Hair Color

So, since we got married a month ago, my true hair color (aka blond) has been showing through quite a bit. I've had way too many moments of my brain working slower than my mouth, including gems like these:

"Wait, can you burn water?"

Tyson: "Yeah, here in Utah when they have you swear on the the Bible in court, they make you swear on the Book of Mormon too."
Me: "Really??"

Tyson: "Yep, there's a bear farm down there."
Me: "What?? Really??"

Most of the time, my mouth is saying these lovely things while my brain is going "Oh Tara, stop it!! Stop talking!!" Clearly I have a problem here. :]

We Did It!

That's right folks, Tyson and I were married on October 30th, 2009 in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple! It was a beautifully cold day, and we had a huge turnout. We really appreciate all of those who came to the temple and the receptions following the day.
Our life together started out as an adventure, that's for sure. Tyson and I were sick all weekend, and I didn't get better til about Tuesday, but hey, it'll make for a great story! :)
We had our Vegas reception this last Saturday, and that was a blast. It was really exciting to see all of my old friends, and even my senior year English teacher, Mrs. Gerken! We got home Sunday night to our power being out. Completely. So, we made the best of it, lit our battery-powered tea lights, and our candle by Febreze, and camped out a little! Our power finally turned back on about an hour ago, so we're much happier.
Tyson and I will be starting a new blog soon, so we'll keep you posted on when that'll change!
We're loving life, and each other! :)

Ahem

I'm getting married next Friday.

I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOT!!! :] :]

That is all.

:]

So....

I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!
True story :) I'm pretty much stoked/the happiest girl in the world!
Tyson proposed last Friday at Madeline's Steak House in South Jordan, Utah. It was the most elaborate thing I have ever seen in my life, and it was amazing!
Here's how it went:
I went up to Provo/West Jordan on Friday and spent the majority of the morning with Dani. We went to the mall and to Walker's Bridal just kind of puttering around. I had asked her if she had seen the ring yet, and she said, no she hadn't. Meh, no biggie. :)
Tyson came and picked me up in Provo and we went and met both of his grandparents, which was really cool. They are really similar to my grandparents, so that was definitely fun. And like, 4 times he had said, "I'm sorry the ring isn't ready, soon though, I hope!" And really, I'm totally okay with it! I'm not too worried about it!
So, we go back to Tyson's house, and change to go to dinner at Madeline's. We get there, order our food, and then the hostess comes and hands me an envelope. I looked at Tyson, and he says, "just read it." So I do, and its a really sweet letter, and he says that he just wants to make this night special. *side note: even in the letter, it says, sorry the ring isn't ready! *
So, then he excuses himself to "use the restroom" and he comes back and says "Some guy told me I dropped my key, but it isn't mine." He hands me the key and its a Volvo key! "Aww, just like Jaker's key when you guys broke down in Vegas!"
THEN, some guy comes and pours a bag of Starbursts on our table. I kinda grin at him, and he says again, "I'm just trying to make it special!" *another side note: We roasted Starbursts together with Sue and her now-husband, and that's basically when we knew we loved each other*
So THEN, another guy comes and drops off a box of Oreos. Okay, I LOVE Oreos! So he says, "We're going to make another memory with the oreos." Still, I'm thinking, He doesn't have the ring, he's just being cute, and I love it!" So he tells me to close my eyes, and think of my favorite memory. Then he says, "Okay, open your eyes!" And there he is on one knee, and he says "Tara Jex, will you marry me?"
YES!!!
And then out of the woodwork comes his parents, Dani, Jakers, and his 3 other best friends with cameras and it was crazy!
Oh, it was wonderful! Its a beautiful ring :) I love it, and he picked it out on his own, which makes it even better :)
We're getting married on October 30th in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, and I couldn't be happier! We're really excited for this awesome step in our lives.

Wow, I'm Back!

Wow, it has been forever! since I last posted. I blame Facebook, so, lo ciento. :) It has been a whirlwind these last 3 months, and I've loved every second of it! In May, Tyson and I FINALLY got to meet, and he is fantastic :) he really is :). He lives in West Jordan, and we've managed to see each other pretty often, which is really nice, and I'm loving every minute of that as well.

