~12 Days of Christmas My Wifey Gave to ME!!

I decided to surprise Nate with a Newlywed's Version of The 12 Days of Christmas!  It has been an absolute riot :) 

The 1st day he received a gift set of Aqua Di Gio: I do not know about you, but that stuff seriously does it for me ;)  ha ha


The 2nd day I decided to humor Nate's ongoing joke that we are with child and gave him "2 pregnancy proovers".


The 3rd day I gave him 3 bags of chocolate cinnamon bears.  He loves milk chocolate covered ones so I figured he would love plain ones and ones covered in white chocolate!


On the 4th day of Christmas my wife gave to me....
4 Sewn Shirts!  Nate happens to be super opposite of me when it comes to clothing he prefers classic and simple.  Whereas I get anxiety thinking about wearing the same underwear the rest of my life, ha ha.  A girl has to have variety!!!!


On the 5th day of Christmas my wife gave to me....
5 Contraceptive Condoms (remember we are newlyweds and this is not a PG rated gift folks, sorry)


On the 6th day of Christmas my wife gave to me...
6 fl. oz. of Flavor Fusions.


On the 7th day of Christmas my wife gave to me...
$7.5 to Snacking Subway (so I may have started the 12 days a day soon and therefore had to improvise:)


Stay tuned for more fun!!


8 Million Memories


9 Guiltless Goes to the Gym


$10 to Taisty Thaifoon


11 Sodas Streaming


and 12 was hilarious, I made him a calendar for the year and put 12 Monumental Months.  I could tell he felt a little jipped because I had been promising him that we would get him a gym pass as soon as we got all settled in.  After about 10 minutes of him pouting (ha ha) I pulled a "left behind" gift out from underneath the tree.... lo-and-behold it was 12 Months to Gold's Gym!  This Christmas was seriously the best.  Nate spoiled me rotten with Frye Boots, a North Face Coat, and Steve Madden boots.  he initially got me a fancy $1,200 Cannon S something camera, but when he had asked me if I wanted one I replied, "Nah, I have my carreer and would hate taking away business from others (ha ha JK)".  Woopsi  Oh well my boots and coat are AMAZING!!

These Are The Days To Remember

I have been married to my best friend now for over a month.  Waking up next to him is the most amazing thing EVER... I even love some of our new traditions ;) he he. 

Things with c are going well.... my nephews call me "Dumbo", but can ya blame em.  I am just happy that I only have to do treatments for 16 more days!!!!!!!!  It truly knocks it out of ya.  I have had swollen lymph nodes since I started and they are big balls on my neck all the way down.  Sorry to be so graphic I just have to tell it like it is.  Cancer is not a pretty thing and that is why I am a true advocate to take care of yourself and eat super clean and healthy.  Even if it is more costly now; DO IT!  I have been juicing wheat grass shots and they truly help to keep my immune system up. 

Well, enough about that garbage... let's get to the GOOD stuff!!! 

Our honeymoon was PERFECT!  For all of you peeps that are unaware of our wedding day; trust me Nate and I needed a nice vacation to follow the craziness that took place on our wedding day :)  We cruised to Princess Cays, St. Maarten, St. Thomas (great shopping here), and Grand Turk!  I have literally never consumed so much food before in my life.  It was absolutely insane the massive amounts of food that Nate and I consumed.  We would eat at the main dinner and then 20 minutes later go and get a "snack" at the buffet followed by a pizza slice the size of our heads.  It was the most perfect 12 days of my life!!!  Nate is truly the best travel partner (no offense to all the other folks I have ventured out with). 

November 5th, 2011

I received my endowments on Saturday in the Bountiful Temple!  Initially, we were supposed to head down to the Manti Temple, but given the weather I decided to move it to the Bountiful Temple.  It worked out great though because that way my sis, bro and b, grandma and grandpa Arntz, De-De and Uncle Mike, and Annie were able to come!  My mom was my escort and she did an amazing job!  Her and I got the opportunity to spend some time together in the bride's room.... WOW!  I have the an incredible mother and step-dad!  That morning before we went to the temple my cute step-dad took us all to Little America to celebrate (what a neat guy, huh?)  He is super supportive and I am so glad I get to have him in my life.  It was the most perfect experience EVER!!!  I feel so incredibly fortunate to have been given that opportunity.  I still cannot believe that everyone was so supportive to me even on such short notice.  I am so extremely grateful for Nate and that he was able to take me to the temple.  I could not help but think about our future daughter while we were up there.  (watch we probably will have all boys, ha ha).  In 4 days my life truly will be given the ultimate meaning and direction to where I want it to go. 

