The Best Week of my Life So Far!

That's right! Nathan is home! He got home on the 28th (Tuesday), and ever since then I have been meaning to blog.. but for some strange reason I have been verrrry busy lately ;) haha!

So here is how it all happened!
Tuesday, I worked pretty late (on purpose. I needed to keep my mind occupied). When I got home, I fixed myself up cute, and waited for the phone to ring. Nathan and I had agreed that we'd see each other after he was released, and without other people around. I thought I would be embarrassed with everyone watching me get emotional, or if people had expectations and it was awkward, I didn't want to have witnesses.

But it didn't happen that way...

Nathan's mom called me around 8:30pm and said that his appointment to be released had been pushed back to 9pm, and Nate was wondering if I wanted to come to the release.. but that it would be okay if I didn't too... just whatever I felt like. I just said it was up to him (even though I was dying to just jump in the car and race over there). He said he was fine either way, but that it would be really nice if I were there... So I jumped in the car and raced over there! Haha.

When I saw him for the first time, it was everything that I thought I didn't want. He wasn't released, so I couldn't hug him, and we had an audience of probably 10 people just staring at us. However, it wasn't embarrassing and horrific like I thought it would be! It was wonderful! It was hilarious! It really helped break the ice, actually! We were just kinda standing two or three feet apart and I was smiling and crying and he was smiling and not saying anything... and everyone was laughing! Then we shook hands for a few minutes (no really, we were shaking them!) as I continued to cry a little while the Ives' family friend Eric fed us lines like "Oh Nathan, it is so good to see you!" "I am so glad you are here!" etc. It was very funny, and perfect. I am so glad it happened the way that it did.

We went over to the stake center next and he was released, and it was great. It seemed so anti-climactic though, when the stake president was just like "well, okay then... you can take off your name tag. You're now released." I felt like there should be some big ta-do.. but after ALL of that time and service, it is just like "well, there ya go! You're done!" haha.. Of course he interviewed him for a while and talked to him more besides that.. but it was nice anyway.
The stake president gave him permission to hug me as we left the office, which was pretty funny (but awesome)... and ever since it's been perfect ;)

We went and saw my parents later that night too, which was so nice. I made Nathan ride in my bug with me to try and convert him to how awesome it is. He's always said he hated bugs so much, but I couldn't resist getting one when I needed a new car! I think it is growing on him because he has never really complained, even though I've given him a hard time about it ;)

The next night we carved pumpkins at his sister Rachel's house, which was really fun. I was all but dying at work all day to see him.. and I managed to control myself to just calling him once that afternoon.

Today I took the day off of work and we spent the whole day together. I only have one class on Thursdays and he came with me. We also went shopping for some MUCH NEEDED new clothes, which he let me pick out to my liking (yes it was SO fun, and he looks SO handsome). We then went to my Latter-Day Celebration Choir Halloween Party at my choir director's house. We dressed up as Samoans with our real Samoan clothes! I wore my Puletasi that he sent me the fabric for on my birthday. He said it was the most beautiful puletasi he has seen! (Hee hee.. I think he's probably a little biased, but it did turn out REALLY great.)

I am so happy he is home! I feel like smiling at every single person I pass in the hall or on the street. Everything is so much better than I ever let myself hope they would be! I was so afraid to let my hopes get too high before I knew what would actually happen.. but I never could have dreamed it could be this good!

I really wish I had brought my camera with me the night he came home! I forgot it as I flew out the door, but I've taken several pictures since for your enjoyment!

Here we are in our traditional Samoan Clothing:

Carving pumpkins at Rachel's house:

His new instrument of choice, the Ukulele:

Some of Nate's new clothes:

Here is a cute cute video I took of Nathan playing his Ukulele for me on Wednesday night:

666.. but not the beast!

This was a tag from my Cousin Bethany. You pick the 6th pic out of your 6th file and post it. Then tag 6 of your friends to do the same!

Here's Mine:
This is Cara and Caitlin.. two sisters and my fabulous friends! Caitlin and I lived together in Provo for about 8 months. Caitlin and I drove to Santa Cruz, CA in the summer of 2007 to stay with her family for a week, and this picture was taken on Sunday, right before we went to church. That was probably one of the most fun vacations I have ever been on! Not only did we just bum around the gorgeous beaches of Santa Cruz, we also got to go up to San Francisco, which was amazing. I love these girls!

