Christmas is coming....

We got our very first real Christmas tree! It was altogether quite exciting. Brandon's never had a real tree and our house smells delicious! I LOVE decorating for holidays...but this is by far the funnest holiday to decorate for! I could sit and look at Christmas lights, cuddled up in a blanket endlessly. It is so warm and comforting. It is so fun to decorate my home...not just my room or apartment I share with other girls....but my very own house....with my very own husband.

Here's our beautiful tree!

We also went on Friday night to a live presentation of Glenn Beck's, A Christmas Sweater. We loved it! We cried! It was really powerful. It's basically a one man show of him telling a really powerful story of his childhood. Here's a little preview. They are doing a showing in theaters on the 17th, so if you are able to see it, I would highly recommend it!




Merry Christmas!!!

28 is Great!

Having just turned 28 and having just had a wonderful birthday with many of my loved one's, especially my fabulously amazing husband, and seeing this list on a few people's blogs, I thought it would be a fun little list of a few things I've been blessed to experience in my life.....and a few things to look forward to in the future. This includes a list of things done, and in italics, a list of things yet to do. And then a few things I don't care to ever do!

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars
3. Visited Hawaii
4. Watched a meteor shower
5. Given more than you can afford to charity
6. Been to Disneyland/world
7. Climbed a mountain
8. Sang a solo
9. Bungee jumped
10. Visited Paris
11. Watched a lightning storm at sea
12. Taught yourself an art from scratch
13. Adopted a child
14. Had food poisoning
15. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
16. Grown your own vegetables
17. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
18. Slept on an overnight train
19. Had a pillow fight
20. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
21. Built a snow fort
22. Gone skinny dipping
23. Run a Marathon
24. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
25. Seen a total eclipse
26. Watched a sunrise or sunset
27. Been on a cruise
28. Seen Niagara Falls in person
29. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
30. Taught yourself a new language
31. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
32. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
33. Gone rock climbing
34. Seen Michelangelo’s David
35. Sung karaoke
36. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
37. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
38. Visited Africa
39. Walked on a beach by moonlight
40. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
41. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
42. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
43. Kissed in the rain
44. Played in the mud
45. Gone to a drive-in theater
46. Seen a movie being filmed
47. Visited the Great Wall of China
48. Started a business
49. Taken a martial arts class
50. Visited Russia (or any of the former soviet republics)
51. Served at a soup kitchen
52. Gone whale watching
53. Got flowers for no reason
54. Gone sky diving
55. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
56. Flown in a helicopter
57. Saved a favorite childhood toy
58. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
59. Eaten Caviar
60. Pieced a quilt
61. Stood in Times Square
62. Toured the Everglades
63. Been fired from a job- I don’t want to talk about it
64. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
65. Broken a bone
66. Been on a speeding motorcycle/scooter
67. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
68. Published a book
69. Visited the Vatican
70. Walked in Jerusalem
71. Had your picture in the newspaper
72. Read the entire Bible
73. Visited the White House
74. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

75. Had chickenpox
76. Saved someone’s life
77. Sat on a jury
78. Met someone famous- Danny Glover
79. Joined a book club
80. Lost a loved one
81. Had a baby
82. Seen the Alamo in person
83. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
84. Been stung by a bee
85. Lived in a foreign country

Items from my personal list of accomplishments and “somedays”

86. Live in Europe

87. Go on a hot air balloon ride

88. Get Married in the temple

89. Graduate from College

90. Be able to cook- invent a new recipe

91. Have really long hair

92. Chop my hair super short

93. See a rocketship take off and Cape Canaveral

94. See a Broadway play in New York

95. Learn to play the guitar

Future Offspring

It turns out you can get a sneak peak at what you're kids are going to look like.

Don't worry, this is not a reality any time in our near future...and hopefully our little guy won't be as creepy as this kid, but he's still a little bit cute. I must admit I am pretty excited to meet our future little Harmon Jr someday....please note.....someday.....in the future.

For the record, Calvin is really a name Brandon wants for a little boy, and because I don't want to name our kid Calvin and call him Cal....I thought I'd be nice and at least give him one kid named Cal. Congratulations Brandon....you're a virtual Daddy!