**HaPPy HaLLowEEn**

Nate and I had so much fun together this Halloween Season!  We went to Frightmares, haunted houses, tons of costume parties.  I absolutely LOVE Halloween.... and this year it has been hard because of our wedding.  Nonetheless, Halloween triumphed the wedding today!  Nate and I went out to my corporate office all dressed up and ate goodies :)

I am the luckiest girl in the entire world!  Nate Jorgensen is the most amazing man in the world!  We laugh with each other EVERYDAY,  I honestly believe that is what makes a great relationship.  Laughter!  I plan to laugh with him for eternity and I feel so lucky for that. 

On Saturday Winter Rowland and Crystal Ross threw me a Bridal Shower; themed shower the bride with gifts.  Cute huh?  I am excited to see the upcoming pictures!!!  Crystal took some amazing detail photos (which I finally learned what that meant)  ha ha. 

This Friday my family and I are headed to Manti to get my endowments out.  We are going to sleepover on Friday and then get up early Saturday to head to the temple.  My darling grandma finished my temple dress today.  I still cannot believe how lucky I am to have her.  She not only bought my dress, but all the supplies to go with it.  I feel so fortunate to have her in my life. 

2 weeks together... that's all it took.

If anyone has seen "Dear John" they will know what this means.  In 2 weeks from today I will be a MARRIED WOMAN!!!!

Oh it is ON!

I was finally able to meet with my oncologist on the 18th.  The appointment went really well!!  Nate and my mom came along with me and they were able to watch some more of my ear get removed for biopsy and watch me get my very 1st tattoo, ha ha.  It actually is just to trace the first Melanoma site to assure it does not spread elsewhere.  This dang cancer stuff is terrifying!  Gals and gents, please wear sunscreen!!!  The interesting thing is that I actually most likely did not get my Melanoma from the sun given I am not the "typical candidate" for skin cancer.  My oncologist explained that the majority of people with Melanoma are fair skinned, with several freckles; along with various moles on their back.  I do not fit into any of those categories thus meaning my cancer was instigated by other factors not including UV rays.  Nonetheless, I am so thrilled to finally have a plan of action in motion to get this gunk out of my system.  I was supposed to start treatment on the 18th, but because my doctor had to remove more of my ear I was not able to.  I will now allow time for this spot to heal and then I will return on the 28th to start treatment as well as get another tattoo :)  PS all of these tattoos will be removed post cancer.

As for wedding planning.... invites are out and arriving to their destinations.  We have set even more plans into motion for this special day!  My good friend Crystal (one of my bridesmaids) has been helping me do centerpieces for the tables (they are all going to be HOMEMADE).  My friend Ann is working hard on the skyline along with being 9 months preganant (bless her heart).  My cute sis has all of her dancers set to be our servers at the wedding and has arranged for the cutest little outfits for them to wear.  My mom is just amazing; enough said on that one.  All I can say is I am one lucky lady!!!!! 

I cannot wait for the moment when I get to marry Nate.  My fiancee' has been nothing short of amazing during this whole experience with cancer.  He was right on top with the insurance to make sure I would have double coverage for the surgery; along with providing SO much support to me.  Nate is truly my prince charming and he has made my life have true meaning to it.  We are super excited for our lives together! 

FoRwArD with FAITH!

