Edward & Randah

ninety years

2012-02-22T09:24:00.007-07:00

Over President's Day weekend, Edward and I make the trek to Idaho to spend time with my family and to celebrate my Grandpa Griffiths' 90th birthday! We had been planning his surprise party since Thanksgiving. My Grandma didn't know about it either. The lies that were told to keep the plans progressing smoothly {Grandma kept prying--she was sure no one cared about this monumental birthday} could fill a book. Haha. But in the end, both grandparents were delightfully surprised as they arrived at my Aunt Bonita's church building to find about 80 family members in attendance--including all six of my grandparents' children and their spouses, many grandkids and great-grandkids, and some of my Grandpa's siblings and cousins.

The surprise on Grandpa's face was priceless :o)

My mom did an AMAZING job at decorating!

We had a marvelous time.
We ate.
We reminisced.
We gave Grandpa the microphone and listened to his stories.
We watched old slide shows.
We played a trivia game about Grandpa's life.
We enjoyed being together.
We honored Weldon Griffiths {one of the best men I've ever known}.
We laughed.
We made memories.

So cute in his party hat!

Grandma and Grandpa Griffiths

Let me tell you a little about the wonderful man I call Grandpa. He was born and raised in the small farming town of Clarkston, Utah. He learned from a young age that work is an essential part of life. He grew up farming. My Grandfather served a mission for our church in the Texas-Louisiana mission. He then served in the US Army during WWII. He was a soldier at the tail-end of the war and was on a crew that was stationed in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. He graduated from Utah State University, where he studied Industrial Arts. He met my Grandma (a beautiful, young returned missionary) on a blind date. They were married in the Logan, Utah LDS Temple.

My Grandpa got a job in Shelley, Idaho, where he taught wood shop/industrial design at Shelley High School. He taught there for 38 years (I think that's the right number?). My grandparents raised six children. Their six kids grew up to be very hard-working, industrious, and successful people.

After retiring, my grandparents served THREE full-time LDS missions together--in Guam, Singapore/Malaysia, and the West Indies (Trinidad).

My grandparents have 33 grandchildren and 52 great-grandchildren (with more on the way). Oh those 33 grandchildren, 18 have served full-time missions so far; 21 are married in the temple so far; and 100% of them are active and strong in the church. Whoa. Now, I don't say any of this to brag. I'm simply grateful to have grandparents who instilled such values in their kids. I'm simply grateful for the my family and the legacy I have. I'm simply grateful.

It is with much love that I honor my Grandpa Griffiths in this post. I will forever be blessed to call him my Grandfather.

My grandparents with all six of their kids.

Edward and me--enjoying the festivities.

gratitude

2011-11-17T08:31:00.003-07:00

Gratitude.

Edward and I have MUCH to be grateful for this year. We have been blessed beyond anything we can imagine. Yes, we've had some trials this year. Our marriage has started off with quite a few "hiccups" in the road. But through it all, we've grown closer together, learned to rely on each other and on the Lord, and learned that prayers truly are answered.

This holiday season, my thoughts are turned heavenward as I think about all the blessings we have. And you know what? As strange as it sounds, I am actually grateful for the trials we've been through and the tough times we've endured.

We will be going to visit my family in Idaho next week for a very quick Thanksgiving trip. I CANNOT WAIT! My four cute nieces will be in town from Missouri and I am dying to see them! I especially cannot wait to meet Little Miss Harper. :o)

This is the Thanksgiving card I designed for my company to send to clients. I love this quote. How true it is. Gratitude can make all the difference in life. Even meager circumstances can seem like a treasure. It's all about perspective and appreciation. Every thing we have in this life is a gift from the Almighty. May we all remember that, not just at Thanksgiving, but always.

I am grateful for . . .

my sweet husband
my kind and loving parents
my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ
my freedom to worship
my jobs
my health
my cute, little apartment and the cozy happiness within the walls
my fantastic friends
my family
my iPhone (because, let's be honest, I've got to have something worldly on this list!)

What are you grateful for?

we rejoice in Christ

2011-10-10T16:08:00.003-06:00

What's in a name? I thoroughly enjoyed Elder Ballard's talk in the recent LDS General Conference in which he explained that though we are often referred to as "the Mormons," it is SO important that we take every opportunity to explain to people that our church's proper names is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When others read and hear our full name, it will become more evident to them that we truly ARE Christians, as our title bears the name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

I thought this talk explained this fact more clearly than I'd ever had it explained before.

Here is one of my very favorite scriptures. How much more clear can it be that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we DO believe in Jesus Christ, who is our Savior.