Here's the Tyson story, because its pretty awesome :) So, my friend Nathan went on his mission and I wrote him pretty faithfully (he was dating my best friend's sister) and about 6 months into his mission, he sent me a picture of him and his companion. I thought his companion was really attractive :) so I asked if I could have his email address, and I emailed him. Side note: Okay, I am SO not that forward. Ever. So this was extremely out of the ordinary for me. Alright, back to the story. I got an email back from him the next week, and he introduced himself as Tyson Rollins. Well, from there, we wrote for the remainder of his mission - 18 months. Keep in mind here, we had NEVER met before. So, he got home from his mission in April, and at the end of May, he and his buddy Jakers came down here to lovely Las Vegas. We went on a date that Saturday, and he came to my ward on Sunday, then he and Jakers left to head back home. I went home as well, intending to go to Single's ward later on.
About an hour later, I get a text from Tyson saying "so, Jake's key won't go in the ignition." So, my dad and I went and rescued them from a Sinclair gas station at Pecos/Patrick. For you non-Vegas dwellers, the gas station at Pecos/Patrick is the most random thing ever. They ended up staying 2 more days :) and it was great! They left on Tuesday, and in front of Newby's auto shop, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and the rest is history! :) He really is wonderful, and I really am extremely lucky to be with a guy like him...sigh... :)

Work is driving me crazy, which is perfectly fine for right now. I don't work quite as much as I used to, but the pay is alright, and I'm saving up to move outta Vegas! Wahoo!

My best friend Dani is trying out for So You Think You Can Dance today! Just had to throw that in.

Baby Charlotte is doing wonderfully. The chubby girl is almost 3 months old already! I love that little girl :)

I graduate from the International School of Hospitality in 2 weeks, hallelujah! I'll be done with school, and I'll be able to find a better job for the time being!

I'm no longer in the Single's Ward! This thing pleases me, I was SO done with that ward, and I love being back in the Family Ward :)

Random fact: Donny Osmond's son was in my Single's Ward. And the Sunday when I spoke, Donny Osmond HIMSELF was there and we so made eye contact! I'm wondering how appropriate it would have been to ask for his autograph?

Ha, we really are goobers, I love it :) Basically, I am a happy camper. Life is going really well, I'm learning SO much through everything, and I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

Anti-Depressants

My dog (click here if you haven't heard about Freeway) is depressed. I'm fairly convinced he needs some sort of anti-depressant. No lie. He'll sit downstairs, and howl and howl and howl because Dad and the kids are gone. It's a little ridiculous. He either needs meds or a girlfriend. Oy. :)

Catch Up

I haven't posted in a while, so this will be a catch up posts!
I was eternally searching for a job, and without much luck at all. I had turned in 35 applications, with no hope on any of them. But, the job hunt is over! I got hired at Hush Puppies (which is a shoe store, not a restaurant) and I love it! They work me hard, and a lot, but I'm really glad I finally have a job.
I've finally and officially picked my major, and the official "major" name is Hospitality Management. Basically, I want to be a wedding planner, and someday own my own wedding business. I love the idea of working with weddings everyday, and I can't wait!
That's pretty much all right now, and I'm loving life right now!

Hey Matt

You want to know the difference between a "square-head" and a "circle-head?"

My Dad = square-head
Uncle Kevin = circle-head

There you go :)

Emma and Kevin

Two nights ago, I had put the kids to bed, and I was sitting downstairs, and Kevin comes down. "Tara, your computer is blinking really hard! Can you bring it downstairs?" No, Kevin. Go to bed. "Please, Tara!" No. Put a blanket on it or something. So, when I went to bed later on, my robe was completely covering my computer! Then the next night, as I'm getting ready for bed, (I share a room with Kevin) he comes up to me, "Just so you know, I'll be sniffing a lot tonight." Okay, thanks for the heads-up! :)
Then, tonight at dinner, for whatever reason, we were talking about shaving our heads. Steven says "I'll just shave off my hair." and Emma goes "You can't shave your head!! That's only for circle-head people! You're a square-head!" Oh goodness, I have an entertaining family. :)
How was that for entertaining, Matt? :)

So Much Fun!!