On September 28th, 2011 I attended court for a company that I am involved with and lent several dollars to.  When I was 18 I decided to invest in a company ran by Dee Randall.  My mom also deposited a lot of money to ensure I would have a fancy wedding when the time came.  Unfortunately, Dee is skum and has been doing very fraudulent things with the investors money.  Upon leaving I had received a voicemail from the Dermatologist that removed a mole from my right ear.  I figured she was merely calling to state that everything was fine and dandy.  As soon as Amy (the doctor) answered the phone I knew that was not the case :(  She asked me to have my mom pull the car over and put the phone on speaker phone.  She informed us that I do in fact have melanoma cancer.  The second she said the word I cancer my brain completely shut off and I disconnected.  I have watched my darling grandma and step grandma; as well as my cute Aunt Jo die from cancer.  I HATE CANCER!!!  And being only 25 hearing that I had it scared me to death.  The next couple of hours I had so many questions and truly felt as if little bugs were crawling through out all my cells trying to take over my body.  My mom and I already had set appointments to show homes to a million dollar client and of course we rushed up there and tried to not think about the news we had just received.  I could not help the whole time from being entirely distracted by opportunities I may miss in my life, etc.  I kept thinking, "I am too young for this!  I am a bride-to-be NOT a cancer victim."  The rest of that day is an entire blur for me.  I woke up on Thursday and begin doing research on what I was to expect for the next couple of months.  After gaining knowledge I know without a doubt in my mind that with Nate, as well as family and friends by my side I can get this gunk out of my system and live to be 100!!!  My good friend, Angie Flint, shared a remarkable story of her cute grandma that just celebrated her 93rd Birthday and had breast cancer at age 21.  That gave me more than just hope; it ensured that I got this!  I am a strong girl and when I set my mind out to do something, by darn I do it! 

I felt so bad for Nate yesterday, the poor guy threw up due to the stress of this news.  He got a call early on in the day from my insurance company urging him to ensure I ALWAYS have insurance or else I will be deemed un- insurable.  If I ever let my insurance lapse even for a second I will not be able to get insurance because I am now marked a "cancer victim".  Sounds yucky huh?  I hate that even when I get this out of my body I will forever have to carry with me that I once had it :( 

My darling sister brought me over 18 long stem roses and she was an absolute mess as well.  I assured her that I was going to be absolutely fine!  I am so happy her and I are getting close and having a real relationship now.

Yesterday my darling friend Ann and I went to Whole Foods (because she knows it is my favorite:D) I tried to ask a worker what she suggested I could do in order to maintain an alkaline pH balance due to cancer not being able to grow in that environment.  The second I said the word cancer it was as if I had some communicable disease that she was going to catch.  She looked at me and said, " I cannot discuss anything about your cancer.... blah blah liability".  I was somewhat hurt at her response.  I was like lady you cannot catch what I have; come on now!  Too funny. 

Getting engaged to Nate has been the most exciting thing in the world for me.  And I will definitely not allow cancer to ruin this for me.  The Huntsman Cancer Institute as well as The Universityof Utah is world renown for their care.  I am so grateful I was able to catch this and get it taken care of.  I also feel this has been the best testimony enhancer I could have asked for.  I cannot wait to take out my endowments and to receive extra blessings.  Surprisingly I am also looking forward to my garmets as an extra layer of protection. 

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers for my upcoming treatments and surgery.  I meet with the surgeon and plastic surgeon on the 18th of October to begin the necessary steps in removing the cancerous cells. 

Are diamonds a girl's best friend?!

I am sure if I am more excited about Nate getting me a new SBUX cup in the Trente size (gotta love my iced herbal tea)(my old one was pretty nasty from having cinnamon in it); or if having my ring back from being frosted.  HA HA J/K 

B-R-I-D-A-L-S

Winter Rowland took my bridals last night and did a fabulous job!  I am super excited to see em.  We went to my dad's downtown and captured some really great city themed pictures... stay tuned to see em :)  I had The DATC do my hair and nails and they did an awesome job!  My darling mom went with me to help assist and assure it turned out good. 

On Tuesday I had to have a mole removed and biosped :(  so not ideal the day before bridals.  I am happy to have it off though and to be melanoma free.  Cancer is no buens; it has taken far too many lives in my family.  I have no allowed anyone to see my ear cause I kind of resemble a lil elf, he he. 