On another note, I wanted to officially bid Fall farewell. I'm sad that my favorite season of the year is over. No more light jackets and crisp walks in the cool air, crunchy leaves, and sunshine. It was another beautiful season,

But there are many more reasons why I am happy today. Besides giving birth to a virtual bubbling baby boy, I am happy that it snowed all day today. That the holidays are beginning. That it is November, which not only is Thanksgiving, but also my birthday, and the launch of the Christmas festivities! I'm happy I got to whip out our Cocoa Maker and I can now start my day with deliciously hot & frothy cocoa. I am happy that this month Brandon and I have been married for 3 whole months! Everyday is still an adventure.

Ode to Brandon

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY HUSBAND!

I sure am glad he was born and I'm so glad he's a part of my life forever.

& appropriately, as we saw on that girls shirt at Lagoon.....

never forget...

OWL LOVE YOU!
(it took me a few times saying it out loud before I got it!)

I May or May Not Be A Dinosaur

Just a little random fact sharing about some inner workings of my life (don't expect deep insights at this point....be patient....wait for it...)

Have you ever lifted too much weight at the gym before your body was able to really handle it? I was a victim of a very intimidating and almost scary instructor at my gym in a weight lifting class. I haven't been to the gym in several months, (ok, maybe 6, or maybe 8) and I just started getting back into it this month. So I went to this class, and didn't think I killed myself....but the past 3 days have told me other wise.

Basically, right now, I feel like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. My biceps have ripped so much that it is literally painful to straighten my arms. I walk around with them bent in front of me. It takes a slow and painful process to stretch and straighten them out. I've never been more grateful for the ability to extend my arms in my entire life. Needless to say, I think I bit out too big of a chunk than my body could handle. And those instructors....they sure are good at what they do. I didn't want to let her down, I didn't want to appear weak....and I didn't want her to keep looking at me like that when I cheated....so I pushed myself, I "worked it".....and I am now paying for it.

Lesson Learned: Don't expect to be able to handle the same level of strength and exertion you could 6 months ago. And don't give in to the peer pressure of perfectly toned and intimidating Gym instructors. I can't wait until I can walk normal and swing my arms at my side again like the average Homosapien. I think there is also a hidden lesson of gratitude thrown in there. I feel a new sense of sympathy for the poor T-Rex's that have such little use of their arms. It reminds me of scene from meet the Robinsons.

Now I know. I guess sometimes you have to learn a lesson the hard way.

I've had a few requests for an update, and some honeymoon pictures. I'll start with the latter.

Brandon and I went to Sarasota, FL for our Honeymoon. We stayed in a beautiful 3 story condo (friend of my dad's)...had an absolute blast....and unfortunately, didn't take too many pictures....but here are a few.

(possibly a result of listening recently to Nelly Furtado's,
"I'm like a bird"....that or it's just hard to resist the
urge not to run into a flock of birds!)

(A sunset stroll)





(enjoying our favorite game....beach side)


(how could you not be in love with a sunset like that?!)

As for an update. Being married these last almost 2 months (can you believe it's been 2 months?) has been so fun! It is a whole new world to be aware of someone else besides yourself for 24 hours a day. (that makes me sound really selfish....and it's kinda true.) We have had a lot of fun learning about how to be married! It is an inevitable crash course and you can either laugh the whole way, or get all worked up about it. Brandon has a few adorable quirks that I never really knew to expect when living with a man. I don't know how he would feel about me posting this to the world, (or at least the 6 of you that ever read this!) but I'm pretty sure he never reads my blog, so we should be ok! They're totally adorable though....and maybe a lot of men do this. No idea! I've only ever lived with one.

Quirk #1- He likes to take off his shirt when he brushes his teeth.....to check himself out and flex for a good solid 2 or 3 minutes!

Quirk #2- He likes to hang the pants he's wearing tomorrow on the door.

Quirk #3- He talks in his sleep all the time! He is actually a very animated sleeper.....he twitches, and shakes hands, and has a very expressive face when he's dreaming....and has even gotten in a few fights. He threw a right hook one night, and unfortunately, as it came down from the invisible face he just knocked out in his dream.....I was the recipient of the end of that punch.

Not really my favorite way to be woken up in the middle of the night.

So now, the rule is....cuddle for a little bit, and once he dozes off.....I scoot over as far away from him as I can!

Quirk #4- He gets about 1 or 2 lines of a song stuck in his head, and he sings those 1 or 2 lines over and over and over and over again.

