Today.

Shared my baptism story today. It felt good... I'm glad I did that.

That's all.

The Perfect Day

The day had arrived.

I opened my eyes the next morning to the sound of my alarm clock. I heard Larissa mumbling something like, "OOOOO!!! Misty Moo!!!!" I got up, washed my face, brushed my teeth, changed into some comfy clothes and sat on the couch of the condo waiting for the chaos to start. Eliza, the hairdresser, got lost in our condo complex and was a bit late so my sisters showed up first. They were also getting their hair done. This about when my stomach started doing flips. My stomach ached! Someone made a joke that I was nervous but I knew that wasn't it. I felt completely sure about marrying Josh. I just wanted to be ready and see him already! My hair got curled, all my girls showed up to hang out and get beautified, and my stomach did more flips. This went on for a couple hours. I loved having my favorite girls around me to chat. Josh finally arrived to drive me to the temple and everything changed. We gave each other a tight hug and I became so excited.

We went to the temple and as we walked up to the temple, we saw some friends who honked and cheered as they passed us. I was sooo happy! We got inside the temple when Josh realized he had forgotten something... so we had to call his parents and wait for them to arrive. Everything got sorted out and we got all the marriage license things in order and prepared for the ceremony.

A temple sealing is a private and wonderful thing. It isn't an elaborate ceremony where you walk down an isle and there is music and that sort of thing. It is a simple religious ceremony that was unexpectedly better than I could have imagined. Seeing the warm smiles of close friends and some family caused a wave of peace to come over me. That peace was engulfing as Josh and I were sealed together for eternity. As we kissed each other, I have never felt so happy in my life. This moment was worth every lame blind date, every heart ache, everything I had to endure to find him. Josh was officially my husband. Another special moment for me was being able to one by one hug everyone who was at the ceremony before we left. I remember hugging my friend Jen Hanks and trying not to ruin my make-up. It was such a special moment for me because we have faced similar challenges in life and it made years of talking about our hopes and dreams seem so real.

I slipped into my wonderful wedding dress and Josh into his beautiful bow tie tux. Right before we were going to leave, I realized he didn't have a handkerchief! A few weeks before we got married, my grandmother gave me a beautiful hand made lace handkerchief that her great aunt had made. It was so special to me and I felt honored. I had it in my purse so I tucked it into his pocket and it looked perfect. We walked out of the temple to see more loving friends and family waiting and took a million pictures. We hugged and giggled and happy danced. During this time, the weather seemed to be getting worse and worse. The wind blew hair everywhere. There were dark clouds hovering and we wondered if it would rain. We rushed through family pictures and quickly wrapped up couples pictures when it started to rain. As we ran to the car, it started hailing. Yep, the sky was pouring millions of tiny balls of ice. We had to stop and get gas for our car before going anywhere else and we sat in the car and laughed at our luck. We were happy we didn't have an outdoor ring ceremony! We stopped quickly at the reception space to find that everything was going great. I am an event planner and not being able to be around to conduct everything was KILLING me. Seeing everything set up settled my fears and we left. We quickly made our way to the ring ceremony place so I could get a touch up on hair and make up. Eliza had to basically start over because the wind had been so fierce that day.

I realized I had eaten very little that day and I began to feel sick. I was also nervous. We hadn't rehearsed anything and I could feel a train wreck coming on. We quickly spoke with our officiator and lined up our bridal party to go down the isle. Keep in mind that I had never even seen the room before because our ring ceremony site had fallen through about 5 different times at 5 different places and this was the only available place in St. George. It ended up working great. Our bridal party went out in pairs and the wrong song was playing... I was for sure freaking out a little inside at this point. Right before my Dad and I walked out, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, "Calm down. Everything is ok. Enjoy every moment of this. I love you." It was everything that I needed to hear. I was so happy to have my Dad escort me down the isle. It was very special to me. I had looked forward to that moment my whole life and it was perfect. I walked down the stairs and almost immediately started crying... my entire way through the ceremony.

Josh and I had both written down words that we wanted to say to each other. Josh said the sweetest things to me that made me sob. As I tried to gather myself to say things to him, I was just crying too hard. I grabbed the handkerchief from his pocket and wiped up my face... which of course, made everyone laugh for some reason. I said the things of my heart and felt wonderful. I can recall seeing my little cousins on the front row looking up at me. I could see my new sister-in-law standing in the back with one of her babies. I saw my grandpa looking around like he was bored. It was quite funny. I talked to him after the ceremony and I said, "I cried quite a bit through that whole thing... not sure if anyone could understand what I was saying..." and he replied, "Well... to be honest... I couldn't understand a damn word that you said!" We laughed pretty hard and enjoyed a good moment.

Back to the ceremony: So as I was wrapping up my words to Josh, I realized that he hadn't given me a ring... and I hadn't given him his! I panicked as I realized I didn't even have the ring! Luckily, I turned back to my trusty maid of honor and she handed me the ring. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to give mine to him then so I mumbled something about not knowing what was going on and just asked him to take the ring... which created more laughter. Finally, the ceremony ended and we walked out hand in hand. As we approached the back we saw my sister-in-law still standing in the back with her son who as we walked passed him, was clapping for joy and crying his eyes out as we caught him mid-temper tantrum. It was hilarious.