Hmm . . . this might make a nice wall hanging for the Christmas season.

oh, how i love autumn!

2011-10-10T13:45:00.003-06:00

It's my favorite time of year . . . autumn!

I love the crispness in the air.
I love the leaves changing colors.
I love the fact that it's hoodie weather.
I love to pull out my boots for the first time.
I love the flavors of the season--cinnamon, apple, caramel . . . mmm.
I love general conference and the inspired messages I hear.
I love trick-or-treaters and dressing up in fun costumes.
I love decorating with pumpkins.
I love the anticipation of my Halloween birthday coming up (but nervous to turn the big 30 this year . . . yikes!).
I love the change in nature.
I love how I feel strangely at peace in autumn--more so than in other season.

What are your favorite things about autumn?

This has been among my favorite quotes for quite some time. I feel much the same as Ms. Bronte. Autumn is pure bliss to me!

Now . . . if only I could get dear husband on board. He doesn't like autumn so much, as it is a constant reminder to him that summer is officially over and we are quickly encroaching upon winter {which is his LEAST favorite season of all}.

I'm just going to have to plan some fun events for us this autumn season so that he can learn to love it as much as I do. I mean, let's be honest, autumn is {by far} the BEST of the four seasons!

our love story

2011-10-03T14:42:00.003-06:00

Also from a similar idea I saw on Pinterest, I created this little piece to hang in our humble home. It's the love story of Edward and me. Sigh. Cheesy, I know, but I had lots of fun putting this together. It hangs in our entryway.

I must say, marriage truly is fantastic! It hasn't been a walk in the park so far for us. We've had some challenges. But I have honestly loved every moment. Edward is such a fantastic husband and I love him deeply.

FYI, he is starting a new job today! Hip-hip-hooray! Prayers truly are answered. I'm so happy Edward and I found each other. I love our love story. :o)

harper may

2011-10-03T14:22:00.004-06:00

I have a cute new niece, Harper May. I'm dying to meet her. Sadly, she lives in Missouri and I'm not sure when I will get to see the cutie. My parents are going out soon to visit them and I'm sending themwith this gift for sweet Harper May's room--in an 11x14 print--to match her gray and pink nursery:

I must admit that I DID slightly copy a version of this that I found on Pinterest. I love the words to this song and thought it would make a darling wall hanging for her nursery. I sure hope the proud parents like it. :o)

hello, my friends!

2011-09-07T12:02:00.002-06:00

Why, hello, blog world. It seems that now that I'm a married woman, I've dropped off the face of the blogosphere. Yeah. Sorry about that. Here are some updates from the Urbina family:

Marriage is G-R-E-A-T & we are loving every moment of it!
We've been married nearly four months {seriously, where does the time go?}.
We have new church callings that are keeping us pretty busy {Edward is the ward Executive Secretary and I'm a counselor in the Primary presidency}.
Some of you may or may not have heard that my sweet Edward was laid off from his job in July. We're doing just fine though--applying for lots of jobs and keeping our fingers crossed. In the meantime, I'm working part time again in the evenings and weekends at Pier 1. I love that this is my third time working for Pier 1. Haha. I just can't stay away for too long. :o)
Edward and I are day-dreaming about buying a home in the next year or two {but the first step is finding a job for him, of course}. As such, we've been driving around many neighborhoods and oohing and awing over the things we like. We figure we might as well take the time to research and figure out exactly what we want--so that once we're ready to buy, it'll be quick and easy. Hopefully.

Other than that, there's not much new with us. I'm still putting some final touches on our cute little apartment. I've had so much fun decorating. We love our humble home.

My mom is coming for a visit tomorrow and I've finally got the guest room all ready for her. Hey, if any of you ever need a place to stay in the Salt Lake City area, our guest room is super cute and always available. Come crash with us!

Ooh . . . one more thing . . . I am nearly done with the wedding/shower thank you cards. So sorry that I'm slow. But, if I happened to miss any of you, which I know I have, please know that Edward and I are so very grateful for all the love, support, and kindness that was shown to us during our wedding and the months leading up to it. Thank you all for your thoughtfulness, your fantastic gifts, and for coming to celebrate with us at our wedding reception.

Thank you!
Gracias!

courage is . . .

2011-09-07T12:00:00.001-06:00

Women of God

2011-08-23T14:41:00.001-06:00

Have always loved this quote.
Makes me want to be a better woman.
All around.

a mess like this . . .

