Bridals

Holy cow it's been a month!  A whole entire month since I married my very best friend.  I can't get over it!  Somehow those thirty days flew right by us.

Since it's our month mark I figure why not celebrate by posting our bridals that I am still secretly obsessing over…. Our photographer, Tracy Hill, was a dream to work with.  Not only did she reschedule with us many, many, many times but she was magic behind the camera and got some of the most fabulous shots.   

I wanted more than anything to get a first look shot.  And that shot made me nearly pee my pants.  As I stood there waiting for the shot to get set up, staring at the most gorgeous flower arrangement, I realized this was one of the days I had been looking forward to my whole entire life.  The day my soon-to-be-husband would see me in the dress I had dreamed about since I was a little girl.  And that's when I started getting insanely nervous.  So nervous my mouth went dry and my heart felt like it was going to pound right out of my chest.

Looking back now, I can't even explain why I was so nervous.  I knew Andrew would be a good fiancé and tell me he loved my dress even if he didn't.  I think it was just that nervousness you get for any moment that you have been looking forward to your whole life.  And luckily thanks to our photographer, videographer, florist, and our giggling mothers in the background that moment was perfect.  

And if you aren't sick of us quite yet you can also check out our first look video.  Done by the fabulous Chase Busath who kept us laughing the entire time.

Honeymooning

Honeymoons…. they are quite honestly the best.  And if I could I would take at least five more of them.  There is nothing better than having an excuse to do nothing but just sit in the sun all week long.  And that is just what we did.

We started with two nights in Park City.  We stayed in the most fabulous hotel and to our surprise they upgraded our reservation (perks of being a newlywed couple) to a room with a personal Jacuzzi on a little balcony that overlooked the entire canyon.  It was better than I could ever imagine.  A full day of good food, laying out by the pool, and walks along main street.  Then we were off to Cabo.

Neither of us had ever been to Mexico.  And after one hour of feeling completely lost and slightly swindled I began to wondered why in the world we didn’t stay at an all-inclusive resort.  However... by the end of the week I was extremely happy we didn’t, because by not staying at a resort we were forced to actually get out of our comfort zone and explore the city.  A city full of incredible food, phenomenal people, and some of the most amazing sights.

One of our first excursions was to “Lover’s Beach,” one of the last beaches found on the Baja peninsula.  The beach can only be reached by boat.  So we bargained our way onto a glass bottom boat.  "Glass bottom boat" was an extremely deceiving name.  It's more like a "one-little-dirty-slit-of-window-you-maybe-see-three-fish-out-of-boat," but nonetheless I still loved every minute of it.  

The ride to the beach also included a quick tour of the famous arch.  It was stunning. 

On Lover's Beach I discovered my really odd love for every kind of living creature as I became completely ecstatic when we passed sea lion rock.  And when we ran into a woman with an iguana you cannot even imagine how excited I was.  I was even more thrilled when she let me hold it.

I "took one for the team" and watched our stuff while Andrew cliff jumped.  

Cliff jumping = not my thing.  Blue water and flawless beaches = totally my thing.

That night we ate at what became one of our very favorite restaurants,  “Mi Casa.”

I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere.  Hand painted chairs, flowers pouring in from the ceiling, and lanterns galore.  It was the little Mexican restaurant I had always imagined.  Andrew fell in love with the sauces.  Six different dipping sauces = one happy husband. 

Wednesday was scuba diving.  And yes, I was nervous the whole ride there.  First dive in the open water…. EEK.  But to my relief it turned out fabulous and I was of course obsessed with the thousands of living creatures we saw.  

Turns out I am super photogenic underwater… NOT… I promise I was actually loving it despite the look on my face.

The fish were EVERYWHERE.  And not the least bit shy.  They swam right up to us and most of the dive we found ourself swimming right along with the prettiest schools of fish you have ever seen.

The puffers were my very favorite.  I was OBSESSED with their wide eyes and lopsided bodies.  

And don't even get me started on the starfish.  SO NEAT.

Thursday was the only day that it was not 1203975234 million degrees.  In fact it was very cloudy and slightly rainy making it the perfect day to visit Flora Farm.

Flora's Farm was started by an American couple.  It is an all organic farm and restaurant located in literally the middle of nowhere.  But that is what makes it so magical.  An oasis of green in the middle of the dustiest of deserts.  

