A little of this, a little of that: 2011

I guess that it is time to finally update my blog. I keep looking at my last post and I tell myself that "tomorrow" I will update. So just in case anybody is still reading this (and they haven't seen all of this stuff on facebook) here is my life in 2011, so far.

My last post introduced you all to a most wonderful man, in fact, the best man in the whole world! This same man proposed to me on May 7, 2011 and I said yes! :) It was really cute, he decided to do it one night (totally last minute) because his son was with us and wanted to do something fun. So he had his son call me into the bedroom and he and I talked for a little while and then Romeo told us to come out into the living room and when we came out the lights were mostly all turned off and Romeo was kneeling in the middle of the room with the ring. I started crying and kneeled down with him (it was shaking so being closer to the ground seemed like the better option)! Then I started hugging him and kissing him and finally I pulled back enough that he could ask me if I would marry him. The rest is history.

I loved the ring so much!

We also kissed a little bit. :)

We then had a fun month before he left the country for a little bit (sorry, I can't talk about the details, but refer to last post). We went to St. George with some friends for Memorial Day weekend.

A few of our mixed couple friends! We love these guys

Romeo at Texas Roadhouse

A great display at one of the hotels in Vegas

My favorite of our engagement pictures

I love this picture of us. The place that we took them was so beautiful!

We then had the wonderful privilege of being married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple on July 22, 2011 by Elder Christofel Golden who is from South Africa and Romeo first met him in Madagascar. My husband was only home on a 3 day leave so we got married, had a 2 day honeymoon and then he left again. It was a wonderful but sad time all at once. Now we are just looking forward to the time that he is home and we can enjoy being a married couple again.

A beautiful day!

We couldn't stop smiling!

Us with Elder and Sister Golden

I love how classic this picture turned out

I love the contrast of our skins together and both of our rings are perfect

My new little family!

Well that is basically my year so far. Oh yeah, and I am almost done with my master's program. Only 8 more months to go! June 7, 2012 cannot come soon enough!

Wow, I had almost forgotten what it was like to blog! There have been many times that I have gone online and then thought, I am just too tired to think of what all to write about. So I am not going to really think at all. I am just going to ramble for a little bit. :)

This has been the hardest semester of school. Not because of the content per se, but because it feels like I have been going forever and I am only halfway done. I was recently told that after this it goes much faster. So I am trying to keep that in mind, and the fact that this semester is over halfway done. And then I will only have 2 more semesters and 2 more Spring Terms. In 1 year and 3 months I will be finished. :) I can do it!

This has also been the best semester as far as my personal life goes. I moved into a new ward in September and I have been loving it. It is an olderish (25-35) single's ward and I actually feel sort of young in it. It is very culturally diverse also. I remember telling people after the first Sunday that there were some good looking black men in this ward. There were just some good looking men period! But one guy in general kind of caught my eye. My friends and I actually started jokingly calling him my church boyfriend. The first time we met was at an FHE. It was right before Halloween and so we were supposed to dress up. I dressed up in my Hawaiian outfit with a flower in my hair. When we started talking he asked me if I was taken. I was confused and told him that. He then explained that because my flower was in my hair on the left side, which apparently means that you are taken. So my friend quickly switched it to the right side and informed him that I was not taken. :) I was a bit embarrassed after this, so we quickly left. I then proceeded to see him a few more times over the next couple of months, but nothing happened.

Until right before Christmas. It was at a Ward Prayer and we ended up talking for quite a while afterward and flirting. Then the next night our ward was going to see the lights at Temple Square, so when I saw him at the carpool he invited me to ride up with him. He also informed me that he had a ticket to go to the Jazz game. I told him that if he had an extra ticket, that I would go with him. He said that we could arrange that. So we had our sort of first date. And it was my first time at a Jazz game, and they won! After the game he asked me to go with him to his work party two days later. We went to that and have not missed a day either seeing each other or talking if one of us has been out of town.

He is so wonderful and amazing! I have always had a couple of "lists" of what I am looking for a guy. One that has things that are must-haves, like a testimony, priesthood holder, wants to have a family, kind, etc. But I have also had a list of qualities that I really liked about all of my ex-boyfriends and friends that are not essential, but I wouldn't complain if they were there. Such as liking to cook, liking to drive so that I don't have to, not being afraid to meet my family. And amazingly, he has it all. Of course he isn't perfect, but neither am I, so I don't expect him to be. But it is amazing how much better for me he is than any of the guys that I have previously dated.

So about him, his name is Romeo Andriafanomezana (yes, that really is his name, and yes, I can pronounce his last name). He is from Madagascar and has lived here in the states for 8 years. He is currently in the National Guard and that is how he became a citizen. He is divorced and has a son who is 6. His son is so adorable and such a good kid! And they both love me! He speaks French, Malagasy, and English and is wanting to learn how to speak Spanish. He has been in Canada for the last two weeks with his new job (which have been very long two weeks for me). He is being deployed to Iraq in June. But I don't let him talk about that much, I am very much in denial.

I have really been enjoying dating an African man, I love their culture and all the people that I have met. So that alone has made this winter one of the best so far. :)

And because a post can't be complete without some pictures, here they are.