Happy Holidays 2012 from the Durrants!

I know ... it's a Christmas Miracle! An actual, legitimate blog post from the once overly prolific Jenn!

So very very much has happened over the past two years that it would take FOREVER to update, so here are the quick highlights:

* Married to Steve on 11/20/10
* Moved to Payson on 1/1/11
* Commuter craziness
* Laid off from Gibbs Smith on 5/13/11 (Stupid Friday the 13th!)
* Unemployed for way too long, managed to find freelance work and help with Steve's firewood and landscaping businesses.
* 1st Anniversary spent in Park City -- Not the idyllic getaway. In fact we ended up sleeping in separate, horribly uncomfortable beds! Ahhh ... memories!
* Found a short-term job in March 2012 working as a PR Manager for a software company specializing in the Bed & Breakfast industry. Perks = AMAZING 2-night stay at Johnson Mill in Midway, UT. (More than made up for our Park City anniversary.)
* Decided I missed newspapers too much and found a great job as the Marketing Editor for The Daily Herald in Sept. 2012. Having a great time.
* Helping build Steve's business -- Spring Lake Mountain Landscape where we sell firewood in the winter and topsoil, gravel, rock, and do landscaping during the spring, summer and fall.
* Said a very sad, incredibly tearful goodbye to my crazy Riley dog. My sweet pup was a fun, snaggle-toothed companion for 13 years.
* The day after we said goodbye to Ry Ry we welcomed a super spunky Slinky. Our 4-year-old Daschund is full of ball-fetching energy and has been a fun addition.

Of course these are really only the very brief highlights, with lots of craziness that only 4 teens can bring!

Loving Life!

Amazing Update!

Last month I had the biggest, most amazing surprise of my life...

Just an average day, I was really longing for a nap after a pretty sleepless night, but I decided to do a little shopping. So off to Old Navy I went.

While walking into the dressing room, loaded down with potential wardrobe updates, I got a phone call from my incredible boyfriend. Just calling to see what I was up to. "At Old Navy doing some shopping," I said. "Is that the Old Navy by the Mall?" he asked. "Ummm, yeah. Over near Target," I answered, only a little skeptically.

So after some chatting, I hung up and began the fashion show, trying on my dressing room full of clothes. Gathering my approved selections, about 15 minutes after hanging up the phone, I walked out of the dressing room and began looking at a rack of shirts.

All of a sudden, I could feel someone blowing on my neck. What the Wha??

Turning around, I was overjoyed to see my sweetie behind me! He had decided to drive up, all the way from Payson, to surprise me.

After teasing me about how long I was in the dressing room, we continued our shopping, bought our selections and then walked out to our cars, talking about where we should go to dinner.

At his car, he got the door for me, but before I could sit down he had to remove a few things from the front seat. I then sat down and waited for him to shut my door, noticing that he seemed to be stalling a bit, but I certainly didn't think much of it.

Then ... he suddenly got on one knee and popped open a black velvet ring box and asked if I would marry him!

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" I exclaimed. "ARE YOU SERIOUS? OH MY GOSH!" I continued to exclaim while we both fumbled around trying to put the beautiful ring on my finger! I was so excited that I forgot to actually answer him for, probably what seemed to him, to be 30 minutes! "OF COURSE I WILL MARRY YOU!"

So in the parking lot of Old Navy on Thursday, August 26, rock digging into his knee, Steve proposed to me!!!

We are getting married November 20 and we couldn't be any happier! I have waited a VERY long time to find someone so completely amazing. Steve was completely worth the wait!

Finally, finally, finally

I know. I'm a Bad Blogger!

I'll forgo all the lame excuses and just mention a few of the highlights of the past few weeks/months:

* Lava Hot Springs -- Last minute getaway was pure relaxation. Soothing, healing steamy waters! Perfect.

* Lagoon -- Beautiful Spring day turned into a pretty cold adventure after a panic-attack ride on the water-soaking Cliffhanger. (I do not like that ride!)

* Yard work -- Green thumb has been discovered. OK, actually, it's more like my roommate has been using her green thumb in the garden. I'm just working on perfecting my green lawn and flower bed! (Topsy Turvy tomatoes will be planted soon!)

