Day 82! Studying Away..

    Studying... Studying... and MORE studying! Finals week! Why did Brian ask me the weekend before finals? Neither of us could focus all weekend and today we really had to crack down today to crack down and study. Brian had two finals today, and I have one tomorrow. Blah! I can't wait for this week to be over so I can really set to work on wedding plans and what not. I have less than 3 months to plan which could sound like a lot of time to some people, but others who know, realize that with school going on, it's tough to plan a wedding. Thank goodness for Christmas break :)
    My biggest debate right now is whether to have a reception or not. My dream wedding is this: Get married in the morning at the Salt Lake Temple, have a small luncheon with my family and a few friends, and then be on the plan set for my honeymoon by 2 in the afternoon. No reception, no lines, no exhaustion. Sounds dreamy right? Receptions are SO expensive, and I would much rather take the money that would normally be used on a reception and use it for school or go on an elaborate honeymoon. That sounds more thrilling and inviting to me. Lately though as I've talked to people about the big news, I realized that there are A TON of people that I would really like to see and have them meet Brian or vice versa. So now.. I'm debating on a party the night before the wedding. So if we got married on March 5th, then March 4th I would just have an open house where people could come see Brian and me. We'll see.. This type of planning is what Christmas break is for. As for now, Brian and I are just going to focus on finals to be over after Thursday and then full speed ahead! Woot Woot! :)

     Just thought these would be fun to post. For a date once we bleached shirts for the other to wear. He made mine and I made his. And then we took white shoes and colored fabric markers on them and made some AWESOME shoes! Yea-ya!

Day 83! About Bri-Guy

    Brian and I have been VERY busy calling people and telling them the big news. We had an interview with our Bishop this morning where we told him the big news and he was SO excited that he announced it in the middle of our relief society lesson on the sacrament. Ha! We got a lot of attention at church, more than I ever imagined.. but then again I guess it is a single's ward and we were the advertisement to get married.

Day 84: All about Brian

   Brian J Larson was born on August 16, 1988. He is 22 years old and as crazy as ever! When I went to his ward and met the people there I was told, "Brian was born with a smile" and I really believe it! That kid DOES NOT STOP SMILING! I had the opportunity to go with his family over fall break to St. George to go boating at Sand Hallow Dam and there was Brian on the back of the boat, slaloming and just smiling away. When he finally came in the boat he turned to me and said, "My teeth are SO cold!" I just had to laugh. Brian is a people-person. Anyone and everyone he meets always just loves being around him. He is very skilled in talking with people and never has to really try to get a job because immediately he gives off a very confident air and employers just can't wait to have him. I still think it's his smile that gets people to like him so much. (It's always said that a girl marries someone most like her dad, well, for many reasons he is very much like my dad) Brian loves to snowboard.. but he'll have to convert to skiing to be apart of the Kendell clan. :) He is HUGE into boating where he is really good at wake boarding and slaloming He loves to be outdoors which is definitely a plus on my list and is very active, especially when he goes mountain biking.     

    The Larson Family is definitely one that I am so excited to be apart of. Brian is the fourth of five. His parents Craig and Laurie are absolutely adorable! I can't wait to be their daughter-in-law. His oldest sister Sarah is married to Brett Johnson and they have two little boys Hunter and Kyler and she is pregnant with her third. Next in line is Brian's brother Mike who is married to Robyn Sampson and they have an adorable little girl Esther and she is pregnant with another little boy. After is Curtis and he is in Pennsylvania in Medical school. Brian's youngest sister Amanda is up at Utah State with us. (She and I are three days apart.) Every time I've had the opportunity to be with his family I can't get enough. They are all so funny and very friendly.

