just another new year blog.

This was the craziest year, let's be honest. It flew by and i'm all the better for it.
I think i'll go by month.

New Years last year i spent watching crappy music videos with old friends. Then, in January, I met the Donner boys (Brady and Sean) at a party I held for myself for my half birthday. We also hung out at a game of broom ball that same month (at which I met Jeremiah, their younger brother) and, because I liked them so much, i invited our entire ward to an after-party at Village Inn. Later that month, Sean and I started hanging out. Also, my second year of college started.

On February 7th, Sean sent out the ghost of Paul Revere to tell the world we were dating. The next week was Valentines. The best Valentines I've ever had because I spent it with Sean. That month, we continued dating. I gained a best friend and trusted accomplice.

March is a funny story. the beginning wasn't that much of interest... but Sean's birthday was on the 20th and we celebrated. The week after that, though, we went to Phoenix. It really was a terrible trip, his family will attest to it, but it's a great story now. Here's a rundown of it . So that i don't have to type it all out.

April. Sean and I exchanged mixes, went to the zoo and to our favorite place, the Dinosaur Museum. And Sean and I continued to fall in love (combined awwwww. and... go.)

May. We visited a meat parade, took a fun day-trip to Moab, and Abby had a birthday (shout hooray)

June. We saw Jay Mohr at Wiseguys and busted a gut, bought a record player, and I got some gnarly bruises from a children's playground toy, and went to a super rad Motion City Soundtrack concert with Brady and The Front Bottoms and The Henry Clay People opened for them.

July. the best month. We saw Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and saw some fireworks. On my birthday we saw Foster the People in concert. Sean bought a car (for realz). The next day, we drove it to the Dinosaur museum. We went in and Sean proposed to me in the starry tunnel after the kids stopped running around in it. Adorable. That day, we drove up to bountiful and to logan and all around to show off our new engagement. SO great. We set the date for October 5th. Also that month, i packed up to move, and picked out my dress.

In August, I moved out of my old apartment and into our cozy new apartment, picked out our invites, and school restarted. I was waving my ring finger about like it was nobody's business. Also, we had out engagement pictures done. And Sean started his new job at Adobe.

September. I had some bridal showers and got some awesome stuff. Sean and I took our first of 2 trips to Minnesota for his friends Marcus and Whitney's wedding. 2 entire days were spent just driving. It was fun and cute! We got our marriage licence while there, also. When we got home from our journey, we got a kitten. so cute and fun back then... less fight-y.

October was the biggest month. We drove so much back to Minnesota and got ready for the wedding. Our families met and we set up. We got married in the St. Paul, MN temple on the 5th, had our reception in the Mankato ward building and then we had our honey moon in Mankato and Keystone, South Dakota where we visited Mt. Rushmore and had fun. When we got back, we had a couple days to catch up on things and then we had another reception in Bountiful which was gorgeous and fun. It was a month to remember. Also, Halloween where we carved pumpkins and had candy and it was great.

November. I went to school, Sean went to work. Thanksgiving was tons of fun and delicious. it was really a relaxing month, just what we needed after october.

December flew by. We saw The Hobbit 3 times (our 4th was last night... so it doesn't count for December). I finished the semester of School and hung out at home for most of the break. We had some Christmas parties and stuff and i wrote an adorable blog about our wedding. For New Years, we went to Heber City and just enjoyed each others company instead of going to a party. boring.

I'm excited for 2013. It's gonna be fun. Sean's and my first entire year of being married. Yay! This year, we're hoping to move up to Davis County, start saving for a real house, and maybe visiting Phoenix again or somewhere. I'm excited.

Thanks for another year of listening to me ramble or whatnot.
love, ellen

1 week and 1 day

Til I get to spend Christmas with my fantastic husband. Today, there's a lot to say and i think it best to be in a bulleted list, like i like.

• Remember last year's Christmas Eve post that had my most favorite christmas songs on it? that was a good one. you should check it out if you haven't.
• Yesterday, in church, Sean and I gave our 'new to the ward' talks. We actually had some fun writing them and telling each other the funny bits we were planning on saying. When we actually gave them, people seemed to enjoy them and we got lots of compliments after. 
• Okay, so last monday (a week ago today) i got my first smartphone. It's an HTC Radar. I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly careful i am with it. I leave it in my bag when i'm sitting down and it's rarely in my pockets in case it falls out. So on sunday, right before i'm about to go into the church for sacrament meeting, guess what. Sean's ipad was covering it when both were sitting in my lap and, as i stepped out of the car, i bet you can only imagine what happens next. yep, the brand new phone slips and tumbles straight onto the pavement and the screen shatters. my luck... but it's all going to be fine. the phone was free, it's only a malformation in the screen. All the apps and buttons (is that what they're called when they don't protrude from the surface?) and whatnot work. so it'll be fine. but what a frustrating thing. 
• On Saturday morning, Sean and I woke up bright and early to take miss kitty to get fixed. When we picked her up that afternoon, she was so silly! she had a piece of duct tape on her head for the vets to put her in her in the right carrying cage thing and she just looked high as a kite. She also got her vaccines. We have been giving her meds every day at 7 am and 7 pm and, even though they're super gross and she hates them, she takes them well. She's been sleeping a lot more and letting me cuddle with her! Right? she loves having her head scratched and laying down right next to me. cute.

• we've seen The Hobbit twice so far. for realz. We saw it in normal  and then in  Lots-o'-frames 3D which was weird. I don't know if i liked it or not. but anyways, it's really great and I'd recommend it. Also, recently, i've been re-watching the Lord of the Rings Extended trilogy. Awesome. 
• Only a hair more than a week till CHRISTMAS! I can't wait to give Sean all of the things I got him. And I can't wait to see what he got me! I think married christmas is going to be so much fun and I can't wait for Prime Rib with my family that night! and to give them what we got them! oh, christmas. so fun. 

i think that's all. 

but i also think i need to share this adorable picture of my sweet husband sleeping:

love, Ellen

simple observations.

i have to start out with a rendition of a song:


oh, the weather outside is frightful,
and all i ever wanna do is cuddle.
And cuz Sean's at work all day,
I will wait, i will wait, i will wait.

okay. back to business:

• i'm okay going 20 miles under the speed limit today because of my poor tires and it's slippery all around.
• i love almond hot chocolate. almond anything, really.
• You HAVE to let the dryer finish when you don't have a laundry thing at your house and have to transport it because if you don't and put it in the bottom of the hamper, it WILL wrinkle and you will have a bad time.
• my house is a mess and for the first time in months, kitty is being super sweet and cuddly. She's even letting me pet her without attacking my hands. jerk.
• Today is the perfect day to start re-watching Lord of the Rings in preparation for Friday. Also because of the weather. Good thing the 1st part of Fellowship is still in the bluray player from that time Sean and I fell asleep to it on saturday.
• i want to be an artist. 
• 2 finals down, 2 to go. and then BREAK. awww yeah.
• the creepy heaters in our apartment are actually awesome. 
• I need to go buy some of Sean's stocking gifts today. or tomorrow. probably tomorrow.

okay, that's all for today. now i'm going to take a nap and clean my house. 

love, ellen.