The food was TO DIE FOR.  Homemade butter, fresh bread, and hand grown vegetables.  I craved the lunch we had there the rest of the trip.   

SHRIMP RATATOUILLE 

and CARROT CAKE I couldn't get over  

Full of the BEST food, we nearly started crying when the waiter informed us that an older couple next to us had paid for our meal.  If they ever read this blog somehow THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  

I loved the food so much I wanted to take it home and I nearly did when I stumbled upon their organic market.

If you are going to Cabo any day soon I HIGHLY recommend Flora's Farm.  SO GOOD.   

Early mornings and evenings were my favorite in Cabo.  Partly because the temperatures were actually bearable and partly because the views of the sunset and sunrise were breath taking. 

Not to mention the most delicious pastries we ate on our balcony every morning for breakfast.    

And that view from our balcony.  So fabulous.  

So cheers to our first adventure as newly weds

Can't wait to spend a lifetime with my very best friend

Engagements

I have a thing for Andrew.  

I think that is pretty dang obvious.  

Somehow he kind of has a thing for me.  

And we have a thing for red rocks.  

Canyoneering, jeeping, camping, hiking, climbing.  Anything to do with those red rocks has our name all over it.  And of course most of the major moments in our relationship have happened in red rock land.  

FIRST KISS:  on top of one of Moab's greatest jeeping trails, Hell's Revenge.

FIRST TIME WE SAID "I LOVE YOU": after sky diving over the canyon lands of Moab.

So seeing as some of my favorite moments have happened in some of Utah's most gorgeous canyon lands, I thought it was only appropriate to take our engagements pictures in yet another one of my favorite red rock canyons, Capital Reef.  

I will admit I was a tad bit stressed about engagements.  Andrew and I are not the most photogenic couple and most of our pictures consist of both of us sticking our tongues out. But luckily my soon-to-be brother and sister-in-law are magical with the camera.       

And to top it all off… our classic pose.  We couldn't help it.

Canyoneering

This weekend we went to Capital Reef for a little engagement photo shoot session and as an added bonus we got to go CANYONEERING.  

If we are being honest, until this weekend I had absolutely no idea what "canyoneering" really meant.  And when I originally agreed to the trip I agreed because:  

A.  I wanted to be semi-warm while shooting engagements and somewhere down south sounded much warmer than the bipolar weather Salt Lake has to offer. 

B.  The term "canyoneering" just sounded really neat.  It sounded completely unlike your typical take-a-hike-in-the-mountains kind of adventure.  It sounded like a real exploration. And it was something totally NEW and foreign.  And lately… I am all about new.  

So when Sarah and Pat suggested we go…  I, of course, said... HECK YA. 

Canyoneering was everything I expected but nothing I had imagined all at the same time.  If that makes any sense at all.  Ultimately it was NEW.  With lots to learn.  But that's why I love new things.  Because new experiences means learning and quite honestly I love learning.  

It turned out being one of my favorite adventures yet.  So here's to Sarah and Pat for taking stellar engagements, planning a fabulous trip, and teaching me...  

TEN THINGS I DIDN'T KNOW WHEN I WAS A CANYONEERING NOOB:   

#1:  You don't repel.  You rappel.  All week I had been thinking we were going repelling… hahaha I kill myself sometimes. 

#2:  Your right hand must NEVER leave the rope.  Never ever ever.  Or you may very well die.  EEK.   Please note that right hand death grip on the rope below.  

#3:  The Seven Wives are seven slot canyons found in Capital Reef.  This weekend we did Wife #5 and Wife #3.  Although Wife #5 is supposed to be the prettiest slot canyon with a total of five rappels; Wife #3 was by far my favorite… Probably because it began with my very favorite rappel of all… 

the 200 footer. 

  

A M A Z I N G

#4:  Wife #3 is INCREDIBLE.  Seriously, it blew my mind.  200 feet of nothing but pure exhilaration.  It was incredible to be so high.  To take in views that very few other humans have ever had to the opportunity to see.  And to feel so insanely small.  

#5:  I may possibly also love Wife #3 so much because quite honestly it made me feel like I could conquer the world.  I mean I just descended 200 feet… what can't I do?  

I am INVINCIBLE.  

Until I remind myself of the incident that occurred in #6.  

