our wedding day.

Our wedding day.
Where do I even begin to describe how perfect that days was?

I woke up about 6:30 am, I had taken a sleeping pill the night before, so I had actually slept. I laid in the same bed in the same room that I grew up in and kept thinking, "I'm getting married today. I. Am. Getting. MARRIED. Today." I heard my mom upstairs getting a Diet Coke out of the fridge so I decided to get up and go spend time with her. When I went upstairs, her bedroom door was shut and her light was on, I cracked the door open and asked if I could come lay in bed with her. (my dad had slept in a different room that night because he snores and my mom needed a good nights sleep) I laid in bed with my mom for about an hour and we talked and laughed about different memories. It was just me and my mom, in one of those moments that can't be described. I was so overcome with love and adoration for the woman that raised me. It started to really sink in that I wasn't her little Brooke anymore, I was an adult, it was my last step before completely leaving her "nest".

As the morning wore on it was time to get ready, talk about a surreal feeling, getting ready to get married! What!? My mom made breakfast and Jenny had made a darling centerpiece full of my favorite treats and candy. (I had a picture which sadly got erased when my cell phone died last month) One of my best friends, Meagan, came over and did my hair... despite the fact she was completely sick and miserable. I finished up my makeup put on a dress I'd found at J.Crew that was worthy of the occasion, and then waited for Ben to come pick me up. I sat in the front room and waited with my Mom and Dad and we talked about how exciting this all was and how happy they were. I felt so much gratitude for all that they had done for me as my parents. They were good parents, the best actually, and attribute so much of who I am to there example. Ben showed up, 10 minutes late I might add, and we were on our way.

As we drove to the temple I was over whelmed at the love I felt towards Ben. I was so thankful that Heavenly Father blessed me with him, and that I would soon be sealed to him for eternity. We got to the temple it was a little overcast, but in the mid 50's, it looked like the storm they had predicted wasn't going to happen. Much of what happened in the temple is too sacred to write here on my blog. However, it was a wonderful, humbling, sacred, experience that I will never forget. After the ceremony I went into the bride's room and met my Mom and Meagan. They helped my put on my wedding dress and fix my hair. I walked out of the brides room and saw my handsome HUSBAND, it made me a little weak in the knees. During our ceremony the snow storm of the century blew in, we couldn't believe it! We grabbed each others hands and headed out into the storm and to meet up with our families.



I have a special love for this picture because my sweet Dodee is in it, she passed away 2 months after our wedding. This picture captures her perfectly!

I loved coming out of the temple and being greeted by our loved ones, it was over whelming to think all of those people were there for us! I'm not kidding when I say we were had the craziest snow storm on our wedding day, but I LOVE how our pictures turned out because of it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we had finished things up at the temple we stopped by Trent and Amy's house, mostly so I could thaw out. I literally couldn't feel my feet and my dress was dripping wet. I filled up the bathtub with hot water and tried to warm up... it actually helped a lot! Then we were off to our wedding dinner. We did our dinner at the Memorial House in Memory Grove. We kept our dinner very small and intimate inviting only siblings, grandparents, and extremely close friends. I think in total we had 52 people there, 37 of who were siblings and spouses. (Ben's from a family of 10 and I have 6 siblings) Bless my good friends Michelle's heart, she had gone to the dinner early and set up all of my center pieces. The dinner was supposed to start at 6:00 but because of the storm I think we ended up starting closer to 7:00 or 7:30. It was actually perfect because it gave us time to mix and mingle with our guests.

 

 

 



We kept our dinner very simple, which was the general theme of the day. We asked both of our parents to share sentiments, we showed our wedding video, and then Ben and I both spoke. After the dinner was over we were able to talk to the rest of our dinner guests... About 20 minutes later my mom asked if I was ready to leave, I said yes. So she helped gather our stuff and get us out the door.

 

 

Our guests sent us out into the perfect winter wonderland... the send off was perfect! My cute brother-in-law, Cameron, had gotten our car, cleaned the snow off and heated it up. We were all ready to go! On our way to the hotel I kept saying. "We're married! We. Are. Married! You are my husband!" It was the craizest, surreal, exciting, strange feeling in the world.

 

 

 Honestly our day was perfect, there is not ONE thing I would change about it. It was better than I had ever dreamed of it being. I feel so blessed to have been able to be surrounded by so many good people. And most importantly, I'm so blessed to have Benjamin. He's way better than I ever thought I would get. Marriage is the absolute best, and it's so reassuring to know that I get Benjamin by my side to face the good and bad life has to offer.

 

The end.

 

private.

for a long time now i've loved putting my thoughts, opions, ideas, and happenings on my blog for all to see. now that ben and i are married i'm once again excited to start sharing our live on my blog, however this time i want to do it privately.... i'm going private. it might sound crazy, but i'm really enjoying the privacy that comes from not putting my life on parade for all the world to see. (yes, i deleted my facebook and haven't looked back once, and my instagram is private) ok, the short and skinnny of it is, i want to have control over who knows the detials of mine and ben's life. so if you are interested in keeping up on 'the bright side' please leave your e-mail address and i will gladly allow you access.

once my blog is private i've got a few blog posts lined up and ready to go!

groomals part: II

bridals..

