Day Zero # 3 - Read the Book of Mormon in Spanish

I finally finished it.

After about 15 false starts and failed attempts, I read the entire Libro de Mormon all the way through.

Now on to the Doctrine and Covenants!

Viva la Vida.

Old-fashioned adventure

My mom and I happen to work in the same office.

We also happen to enjoy going on adventures together.

So when she saw an ad for Blickenstaff's in a Utah Valley magazine, we spontaneously left work and drove up to check it out. No worries, I worked overtime last week, we can afford it.

Blickenstaff's has a lot of fun things - and a lot of old-fashioned things, including games, toys aaaaaannnnnddd candy...

Like these, for example: 

We also enjoyed one of these, and I figured out how to make a moaning sound by blowing into a bottle... And I saved some for Ryan. He was happy :)

 And bought a gumball from a gumball machine that was taller than me...

Definitely more fun than working :)

Blickenstaff's is located in Riverwoods in Provo, sort of kitty-corner from the Provo Beach Resort. Definitely worth visiting, especially if you like old-fashioned candy!

Viva la Vida

I have some really good friends. People who have been really great to me, even when I may or may not have been really great to them. People who stick with me even when I'm flying all over the place not sticking to anything. People who can laugh for me when I'm too stressed to laugh, cry when I'm too sad to cry, and smile just to make me feel like smiling. To all of those friends, thank you. I hope you know who you are, and how much my life is better because of you. I hope I can be a friend like you someday, and I hope that someday when you're too stressed to laugh, I'll laugh for you, and when you're too sad to cry, I'll cry for you, and that I'll be the smile that makes you feel like smiling. I have a way to go before I can get there, though, I know.

One of these friends posted something on her blog that made me happy. And I can't say it any better than she can, so let me quote her here:

"It’s true that the most important moment we have is the one we’re living right now. The past is past. We’ve lived, made mistakes, triumphed some, and hopefully learned a little. The future should be prepared for, but it isn’t here yet. My dear friend is always citing the motto ‘Viva la Vida’ - live the life. We only get each moment once. And each of us has only one life to life. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to make mine as beautiful as I can. I’d like to be able to look back when I’m old and feel content with the life I’ve lived, knowing that I didn’t waste any part of it waiting for something to happen to me. I’d like to happen to the world instead."

I want to happen to the world, too.

Viva la Vida.

New beginnings!

Guess what, blogging world, I'm still alive!

(Okay, to all TWO of you who ever occasionally read my blog, you knew I was alive).

New last name, new apartment, new set of favorites about life, new packet of challenges, and more new and amazing experiences than I could ever imagine!

I love Ryan. I made the best decision of my entire life when I married him. Our story is one that's full of love. And I love it.

For everyone interested - our story is continuing at http://sommerfeldts.blogspot.com/. This blog, Viva la Vida, will continue to remain as my personal outlet for my random thoughts, experiences, goals, mumblings, etc. Anything official about our family will go on our family blog. So hey, follow both of them, if you're lucky you might just hear from me twice as often :D hahaha if only, if only... no, but really, it'll be good. There's already pictures and stuff.

Okay. Viva la Vida, everyone. Life is simply too amazing to miss a single moment!

Day Zero #85 - Canning

Day Zero Goal #85 - Learn to can fruits and vegetables.
This fall I did some canning - and while I haven't done it on my own yet, and I didn't do it all myself, I did learn how to do some things.

I did peaches and pears with my mom, and I watched Ryan's mom Lisa while she did beans and helped a bit with salsa - which is the best salsa I've ever had, hands down. I'm awfully glad I learned how to do that one!

Next fall, I plan to do more peaches, pears, tomatoes, beans, and salsa - maybe on my own, but probably with more help - and maybe some applesauce, too, if I can get my hands on some apples and an applesauce maker machine deal.

Day Zero # 3 - El libro de mormon

Day Zero #3 - Read the Book of Mormon in Spanish

I FINALLY finished this! This post is actually a bit overdue, I finished a few weeks ago. It was a really wonderful experience, learning that I can read the words that I love so much in another language, too. I gained a much stronger testimony that God is the same to all people, all nations, all tongues - He doesn't change. The Book of Mormon in Spanish is beautiful - but I won't lie, I'm excited to be back in my native language again. I guess no matter how much you practice a second language, you always do feel at least a little more comfortable in your native language, unless you're truly bilingual.

Still, this was a great experience that I'm glad I finally finished!

October Occurences

October was a fun month full of fun activities, a few ups and downs, and a lot of anxiousness to get to November (and then December).

Ryan and I hardly ever take pictures. Sorry.
Here's one that we did take. October was full of football. Some of the games have been a lot of fun, and others were fairly boring. Jen might have actually fallen asleep in the stadium during one of them... but that's secret. Shhh.

We also got our engagement pictures taken with Abby Alger. This was a lot of fun, and our pictures turned out absolutely beautiful! We love them. We're almost ready to submit our announcement for printing - it's getting closer!

We've had a lot of fun and also a lot of chances to get to understand each other better. I'm marrying the most humble, patient, loving, and committed man in the world. Needless to say, we're both looking forward to finish being engaged and be able to go forward with married life without the stress of planning a wedding, get through school, spend enough time with each other, balance all our other commitments and relationships, and figure out how to live in this sometimes-frustrating in-between stage. I fully endorse short engagements - by the time we arrive at the temple we will have been engaged almost four months, and it already feels like an an eternity, full of opportunities to become stressed and frustrated. We're looking forward to REAL eternity together. It won't be without its challenges, either - but it will be nice to be able to face them side by side.

Coming up in November: Bridal showers, lots of licking and sealing (announcements, not lollipops...sadly enough...), more football, dance practices for Jen and a Physics project for Ryan, Thanksgiving break, renting an apartment, finalizing the wedding plans, and many more hours together!