2011-08-23T14:05:00.001-06:00

Love this little quote by Marjorie Pay Hinckley. She is the cutest.

what a wonderful world

2011-08-22T11:46:00.000-06:00

be cheerful

2011-07-29T15:38:00.003-06:00

This has been my favorite quote since freshman year of college. I've had it hanging on my wall in every place I've lived for the past eleven years. But until recently, it was a tattered piece of hot pink paper with simply typed letters and stickers on it. Then I decided to create this. It hangs in our living room.

Let me know if you want one--any size, any color. I'll email you the file and you can print and frame it. Ours is 11x14. Perfect.

It makes me happy. Love these words.

always remember . . .

2011-07-22T15:47:00.003-06:00

My friends at Beauty Redefined posted the words to this beautiful saying recently. I loved it. So I created my own little wall hanging for my co-workers and myself {all in different colors}. Mine, of course, is pink. :o)

Beautiful thought, no?

And speaking of Beauty Redefined, have you heard of them yet? Take a moment to peruse through their blog. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Lexie and Lindsey are twin sisters working on their PhDs at the University of Utah. They're marvelous {and beautiful} women. They've devoted their research and lives to spreading positive messages to women about confidence, body image, and true beauty.

Know what else is cool? They have 12 billboards going up along the Wasatch front next week--all featuring messages about real beauty. Look for them! Also, if you missed their recent appearance on ABC News 4, you can watch it HERE.

disaster on the teton river

2011-07-07T15:20:00.005-06:00

There is an on-going joke that my family is secretly trying to kill Edward. Every time he visits my parents' cabin in Idaho, something disastrous happens.

{at Thanksgiving, the zip line at our cabin broke while E was in the middle of riding it and he fell quite a ways to the snowy ground.}

{also at Thanksgiving, there was a whole long drama with trying to cut down my parents' 17-foot Christmas tree and E had to walk miles in the fresh powdery snow up to his thighs.}

And over the Independence Day weekend . . . disaster struck again . . .

My family has gone canoeing/kayaking many times on the
Teton River near my parents' cabin in Victor, Idaho.
We decided to introduce Edward to this fun pass time.
Here is a run-down of what happened on that fateful adventure:

Edward and I were together in the kayak. My parents were to follow directly behind us in the canoe.
E and I struggled to get out of the trees/weeds in the beginning and were facing the wrong direction for a while.
We paddled for a moment and then decided we better wait for my parents--they were not yet in sight.
We hung onto the reeds/branches on the side and we waited . . . and waited.
While waiting, E told me to turn around because he had a surprise for me. I turned around to see him holding a squirmy little mouse in his hand! EEEEEKKKKKK! Mice are my biggest fear! Apparently, the little critter was a stow-away, who we think had made a nice little home in the kayak as it was being stored under the deck at the cabin.
E gently tossed the disgusting creature into the brush so it could survive {though I told him to through it out into the middle of the river and let it drown}. Gross.
After no sign of my parents, we figured they had decided not to come and that we better continue rowing down the river--where we would meet them at the end, where the truck was parked.
As we tried to get rowing again, we must have lost our balance somehow . . . and we tipped the kayak completely over--upside-down, and E and I fell into the icy cold water.
The river was much higher and stronger than in years past, and it took us a moment to get our bearings, as shoes, hats, sunglasses, oars, and the kayak were quickly floating out of arms reach and E and I were still processing the fact that we were in the river, but NOT in the kayak.
I quickly realized that I could reach the river's bottom with my feet and that I could stand up. It took E just a second longer to make that realization--as he grabbed my upper arm and tried to swim me to the bank {I have bruises to prove it}. I told him to let go because he was actually pulling me under.
Once he realized he could stand, things were much better. We salvaged everything minus our sunglasses.
So glad we had put our camera in a ziploc bag--it survived like a champ! And even more glad that we had decided to not bring out phones on this adventure--as they for sure would have been destroyed.
So there we are, on the bank of the Teton River, hanging onto all of our stuff. The current in the middle of the river was much too strong to just walk across it to the other side.
Yet, on the opposite bank, there was a large ranch and a private dock, where we could have easily climbed out to safety.
Meanwhile, some very nice and helpful people in the backyard of this ranch spotted us and asked if we needed help, to which I enthusiastically screamed, "Yes!"
They {unsuccessfully} tried to throw us a rope to tow us in.
They {unsuccessfully} tried to swim out to us and offer help.
Then, out of no where, my mom and dad showed up in their backyard alongside these friendly people. They had been driving around trying to find us.
E and I realized our only option was to climb back inside the kayak and paddle quickly to the opposite bank of the river--where we would be able to get out of the freezing cold water.
First we had to scoop all the water out of our kayak with my water bottle. Then we attempted to paddle across the river.
We did so successfully {only because the friendly people and my dad grabbed onto our oars to slow us down and pull us to the dock}.
Once out of the water, we learned that my mom had tipped the canoe over TWO times trying to get started. She was also soaked to the bone. After her second dunk, she decided she was done and that my dad would have to canoe on his own.
We then learned that my dad had also completely tipped over in the canoe on his own as he attempted to begin his ride down the river.
And then they were both done.
The river was too high and too fast where we were starting out.
They drove around and tried to find us.
E and I made good friends with the nice people as my parents left us there with the boats while they went to get our truck.
After all that, my dad and E decided they were not yet done on the river. We took them to another spot that was much calmer and shallower. They were able to successfully complete their canoeing trip together.
My mom and I were SO done. We went back to the cabin to shower.