....and of course my handsome counter-part.

groomals: part I

 Sorry, since I don't facebook anymore my blog is my only place to post my pictures. I apologize for the picture over load. Once again... Sami Jo is amazing!

 

engagments.

we got our engagment pictures... i'm in love.
sami jo worked some serious magic.

checking in.

guys, i haven't blogged in so long it took me 10 minutes to figure out how to even login to the "new" blogger... oy vay.
i just thought i would fill the blog world in on my life.

state fair for ben's brithday.

• first and fore most, i'm engaged! we are getting married january 10th in the bountiful, ut temple.
• ben and i met through his brother. you see, his brother banks at the credit union i work for and asked if he could set us up... the rest is history.
• ben has a darling little house in milcreek we will be living in once we get married.
• ben is a marketing director for a dealership, and i will be moving positions within the credit union on wednesday, i will now be a mortgage loan officer.
• my heart has never known such happiness!
• life has been busy, busy, busy! i really don't know where all of our time goes.
• i'm registered for 2 ragnars, which means i really need to start running again!
• ben and i got a sweet little puppy, daisy. we have had so much fun with her, i honestly never thought i'd be a dog owner... but i sure love that little puppy.
• one of the few benefits of a 6 months engagement is that it's made wedding planning fairly stress free, but it also helps i don't have strong opinions regarding my wedding.
• most people say they gain weight once they get married, me? well, i've gained weight since we got engaged. i'm blaming that one late nights, eating out too much, and constantly being on the go.
• i would love to share all the wedding details, but i kind of want them to be a surprise as i go. (but just know, things are coming together very well!)
• to sum it up (and to sound totally cheesy): i'm just so happy. ben has made me happy in a way i didn't know i was capable of. he completes me, and i suddenly can't imagine a life without him. i'm so excited to be married to him and spend the rest of my life as mrs. lee.

us.

a funny thing has happened.
somewhere between the time i stopped blogging and now, i met a boy, and have fallen madly in love. insert ben. i can't count the number of times i longed for a companion, or the times i prayed to my all knowing heavenly father for him to send someone my way... but when i least expected it, it happened. i won't go into the sappy details of why i love ben, or how incredibly perfect he is for me, but just know my heart is happy in a way i didn't know it was capable of being. my life will no longer be made up of; i, me, or mine instead they get to be, we, our and us. it's funny how one person can come along and you suddenly can't imagine life without them.

so let me introduce the new me: us.

I promise....

.....there is a perfectly acceptable excuse for my lack of blogging.

41 days and counting.

you guys... you guys! ragnar is 41, FORTY ONE, days away.... how the heck am i'm going to be able to run 16.4 miles by then? blood, sweat and tears i'm sure. i'm happy to say i'm at least back in a running routine, i forgot how good it feels to run 6 miles. my biggest problem now is making the time to run. between a full time job, school, homework, and a mild social life i already feel a bit over extended, but i gotta make the time to make it happen. i mean, who really needs sleep after all?

there are parts of me that are excited for ragnar, like the part that remembers i'll be running from hunting beach to san deigo- at sea level.

41 days!

in other news.

i feel like i haven't blogged in, well, forever. it's probably mostly due to more busy, busy, boring schedule. but let me, let you in on the details of the life of brooke:

• i'm now 23. i think i'm smarter now at 23 than i was at 22. i know i already said it, but i've got a good feeling about 23.
• i got school 5, yes FIVE, days a week. i. hate. it. especially the three days a week, 7 am geology class. yawn.
• i'm still running, at least trying to. winter running is not my idea of fun. two months until the southern california ragnar, and i'm nowhere near where i ought to be.
• work. 40 hours a week. yawn.
• i'm working on not drinking, or at least dramatically decreasing, my diet coke consumption.
• i'm re-considering the singles ward. heaven help me.
• i now have 3 callings in my ward.
• my new $60 phone case that i bought myself for my birthday broke. eff. the only thing they will do is discount a new one. ya right?! like i want to drop another $50 on one. no thank you.
• i'm growing my hair out.
• i have been on one date since the beginning of the year. i'm as single as they come, and for the first time in my entire life i'm surprisingly ok with it.

to sum it up life is just busy, busy, busy! i go from sun-up to sun-down, however, i can honestly say i'm happier than i have ever been. i don't know what to attribute it to. maybe just a change of perspective?