So, I'm sitting here wondering what I should post about, and I want to do something funny, because my cousin Matt tends to comment on my funny ones :) But I couldn't think of ANYTHING funny, so I decided I'd post my favorite pictures of my semester at SUU!

This is Skye and me at the tire graveyard, I think it was the 3rd day up there.

Bah ha, me being emo :) I seriously love my hair in this picture...and I still haven't given Matt his "Norma Jean" shirt back

"Man"icures!! Oh so fun :) That's Spencer, Creeper (Justin), and Kohl, the coolest kids :)

Dani and I after we finished duct taping the boys' doors! That was awesome.

Mine and Skye's fridge with the magnet fish eating the word "love." We had fun with those :)

The duct tape heart! This is from when the boys got me back for duct taping their doors. After I went up to Salt Lake for the weekend, there was a web of duct tape in front of my bed :)

Me learning how to snowboard...in the lobby of the boy's hall :) That's Matt in the back, the one whose shirt I have :)

My gingerbread house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Being "taken" to see Bolt!

Dani and I were so stoked that the movie theater was all decked out for Twilight. This is the "Welcome to Forks" sign. There was also a "forest" and the pagoda that Bella and Edward dance under at the prom.

On our way to Vegas in October :) We were trying to take a normal picture, but it's Nathan we're talking about :)

Yep. These were the kids I hung out with :) Just another night at Wal-Mart

We're cooler than anyone we know :) My best, Dani and me :)

My roommate!! She was the best roommate I could've asked for

My giant bear from Nathan! :) Aw he's as big as me!

I really do miss it, and I really want to go visit Cedar!

Bad Dreams

So, apparently I need to stop watching "A Haunting" on Discovery Channel. For whatever reason, I'm addicted to that show, and I watch it whenever I get the chance. So yesterday, I watched the end of an episode that had to do with Pagan hoo-hah and it was really weird. So my dream: I was going to my Grandpa Sullivan's house, and he had fallen away from the church. This was weird to me because my grandpa is a Patriarch. So we go to his house, and now he's a devil-worshipper. And there are pentagrams all over his house, and I was freaked out, but my parents are like "I love what you've done with the house" and such. I refused to go into the house, and my grandpa was wondering why, and I said "Grandpa! There are pentagrams everywhere! There are going to be demons or something in there!" And then I woke up. Yeah, it was a weird dream. No more watching that show! "Ghost Hunters" on the other hand, is a completely different story... :)

I Shook an Apostle's Hand!

Yesterday, there was a valley-wide fireside and L. Tom Perry, his wife and Elder Anderson of the Seventy and his wife spoke! They were really good talks, and I really enjoyed them. Sister Perry talked about the things that you should be doing while you are not married, so you'll be ready when you do get married. Then Elder Perry gave an awesome talk. Firstly, he told us about when his first wife died, after a while the Prophet called him into his office and told him he needed to find a companion. Elder Perry said "can you imagine a member of the 12 Apostles trying to call for a date??" And he also chastised the men in the audience. "I did it twice, and they were both fantastic. Most of you men out there can't even do it once!" He was a great speaker. After the meeting, we stood in line to shake the Apostle's hand. He said something different to everyone that shook his hand and he told me "I love your life." So there you have it, an Apostle loves my life! :)
Also, I had a job interview today. Cross your fingers. I really need this job. I need a job period. We're hoping this one comes through!

22 High School Questions :)

It sounded fun, and it'll be fun to tag people for it!

1. Where did you graduate and what year?
Silverado High School c/o 2008

2. Who was your significant other?
Um, I was with a guy until September of my Senior Year, I've been single since

3. Was your prom night a night to remember?
Hrm...It was fun, and I just went with my 3 best friends :)

4. What was your favorite song to dance to on prom night?
I honestly don't remember any of the songs that were played that night!