Unfortunately, in my bridals I had to wear a borrowed ring because mine was still being "sized".  It was kind of fun to get to wear a new ring for a couple of days even though it was like 10 sizes too big and I had to wear it on my index finger (so ya in probably 90% of the pics I am wearing it on the wrong finger).  This morning Dave had my ring finished and I was so excited to see it!  I was in love from first glance!  It looks exactly like the Tiffany's Ring! 

BaBy BLUE EYES!

My fiancee' is hands down the cutest thing ever.  While gathering pictures for our "Remember When" video John's sister sent us some.  I absolutely LOVE this one!!

My fiancee' is so adorable... I am one lucky girl to have him!  Over the weekend him and I went to the Fair after my Bridal Shower at Mo's house.  It was an absolute RIOT!  We ate fried butter, fried energy drinks, turkey (ham) legs, and yummy drinks.  Nate bought me a ton of Scentsys too to make our house smell delicious for Fall. 

52 DAYS!!!!



60 days and counting :D

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY NATE!!

All day today Nate and I kept hearing how soon our wedding is.  I cannot wait!!!  Nate asked me in church if I was nervous/scared for us to get married.  I thought about it for a few minutes and realized that I honestly am not.  Marrying him is the BEST decision I have ever made, I do not have one doubt; or reservation in my mind with him.  Nate Jorgensen is hands down my best friend in the world; we have each others backs no matter what.  During the wedding plans we have learned a lot about each other and have truly grown closer. 

I'M SO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT!

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Now this is what you are supposed to be feeling when you are engaged.  I am finally not stressed anymore and I truly believe I fully understand what it means to marry Nate.  It is not about the big, fancy, "perfect" wedding day... it is about the marriage; Nate and I starting a family of our own.  The other day Nate and I went to Lagoon together and while eating some corn on the cob I asked him we could start our own traditions and carry them out every year.  He agreed that was a great idea and mentioned how great of a father he was going to be to our Cambria (yes we already named our first born, ha ha) and how much he had to offer her.  It was the most amazing thing I have ever heard from him; well besides that he loved and wanted to spend his life with me of course.  Hearingg Nate say such beautiful words made me understand the kind of love a father SHOULD have for his daughter.  Heck Nate has not even met her and there is already such a large area of Nate's heart saved for his baby girl :)  That melts my heart knowing that I am going to give birth to a little girl that is going to be loved so undearly by her father.... she is going to be daddy's little girl for sure.  And as much as this excites me I also cannot help but feel a sharp pain in my own heart because of the love my own father has for me.  Honestly, the man values money so much that he does not see the big picture.  Ever since I got engaged I have been waiting patiently for my dad to come around to becoming a father.  It was not until Tuesday night that I realized that waiting on him is like waiting on the chances of winning the lottery (not good).  He has blown me off countless times, built my dreams up only to break them far too many times.  He even had the guts to say to Nate and I that he did not feel comfortable helping contribute to our wedding because when we call off the wedding he would be out that money.... WTF, what father says that?!?!.  I have had enough and writing him off has been the best thing ever!  From this day forth I am not wasting my time on people who do not matter.

Today my mother, who happens to be my best friend, and I went off to do wedding preperations.  When our minds get rolling insync incredible things are created.  My mom has taught me how to take an ordinary item and turn it into the most spectacular pieces.  My darling second mother, aka De De, also helped us brainstorm some fun unique ideas.  I am SO grateful for these two women in my life and truly owe who I am today to them.  God may have given me a turd bucket as a father, but man he made up for everywhere else in my life.  I consider myself to be the luckiest girl in the world!  My fiancee' is the most incredible man I have ever layed my eyes on and in only 2 months I will be his wife for eternity!!!  Some items for the table center pieces.... stay tuned, we are just getting started. 






PS I get to pick up my completed invitation tomorrow with insert cards!!!!!  They are the most adorable things EVER!  Thanks so much for the countless hours Chris and Crystal Ross spent on creating such a beautiful piece for us.  Ahhh.... I cannot wait to see it all done!

Perfect fit~

When my darling Aunt B passed away I was given her china.  It just happens to have a picture of wheat grass on all of items to the set; at the time I remember feeling super cheated and that my sista got the "good" stuff.  Now I know exactly why.... Nate is a Wheat!  Well, I guess I should say his mother's maiden name is Wheat.  Kind of fun, huh?

