THE PROPOSAL!!!

Ok, ok, I know I am super late writing this blog...but better late than never right!?

On October 1st Kory officially proposed to me! As many of you know, we have been engaged to be married since July but because I was in Europe, all of the traveling home from Virginia, trying to find married housing, getting started with school, etc.. . .We did not have time to get a ring and do that whole official proposal thing haha.

I went to lunch with my really good friend Emily that day. We went to Zupas (if you haven't tried it next time you are in Provo you HAVE to go!). After lunch Emily dropped me off at home, as I was walking to the door I noticed a note on my car that read, "You've Got A Clue! (Open me up! I am time sensitive.)". I opened the note:

Here's a game that you'll want to play,
All you must do is follow what I say.

Now you must travel from spot to spot,
And search for clues and give them thought.

Each place has a clue that'll show you the way,
So let's begin without any more delay.

Your first clue is a number,
Five should give it away.
But if that's not so helpful,
Then 5th floor's where I stay.

Go seek out your next clue...
Freebie Hint: (1340 N 200 W)

Kory and I met through an apartment complex called Alpine Village. I lived there fall semester then moved out for winter when Kory moved in. But I was still over there every day hanging out with all of my close friends. So we met there. After we started dating we spent a lot of time in his apartment (or mine). I found clue #2 on his old apartment door.

Good job you succeeded,
You found your first clue.
But here is gets tough,
So here's number two.

It was our first "date,"
No not the good food.
But it included a wheel,
A gift card, and tickets for two.

Go seek out your next clue...
P.S. When you arrive, your clue is with the ticket attendant.

Our first "date" started out as running errands. Then suddenly he was taking me to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner, then we went to the car dealership, then the movies (clue #2), then a dance party, then watched a movie, then talked about religion forever...you get the point, we totally clicked! Then we hung out every single day after that.

I went to the ticket booth and got my clue then hurried to my car to read it.

So far so good,
You've made it this far.
But can you continue
And navigate your car?

The next clue is for sure
listed as a favorite place.
It's got horses out front
And inside good tastes.

PF Changs! As most of you already know PF Changs is kind of "our restaurant." It is a special place for us. I took Kory there the first time I took him on a date (he HAD been there before, to correct a previous blog where I was thinking he hadn't). Then we ended up going there several times on special occasions. On my way to PF Changs I was beginning to think, "How many of these do I have to do!?" I called my friend Emily to ask, haha.

I got my clue from the hostess.

Confirm 7:30
With the hostess here.
Then we'll move on
So lend me your ear.

The pursuit continues,
We're far from done.
Okay maybe we're not,
But that's half the fun.

The next place to go
Is unique among all.
It's a "center" for time,
In its tower so tall.

Kory sent me back to the OTHER side of town AGAIN, haha, to a clock tower at the intersection of University Ave and Center St. I didn't know exactly where it was, so I was slightly confused at first. But then when I got there, I found a note on the door below the tower which told me to wait there and think about what a clock represented.

I sat on a nearby bench and waited a minute or two. It felt like forever! Then Kory came around from behind me dressed ever so classy. He looked so great. We both smiled at each other, he sat next to me and neither of us could stop smiling. We shared a couple of small kisses, but mostly kept staring in each other's eyes and smiling. He asked me what my answer to his question was. I said, "a clock represents time." I think he was hoping that I would go a little bit more in depth about my conclusion, but I was just anxious to hear what HE had to say!

He paused for a moment, then started to talk about how the problem with a clock is that it limits time. The thing about eternity is that it is limitless. And how he wanted to love me for time and all eternity. He talked about how we both already knew that we had made the decision to be married. But that he wanted to ask... *grabs right hand, kneels on one knee in front of me*... Ana Lee, *I quickly pull my right hand out of his and switch is to my left, we both smile and laugh* ..."will you marry me?" YESSSS!!!!! (I loved the part where he grabbed my right hand because it made it real to me, and showed me that Kory was just as anixious as I was!).