Sarah, Mike, Curtis, Brian, Amanda

    Brian is going doing Pre-med at Utah State University and will graduate with his bachelor's degree in Biology next year. He is taking the MCAT to get into Medical school this Spring in May. As you can probably already guess, he is a super hard worker. He enjoys being busy and productive. He hates sleeping in late and doesn't like days where he just relaxes because he doesn't feel like he has accomplished anything. This quality definitely reminds me of my Dad quite a bit. Brian is very smart as well, he's the kind of kid we all hated in school that would never have to study for the tests but just walk in, take the test, and get better than those that worked their butts off.
    Brian went on his mission to Johannesburg, South Africa from Oct 2007-Oct 2009. I love hearing about his mission stories because they are just so unique! His dream honeymoon---he tells me-- would be to go back to South Africa and see everyone from his mission. (Again--just like my dad) Brian actually served in Johannesburg at the same time that my sister Camille and her husband Ben lived there. Ironic? My Grandpa Johansen and Uncle Blake also served in South Africa and my Brother-in-Law Ben served in Mozambique. The continent of Africa just seems to run in my family! Brian fits right in!

Day 84!

I'm an ENGAGED WOMAN!

   Woah! Brian has refused to call me anything but fiance' all day today. I have a feeling I'll have to get used to the name. I woke up this morning to 42 texts on my phone and a billion voice mails. Word travels fast! Ha I think I replayed the engagement story over and over and over.. and OVER in my head so many times. Especially as I retold it over and over and OVER again. I don't think it could ever get old because it was so perfect! Brian told me as we drove home from my house to Logan today that I have to plan the wedding, and he'll just focus on the insurance and where we're going to live and such. I'm alright with that though, planning insurance to me does not sound very thrilling compared to planning a cake.
    I was told I had to make the engagement Facebook Official which only made the texts and phone calls come more frequently. I have to give kudos to Preston Spaulding though because he told me at his going-away party and I quote, "Anna, I give you 3 months to meet him, and 6 months to get engaged." I laughed at his face.. Now he is the one laughing at my face even though his prediction came 10 days early. I never thought that I would ever be the one marrying so early although all my friends always told me I would. I didn't believe them because I had so many plans! I was going to go on a mission, go study abroad in Europe, go to Ecuador to work in an orphanage, maybe intern in Disneyland, be an EFY counselor... I guess the Lord has something different in store for me right now. And I'm ready! Ready for anything he throws my way!

I made sure to bring at least 1/5 of the roses back up to Logan with me!

   
    If you are wondering why there is "Day 86" or "Day 85" posted in the title, it's because I'm going to do a countdown til the wedding and just keep an update and record of all the plans and CRAZY stuff that will be going on in the next 3 months. That's right, you heard me.. 3 months.. I have less than that and I will no longer be single! Way weird! A year ago tonight was our Snowball Dance at Weber High where I went with Preston Crowell. Who would have ever guessed that a year later I would be engaged?! Certainly not me! Oh well! Come what may! It's an adventure, the best things come when you least expect them too that is for sure. :)

Day 85! ANXIOUSLY Engaged! :)

The Proposal:

