Wedding Cake Anniversary

 A few weekends ago it was our One Year Anniversary, so Blake and I got to break out our wedding cake topper. Cake topper? Top tear of the cake? Cake top tear? I am actually not sure what the very top of the wedding cake is called, and me being to lazy to google it will just assume you know what I am talking about it.

I have absolutely no idea where this tradition originates. I also had not heard great things about what a year old, freezer burnt cake tastes like. I honestly was just planning on taking a bite and throwing the rest out. 

After asking around I still have no idea who wrapped up my wedding cake, but whoever it was did an fantastic job. First we went through a few layers of tin foil, then we went through a few layers of saran wrap. After opening the cake box we found even more layers! A few layers of tin foil here a few layers of saran wrap there, finally we made it!

We had set the box out for a day and a half prior, to defrost. It was still cold when we cut through it but it was no longer frozen.

The time had come to take that first bite and.... IT WAS AMAZING. The frosting was great, the chocolate cake was delicious. It was moist and soft and so good! Together we definitely ate more than just one bite. 

Flash back a year to our wedding night. Weeks leading up to the cutting of the cake I told Blake he had better not try any funny business. I was dreading that moment of cake being smashed into my face. Who wants to look like that on their wedding day?! 

I knew since Blake had promised several times that he wouldn't shove it in my face that chances are he really wouldn't. There was still a part of me, my paranoid self, that just knew he was going to do it. So naturally I had my guard up. 

When it finally came down to it we cut the cake and nicely and politely fed it to each other. I have said it once and I will say it again, I married the sweetest, kindest, honest, non-cake-smashing man in the world!

Now I know the questions you all must be asking, who made this delicious perfect looking cake? The answer to that is my very talented sister Jenna! I honestly could not have had the perfect wedding without both my sisters and the things they did for it. 

A few months before my wedding I asked my sister Jenna to make the cake. She had taken a cake making class while going to school, and obviously by the way my cake turn out, it paid off!

The cake ended up looking absolutely beautiful and much more amazing then I could ever have imagined. Here are some photos from the reception of it in all it's cakey glory. 

Simple. Elegant. Perfect. Thanks so much Jenna!

Jordanelle State Park/ One Year Anniversary

A little over two years ago I was at my usual stomping grounds, the Quarry, climbing with my good friend Haley Baumgartner. The story can be told many different ways but how I remember it was that I was on a very difficult climb. I tried the same move over and over with no luck on sticking it. From the crowd below, a stranger who I only recently started seeing around shouted out some instructions on how to do it differently. I tried the strangers advice and stuck the move! I was ecstatic and shouted to the helpful stranger "I love you!". 

Later that night I introduced myself to the stranger who just happened to be Blake, who was climbing with his brother Sean. I saw him more and more frequently at the Quarry and we eventually found out that we had several mutual friends in the climbing community. 

He was the sweetest most genuine guy I had ever met, I loved spending time with him and even though we were both dating lots of different people, I referred to him as my "fake boyfriend".  That didn't last long though because 4-ish months after we met he became my real boyfriend! Dating Blake was amazing since we had very similar interests we always had something to do. We would go climbing , camping, and hiking all the time and that on top of all of our fun dates was when I fell head over heels for him! I loved spending every second with him because no one ever made me feel the way he did! 

Six months after we "officially" started dating blake got down on one knee and proposed. I was on cloud nine. 

Three months later we finally said "I do".  Thanks to my sisters Shan and Jenna I would not have changed on thing about my wedding. It was absolutely perfect. 

March 15, 2014 

Ever since that day we have not stopped adventuring. Even if we aren't in the mountains or at the climbing gym Blake makes simple every day life an adventure. He always makes me laugh, even when I don't want to. His personality is amazing since he is so sincere and loving with just a hint of dorky humor. 

Jump forward one year and our relationship has never been stronger. Marriage is not easy but if both parties are willing to work hard at maintaining open communication and constantly working towards a healthy relationship, then it is a lot easier, and I am lucky to have ended up with someone who is willing to do just that. 

For our one year anniversary we rented a place right next to Jordanelle State Park.  We brought a bag full of Dvd's (Blue Ray of course), and had one of the most relaxing weekends. It was exactly what the doctor ordered, since we took work off on Friday we had the best extended weekend ever.

One of the days we explored Jordanelle State Park. The water was very low, but we walked around the shore and took in the beauty of the Reservoir and the surrounding Valley. 

We then explored parts of Park City and went on a short little hike near Deer Valley Resort. 

It really was the best weekend in a long time. I love being married to my AMAZING husband, and spending every second of my free time with him. 

I am so grateful for him in my life and can't wait to grow old with my prince charming. 

Our Happy Home: Living Room

 Even before Blake and I were engaged we started going house shopping. When you know, you know, and we definitely knew. 