After he put the ring on my finger we sat on the bench below the clock tower in the middle of Provo, UT and just held hands and smiled and exchanged little kisses. It was such a happy moment, everything felt perfect. I love Kory so much! He is so romantic. It was a wonderful proposal because it highlighted many things that are significant to us and took me on a little journey through our relationship.





That night we went to our LDS Marriage and Family class that we are taking together. Then after class we went to PF Changs for our celebration dinner. We went to our special place, had a special dinner, and then were surprised with a special desert! Kory had arranged with the manager to do something special for us. They came our with a super cute plate that had "Congrats" written in rasberry sauce and then fruit along the outside rim. Then it had two chocolate shooter deserts. It was such a wonderful treat! I took a picture!



Then when we had the waitress take our picture with our cute little desert I tilted the plate up so you could read congrats. But the chocolate shooters slid down the plate and ruined "Congrats!" I was so bummed! Good thing I got the picture of just the plate first, haha.



Overall, it was an absolutely amazing day spent with my absolutely amazing fiance! I am so excited to marry Kory in the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and be sealed together for time AND all of eternity. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for families to be sealed together forever, not just until "death do us part." Heavenly Father loves us, and he wants us to be happy and return with our families to live with Him again. If you want to know more about the plan of happiness there are two gentleman in a white shirt with the first name "Elder" that would love to tell you all about it! Click here to learn more.

Midterms and Moving

We FINALLY got to move into our apartment! It is so awesome! We are very excited to have a home base now. Mom and I drove the Yukon pulling a trailer full of furniture for our place from Boise. I spent a few days there packing up and loading things in. It was so much work. I surprised Kory with a piano! Mom is letting us borrow hers for a few years until Kory can get his own. I hope that he is able to enjoy it. I know he would be way more excited about a TV than the piano (opportunity cost wise, if he had to choose between the two he would pick the TV). But I really wanted to surprise him with something I knew he wanted. I hope he sees it as something he will enjoy more than something that is in the way of him getting what he really wants, the TV. Our apartment is fully furnished, thanks Mom and Dad! But even better, Mom has been here to help us get settled and allow for both of us to stay here. I stay in the bedroom with Mom and Kory sleeps on an air mattress in the family room. I bet he will be so sick of air mattresses by the time November 8th rolls around. When Mom leaves I will probably go stay with my friend Emily again.

Kory has five, I repeat FIVE tests this week! He has a test in every class he is taking this semester. Which, by the way, are very challenging classes. Therefore, Kory needs to stay at the apartment more than I do right now. I can handle it a little longer, even though it kind of starts to weigh on you after a while. I think Kory and I are both feeling the burden of this awkward transitional stage. But don't worry about us! We are very happy and healthy (for now, let's hope it stays that way)! So back to the tests, Kory took his Calculus test on Friday and he got a 95% only missing one question. What a stud! He is so smart. He says he is going to contest the question he got wrong, if it's the one that he thinks it is. Oh Kory, so competitive but it really pushes him to be the best that he can be. I am so proud of him.

Since we have the Yukon and trailer down here we went and picked Kory's things up from his friends' basement (they were being stored there for the summer). Somehow when Kory was getting in and out of the car his phone was dropped on the ground in their backyard dirt. Well unfortunately, he ended up driving over his phone! Luckily, it still works! But both screens in his phone are completely shattered. So don't try to text him, and if you call be sure to leave a message because he surely cannot see a thing. That was the sad story of the weekend.

Wedding planning is coming along very well. Things are crazy busy right now. I had a consultation with the cake and flower ladies. It went really well. There was one point where we started talking about prices that I got a little stressed and my eyes watered up. My mom said, "look, she's going to cry." So of course, since she pointed it out...I cried! In front of the cake lady in the middle of my consultation appointment! It was so embarrassing. Funny how you can hold back your tears no problem as long as no one asks you what is wrong or points out that you are about to cry. Stupid birth control combined with stress makes for easy tears haha. But anyway, after that I think she felt sorry for me and she kept talking about things that she would do for free for me (and Kory). Like a 4 inch cake for Kory and I to take home, and some intricate design work that she normally charges a lot for. It was really sweet of her. I think everything is going to turn out so great! I have this vision of how I see things, and sometimes other people have different ideas than I do. That is hard sometimes, because I really am trying to make everyone happy. I hope that I am because I really do care a lot about making it a special occasion for everyone.