#6:  I can rappel 200 feet.  No big deal.  But I have major meltdowns when asked to trust fall over small five foot crevices.  Shaking.  Pure terror.  Another one of those ridiculous-this-really-shouldn't-be-as-scary-as-I-am-making-it moments.  Where I ALMOST started begging to be left behind.  And stated "I just don't think I am cut out for canyoneering."  But luckily Andrew is super patient.  And super persistent.  And luckily Sarah and Pat only found the incident to be completely humorous.  So we all got over it… after fifteen minutes of coaxing from the world's best fiancé.  

  

#7:  I am now a huge a fan of canyoneering.  And totally cut out for it now that I overcame what we now call "Beth's Wedge." 

#8:  "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire is never a suitable trip theme song.  Even though Andrew insisted it was.  And sang it continually during the 48 hours.  

#9:  I am the luckiest.  Because in 44 short days I get to marry my best friend.  And not only do I get to marry the boy of my dreams, but I also get the added bonus of gaining lifetime adventure buddies to go on countless couple trips with.  

#10:  Space Team is probably one of my new favorite I-Phone games everrrr.  Sorry to our neighbors who we probably kept up all night.  We didn't mean to scream we just didn't want to get caught in a worm hole.  YOLO.

Scuba Terrified

Andrew described it as exciting yet completely calming at the same time.  

I was stoked.  A little apprehensive but mostly stoked as I geared up for my first scuba class.

The first hour was bookwork.  Along with a lengthy discussion from which I retained only one phrase.

"Don't ascend too fast or you'll get the bends."

Or in other words…. If you go up too fast then BOOM your lungs will explode into smithereens. 

It was all I could think about as we walked out to the pool.

I killed it when it came to putting my gear together.  An oxygen-tank-regulator-hook-uper-BCD-inflator-professional if I do say so myself.  But when it came to getting in water I was pretty much a big FAT disaster.

My first breaths underwater were anything BUT calming.  They were odd and out of place.  For the first few minutes I continually kept thinking, "When the HECK do we surface for air?" And as the minutes ticked on, I became more and more anxious as I became more and more aware of the fact that my body really shouldn't be able to do something that only fish and mermaids can do.  This stress was only amplified by my constant concern for my ridiculously stubborn right ear that wouldn't seem to ever fully pop.  And those bends….  I just couldn't get the awful image out of my head of my lungs contorting and rupturing in my chest.  A completely irrational stress seeing as we were diving in a twelve foot pool.  

The final straw was when we did an exercise where we unhooked our air source to simulate what it would feel like if we lost air.  No thank you.  That exercise left me short of breath, pale, and with tingling numb hands that I couldn't control.  AKA: hyperventilation.  Yes, you heard me right I hyperventilated.

E M B A R R A S S I N G 

I went home dizzy, light headed, drained, and completely defeated.  Who hyperventilates swimming in a pool?  Seriously??  As I waited for Andrew to come over so I could tell him all about my EPIC failure I tried to convince myself that clearly my body just wasn't made for this sport.  To frail, to weak…. and then I got mad.  Real mad.  Partially because I had just paid good money to go and hyperventilate and partially because I realized I was already trying really hard to convince myself that it was okay to give up. 

When I started college I somewhat redesigned myself.  Or perhaps I just figured out who I really was all along.  I just quit trying to please so many people.  But I also decided to make a new life goal. TRY NEW THINGS.  To try lots of new things continually.  To get outside of my comfort zone.  To never regret not trying something. 

To rock climb, water ski, and sky dive.  And if I can jump out of a plane then I for sure as heck can sit underwater for twenty minutes.  So I decided as I laid on the couch pale as a ghost I would conquer this dumb fear I had developed.  

I will not lie I totally dreaded our next class.  And I had to tell myself to breathe normal the whole entire hour of bookwork.  But when it came time to get into the pool I killed it.  My body got used to it.  I took plenty of super deep breaths.  And I pretended to be a mermaid.  But seriously I did.  

Two more classes.

Two open water dives in a dark rather crowded crater.

A bloody nose.

A reverse ear block that left me partially deaf for a couple days.

And BOOM I am proud to say I am a certified lady.

c e r t i f i e d  

 no longer  

t e r r i f i e d

Over my ridiculous fear of scuba diving

and ready for our next adventure that hopefully involves swimming with real fishies.