23!

wow, you all know how to make a girl feel special on her birthday! honestly i've been so humbled by the good people i'm lucky enough to have in my life. as far as birthday's go, i'm going to say today was just about perfect. thank you. thank you. thank you, to all those who made today so special for me. i love each and everyone of you.

thank you:
mom. dad. trent. amy. brad. heidi. mike. jamie. jacob. candice. jill. cameron. jenny. annie. maga. dan. michelle t. gbenga. jordan. aubree. alex. bridget. ben. carolyn. kim. nicole. brooke. justin. talmage. kc. jeevan. joie. michelle m. jantzen. jen. mandy. lenice. shane. nathan. amanda. carey. elise. izzy. ashlee. jenna. craig. ian. mike. april. meagan. laurie. whitney. steve. ryan. chelsee. laura. meagan j. shaleigh. danika. nancy. nicholas. danielle. matt. marggie. kristen. marty. kristine. alice. brother butler. bishop moore. heather. tracey. kaylee.
{i really hope i didn't miss anyone. i apologize if i did.}

i have a good feeling about 23, i think it's going to be my year. thanks again for all the birthday love! here's to happy and healthy new year....it's going to be great, i can just feel it!

happy brithday to me.

it's almost my birthday! did you know?
my brithday, and my tax return usually go hand in hand... that's where things get a bit dangerous.

you see my brithday is probably my most favorite day of the year.
it's a pretty big deal in my mind...
like make my own brithday card at work, kind of big deal.


yes, i really did color that.

 I also get my tax return this time of year.
Then I decided to buy things for my "brithday" that I would never buy normally.
Like today.
Ever since before I got an iPhone I've wanted a wooden case for it, but they are kind of spendy.
Today, while I was making my birthday card of course, I decided that's what I would get myself for my brithday.
Soooo, I bought one. Kind of spendy. Totally unnecessary. But totally cool.

happy brithday to me.

how i ended up here.

let me tell you all a story.

2 years ago {almost 3 now} i moved back up to salt lake from st. george. i lived at home for a bit then moved in with my sister jill, in just a few short months she met her husband and i was once again looking for a place to live. amy suggested i moved into their basement, but i was working in draper at the time, and the commute didn't appeal to me. within a week of jill being engaged a position posted for a loan officer at our research park office.{which had been posted as an assistant manager position, but i wasn't qualified to apply for} i asked amy if she was serious about me living their before i applied for the position, she and trent talked and the offer was on the table. i applied for the position, interviewed, and a week later i had the job. within just another couple of months jill got married and i moved into trent and amy's home.

me ending up at the branch i'm at has been such a blessing in and of it's self. i've had the opportunity to advance through the company. i have a manager who has taken the time to invest in me and help me learn along the way. i've experienced promotions, trainings, raises, set backs, received awards and the chance to really push myself. i love my job and consider it a blessing in my life.

me ending up at trent and amy's and being where i am with my job is no happenstance. i can see so clearly the lord's hand in me being where i am in life. living at trent and amy's has been such a blessing, their kids have truly become my own, in fact i often refere to them as "my kids". i'm so grateful for this time in my life to be a part of their lives. i hope and pray that these sweet kids will have fond memories of me living with them. i don't fully know how to articulate my thoughts on the love i feel for these kids. all i know is i feel like i have a glimpse of what it must feel like to be a parent, to have a deep unconditional love for another human being.

i know things ended up the way they did for a reason. things don't just end up this good without a little help from upstairs.

{by the way, while i was writing this paige and morgan were sitting next to me asking me if they "dared them" to touch the keys... they thought they were pretty hilarious, me, not so much.}

Down for the count.

The 24 hour (I'm hoping that's all it is) stomach flu hit me with a vengeance this morning. For the greater part of today everything I've consumed had come right back up, including a sip of water. I've been so miserable that I haven't even been able to sleep today. After an awful 15 hours I'm beginning to feel like I'm on the mend, thank heavens. Today has made me so grateful for the health that I so abundantly enjoy! I thought so many different times today of those who are continually sick, seriously, good health is such a blessing! Here's to hoping the bug is on its way out of my system!

2012

{pin}

i've thought long and hard about what i want to work on in 2012. i've never been one to make new year's resolutions, but i decided this would be a good year to start. as i took inventory on my life and the things i need to improve on i decided patience, both with myself and especially others, is something that could use some serious work. as it thought more about patience i thought it ironic how quickly we as humans lose patience with one another. we for one reason or another assume that those around us are not trying, or being malicious in their actions. why is that? why are we so quick to assume the worst in those around us? on the flip side, when those around us become impatient with us, we expect them to understand that we are trying our hardest and our best. we beg for patience and understanding. ironic, isn't it.

i need to remind myself that there is not one of us who isn't silently fighting a hard battle. we are all here experiencing this crazy thing called life and doing the best we can to lead good lives. i think back to the people that i have been unkind to for one reason or another and hurt thinking about what they might possibly be going through. i never want to hinder those i come in contact with, but rather buoy them up. i want to be recognized as a good person and a good friend.

i most certainly have my work cutout for me, this was without a doubt the most difficult resolution i set... but without a doubt the most worthy one.