I think that is all I can and should share! It is a blast being married to this man. We are still figuring out schedules, routines, and roles....but that's all part of the fun. I have also just recently re-surfaced from married never-never land....and have made contact with other earthlings and friends that I have neglected (with all the love in my heart) for the last 2 months. I'm grateful for their patience as I put all my time and energy into this new husband of mine for a little bit.

Also, it's Fall....and that could not make me any happier. Life is pretty dang dong darn good!

Get Married....Done and Done!

Check it off the list. I did it, I rocked it....I loved every minute of it! I am officially married.....wedded....hitched....and you know what? It is awesome!!! It was the most perfect beautiful day EVER! Brandon was the most handsome amazing groom. Then there was the honeymoon.....Florida....could not have been more perfect! I can already tell I have the best husband ever! (I am trying to use that word as much as possible hoping that one of these days it won't feel so foreign to say the word husband!)

We're still in the process of setting up our little house. And we were hooked up with SO many gifts, our little house is stuffed to the gills! We're still figuring out where to put it all!

Here is our photographers blog to check out some picks


http://volkelimage.blogspot.com/2008/08/arianne-brandons-wedding.html


.....and here a few snapped by others!

Needless to say, it was pretty much the best day of my life! I can't wait to see what other amazing things happen now that I have Brandon by my side for the rest of eternity!

I'll write more about the blisses of married life a little later!

T-minus 17 and Counting...

Hello, my name is Arianne, and I am getting married in 17 days!

I must admit, the reality of this is a little bit difficult to wrap my mind around.

Not that I couldn't be MORE excited for it....and to be with the man I love for the rest of my life and for all eternity...and it is such a beautiful and amazing blessing to have him in my life...but it is still, as Brandon says, "a little surreal." (I find that to be a bit of an understatement!)

For those of you who haven't seen....we have a wedding blog with some of our engagement pics and other wedding info.

arianneandbrandon.blogspot.com

I'd love to hear any wedding tips...wife tips...life tips....that anyone has to share, because as NBC has tried to tell us for years.....

Pending Nuptial!!

So many 3 month periods in my current 27 years of existence, but these last 3 months have been among the best!.....and at the end of these most recent 3 months, I am happy to announce to the world that I am...how you say...

Engaged!!

You know this guy Brandon I told you about earlier?

That's the guy that asked me if I would marry him and be his eternal sweetheart.

And you know this girl?

This is the girl that said yes, and then cried.

The Story: May 2nd, 3 months since our first date, Brandon says he wants to take me to dinner to celebrate. That day I got a dozen roses delivered to my door, he picked me up after work and took me to the Melting Pot for dinner!

I didn't see it coming because he had sneakily thrown me off his scent by telling me he was having my ring custom designed, and that it wouldn't be ready for 3 or 4 more weeks......Anyway, after dinner, right around sunset, we headed up towards Ensign Peak and took a walk up in the hills overlooking the city. As we were walking, Brandon stopped and said he had a rock in his shoe. He sat down, and took his shoe off.....turned it over, and dumped out my ring! He had it taped in his shoe all night! That is quite the rock to have in your shoe eh?!

Well, you know the rest.....he asked the question, and I said the little answer (the one that rhymes with Guess...not the one that rhymes with Snow). We stayed up there and snuggled under blankets and star gazed for a bit, then came back to his place where he had whipped out this little number....

Candle, Rose Petals, and Strawberry Shortcake....my favorite! Can we say Mr. Romantic? He has knocked me off my feet from day 1. He is everything I could have ever asked for in a man I love, and more!

The Details: We're getting married in Denver, Colorado on August 2nd.....and I tell you what, it could not come soon enough! As far as planning goes, in less than 2 weeks, I already have my dress, my reception planned, my invitations picked, my cake, my colors, the honeymoon booked & Brandon's Ring. Not bad right? This wedding planning stuff is a breeze! I cannot wait to be a wedded woman, a wife, in the left-hand ring club, officially off the market, start receiving my monthly subscription to the Eternal Bliss Newsletter....and mostly to have someone with me every step of the way for the rest of my life, to help me become all that is in me to become, and love and support me and will let me be the same for him.

For a guy I grew up with, and hardly remember going to my Senior Homecoming with.....

(the penguin is also invited to the wedding)

I'm so glad he showed up in my life again 10 years later. He has turned out to be quite the studly catch....and such a perfect match you would think God tailor made him just for me! And now he's mine.....all mine! Can life get any better than this?