After looking in a lot of different areas, we found a Condo located in Eagle Mountain called, the Community was called, Rock Creek and immediately fell in love with the layout. Unfortunately the one we had our eyes on sold before we could make an offer. We then found another Condo up for sale with the same floor plan and we jumped on it! I am so glad we did because I have never felt more at home, than I have in our lovely little Condo.

The living room was a nice tan color but the baseboards were painted black. It gave it a different, edgy look, Blake liked it, but it didn't really appeal to me. The black baseboards only had the front painted. The edges just had flicks of black on them, like someone took a roller to the front but didn't bother finishing the job.

BEFORE

A couple weeks after Blake and I got married I convinced Blake to let me start painting. We searched Pinterest frequently trying to find a style that we both loved. In the mean time we started painting the baseboards white, since I didn't love the black color. 

DURING

We finally decided together to paint one accent wall brown, and leave the rest of the walls the tan that was already there. There were so many holes in the walls from pictures, and their tv that was mounted, we needed to get some of the tan paint to paint our patch up work. When we started patching all the holes I found out we purchased a whole gallon of the wrong finish. Even though it was the same color the paint we bought had a little more gloss to it. We ended up repainting most of the tan so it would all match. Which wasn't to hard. 

Blake already had a TV, TV stand, and Love Sac. At the moment that was our only furniture. A couple months after we were married, we started going furniture shopping looking for couches that we both loved. 

We finally found a couch and love seat that were perfect!

Blake and I are both the worst at measuring and hanging things. So without going into to much detail I will let you know hanging these curtains was an adventure. 

I found an accent chair on sale and ordered it. When it arrived it was not the right color and I was pretty bummed about it because I had looked for a chair like that for the longest time. We ended up just retuning it and I kept up my search. A few weeks later I found a chair very similar to the first one which I actually ended up liking more! 

OLD                                       NEW     

Next on the list was an entertainment center. We couldn't find anything we liked for less than $300. We looked and looked, finally one day we went to the Furniture Row and at the very last store, in Ikea we walked past an entertainment center on sale for under $70! We were so happy! The drawers are a little crooked but not even noticeable, and totally worth the steal!

Over the following months we slowly added some decorations, an accent rug, coffee table, end tables, lamps, and Blake and his father Steele made the most beautiful 90 Gallon fish tank stand. 

AFTER

 I promise sometimes the Orchid is in bloom, just not at the time of this picture. :)

I am in love with how everything turned out. I feel so at home every single time I walk in the door. We are so blessed to live in the home that we own, and it has been fun piecing the whole room together. 

Valentine's Day 2015

Oh how I love Valentine's Day. This was mine and Blake's second Valentine's Day ever. It feels like I have known Blake forever, and it is hard to believe just a two short years ago, a week after Valentine's Day, I ran into the man who would be my future husband. 

I love going to sleep and waking up to the love of my life every single morning. 

When I got out of bed I found that Blake made a heart out of sticky notes! On each one is a reason why he loves me. I couldn't stop laughing while I read them, he always knows how to make me smile. 

For breakfast we had the traditional, or starting this year traditional heart shaped pancakes. 

In the late afternoon we drove down to Payson Canyon. My co-worker Nico, had told me about a nice little hike to a small waterfall called The Grotto. The hike usually only takes 10 minutes one way but because it is Winter the road to the Canyon closes father down, and cars can't get past. Hiking up the paved road added about an hour each way. 

It was an absolute beautiful day! Even with the snow it was the perfect temperature for a hike. 

For dinner we ordered Chili's-to-go and since the wait time was 30 minutes we stopped by our favorite fish store and looked around for a half hour. One of our fish Abigully, unfortunately is killing the other ones so we have to get rid of her before we can get a new fish. Since we haven't had time to catch her we just browsed the shop looking for fish we might someday like to have in our tank.

Now, a little back story, for the month and a half before Valentine's day I was desperately trying to win a Valentine's Day Dinner at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. Fox13 news was doing a raffle for a romantic dinner for two in front of the shark tank "Kisses and Fishes". I just thought that would be amazing, so I had all my friends, family, and co-workers enter it to make my chances even that much more to win. Unfortunately it was not meant to be and honestly I was devastated, but bounced back quickly. I wanted to surprise Blake but when I found out I didn't win a week before Valentine's Day and that the actual dinner would cost $150, I just ended up telling Blake that was my master plan for V-day failed and what it had been.

After picking Chili's up we went home and Blake set up a card table in front of our 90 Gallon fish tank. I just thought that was the sweetest, most thoughtful thing in the world!! How did I get so lucky!!

We finished the night off by watching Crazy, Stupid, Love. Which is one of my favorite chick flicks. 

Sorry for the cheesiness and I know I say it over and over, but I mean it more and more every time. I am the luckiest girl because I have the greatest guy. I have never been more happy, supported, loved, or comfortable in my life. I am just grateful to his mother for raising him to be such a gentleman and such a saint.