* Outdoor adventures: Welcoming spring with fun 4-wheeling excursions and target practice. More fun to come ... fishing, camping, boating, and more.

* Visiting with friends and meeting new babies.

* New MacBookPro! Wahoo!! New laptop = Very happy Jennifer.

* St. George Art Festival Weekend -- Wonderful visit with friends, great deals at the fest, not-so-great luck in Mesquite.

* And look! I updated my blog!

I'm sure there will be more posts to come ... eventually.

Color Fest with the Hare Krishnas in Spanish Fork

This is what Steve and I did this last Saturday. Just us and about 19,999 other, extremely colorful people! (I think it was about 1/2 the entire BYU campus). We had a BLAST ... as you can see by the photo! Be sure and check out this video. Crazy!

Star Wars according to a 3-year-old

This is just TOO CUTE!!!

Bad Blogger

I am clearly a horrible blogger. I haven't even checked out my friends blogs for weeks and weeks!

I have quite a few good excuses, though ... Promise!

But for now I'll have to make this a quick post and hopefully find time to blog much more in the coming days and weeks.

Reflections on birthdays past...

I'm not ashamed to admit that I love my birthdays! I don't necessarily love getting older, but I do love celebrating the day of my birth ... and I've had some pretty fantastic celebrations! Just last night I was relating a few of my favorite birthdays to a friend and thought it would be fun to jot them down. 

"The Puker"

OK, I had a couple of b-days that were less than perfect. The most memorable, from my earlier years (maybe I was 10 or so) began with a fun birthday dress shopping trip to ZCMI. Looking through the racks, I started to not feel so good... Running outside into the rain, I puked in the gutter, my sister chasing after me to see if I was ok. 

That afternoon, sleeping on the couch, puke bowl at the ready, I awoke to a cuddly, stuffed unicorn tucked in with me and a beautiful black and white checked dress with red embellishments ... a Marie Osmond-brand dress (it was the coolest dress and yes, I went through a unicorn and pegasus phase).

"Holly Hobby"

I want to say it was my 8th birthday and my Uncle Allen was staying with us, in town from Oregon for LDS General Confer

ence. It was pouring rain, again, but my mom didn't let that hamper the family party which included a scavenger hunt! My final gift, which I had to retrieve outside in the milk delivery box (what are those things called anyway?). 

Rushing out into the rain I grabbed the gift-wrapped box and hurried back inside to reveal one of my favorite childhood gifts ... a Holly Hobby Wristwatch! I wish I still had that watch ... it was so cool! 

"It's Where Fun Is"

Lagoon. My birthday when I was in 6th grade was spent at Lagoon! We loaded up all my grade-school friends in the car and enjoyed a great amusement par

k day!

"24"

My 24th birthday was incredible. Simply put, the boy I had crushed on for years and dated for a few months, sent me 6 long-stemmed red roses with a card that read: "You're the grooviest chic since Marcia Brady! -- Gary" That was a great day!

"Dancing the Night Away"

What better way to celebrate getting older, my final year in my 20s, than to gather up ALL of your friends and get your groove on at a dance club? Birthday cake and surprise, completely unexpected birthday presents made for a fantastic night! 

"I *HEART* NY"

I've always tried to extend my birthday for as long as possi

ble and

 my 30th birthday was the ultimate in a 3-week-long celebration. 

Here's the quick rundown:

* Pampering massage

* Flight to see best friend and her husband in New Jersey!

* 3-day trip to NYC

* Surprise dinner at Tavern on the Green 

* City sites like Empire State Building, The Met Museum, Battery Park, Little Italy, Financial District, Times Square and more (enormous blister TOTALLY worth it!).

* Surprise  Broadway play: Aida featuring Toni Braxton 

* Weekend trip to DC area including Colonial Williamsburg, Renaissance Faire, Toby Keith concert and scenic drive past Washington DC Temple.

* Atlantic City evening

* Day-trip to pristine Amish Country's Lancaster County

* Loads of amazing quality time with the bestest friends ever! 

* Flew home to celebrate my birthday again with family and friends. 

So far it's been 35, almost 36, years of fantastic, memory-filled celebrations! I can't wait for the many more parties to come!