    So Brian and I have been talking about the big "M" word for some time and were debating between March or May. On Tuesday December 7, we actually sat down and wrote a list about the pros and cons to marriage earlier or later. We decided we would discuss it later and so off we went to class. Brian later texted me telling me that he would be picking me up from my last class at 4:15. So I hurried out of Human Development and jumped in the car. The first thing he did was smile, give me a peck, and then say, "So I put my contract for Old Farm up for sale." I about had a heart attack... WHAT?!! All the sudden our playful little marriage talk was real! I was so shocked. He told me that he was planning on talking to my dad on Friday the 10th after my sister Raquel's graduation from WSU. As he dropped me off at my apartment, he told me he was going to go call my mom and figure out when the best time was. I walked into my apartment a bit dazed. Over the next few days Brian and I looked at rings online and planned out our date on Friday. Our plan was to go to Raquel's graduation and then head down to Salt Lake to go to Rocky Mountain Diamond to look for rings and then dinner and to see the lights.
    Friday morning I woke up and was super giddy and it took me a couple minutes to figure out why. Brian sadly had to work the night shift the night before as a CNA at Legacy House of Logan so he was really tired. I drove him to school and then got myself ready to leave Logan by noon to get to the Dee Event Center. Brian was so exhausted when I picked him up from school and we took off for Ogden. I drove while he slept but it took him FOREVER to fall asleep because he was so hyper and he wouldn't tell me why. Once at the graduation we rushed in, only to find that it still had another hour to go. When Raquel's name was read, we yelled like crazy! Woot! Way to go Raquel! Anyway, when it was time to leave Brian said, "So let's drop your stuff off with your mom" I was confused and asked what stuff. My mom quickly jumped in. "His laundry of course!" and I fell for it. Off again in the car and down to Salt Lake. Brian and I hurried fast because 5 O'clock was approaching and Rocky Mountain Diamond was going to close. It took us a bit to find it but when we did we made it right as they were closing and they let us slide through. I then spent the next half hour picking out rings while Brian talked about prices. We left all giddy again. Next came dinner at Biaggis Italian Restaurant where we had to wait about a half hour or more to be seated. Brian was starting to get really anxious and he seemed to be on a time schedule and I didn't understand why. Dinner was so delicious and after he spent the rest of the night sooo hyper as we skipped around the lights at the temple where he kept telling me that we'd be going there someday.
    Have I mentioned how much of a blonde I am? I totally wasn't expecting what was coming next even though all the signs pointed to only one thing. On the ride home I kept Brian awake by asking the craziest questions. He told me that he had written me a note that he wanted me to read alone sometime. As we pulled up to my house he said "Alright, I'm going to tuck you in bed first, and then you're gonna come down and tuck me in." I protested saying that was a weird thing to do because after being tucked in I didn't want to have to get out of bed again to walk downstairs to tuck him in. When we got inside my Mom, Raquel, and Brooke were all gathered in the family room kind of shocking me that they were just sitting there. We said our hellos and Brian told them that he was going to tuck me in bed. First of all, my mom just smiled and that was NOT the reaction I expected from my mom about a boy going into my bedroom and second of all, Brian winked at my mom which I again thought was weird but didn't think anything of it and just climbed the stairs to my room. Brian took the clothes and bags in my hand and tossed them on the ground. He took the note out of his pocket and handed it to me saying I could read it, I asked, "Well don't you need to leave then so I can read it alone?" He laughed and pushed open my bedroom door where there were Christmas lights strung all along my four-poster bed and roses ALL over my floor, bed, and hanging all around. There were chocolate kisses and Reese's on the floor and bed and where my dance pictures had once been on my walls were now pictures of me and Brian. Now, me being the blonde I am still didn't get it. I just kept asking who did this to my room. He pulled me in and sat me on the end of my bed where he had me read the note. It was an incredible note.. it made me cry and he had written me a poem inside. At the bottom of the note it said, "So Anna..."
    At this point I looked up with teary eyes as he knelt in front of me and pulled a box from his coat pocket and opened it up with a ring inside. He asked, "Anna Kendell, will you marry me?" And all I could do was sit there and ask, "Are you serious?" about twelve times and cry before I could think of the next thing to say...

"OF COURSE!" Were my words as I gave him a hug and he kissed me.

    He pulled back and put the ring on my finger saying that it was his favorite that he'd seen so far but that if I wanted we could still shop around some more. He then told me that in my room there were 105 roses all around each signifying the days since we had met. He then told me that the reason he had been frustrated at dinner was that he was afraid we would get home too late and it would no longer be December 10th. He said he wanted this day because it had been exactly 3 months since our first kiss and 3 months and a day since our first date. He then went on to explain that he had proposed in my bedroom due to three reasons. 1)I always talk about how much I love my room because it reflects my personality in every way. 2) I love where I live and being able to look out my window every day to the lake and Snowbasin. 3) It's where my family is. He then told me that because these things were special and important to me, that he wanted to be apart of it so that is why he proposed in my room. Isn't he a charmer? Haha every little part was SO thought out! He then took my hand and asked if we could dance. I laughed through the tears and he just held me as we moved around the room. I can honestly say I love this boy and it was definitely the best night of my life thus far! And it's only going to get better and better from here!

March 5, 2011... Here comes HAPPILY EVER AFTER!



Preface before Enagement Story: First Date

It's finally here! SURPRISE! We're Engaged!

    Brian and I met on August 27, 2010 where my first impression of him was "What an odd boy" but I wrote in my journal of that night, "I met a boy named Brian Larson and he's a pretty neat guy." Lo and Behold, I had no idea that I would be talking about my future husband. Brian lived in my same apartment complex up at Utah State University in the Old Farm Student Housing. I saw him on and off again over the next two weeks, where he finally got his nerve up to ask me out on a date. Our first date was on Thursday September 9, 2010. The date was planned to be a group date where we were going to go on a nighttime hike up Logan Canyon.