Wow. What a crazy adventure it was.

Lessons learned:

Don't go canoeing in a river that is flowing much faster and higher than normal.
When you fall into the river, don't panic. I now understand why seasoned sportsmen drown when such things happen.
Um, mice most certainly do NOT belong with me in such confined spaces as a kayak!
When participating in water activities, ALWAYS leave the cell phone behind. Always.
E will save me. Always. :o)
Eh, so we lost the sunglasses. It was a good excuse to buy new ones!

So, how was YOUR July 4th weekend?

looking forward to the 4th!

2011-06-30T14:08:00.003-06:00

E and I are going to Idaho for the longholiday weekend
{which we're makingeven longer by taking Tuesday off work!}.

While in Idaho, we will . . .

Hang out with my parents at their cabin in Victor, Idaho
Go hiking on the Monument trail and see the Wind Caves
Listen to this guy speak and see fireworks in Driggs, Idaho
Go to the Victor Fourth of July Parade
Go canoeing on the Teton River
Return to Idaho Falls and watch the nation's SECOND BEST fireworks show!
And then we'll come back to Utah and return to normal life

Yep. We're excited for a mini-vaca!

What are your holiday weekend plans?

Brazilian Lemonade

2011-06-27T10:20:00.002-06:00

Yummy.
Delicious.
Refreshing.

Edward and I has some friends over for a BBQ
on Saturday and we made this seriously fantastic
Brazilian Lemonade. Trust me . . . you're gonna
want to make this ASAP. We loved it.

Brazilian Lemonade

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they’re the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn’t test it and it came out a little bitter. If it’s bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.
Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

Anyone else frequent the Our Best Bites blog?
Um, half the meals I cook come from their recipes.
You should check it out {if you haven't already}.

i want to ride my bicycle!

2011-06-13T08:23:00.003-06:00

I got a new toy. And I love her!

Edward and I have been on lots of bike rides the past week. And we're planning to go everyday this week as well. I must say, it has been a blast riding bikes together! On Saturday we went on the Jordan River Parkway and rode for about 8 miles. We loved every second of it.

Ah, summertime, where
have you been all my life?

What are some of your favorite
outdoor activities in the summer?
Do share!

quoted

2011-06-08T09:34:00.002-06:00

One of my mom's young women from several years ago recently returned from her mission in Texas (wahoo to Texas missionaries!) and she's working for LDS Living Magazine. She just wrote THIS article and quoted me. :o) Take a read. Nice job, Whitney!

It's kind of fun to be quoted.

domestic goddess? trying to be!

2011-06-02T10:38:00.003-06:00

So I know I'm still brand new to being a wife . . . and this dedicaton might not last forever, but I'm trying {super hard} to be the BEST little homemaker wife to my Edward. And to me, that means cooking my man delicious home-cooked meals every night. Yay! I love to cook, so it definitely has been fun for me!

When we were dating, we ate out WAY too much. Not good. So our goal is to eat out once a week for a date night, and to eat at home the rest of the nights--taking leftovers to work for lunches. So far, so good.

Here is our dinner from last night:

bacon wrapped teriyaki chicken skewers with pineapple:

& ham fried rice:

{And fresh watermelon for dessert, not pictured.}

E loved it. Will absolutely be making these kabobs again soon!

On the docket for tonight . . . grilled pork tenderloin with chimichurri and Caesar salad (thanks to the huge, fresh head of romaine lettuce our new neighbors gave us from their bountiful basket!).

mr. & mrs. urbina

2011-06-01T13:05:00.007-06:00

We're married! Yay!!!

Everything went perfectly with the wedding and honeymoon. Sure, there were a few hiccups (the cake was the wrong color, the bouquet had to be re-done at the last minute, and it rained/snowed during our entire Yellowstone trip), but what's a wedding without a few minuscule details that go awry at the last minute? Am I right?