There is so much to do and so little time. I am super tired. But absolutely love life right now. I am so happy! I feel truly blessed to have so many amazing people in my life: my wonderful fiance, my parents, my brother, my future in-laws, my friends.

Overview in Depth- Week 1 (June 25-July 1)

WARNING: This blog ended up being extremely long.

Alright! So I've decided that each day I will try to go more in depth about one of the weeks from my "two month overview." Here is the overview list again for the week I'll be talking about.

June
25: Flew to Virginia to be with Kory!
26: I went to the Matt Nathanson concert Oceanside at Virginia Beach while Kory worked.
29: We made Sunday dinner and played games with friends then went to the beach!
30: Kory and I went on a very nice date to PF Changs (one of our favorites).

July
1: I hated saying goodbye to Kory then had to catch my international flight.


June 25th was such a long travel day! Kory and I chose the cheapest flight available, which was also the worst itinerary of course. My flight was at 7am mountain standard time and then I didn't get to Norfolk, VA until 7pm eastern time! I had like a four hour layover in Newark, NJ or something like that. Plus, in addition to having a long travel day I had to wait at the airport while Kory finished working and could pick me up at 9pm. So I spent a lot of time in airports that day! I didn't sleep much the night before because I was packing. Packing was unusually challenging because I had to pack for both a week with Kory (where I cared what I wore etc.) and 5 weeks in Europe (where it just needed to be a light load).

Here is a picture of me waiting in the Norfolk airport for Kory to finish working. I made myself a little bed in the baggage claim, I put my two bags in an L shape, then place my backpack inside the L for a pillow. It was my own little sleeping corner where I slept for like an hour or so, haha.


Eventually I moved to the benches and sat and waited. Kory called to tell me that he had just finished work and would call me when he was on his way to the airport. Maybe 10 minutes later I saw someone creeping up behind the payphones and I thought to myself "I bet that's Kory." Sure enough it was. Kory was already on his way to the airport when he called, he wanted to surprise me by getting there sooner than I expected. Anyone that knows Kory, knows that he LOVES to surprise! haha. The reunion was absolutely wonderful of course. After being apart for several weeks, it was so nice embrace.

We walked out to the car hand in hand, Kory pulling my bags behind him. His roommate Spencer was in the car waiting for us. The three of us went to an Italian restaurant at town center Virginia Beach. It was a great place with very cute decor and authentic feeling ambiance. After that we headed home and watched a movie at Kory's. I can't remember what movie, I'll have to ask him hehe.

Then we went over to Scott and Becky's! They were the wonderful, fun couple that I was so lucky to stay with when I visited Virginia Beach. I am so glad I did because they are great, I enjoy their friendship. Scott worked with Kory.

The next morning, even though we went to bed really late, I woke up early and got ready so that I could go hang out with Kory before he left for work at noon. We had cereal for breakfast then just hung out and talked until he had to leave. Then I went back to Scott and Becky's where Becky and I shared our cute little relationship stories. That afternoon we went to oceanside Virginia Beach for an outdoor concert of some really great musicians. The atmosphere was so fun! It really made me feel like I was on vacation. Too bad the boys couldn't enjoy it too! This is the picture message I sent Kory while he was working and I was enjoying the live music on the beach.


This is a picture of the crowd at the concert.


The next day, Friday, I woke up in the morning to hang out with Kory again before work again. Then that afternoon Becky and I went to The Pie for lunch with another friend. The Pie is a great pizza place close to the beach that has very gourmet combinations. It was so good! We really enjoyed going out to lunch with the girls. This is a picture that I sent to Kory while he was at work that day.


