimes scary to think that now all my decisions involve a Mr. instead of just Me. 

It might sounds like I'm not ready for this next adventure or that I'm doubting but actually it's completely the opposite. I know the feeling of anxiety because it's a good thing, it keeps me on my toes, and makes the actual moment even better, because that feeling of peace knowing I'm doing the right thing in the right place makes it ALL worth it!

PS- now that I've got that off my chest here are some sneak peeks at our wedding photos! I don't want to flood the Internet with our photos yet, because we aren't married, but I can't hold it in very long! They turned out GREAT! Jaclyn Davis from Jaclyn Davis Photography (she also has a Facebook page you can follow) did them and I think they turned out positively perfect! 

And finally my super hot Fiance doesn't he look straight out of GQ?!

Being "Busy"

I love a good "to-do" list, OK so I love checking things off a list because it makes me feel accomplished; however, when you have 10 lists well that can have the opposite effect.

I swear one of my check boxes was:
"finish to do list #1"... pathetic.

Which leads me to something I've been thinking about a lot lately, about being "busy". People at work use it all the time, I'm so busy I can't help you or I'm so busy can you finish this project for me, or more importantly I'm just so busy I never have time to relax. I'm guilty of the latter. When B calls to ask me how my day was I say "busy", and that equates to a fulfilled day, when actually I hussled my way around trying to feel or be busy. When I come home from work I just think of all the things I have to get done, all the bills that need paid, when actually I just want to come home and sit down and enjoy my dinner. Isn't that what's wrong with our society? If we don't feel busy or look to be busy we feel like we are lazy? Uh no, I want to start a movement of relaxing. Relaxing or distressing is essential to your life, and B knows that sometimes I have to tell him to just sit down and talk to me. Granted things need to get done, but sometimes it's OK to just SIT.

So sit down, meditate, watch TV, read a book, or whatever you want, but stop using "busy" and an excuse. I used the term "I was too busy" like 10 times already today and I realized that is dumb. If you have things to do, awesome, get them done, but at the bottom of the to-do list should be this:

Enjoy this moment, relax and take the time to love life. Stop being so busy already!!

Need more encouragement, read this blog:
http://www.thedaybookblog.com/2012/08/a-new-goal.html

Crunch Time!

It's crunch time! 24 days to go! Isn't that just insane! I'm so giddy, but there's a lot to be done! Saturday, Sunday, and tonight I'm sure have been filled with stuffing and organizing announcements. It's such a relief to know that the date we picked will actually work. They turned out great, and I'm more than excited to send them out! I guess that makes it all the more real. My friend Clint did an amazing job creating them, I love that he lives in my head when I ask him to create something, it turns out perfect!

Hyrum and Emma came down this weekend and it was so good to see them, even for a day. We had fun just hanging out and grilling some good food, thanks to B! That Grace sure is a growing. She's seriously so darling and I'm excited to watch her grow up, she's got some catching up to do if she's going to beat Reece!

The puzzled look!

Such a happy girl! Love her bow!

What an exciting time in my life honestly, it's just like one of those moments where you sometimes have to pause and be like, this is my life and I can't believe I'm stuffing envelopes for my wedding, or making arrangements for the reception or whatever. This morning Jenn and I were talking about having faith that things happen for a reason, and knowing that God's timing is ultimately what you always need. 

I'm collecting photos for my wedding slideshow and I found some GREAT college photos. I'm sure my next post will be about all those crazy things I did back then. I mean honestly who jumps off a bridge in the pitch black? Oh wait we did! 

Happy Monday!!

Wedding News and a New Car!

How can it be August? Honestly now. I used to have to countdowns going on in my head one for what my wedding day was supposed to be (August 16th) and one that it actually is (September 6th). No worries though, we received the best news of all last Monday, an official letter from the First Presidency granting us permission to get married in the temple. It was a sweet relief to see that letter in the mailbox. B just happened to still be home so I ran inside and gave it to him and was already bawling. He just opened it up and said "well, there you go". I was jumping up and down crying, he acted like it was everyday news. HA! I guess he just knew it would come in time, hindsight we could have kept the same date, but it's that's OK. I will take what I can get! So it is official, September 6th, 11:00 am in the Rexburg Temple (and it's not MOVING)!

We've also been car shopping, ugh, seriously it was pretty hard for us. We just couldn't agree on anything, and I kept saying if we could make it through buying a car we can make it through marriage. It took compromise on both of our sides but found just what we were looking for at the right price! A 2006 Volvo XC90 with all the bells and whistles, and after getting it all cleaned up it looks fantastic. I love it, and even though it's a family car I still feel pretty awesome driving it. We got it for a great price and I know we'll love driving it for the next 10 years, HA!

We are fast approaching the end of the summer which means only a few more weeks left in Twin Falls, and then school starts. It is so crazy. This past weekend was spent just getting more things ready to go and picking up our car in Utah. We hitched a ride down there and drove the car back, and we even got to visit with Jenn for an hour or so. The last time I actually saw her was Christmas, so she still hadn't seen my ring or anything. So good to see her and her fabulous new apartment! 

I've also LOVED watching the Olympics. It is my favorite. I'm sad it's almost over!

Most importantly, happy birthday to my beautiful mother. She's 50 today! Isn't that crazy, I hope I look as good as her when I turn 50! I wish I could be there to celebrate! Happy Birthday to most important woman in my life, I would be lost without you!