In the end, none of those tiny details mattered . . . because Edward and I are happily married and life is grand! And that's all that really matters. :o)

We do not have photos from our photographer yet, but I will post some when we do. We're very excited to see them!

Edward and I spent our honeymoon mostly at my parents' cabin in the quaint mountainous town of Victor, Idaho. We just relaxed, caught up on lots of missed sleep from the past couple of months, and enjoyed each others' company. We also visited Jackson, Wyoming and a few national parks--Teton National Park (where we saw Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake, and a few herds of wild buffalo), Yellowstone (where we stayed one night in a rented cabin, saw Old Faithful, more buffalo, more buffalo, Gibbon Falls, and mostly stayed in the car and out of the rain as we drove through the park), and Targhee National Forest (where I introduced Edward to the majestic Mesa Falls).

Here is Edward eating his first famous "square ice cream cone" in Sway Valley, Idaho.

Love this man of mine!

And our wedding wouldn't have been complete without these three little chickies. We LOVE these little angels, our cute nieces. And we are so glad they could come to the wedding.

Thanks to all of you who showed your love and support in so many ways. Edward and I feel truly blessed to count you all as friends and family. We love you!

We are settled into our home and are enjoying life as Husband and Wife. And so happy are we!

and then there was ONE . . .

2011-05-19T10:14:00.002-06:00

Our countdown to the wedding has led

us up to this teeny, tiny number of ONE!!!

As in, we're getting married tomorrow!

Yay!

Edward and I are beginning this new journey

as Mr. and Mrs. Urbina and we are so excited!

We will post photos after the honeymoon!

Come celebrate with us tomorrow night

if you're in Idaho Falls!

Love you all.

Thanks for your support during our engagement!

something old, new, borrowed, blue

2011-05-18T10:41:00.006-06:00

Supposedly, this phrase originated in
England in the Victorian era.

It's been around for quite some time,
and I think it's a fun tradition.

Brides are supposed to have
something old
something new
something borrowed
something blue

Why?
Read the background here.
Kind of charming, I think.
:o)

So, I complied. Here are my
somethings for my wedding day:

something OLD
I make jewelry. And at times, I've sold it on the side. It's a fun hobby and I enjoy it. For my wedding day, I wanted to make all my own jewelry. I made the bracelet and the earrings . . . but I stumbled upon a creative block when it came to the necklace. I knew exactly what I wanted {I'd found a photo online that I wanted to replicate}. But as hard as I tried, I just couldn't make myself do it for some reason. And who came to rescue? My mom. She and my aunt made me the exact necklace I wanted. They cut apart two old strands of pearls that my mom and I already owned, and used the pearls to create my new necklace. It's beautiful and I am so excited to wear it on Friday!

something NEW
Well, my shoes are new, my dress is new,
even my underclothes are new for this wedding . . .
so take your pick, but I'll be decked out in lots of
new items on the wedding day!

something BORROWED
My sister-in-law, Kaylyn, has graciously
offered to let me use her veil. So fantastic!
Thank you, Kaylyn!

something BLUE
My dear Grandma Barb purchased a beautiful
garter for me with baby blue ribbon on it. So fun!

So, that you have it, I will have something old,
new, borrowed, and blue on the wedding day!

¡dos días!

2011-05-18T09:23:00.001-06:00

Yep, only TWO days left
before the wedding!

Yippee!!!!

1 {edward}
+
1 {randah}
=
2 urbinas

bridal photos sneak peek!

2011-05-16T12:49:00.005-06:00

Call me a traditionalist, but I don't want Edward to see my wedding dress or even to really know much about what it looks like until he sees me in it on our wedding day. It's been tough keeping it all a big secret, but I think it'll be worth it when he sees me for the first time on our wedding day!

Since I can't post any of my bridal photos yet because of that, I decided to give you all a sneak peek at my photos . . . just a little teaser for now.

:o)

three days to go . . .

2011-05-16T12:42:00.003-06:00

Wahoo!

The BIG DAY is getting closer!
E and I cannot wait!

In THREE days I will
marry my best friend.

So happy!

it's wedding week!!!

2011-05-16T11:21:00.003-06:00

The week has finally arrived . . . and Edward and I only have 4 days left until the BIG DAY!!! And we couldn't feel more ready. We're so excited and cannot wait to be married!

We hope you'll come join us in celebrating our wedding! Come party with us at our reception on Friday at 7:00 at The Rose Shop in Idaho Falls. Find directions here.

idaho falls LDS temple

2011-05-11T15:38:00.006-06:00

On Friday, May 20th, Edward and I will be

married in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple.

Want to learn more about temples?
Go here.