5. Do you own all 4 yearbooks?
I have my last 3. Reebs and I kinda shared her senior/my freshman yearbook

6. What was your favorite movie?
Phantom of the Opera

7. What was your #1 college of choice?
University of Evansville

8. Which radio station did you listen to most?
Mix 94.1 (and I still do!)

9. Were you involved in any organizations or clubs?
Marching band, concert band, jazz band, peer helpers, young republicans club, band council

10. What was your favorite class?
Band :) and I loved my Government class

11. Who was your big crush?
Haha...Josh Clark :) I don't think he ever found out!

12. Would you say you've changed a lot since high school?
Not a lot a lot, but enough

13. What do you miss the most about it?
Marching Band...and the people

14. Your worst memory?
Mr. Rohnkohl. Enough said.

15. Did you have a car?
I used my mom's PT Cruiser

16. What were your school colors?
Purple and Teal

17. Who was your favorite teacher?
Mr. McGrath (MaGee!!!)

18. Did you own a cell phone?
Yep. From the end of my freshman year to last week I had the same one :)

19. Did you leave campus for lunch?
Nope.

20. Were you always late for class?
I was rarely late! I got my first tardy my junior year!

21. Did you ever ditch?
I never did ditch! I was too scared!

22. When it comes time for the reunion, will you be there?
Most definitely! :)

I tag Mom, Reebs, Kristina and Angie!

Just For the Record

Okay, this really is for the record. This has been bugging me for a while, and I just want to set some things straight.
I AM ALMOST 19!
I am only 3 or so months younger than one of my cousins, and 8 months younger than the other! I am only 3 years younger than my older sister! Okay?! I am not this little girl, okay?
Oy.
My mom put it in perspective, a little. One: I am short. There. Its out there. I'm a whopping 5'4" on a good day. But I don't think that I look that much younger!
Two: I am quiet. I kind of grew up in my sister's shadow seeing how I was always known as "Becca's little sister," and my darling cousins, that I do absolutely adore, were always taller and more, I don't know, out and I guess were looked at more. I kind of hung back, and was more reserved, which I guess made me come off as younger.
But here's the thing, I am older, and I'm not a little kid anymore.
I go to Institute!
And I went to a semester of college!
And I'm legally allowed to buy cigarettes! (not that I need to, but I'm just saying)
And and and I'M ALMOST 19!!!!!!!
Okay, rant over.

I'm Apparently More Emotional Than I Thought. Great.

Oh holy.
My entire life, I've prided myself on my lack of showing emotion. Now, that makes me sound heartless, which believe me, I'm not, but really, I hate crying, and I hate being visibly upset. Mostly, I hate that when people see I've been crying, they ask "is everything okay?" which just makes me start crying all over! There were a few, ah, stressful days while I was up at SUU, which would leave me a little less than emotionally stable. And always, my best friend Dani and my roommate Skye were there, doing what girls do, but always, there was someone later asking if everything was okay. Stop asking me! Obviously not! I've been crying for Pete's sake!
Anywho, back to the point of this post. I've discovered that movies and songs are making me more emotional than ever. My mom and I saw Bride Wars (fantastic movie) and I totally got teary-eyed at the end, which is something I rarely do. The end of Moulin Rouge made me cry. Again. And the best one of all: David Cook's "Lie to Me" had me in tears by the end. What the heck. In my defense, it is a pretty sad song: "so lie to me tell me that its gonna be alright/lie to me tell me that we'll make it through the night/I don't mind if you wait before you tear me apart/look me in the eye, lie, lie, lie"
Ugh. What I'm saying is, when you see my eyes all red and puffy, don't ask if I'm okay. Assume that I've watched a movie or I listed to David Cook again. The latter is probably the most reasonable answer.

PS-there is still one spot open for my Pay It Forward, fyi!

Vegas Weekend #2!

Best friends :) Me and Dani

We all had hats with our first initial on it....mine is the only one showing...I swear Tiff makes this face in every picture!

I'm even less of a cowgirl than I thought...

Tiff is looking at who knows what, Dani looks terrified, and I have crazy eyes!

after we took this picture, Tiff and Dani said "We look bald!" And I want one of these hats really bad!

Okay, you have to make faces when wearing a cow hat!

Sort of racist...but I think its a fun picture!

A Jamaican, a train conductor, and a viking...truly a match made in heaven! :P

Secretly, I'm a moose...

Me, Tiff and Dani in stunner shades!

Pay It Forward!

I was the third to comment on my sister's blog, so I'll do it as well! :)

{The Rules}
1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!
2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!
4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!SO, REMEMBER... it is good... :) Pass it forward.

TWILIGHT!!!