Just a lil FROST!

Nate and I decided to add a lil sparkle to my engagement band :)  If anyone asks though it is "being resized", ha ha.  In the mean time I get to wear his mother's ring!!!!  This ring folks is kind of a BIG deal in my life.  It may sound entirely stupid, but the very first time I tried it on the thing slid on my finger like a glove.  For those of you who do not know, Nate's mother passed away when he was 22.  She had suffered from complications of diabetes for a long time.  That being said I never had the opportunity to meet Janice Wheat Jorgensen and get her approval.  In my head when the ring fit me it was as if she was saying, "yep, I approve".  The past couple of days I have been so honored to wear her ring.  I have showed very few people it because being allowed to wear it is like my little connection with my mother-in-law :)

Engagement Party!!

Nate and I wanted to share our proposal pictures is a special way with our friends and family.  We decided to throw an Engagement Party at Annie and Joey Hedberg's house on August 14th.  It turned out PERFECT!!!  Nate's dad, Ken and Propasi, were there along with his aunt Jeanette and cousin Summer (with lil Lily).  We both are so grateful for everyone making it so very special for us!

A part of our world!

Here are some super fun pictures from our trip to Disneyland!

Back to reality :/

Last Friday Mikey, Di, and I surprised Nate at his work all packed and ready to head to California for his 31st Birthday.  I had packed his red suitcase full of his stuff for the trip and he thought his brother had been taking his stuff.  When he was telling me what he thought was happening I was laughing so hard that I had to mute the phone.  The trip was awesome and we had a fabulous time with each other.  The night we got there we had some good laughs about our room, The Alamo.  We also ate at this really good Indian Restaurant.  On Saturday we woke up early and left to Disneyland and stayed until midnight :)  We enjoyed the most delicious food that day.  Nate kept commenting on how great of detail D-land puts on everything.  We ate corndogs, chicken fingers, lots of coke, and turkey legs.  It was so incredibly crowded, but we were still able to ride a lot of rides (Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Pirates,m Haunted Mansion, California Adventure, Indiana Jones, Tower of Terror, Little Mermaid, Carousel, Star Tours, and watched the most amazing water and light show at California Adventure called, "World of Color".  On Sunday we had brunch with Jess, Jon, Bentley, Megan, and her fiance' then went to the beach.  That night we ate at Jessica's hotel, Zimbalya.  Monday was spent at Downtown Disney and just roaming around.  We all concluded this day that Nate nor I had used the restroom the entire time.  It was an awesome time!!!

Last night the most hilarious thing happened that in the far future we will truly laugh about.  Nate yelled at this chick for hitting his car with her car door.  Come to find out I know the girl.... quite well actually :D  It is Bridger's wife, not Bridger Thomas, but Garn.  Nate was so cute and called Tasha to apologize because I thought that was the girl he yelled, but nope it was Chels.  Too funny!!!  PS sorry Chels and Bridg, Nate really is the sweetest guy in the world... he is just kind of protective of his stuff.  He is an extremely hardworker and takes great pride in his BRAND NEW car! 

I cannot wait to marry Nate Jorgensen for eternity!  He is my best friend in the whole world.

ABA

Let the planning begin

Who would have thought wedding planning could be so stressful.  Nate and I are learning quickly how important it is to maintain structure and unity even with added pressure and stress from outside influences.  Prior to the wedding plans him and I had never really had a fight.  Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore... he he, J/K.  In all honesty though it can be super stressful and that is why him and I decided to take the weekend off and go up to Deer Valley!  We went to The Oakley Rodeo on Saturday night and last night we went to a concert, Thriving Ivory.  OMG it was amazing, we got to meet the band and take pictures with them!  Today we went to Lagoon and rode some rides and then went to Mo and Matt's for a bbq followed by The Sugarhouse fireworks with Tucker.  It was a fabulously perfect weekend with my best friend!

my life begins!

On June 17th, 2011 I became the happiest girl in the world!  My best friend, Nate Jorgensen, proposed to me ON The Empire State Building in NYC.  You might want to grab a tissue for this one it is a real tear-jerker.....