Here are some interesting stats on the Idaho Falls Temple:

Out of 134 operating temples in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
the Idaho Falls Temple was the 8th to be completed.

The temple was completed and dedicated in
September of 1945 by past Prophet, George Albert Smith.
It took nearly five years to complete the construction of
the Idaho Falls Temple because of World War II, which
resulted in a shortage of workers and supplies.

The Idaho Falls Temple rests on 7 acres of
land and is 92,177 square feet in size.

Edward and I are SO freaking excited to be
married in this special building! Yay!

forecast for 05.20.11

2011-05-11T13:19:00.001-06:00

Feeling glad that I purchased an umbrella and rain boots . . .

rainy days ahead . . .

2011-05-10T15:31:00.003-06:00

The weather report for next week in Idaho Falls
has some rain in the beginning of the week.
Fingers crossed that everything clears up
for our Friday wedding!

But, one can never be too sure . . . so I decided
to buy myself a little "insurance."

Just purchased these:

and this:

Because, let's face it . . . if it's going to rain on my
wedding day, I'm going to be prepared {and stylish}.

Come what may!
This wedding is happening, rain or shine!
And it's only TEN days away!

{mostly} moved in

2011-05-10T09:24:00.010-06:00

On Saturday, Edward and I spent most of the day moving. It was a LOT of work, but I'm happy to say that we're mostly done. I just have clothes and a few random odds and ends left with me in my roommate's condo--and I won't be moving that stuff until the last minute.

Whew. Glad to have that behind us!

Our apartment is looking great and we're so excited!
Here are a few photos.
More to come once we hang up pictures and decorate.

{photos are from my phone, so they're a little grainy}

{our new sofa}

{kitchen--LOVING the green Kitchenaid my mom gave us!}

{dining area}

{Edward--building a dresser from Ikea}

We want to thank our friend, Alejandro,
for his help with the move.
What a lifesaver you were!

Also, last night my friend, Risa,
helped me build a sofa table!
I'm super excited about it.
Thanks, Risa.

Photos of that will be
coming soon as well.

the home stretch . . .

2011-05-06T10:48:00.002-06:00

Guess what? May 20th is exactly TWO WEEKS from today! Yay!!!

I guess we're on the "home stretch" now.

Finally. :o)

Most of the details are covered and now it's just basically a countdown to the big day!
Edward and I are SO ready for our wedding day!

Tomorrow we will be moving all of my furniture into our apartment.
So, if you're a generous {and strong} individual and feel like helping
us move, give me a call! We'd love to have your help!

All you married ladies out there . . . share some advice with me. What do you wish you'd done differently on your wedding day? What emergency bridal items {makeup/toothbrush/hairspray/etc.} should I pack in my bag to take with me to the temple/luncheon/reception?

the countdown is on . . 16 days to go!

2011-05-04T16:00:00.001-06:00

bridal pictures & Idaho shower

2011-05-02T09:24:00.003-06:00

Over the weekend I went to Idaho {for my last time before the wedding}. I had my bridal pictures taken on Saturday. It was so fun to have my hair done, do my makeup, and actually get to wear my dress. I felt like a princess. Fingers crossed that the photos turn out great . . .

I also had my Idaho bridal shower. Oh boy, was I ever SPOILED. Wow. Thank you to all my friends and family who came to my bridal shower. It was such a fun day! I especially want to thank Tina Rusch and Sonja Davis for hosting such a great party in my honor. I felt so very loved. :o)

Edward stayed in Utah for the weekend and unpacked all his stuff in our new home. The big move will be this weekend when we will be renting a UHaul and moving all of the furniture. So, if any of you are feeling generous and will be in the SLC area on Saturday, we could really use your muscles!

18 days to go . . .

Cannot wait to be Mrs. Urbina!!!!

Invitations

2011-04-25T10:02:00.003-06:00

We mailed our invitations on Saturday . . .
so check your mailboxes this week!
Here is a sneak peek at what they look like!

Front:

Back:

(P.S., the image looks a little grainy because the Blogger photo uploader just does a "quick" upload rather than a full upload. Not sure how to fix that, but at least you'll get the general feel of what our announcement look like.)

What do you all think? Like the invitations? Please share your comments with us!

one month away!

2011-04-20T10:55:00.000-06:00

The wedding is exactly ONE MONTH from today! Yay!

Solamente nos falta UN MES hasta la boda! :o)

cake, flowers, and other details . . .

2011-04-18T15:54:00.001-06:00

Edward and I spent the weekend in Idaho so we could work on wedding plans with my mom. We met with the florist and the cake maker together. Then just my mom and I met with the seamstress for another dress fitting (it's G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S now that it fits!) and the hair stylist. Whew. Crazy weekend. But the details are coming together nicely and {I think} most of the BIG decisions are out of the way.