(taken right after he proposed)

Guess Who Was Born?!

I happen to know of someone, someone I like very well.....who was born today. She is an all around phenomenal person who puts the "N" in Neat, the "oo" in Cool, and the "some" in awesome. Her success in surviving and thriving 25 entire years is worth a celebration, a parade, an entire holiday!

*It's not Santa Clause, though she does spread happiness and cheer wherever she goes.

*It's not Oprah or Dr. Phil, but she is a great listener and has great advice.

*It's not Mother Theresa, but she does serve and love everyone she comes in contact with.

*It's not Julia Roberts or Billy Crystal, but she is beautiful and has a power house smile that can brighten a room!

*It's not Ansel Adams or Edward Westin, but she is a very talented and artistic photographer.

*It's not Einstein or Erkel, but she is very intelligent and has an insatiable thirst for knowlege.

It IS my baby sister Rebecca...Rebeccer...Becca Bot...Bec Tech...or to most of us, Becca.

Happy Birthday Becca!
Thank you for existing and being a blessing in our lives!

Introducing....

I've tapped into the euphoria, or concentrated glee, of the proverbial cloud 9 now and again in my life. But ever since I met this guy....I haven't touched ground since.

I'd like you to meet Brandon.

He's pretty darn great. I mean, on a scale of 1 to totally awesome, he's definitely hanging out up there with all of the big wigs like amazing, wonderful, stellar....rad.

He's the reason I break into a smile sporadically during the day.

He's the one I can't seem to quite get enough of, no matter how much time we spend together.

It is his hugs that I have now come to crave and don't feel like my day is complete until I get one.

This is him.....

and for the sake of simplicity, let's just say.....He's great!

A Birthday is Today-O!

For exactly 12 days, my parents are the same age, and then my dad races 1 year beyond my mother. Today is that very day. Today, my dad was born! This is to tell the 5 or 12 of you who read my blog that I love and honor and appreciate and could not be more grateful and happy about the fact that this guy (some call dad, some call Jack, some call pappy) was born. (also, no one really calls him pappy....) Someone once told me that the best part about getting older, is you have more choices of what age you get to act.

Anyway, He is my boss, my buddy, and he also happens to be the best father in the world. Even though he is considered a mentor to millions, his job on this earth would have been complete because he is a hero to the 4 kids he brought into it.

LOVE YOU DAD!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

(We're not too far off from this my dear father!)

Also, 2 other things added to the complete delight of this day.

First, I washed the dishes this morning, and after plopping some soap in the sink, a HUGE bubble came out and floated all around the kitchen and even went into the living room. It was alive for almost 2 and a half minutes. I followed it around and was trying not to imagine myself in the sequel of the Abyss. (which I was ridiculously unsuccessful at....)

Secondly, once a year for 1 short month celebrating Easter only, a company called Fernwood makes the most delicious delicacy in existence. I have missed the opportunity to partake for 2 years in a row now, and so it is the mere memory of the taste of this amazing mouth shattering experience that has gotten me through. And today, thanks to the help of my grandmother announcing their arrival....I went and got a whole BOX! They're called Almondettes....and once you taste of this palatable piece of pure bliss.....then you'll know what I mean. If nougat had a king, it would be the Almondette. If almonds and chocolates ever wanted to combine and be groupies of one treat, and one alone...it would be the Almondette.

So here's to pure awesomeness in all it's forms - lovable fathers, everlasting bubbles, and life altering desserts!

So this is Bliss.....

In the last few weeks, there have been a couple of reasons that have contributed to the fact that I go to bed each night with a smile on my face that seems to never dissipate, and is still there when I wake up. I am, how you say, deliriously, ridiculously happy.

Today, one of the reasons contributing to this feeling is because it is the day my mother was born! She is an amazing woman. If I ever become 1/3rd of the person she is, then I'm set! I am so grateful for her role in my life as my mother and my very dear friend.

Happy Birthday Mama!
Here's to YOU!

Walking Man's Road

I just wanted to share some things I learned re-watching my childhood favorite movie this week, The Last Unicorn. (a highly entertaining film that was a integral part of my formative years)

• Never run from anything immortal, it attracts their attention

• Dragons not only have fiery insides and ice cold skin, but they speak 17 languages readily, and are subject to BOUNCE.