    As Brian and I were driving up the canyon, we got lost from our group and ended up in Bear Lake. He asked if we should turn around and I was just said, "Heck, we're already up here! Let's do something." By this time it was after 11 at night and so everything but the gas station was closed. We went inside and bought squirt guns and were planning on having a water fight not too long after. I had my camera got some pictures of us in crazy hats and by this huge carved wooden bear outside the gas station. We jumped in the car and drove around to the south side of the lake where we pulled off the road and up onto the beach. This is where the evening got extremely exciting as we got out of the car and ran to the edge of the lake to fill up our water guns and then tried to spray the other. This was just a recipe for disaster as neither of the guns worked. Great! There goes $8 bucks! We laughed and went to the car to roll down all the windows and turn up a country song to dance to. The song that came on was Josh Turner's Would You Go With Me.(This and Michael Buble's Everything, has become our song!) He took me by the hand and started swinging me around on the sand. Now where I come from in Huntsville Utah, there are SO many stars in the night sky every single night and I learned in my Astronomy class that with the naked eye a person can see about 2000 stars.. But that night at Bear Lake, I swear we could see millions. The entire Milky Way was stretched over our heads and there were SO many shooting stars. As cheesy as this sounds, I think Heavenly Father was celebrating the great occasion of Brian and I finding each other with us.
    As we danced the next song was Michael Buble's everything that came on and for some reason we just got more into our swing dancing and he pulled me in close---shocking me, I mean, it is our first date! As the song ended he looked at the lake and suggested we go for swim totally joking. What he didn't expect was for me to be all for it. I started running for the lake, rolling up my pants as I did so. He laughed and ran after me where he grabbed my hand and asked, "Would you go with me?" Before I had time to answer, he picked me up and threw me in. Now, those of you that know Bear Lake really well know that one has to walk quite a ways out in the lake in order for it to get deep at all, so when he threw me my pants just FILLED with sand. Not to mention, it was SO COLD! We messed around for a little bit until I got him under---and then it was a race to the car as fast as we could and blasting the heat all the way home to Logan. It was a pretty epic night, and one neither of us wanted to end, Brian especially, as he asked me out the next night.

 

 

This is the sand that I dumped out.. just in my underwear.. that night when I got home and showered. Gross right? This is a bad picture of it.. But it's all I have haha

 

Brian soon to be husband

   Brian J Larson was born on August 16, 1988. He is 22 years old and as crazy as ever! When I went to his ward and met the people there I was told, "Brian was born with a smile" and I really believe it! That kid DOES NOT STOP SMILING! I had the opportunity to go with his family over fall break to St. George to go boating at Sand Hallow Dam and there was Brian on the back of the boat, slaloming and just smiling away. When he finally came in the boat he turned to me and said, "My teeth are SO cold!" I just had to laugh. Brian is a people-person. Anyone and everyone he meets always just loves being around him. He is very skilled in talking with people and never has to really try to get a job because immediately he gives off a very confident air and employers just can't wait to have him. I still think it's his smile that gets people to like him so much. (It's always said that a girl marries someone most like her dad, well, for many reasons he is very much like my dad) Brian loves to snowboard.. but he'll have to convert to skiing to be apart of the Kendell clan. :) He is HUGE into boating where he is really good at wake boarding and slaloming He loves to be outdoors which is definitely a plus on my list and is very active, especially when he goes mountain biking.     

    The Larson Family is definitely one that I am so excited to be apart of. Brian is the fourth of five. His parents Craig and Laurie are absolutely adorable! I can't wait to be their daughter-in-law. His oldest sister Sarah is married to Brett Johnson and they have two little boys Hunter and Kyler and she is pregnant with her third. Next in line is Brian's brother Mike who is married to Robyn Sampson and they have an adorable little girl Esther and she is pregnant with another little boy. After is Curtis and he is in Pennsylvania in Medical school. Brian's youngest sister Amanda is up at Utah State with us. (She and I are three days apart.) Every time I've had the opportunity to be with his family I can't get enough. They are all so funny and very friendly.