I am tagging Ellen, Beverly, Tara, Jenny, Gina, and Chelesta


In other news, Nathan comes home on Tuesday! That's four days! Ahhh!!! I am so so so giddy about it. -Don't worry, I will blog about it after ;)

So Cute!!

Okay, I absolutely LOVE this commercial. I had to post it. Enjoy!

Good Ol' Fashioned Love Song

I've been thinking a lot about love songs lately. Why are there so many of them? Why are they all so different, and yet all so very alike? I know that I have my favorite love songs, but I wanted to know what other people considered to be a 'good love song'. So, I cast my net wide on facebook, looking for lots of different recommendations for other people's favorite love songs. I was quite surprised that I got a windfall of responses! For several days, people have been sending me literally LISTS of their favorites. I decided to compile some of these into a playlist HERE on my blog!

If you look to the right, you will see my playlist ------------->
(Sorry if it is a little difficult to scroll through. You can make the list scroll by clicking on the song at the bottom of the list, thus moving it to the top and scrolling in the process!)

I took at least one or two suggestions from each person, and made what I think is a really fun selection of eclectic love songs! Have fun browsing through them, and if you would like to share your favorites too, leave me a comment and I might add them to the playlist!

Almost too good to be true...

About two weeks ago, I was hanging out at my brother's apartment in Provo when a calendar was left at their door. You know the kind.. teeny tiny calendar surrounded by perforated coupons. We've all gotten them before. I was mindlessly flipping through the thing when I came across a coupon from Goldsmith Company Jewelers. It said "Free Pearl Necklace" on it, followed underneath by 'no purchase necessary'. I thought, "This is too good to be true!" but I punched it out of the calendar and stuck it in my wallet anyway.

Today, a friend from work needed a lift home, so I offered to drop her off. She happened to live near Goldsmith jewelers, so I asked her if she wouldn't mind popping in there with me to see if it was legit. So we both went in, and I walked up to the counter and said doubtfully, "Hi, I was just wondering... is this real?" as I showed him the coupon. The guy assured me that it definitely IS real, and then he offered a free strand to my friend Tiffany too! He just asked for our name and address (probably to send a mailer or something, but that is okay because I love looking and jewelry.), and then he tied some clasps onto two strands. He put them in these cute little silky bags too! So so cute!! They are completely real too! You can tell by gently scraping the pearl against your teeth, and if it is grainy, it is real. If it is smooth, it is fake. These are most definitely real! He even cleaned Tiffany's wedding ring for her and it looked as good as new! He also said that we are now 'preferred customers' in their system too, so we can qualify to get any future purchases at 40% off!

He also let me try on some of the engagement rings in the case (come on, you all know you've faked it before to just try on the rings!) and I completely absolutely fell in love with one. However, we all know the need for that is a little while off still. (but we will see..)

I asked him how in the world they were able to give any average girl off the street free pearls, and he explained it all to me. He said that they decided that instead of spending a lot of money on ineffective advertising, they were doing very little printing of advertising (luring you in with the pearls..) and spending the rest on the bait (the necklaces, obviously). He said it's been working great because they get A LOT more people to actually come into the store and see what else they have to offer. Heck, they've already practically sold me that gorgeous ring! It sounds like a pretty smart business strategy to me. Especially because they handed out all of those calendars in college apartments, full of young people just dying to get married.. it is just brilliant I think.

I told my mom about it, and she said that my dad got her wedding ring from Goldsmith Jewelers back when they were ring shopping. That is pretty cool, huh? She also is very excited about the free pearls, and she is taking all of the girls from the costume shop down there tomorrow to get their free strands.

So, ladies, go and get your free 16 inch pearl necklaces! He told me to send in all of my friends for some, and you don't even need the coupon. He didn't take mine from me at all. They were all so so nice. It was a really fun experience.

The address is:

Goldsmith Co. Jewelers
120 N. University Ave.
Provo, UT 84601


So, go for it! It is 100% legit and super fun too!

Oh, by the way... only 24 more days until Nate comes home!