That night Kory and I just relaxed at home and enjoyed each other's company. Here is a picture Kory secretly took of me just laying around on the floor, haha.


A self portrait of Kory being silly :)


Saturday Kory had a long day of work. Becky and I went grocery shopping to get stuff for Sunday dinner and ran some other errands. We were going to go to the pool, but Virginia Beach was really really smoky that day because of wildfires in another state (I don't remember which). It was hot, and very gross outside. I felt bad for Kory having to knock door to door in that! I went and met Kory for lunch, he had already gotten a sale before lunch that day! I was so proud of him. I picked him up from work that night, too. So that he would get home faster.

Sunday we slept in, yay! I love sleeping in :) Then we went to church at the Virginia Beach single's branch in the afternoon. After church we came home and started making Sunday dinner. Kory was making BBQ ribs and veggies, I made the fruit salad, and Becky made banana cream pie! Yummy dinner! Here is a picture of Kory, the chef.


After dinner Scott, Becky, Kory and I played Phase 10 dice while we watched the movie Waterboy. Phase 10 dice was such a fun game! I'm pretty sure I won, but I can't remember. Kory is very competitive. In the beginning Scott was saying that Kory so far had the best score he had ever seen in a game. I was totally losing. Then in a twist of fate I pulled ahead! Go me! I think Kory was ok not winning as long as I was the one that won. He's so good to me :)

When the games were over Kory and I headed to the beach since the sky had finally cleared up. An evening stroll on the beach is one of my favorite things to do. It was so peaceful and romantic. It reminded me of when Kory and I first got to Virginia Beach in May (I helped him drive from Utah to Virginia). It was the first time that either of us had walked the Atlantic coast. I remember we were standing in the sand and I started singing to Kory "I dig my toes into the sand, the ocean looks like a thousand diamonds strewn across a blue blanket. I lean against the wind, pretend that I am weightless. And in this moment I am happy, happy." It's an Incubus song called "Wish You Were Here" that we both know. In fact it might be on my play list at the top of my blog? I'm not sure. Anyway, it was a great moment. One of the ones that stands out the most in my mind when I look back at the last several months. Well, back to the Sunday I was originally talking about. Here are some pics from that night. We were sitting on the lifegaurd tower overlooking the ocean and listening to the waves. The wind was blowing my hair everywhere.






Monday I spent my day repacking for Europe. Then I picked Kory up from work. We were on our way home and took a detour to the mall "really quick." We were walking through when Kory suddenly pulled me into a jewelry store! My heart started beating really fast as he walked me through the store and sat me down in front of the diamond rings. We had been talking about marriage quite a bit over the last several weeks. But this week when we were together we both knew without a doubt that we wanted to be married for eternity! That was the moment that it suddenly became very very real.

After our little detour, Kory and I headed home so we could change clothes before going out to dinner. We wanted to go out on a date our last night together before I left for Europe the next day. We went to PF Changs. We both love PF Changs. The first time Kory had ever been there was when I took him there on a date back in March. We went there again on a date when we were in Virginia Beach together in May. And now again in June because I got Kory a gift card there as a special surprise I sent him in the mail. So it has kind of become "our restaurant." It was a wonderful night. After our date we came home and I changed into comfy clothes. We just hung out and enjoyed each other's company. Here are some pics from after the date. Kory took another secret picture of me laying on the ground, haha.



The next day was the sad day that we had to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes! Kory drove me to the airport and helped me check in. While we were waiting in line I had one of my favorite songs playing over and over in my head so I pulled out my iPhone and shared it with Kory. "Bruised" by Jack's Mannequin. The lyrics go, "I packed my bags I'm good to go. You met me at the terminal. Just one more plane ride and it's done. We stood like statues at the gate. Vacation's come and gone too late... Hours pass and she still counts the minutes that I am not there. I swear I didn't mean for it to feel like this, like every inch of me is bruised." Kory told me he really felt like his "other half" was leaving him, and I couldn't agree more. I'm glad that my plane was delayed and he was able to stay and have lunch with me. Here are some pictures from the airport.