Yes, I too am an absolute fanatic :) who can resist the picture of Edward Cullen, with his topaz/honey colored eyes...his gorgeous copper hair...his perfectly toned body...whoa drooling over a fictional character...awkward...well, it has been said that Stephenie Meyer has created a man that no woman can ever have!
But that is not the reason for this post. I have another confession to make. I can totally lose track of time when I read. I sat down on the couch at 11:14 this morning to read a little more of Twilight for the millionth time. I read for a bit, thinking I had only been reading for 20 minutes or so. Wrong! I looked at the clock, which read 12:17. A full hour had passed! Not good!
I saw the movie a few weeks ago, but I suppose I'll give my input while I'm here. I thought it did a fantastic job of sticking to the novel. Minus the prom and meadow scene. It was a little corny, I'll admit, but who doesn't love a corn-fest? (High School Musical 3...) The actors/actresses who played Carlisle, Esme, Emmet, Jasper and Alice were perfect. Especially Alice. Loved her hair! But Rosalie, in my opinion, wasn't NEARLY as pretty as she was supposed to be! And you could totally see her roots, which doesn't make any sense. Bella was alright, just not how I pictured her. And Edward. Oh Edward. Don't get me wrong, I love Robert Pattinson, but he is so NOT my Edward. He did a good job though, so I'll be okay.

My Soundtrack to Life

Okay, so apparently you open your iPod or in my case, my playlist, put it on shuffle and whatever song comes on for each question, you say what it is...here goes!

1. Opening Credits: "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" by Nicole Kidman - haha true story...
2. Waking Up: "Walking on Air" by Kerli - I'll go with it...I'm pretty out of it when I wake up
3. First Day at School: "Let Go" by David Cook - hey, anything David Cook makes things better...even the first day of school
4. Falling in Love: "Gotta Have You" by the Weepies - such a sweet song! "Nothing else will do/I gotta have you"
5. Fight Song: "Bar-ba-sol" by David Cook - hard core song, I guess if I was fighting, I'd want to fight to this song?
6. Breaking Up: "What I've Done" by Linkin Park - seriously, this is what the shuffle went to...
7. Prom: "Just Dance" by Lady GaGa - no lie...I'm pretty sure my playlist has a mind of its own!
8. Life's Okay: "Take a Bow" by Rihanna - see, it's all good...
9. Mental Breakdown: "Listen to Your Heart" by DHT - whoa...listen to your heart, because your head sometimes doesn't know what's going on
10. Driving: "Santa Baby" by Taylor Swift - I think my playlist is telling me Christmas is over!
11. Flashback: "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by David Cook - looking back, I think I took a lot for granted...
12. Getting Back Together: "Stop and Stare" by One Republic - I guess it's saying, I don't want to be alone?
13. Birth of a Child: "The Music of the Night" by David Cook - Yeah, I don't know.
14. Wedding: "Elephant Love Song" from Moulin Rouge! - Bah ha "all you need is love!"
15. Final Battle: "Roxanne" from Moulin Rouge! - Yep.
16. Death Scene: "Your Song" by Ewan McGregor - aww...that's sweet...
17. Funeral Song: "All Around Me" by Flyleaf - kinda creepy..."I can feel you all around me" I'm not sure how comforting that would be at a funeral...
18. End Credits: "Our Song" by Taylor Swift - this is a good end credits song!!

I'm not tagging anyone, because no one ever does it!! :)

Like a Lamb to the Slaughter...

ooh...intense...
So last week I made my first embark to the singles ward...seriously, everyone calls it the "meat market" because that's honestly what it is! So I was all nervous, and there are a million people, and I'm so anti-singles ward for whatever, but it was actually pretty cool. I like it a lot. There are plenty of RM's and lots of my sister's old friends so this will actually be fun. I like when people say "oh singles ward...are you engaged yet?" haha nope! So I'm okay with going because I am NOT husband-seeking. I'm going to actually be social with good LDS kids, which is an entirely new concept for me. I do miss SUU and the 14th ward however. And I miss Skye and Dani and Nathan....It was really sad to see my friends go back to school, but it'll be exciting when I get to see them again.
oh and YAY FOR MISSIONARIES!!! I love em, I do :)