Sarah, Mike, Curtis, Brian, Amanda

    Brian is going doing Pre-med at Utah State University and will graduate with his bachelor's degree in Biology next year. He is taking the MCAT to get into Medical school this Spring in May. As you can probably already guess, he is a super hard worker. He enjoys being busy and productive. He hates sleeping in late and doesn't like days where he just relaxes because he doesn't feel like he has accomplished anything. This quality definitely reminds me of my Dad quite a bit. Brian is very smart as well, he's the kind of kid we all hated in school that would never have to study for the tests but just walk in, take the test, and get better than those that worked their butts off.
    Brian went on his mission to Johannesburg, South Africa from Oct 2007-Oct 2009. I love hearing about his mission stories because they are just so unique! His dream honeymoon---he tells me-- would be to go back to South Africa and see everyone from his mission. (Again--just like my dad) Brian actually served in Johannesburg at the same time that my sister Camille and her husband Ben lived there. Ironic? My Grandpa Johansen and Uncle Blake also served in South Africa and my Brother-in-Law Ben served in Mozambique. The continent of Africa just seems to run in my family! Brian fits right in!

Anna Soon to be Larson

Anna Kendell Larson

Ya that's right! This is my wife!

    So it's my turn to talk about Anna.... where to begin.  Anna is.... well... Anna is... indescribable!  She's amazing!  All the good things I could say about her would not be enough.

    Anna was born on September 16, 1991 to her parents Mark and Valerie Kendell. Her oldest sister Camille is married to Ben Garrison and they have a beautiful daughter named Claire. (She's pretty much Claire's favorite Aunt!) Then is Raquel who just graduated from WSU with Honors in Elementary Education. Then proceeds Anna and after her James who is a sophomore at Weber High and on the swim team there where he pretty much is the next Michael Phelps. Last but not least is the sports star Brooke, or Sasquatch is what the family calls her due to her huge feet and small and skinny body. Altogether they make up a pretty awesome family that I'm excited to join in on!

    Anyway, Anna is a sophomore at Utah State studying FCHD, don't ask me what that is.  She's incredibly smart, gotten straight A's her whole life, and continuing that tradition in college.  Anna is a what you call a talker, she could talk to anyone about anything for as long as you let her.  I learned that the first day I met her.  We were driving to Lava hot springs which was nearly a two hour drive, and I think she talked the entire drive (Well maybe I got in 4-5 words).  She's a lot like my mom in that regard, loves to talk to everyone.  That's one reason why everyone is drawn to Anna though... she'll talk to you and make you feel wonderful.  Anna loves to give compliments while she talks.  When we went to general conference together, that was a way for her to start conversations with people.  "I love your necklace, where did you get it?" she'd say and then five minutes later she's made a new friend.  Valerie, Anna's mom, told me she's always been like that.  If Anna ever got lost as a little girl, she could be found talking to some random person about anything and everything.

    Anna likes to do anything out of the ordinary.  She's loves everything from night hikes, to swimming in freezing bear lake, to dressing up as the abominable snowman and scaring her neighbors.  It's never dull with her.  If something not happening, she'll make it happen!  Initially that's why I asked her out for a second date.  I thought, any girl who will let me throw her into Bear Lake is worth asking out again.  Then for our second date, I took her Ice blocking.... I figured, if she enjoys ice blocking then I'll take her on a third date.  Well needless to say we've done lots of extraordinary things since then. 

    Anna likes to dance and sing.  In high school she was always in the school plays, dancing and singing.  Now, due to her chronic laryngitis, she is unable to sing as she used to.  It's no fun to see her unable to do what she loves.  But we make up for it... Anna and I go swing dancing nearly every week.  It's our thing!  She makes me feel masculine, because it's easy to lift such a thin girl!   She's a star on the dance floor as she spins, twirls and flips.  You'll have to watch us sometime!  The only problem is that she is accident prone.  She somehow manages to get hurt (don't worry I've never dropped her).  We'll be dancing, doing backflips, and everything's great!  Then when it's over as we're walking to the car, she'll slip on the ice. 

    Most importantly, Anna has a strong testimony of the Savior.  She'll jump at any opportunity to share it with others.  Anna will make sure I hold to the rod my whole life.  I'm blessed to have Anna in my life!