• Be rary of wousing a rizard's wrath - rousing a rizard's - Be wary of making a magician angry!
  

• It's a very rare person who is taken for what he truly is.
  

To me, it is imperative that all people know these truths.

Switching Gears.....

There are a few songs I've listened to this week that have meaningful and poetic lyrics which have set the tone for my week. They are as follows:

"There's only one thing that I know how to do well, and I've often been told that you only can do what you know how to do well; and that's be you...be what you're like...be like yourself....and so I'm having a wonderful time, but I'd rather be whistling in the dark."

"Let me hear that, get me near that, crunchy granola suite, drop your shrink and stop your drinkin’, crunchy granola's neat. "

"Not counting the feathered scarves, and not counting the scared rabbits; not counting the soiled woman, and not counting the amateur trumpet sounds, and not counting the angry asian...."

Oh me, good times....good times! What would life be without good music and magical unicorn movies? All I know is that is a life I hope I never have to face. Speaking of face's....here's a doosey.....

That should fulfill my completely random quota for the day plus or minus a month.

Save a life...

It happened again.

I was telling someone about my near death, caught in a riptide, traumatizing experience in Salvador, Brazil this summer (I went with my two sisters in August....2 words...awesome).

ANYWAY - the point is, as I re-tell my reasoning for having a love/hate relationship with the ocean and re-live the drama, all for a story's sake, it is without fail that 90% of the people interject mid story and say, "Don't you know you're supposed to swim parallel with the shore?"

WHERE WAS I THE DAY EVERYONE IN THE WORLD LEARNED THIS TRICK? Did I ditch that day? Was I sick? Loitering in the halls? I have no idea, but for some reason, everyone seems to know about it except me. For the 7 of you out there who still don't know, the trick is this; if you are ever caught in a riptide, you are supposed to swim parallel to the shore, and eventually you will be pushed back into shore rather than exhaust yourself in the futile effort of trying to swim directly back in.

It would have been PRETTY helpful to have a tip like that stored somewhere in the nicely organized files of my head under "R" for Riptide, "A" for Avert Death, "H" for How Not To Freak Out Right Now, or "N" for Nemesis, Ocean.

Well, in case you don't know the end of the story - I survived. It was actually my sister and I out there....she survived too. Luckily a lifeguard was keeping tabs on us as he saw us get too far out, (not in a cool hippie way) and he came out to get us. He probably waited so long because he figured eventually we'd start swimming parallel to the shore.

We both lived to drink another Guarana, see another sunset and make another fishy face.

(notice how my head is being pulled back into my neck and
my eyebrows are going vertical. It is apparent that a good
time was being had, or I just cracked myself up with a joke!)

The moral of the story kids is to watch more TV - Discovery, Man vs. Wild, Survivor, America's Next Top Model...these are where everyone must learn the things that REALLY matter when it comes down to life or death.

So spread the word....and the word is Swim Parallel. Say it in passing, in salutations and in closing prayers. You just might save a life.

To Blog or not to Blog?

In the last month, my life has changed ever so slightly. I have a new filter introduced in my brain. The daily things that happen, the things I think, the new things I learn about....as these occur, the thought now seems to always cross my mind.....is this something I could write about on my blog? Ridiculous. So, even though the answer has not been yes in a while, I think I should at least begin to set some sort of parameters.

Things not to blog about:

• How I feel about small animals
  
• Is that a new shampoo you're using?
• I just rearranged my room
• I think I just saw the future in my oatmeal
  
• Hey, is that a new sweater?
  
• What time I woke up
  
• Knock knock jokes....ok....all jokes
• What new mythical creatures can be created by putting wings on regular animals?
  
• The miscellaneous things in my cupboard
• Re-tell stories I read on other blogs
• 101 things to do with your blender
• I locked myself out of the house again?
• How many green lights I made on my way home
  
• Why Red is best
• Cheated death again today
• Lessons learned from watching Bob Ross

Things TO blog about:

• Why I'm like this
• That was pretty funny when....
  
• Read something really cool today
• Adventures whilst driving
• Learned a new skill - who knew balloon animals were so easy?
• Epiphanies...Great or Small
• The joys of traveling
  
• Something I learned
  
• Survival techniques
• Interpreting dreams
• I took a picture today, and here it is for your viewing pleasure
• Amazing & possibly life altering analytical conclusions of the world and everyone in it.
• The neat people in my life

That's a start at least.....