Nate and my story began on November 11th, 2010 when my good friend Ann Parris decided to line me up with her co-worker.  She had warned him that I had the reputation of being a man-eater and assured him I was a total sweetheart, but that I had just been burned and was therefore extremely guarded.  Her and my friendship even took several months to form into sisterhood.  Nate called me after I had finished helping two good friends by being "Vana White" at a tree festival in Layton.  While I was at the tree festival he had left me a message requesting that I call him back and when I did I got his voicemail and left a rather lengthy one informing him of this crazy black lady at Wal-Mart trying to beat me up for letting her butt me in line.  It was totally weird!  He later called me back and from that first initial phone conversation we both later said how we felt something there.  Our first date was set for November 17th and was to be a double date.  We ate at a delicious Indian Restaurant called Tandoori followed by WiseGuys Comedy Club.   I remember Nate was so incredibly nervous at dinner and barely ate two bites of his food.  At the comedy club we decided to sit in the very front (apparently this is a bad idea unless you like to be picked on).  Of course the comedian found fun in it being our first date and all.  There was also another couple that was all dressed up and the little dude had a gift for his lady, but it ended up just being a promise ring.  The date in my eyes was complete fun and very enjoyable.  From that day forth I do not remember not talking or seeing Nate.  We had our first kiss on the Eve of Thanksgiving.  And he even attended the sales with me the day after Thanksgiving.  On December 31st at the Bird residence Nate and I declared our love for each other!! 

Alright enough backround information let's get to the good stuff!

On the 13th of June I left on a redeye to New York with my mom and brother.  I was super excited to go to my favorite place, but also scared of how much I was going to miss Nate.  Wednesday was spent at Central Park and Times Square.  On Thursday I begged my mom to look at wedding dresses with me (even though I was not engaged, a girl has to in NYC:)  On the way back to the hotel my mom laughed hysterically when I told her that I had teased Nate by saying I was gonna be done if one more 12 year old got engaged before us.  (I came up with this "12 year old" statement when my gorgeous 2nd cousin Kourtney got married on June 4th).  My mom simply said, "Amanda, I can assure you Nate is taking his time with this."  My heart sank into basically my toes and I decided that the 11-11-11 wedding date was probably not going to happen and that I needed to accept that.  The next morning my brother had to get to the airport and meet his wife because she took the redeye out.  The plan was to let her sleep for a few hours and then we would head to The Empire State Building and use the Groupon (ya, I totally fell for it) tickets Britt had bought.  The weather was kind of sketch, so I decided a nice simple braid in my hair, with no make-up, and a baggy sweatshirt would be fitting for the day's festivities.  My mom was putting her hair in curlers and my brother was looking extra sharp as well.  Both of them did not want to clue me in on anything, so neither of them questioned my appearance, ha ha.  As we were walking to catch the bus to take us into Manhattan I had mentioned that my mom must have put a little extra something into her coffee that morning because she was zipping right along.  On the bus ride over Nate had sent me a text asking what was on the agenda for that day.  I replied to him, "The Empire State Building.... see ya up there babe!"  I then told my family how funny I thought I was with my comment because I knew Nate was at work in Utah.  At this point Britt thought that the surprise was spoiled, but in all honesty I just was being funny.  From March until this point I had teased Nate about various locations he could propose to me. 

After finally arriving to 34th Street I needed to use the potty (go figure) and get myself a drink, so I decided to go into SBUXcluelessness (thanks to my darling mother) wore off and I realized Nate was PROPOSING TO ME at that very moment.  My biggest dream was finally coming true, I was going to be someone's wife, a mother..... A million thoughts were going through my head.  Not to mention a bazillion cameras that kept going off around us.  I remember us kissing and the feeling of knowing I was going to MARRY MY BEST FRIEND!

In all honesty I do not remember what Nate said, nor what I replied with.  I actually had to verify later that I did infact say yes to him.  The ring slid on perfectly and has stayed on my finger ever since.  On 11-11-11 at 11 AM I will marry James Nathan Jorgensen in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity.  I cannot wait to start a family with him and grow old by his side.