32 days to go!

Edward y yo fuimos a Idaho por el fin de semana para poder trabajar en los planes de la boda con mi mamá. Nos juntamos (Edward, mi mamá, y yo) con la florista y con la panadera para charlar sobre los flores y el pastel. Luego, mi mamá y yo fuimos para juntarnos con la costurera para ver mi vestido (¡es B-E-L-L-I-S-I-M-O ya que me queda!) y con la peluquera. ¡Ay! Que loco fin de semana. Pero todo está muy bien y los detalles están ordenados {creo que sí}. Espero que la mayoría de las decisiones ya están completas.

¡32 días más!

color palette for our home

2011-04-10T23:08:00.000-06:00

While Edward doesn't care much about our decor and color palette, I'm pretty excited about it! Here are the colors we've decided on . . .

Kitchen, Living Room, & Guest Bathroom:
Chocolate Brown/Lime Green/Tangerine accents

Bedroom & Master Bathroom:
Chocolate Brown/Aqua Blue

showered

2011-04-10T22:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I was spoiled rotten!

Thanks to all of my dear friends and relatives who came to my Utah bridal shower! Oh, what fun it was to see friends and family and be able to tell them all about my sweet Edward.

A special thanks to Tricia, Carolyn, Susan, and Brittany for all your hard work on my behalf. You made it a very special day for me and I am so very grateful for all of you.

Also, thank you, Mom, for driving from Idaho to share in the celebration with me.

I feel so very blessed. Edward and I cannot wait to be married so we can use all of our fun new kitchen gadgets!

a place to live!

2011-03-28T13:44:00.000-06:00

After a lot of searching . . . Edward and I found a place to live! For our first year of marriage, we will be renting an apartment in Sandy. We couldn't be more excited! We were pretty picky--but we finally found a place that had everything we wanted.

We purchased couches recently too. :o)

Things are really coming together!

photos!

2011-03-28T13:32:00.000-06:00

We got our disc from our photographer! Yay! Here are some of our favorite engagement photos. There are more on our Facebook pages, if you want to take a look there.

hair

2011-03-25T13:11:00.000-06:00

Big dilemma . . . how should I have
my hair done for the big day?
I definitely know that I want it up.
And I think I'm digging this photo.

If I choose something like this, do I use a veil too?
How would that work?

Are a lot of brides opting for no veil these days?

Please, share your opinions/ideas. I need help!

a few more details for y'all

2011-03-23T14:04:00.000-06:00

My friend Stephanie asked the following questions on my recent post about Edward. Sorry, I guess I left out some important details. So here you go . . .

Q: How did you meet and how long did you date?

A: As much as I don't love admitting this fact to people, Edward and I met on the Internet. On a great little site called LDSPlanet.com. Yep, it's true. Internet dating works. We messaged for a couple of months before we met in person. Our first date was July 21, 2010. It has been a great eight months!

Q: Where will you live once you are married?

A: The plan is to live in Sandy. Edward works in Lehi and I work in Salt Lake. We think Sandy is a great middle ground. We're looking for a condo/townhouse/or apartment to rent for the first little bit. Buying a home is in the plans for a year or so down the road. We've looked a little, but we definitely need to find a place pretty quickly. If any of you have any leads in the Sandy area, please let us know!

Q: Does Edward have family here in the states?

A: Edward does have a few aunts/cousins in California, but he doesn't know them well. All of Edward's siblings, his mom, grandma, etc--all live in Honduras. His father passed away years ago. We're crossing our fingers that his mom will be able to make it to the wedding, but getting a tourist visa is difficult. The rest of the family, unfortunately, will not be able to make it. But we'll definitely plan to go visit Honduras sometime within the next year! So excited for that!

Any more questions? :o)

zapatos . . . second try

2011-03-23T13:25:00.001-06:00

So, the first pair of shoes I ordered came in the mail and they were HUGE. Falling off my feet. And, of course, they were not available in a smaller size. I just ordered the "runner-up" pair.

Here they are in all their glory:

Fingers crossed that they're a true size 7 and they will fit!

Do you like them better, not as much, or equal, compared to the first pair?

zapatos!

2011-03-15T20:30:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I purchased my shoes for the wedding!
¡Hoy, compré los zapatos para la boda!

update

2011-03-15T14:26:00.000-06:00

Wedding plans are still progressing nicely.
Los planes de la boda todavía están progresando bien.