Well, there you have it! Week 1 of my two month overview. I hope you enjoyed the in-depth version. I'm sorry it ended up being so long!

Be Thou Humble, Charity Never Faileth

Today has been a rough day for me. But I have had the chance to think a lot about how grateful I am for my life and my amazing family. Sometimes things stress you out. But you just have to get over yourself. I absolutely LOVE Mondays because I get to email my best friend in the whole world, my brother! He is serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Ventura County, CA. I have decided to share our conversation today:


Hey brother.

Man, I have a lot of lessons to learn. Today I had a moment of emotional weakness and I felt like I needed to talk to someone about what was on my mind. I started going through the list of people that I would want to talk to and it suddenly came to me that I can talk to my Heavenly Father. I always forget that I can talk to him at anytime anywhere. I knealt in prayer, I'm not going to lie it wasn't the most amazing prayer ever or even the most comforting feeling. But it reminded me that I need to call Heavenly Father as often or more often than I call Mom everyday, haha. It is so easy to get truckin through life taking on the world on your own and to forget that you have a "lifeline" or a "fallback" person, that you don't have to do it on your own.

I have overcome so many things. So much of overcoming these things was just overcoming myself. I can tell when I lose my focus because out of no where I will crave my weakness. It will be completely random. I will be driving down the street in Provo and feel stressed out for a second and all the sudden have that craving. I think it is a process to learn how to be so indulged in the gospel and your persuit of the Lord's will that you don't crave your weaknesses.

This month's visiting teaching message was charity. I did my visiting teaching yesterday. I had the opportunity to sit and think about what the Christmas season is for. The message was from Howard W. Hunter. He talked about how "Those who are filled with the love of Christ do not seek to force others to do better; they inspire others to do better, indeed inspire them to the persuit of God." It made me think about my relationships with my family, and friends. I am fasting and praying that I will be able to have the light of Christ, and be so full of charity that I will be able to inspire the people that I love the most to do better. My mind is just running, I'm trying to think of things that I can do to help others. I think that in order to help them, first I need to be strengthened. I think that focusing on me and what I can do to improve, will help me receive inspiration on how to help them.

Yesterday I went to the church website and downloaded a bunch of stuff from the audio library. I downloaded some music and the intro to the Book of Mormon in Spanish. I decided I am going to try to learn spanish from reading the Book of Mormon. I have also decided that I am going to read the entire Book of Mormon before the end of the year. That means I need to read like 25 pages a day. Mom said she is going to do it with me. I need to ask Dad if he will, too.

This week has been a good week. I have been sick. I don't know what is wrong with my health but it is out of control. I feel tired and sick everyday. I am going to start taking some herbal suppliments and I got a personal trainer at the gym. So hopefully I can start to get a lot better soon.

This week is the last week of classes so I have a TON of school stuff to do. Next week is finals. It is going to be a crazy 2 weeks!

Oh man, I love you so much! I hope that everything is going really really well for you and that you are happy. I think of you constantly and pray for you too. I miss you and love you so much! I am so proud of you. Keep working super hard and doing the best that you can, then rely on the Lord for the rest. Keep the faith!

Peace!

LOVE LOVE LOVE,
Ana Lee



I am completly dumbfounded by the spirit that I get from your E-mails. I love you so much, and yes everything you are saying is absolutly true, about most of our challanges come from changing ourselves. I have learned the lossong of being a light to others while on my mission. We learn very clearly here the lesson of agency. President Ellsworth has told us "you cannot fix the problems of others" It is so true. We shouldn't even try, it is up to tohers to choose rightousness and to fiz their own problems, all we can do is the best we can, and love them. I love you so much. you are an example for me. You have always paved the path to show me what to do..... You're getting a packgage soon :)

Love,
Elder Stephen