But . . . tomorrow morning (at 5), Edward is taking me to the airport. Gonna miss him!
Pero . . . mañana por la mañana (a las 5), Edward me voy a llevar al aeropuerto. ¡Lo extrañaré!

For work, I am going to Atlantis in The Bahamas. Rough life, huh? :o)
Para mi trabajo, voy a Atlantis en Los Bahamas. Que díficil vida, ¿no? :o)

Here are the things we've done recently for the wedding though:
Aquí son las cosas que hemos hecho recientemente para la boda:

We had our engagement photos taken on Saturday
Sacamos las fotos como una pareja prometida en el sábado

We looked at furniture last night
Fuímos para mirar muebles anoche

We're going to look at a condo today
Vamos hoy para mirar un apartamento

We found a photographer for the day of the wedding in Idaho
Encontramos una fotógrafa para el día de la boda en Idaho

Edward is going to continue looking at condos/apartments while I am on my trip.
Edward va a continuar mirando los apartamentos mientras estoy de viaje.

You know what? I love making all these wedding plans with Edward! It is so much fun!
¿Saben algo? ¡Me encanta haciendo los planes de la boda con Edward! ¡Qué divertido!

More updates when I return from paradise!
¡Más información cuando regrese del paraíso!

¿quién es Edward?

2011-03-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

Many of you know me (Randah), but you don't know much about my great fiance, Edward.

Algunos de ustedes me conocen (Randah), pero no conocen a mi prometido maravilloso, Edward.

Let me tell you all a little about him:
Déjame decirles un poco sobre él:

Edward is from Honduras. He has two brothers and two sisters.
Edward es de Honduars. Tiene dos hermanos y dos hermanas.

Edward joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was 19 years old.
Edward se juntó con la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los últimos Días cuando tenía 19 años.

He served a mission in Guatemala City exactly one year after becoming a member of the church.
Se servió una misión en la Ciudad de Guatemala exactemente un año después de unirse con la iglesia.

Edward has lived in the United States for ten years.
Edward ha vivido en los Estados Unidos por diez años.

He works for a company called Young Living, where he is employed in the international department. His job is to make sure all their products are properly registered in all the countries they sell their products in.
Trabaja por una empresa se llama Young Living, en que está empleado en el departamento internaciónal. Sú trabajo es conseguir registros y licensias de sus productos en todos los países en que se venden sus productos.

I hope that helps you to know a little bit more about Edward. Any questions?

Espero que ya saben un poco más sobre el Edward. ¿Tienen preguntas?

for time & eternity

2011-03-07T23:58:00.000-07:00

Edward and I have chosen
to be married in the
Idaho Falls LDS temple.
Cannot wait!

Why Idaho Falls?
It's my home town.
And it's where my parents were married.
It's the first temple I ever went to.
It's nostalgic to me.
And Edward is supportive of that.

Love him.

engaged!

2011-03-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many of you have heard the BIG news . . . Edward and I are ENGAGED!!!! The proposal happened on Friday, March 4, 2011 in Idaho Falls at my parents' house. We went to Idaho for the weekend to visit my family because my brother and his family are moving and I wanted to see my cute nieces one last time before they go.

Edward took a moment to go upstairs and ask my father's permission for my hand. Obviously, my dad consented. They came downstairs together to tell my mom what was going on. Then Edward took me aside so we could have some privacy and he got down on one knee and spoke sweet words that melted my heart and asked me to marry him.

And I said YES!

So . . . while we were home for the weekend, we made great use of our time and started making wedding plans. Whew. What a busy and fantastic weekend it was. Here is all we accomplished in the first 24 hours of being engaged:

Wedding license was issued
Dress bought
Temple booked
Caterer scheduled
Reception center reserved
Decided on wedding colors (black/white and hot pink, of course)

Yay! Our wedding plans are well on their way!

Friday, May 20th!

Today, even more items were checked off the list. We are excited to have our engagement photos taken this coming Saturday! I received so many great recommendations from dear friends on Facebook when I asked for advice on who we should hire as a photographer in Salt Lake. After reviewing many, many blogs and websites (and taking a gander at their pricing lists), we've chosen Mendenhall Photography. We're pretty pumped! We'll definitely post the photos ASAP.

I am working on some prototypes for the announcements, which I will be designing.

Oh . . . SO many things to do. But I am having a blast making plans and checking items off the mile-long list of tasks.

I will be making frequent updates as our plans continue to progress. I guess it's basically just a place for me to record the steps we're taking as we draw closer to the wedding so that I can look back later.

That's all for now! Oh, one more thing. My only regret of the weekend is the fact that we didn't think to take any photos. Sad.

P.S. I love Edward.

Oh . . . and "he went to Jared!"