We walked out, had a happy dance knowing that the formalities of the day were done and we were ready to party! We took a million more pictures with guests and had lots of hugs and kisses. It was amazing to see that so many people had come so far for us. People came from London, South Carolina, Rhode Island, and everywhere in between. We joked and had a wonderful time. My new family was taking care of us already as they got an ice cold Mountain Dew for us to share as we waited for more pictures. Our photographer was actually really awesome and I don't mean to say that he took too many pictures of us or anything. I think Josh and I were just reluctant to pose and look sappy together.

Josh and I headed to the reception excited and ready to party. We snacked on some candy and looked at how things had turned out. Our wedding party gathered to make our grand entrance to the Clash and cheering began. We made it our goal to make our guests feel comfortable and have fun... Josh and I are basically big kids so we decided to make EVERYTHING fun. We bought cases upon cases of glass bottled soda in our favorite flavors- Coke, Cream Soda, Dr. Pepper, Bubble Up, and much more. Josh and I talked about our love of pizza the first day we met so we had Pier 49 pizzas and delicious pastas and salads. I love the clear/pineapple gummy bears and Josh loves chocolates and taffy so we bought them for wedding favors. We also made punk rock buttons and magnets. We used the logos of bands and replaced the name with ours. We even took our pictures and photoshopped them together to look like Queen. Pretty awesome. One of our favorite things became the photobooth that we used as a guest book. It showed everyone's personalities and we had sweet messages.

Josh and I are music nerds so music would play a huge part in the wedding. We had our first slow dance to our song by Phoenix called "Lost and Found" I can remember Josh trying to burrow his head into my neck and whispering that he was nervous because everyone was staring at us. He's not an attention seeker. Haha! We exchanged I love you's and how happy we were. We felt that all the work was worth it for a beautiful wedding. Next, I danced with my Dad. We danced to "Dear Prudence" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. They are one of my favorite bands and my Dad took me to see them for my first concert when I was about 6. It was another special moment for me to dance with him. I tried not to cry the whole time. Apparently others didn't do as well because I had about 6 different friends and family came up to me afterward and told me they were so touched to see me and my Dad dancing together. Those who knew us and knew Siouxsie, knew how special it was for me. It was perfect.

The rest of the night went on great. Josh danced sweetly with his mother. We had beautiful and tearful toasts (as if I needed to cry more that day!). We cut cake. We tossed the bouquet and garter. We danced and cut loose. Even some R. Kelly made an appearance during the dancing. Slowly, our guests began to dwindle. Most of our guests came from out of town and needed to get back from where they came from that night. We tried to spend as much time with everyone as we could but it didn't feel like enough. We left with everyone blowing bubbles at us and went to our car that was thankfully, not decorated. (We had tried to hide our car to prevent that from happening actually!) It was a quiet ending to a wonderful day. It really felt like a tremendous out pouring of love and it carried us on a high for quite awhile. I know people say that your wedding day can be tainted by things or be too busy or whatever. I didn't feel that way. I had my family, the temple, pizza, and Josh. There were some things that didn't go to plan... but it could never take away from the fact that it was the most perfect day of my existance.



It may sound silly but I never felt like I deserved a happy life. I always expected to settle for someone who didn't match me. I lost faith that I could find everything I wanted in one man. Even though I may have seemed happy with someone I was dating before, I never knew what it felt like to love and be loved. It was always shallow and conditional. It is such a sad thought to me that I spent so many years being lonely or unhappy- whether or not I was in a relationship. Now don't get me wrong, Josh isn't a saint. He isn't the flawless Prince Charming one might expect.... but he is the man of my dreams. He makes me laugh. I trust him more than anyone and he NEVER lets me down. When times are tough, he is selfless and emerges with more strength than I thought possible. He harmonizes with me while we sing along to Saves the Day on road trips. When I cry he silently brings me a roll of toilet paper and water and rubs my back. He is intelligent and challenges my mind. He believes in me. He just knows how to love me. He would do anything for me I would do anything for him. I truly didn't think I could have someone so amazing. I love him and our love will grow and last forever. I am forever, Mrs. Everett.

The Day Before...

The reason I began writing the story about Josh and I is for me. There are some moments in life that I wish I could replay like a movie. I wish I could watch it over and over and experience the feelings. Sometimes I wish I could go back in moments where I was unsure and relive them as a relaxed person who knows the outcome. Really, I don't mind whoever else reads this. I just want to think about these things and hold them close to my heart. My wedding day and the day before were days that I hold closest to my heart because they were perfect.

The day before the wedding we received more bad news about a rehearsal because of course, we were cursed. So we decided to wing it and take it in stride. Where do you best take things in stride? At the nail salon of course! My sisters, Celia, Josh, and I headed to the nail salon. Josh had his first pedicure and laughed hysterically when they scrubbed the bottom of his feet. He got his nails done too because we thought it was inevitable that we take pictures of our hands wearing our rings... and his fingers were kinda gnarly. We were there for what seemed like forever and then finally rushed home to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.

It was only very close family and the wedding party. It was the first time that our families would meet! We were a little afraid it would be a disaster because almost everything associated with the wedding was... but it was a dream! Josh's parents set up tables and chairs in their beautiful backyard for a delicious dinner. The kids ran around and played together in the backyard, my uncles were talking to Josh's siblings... it was a sight to behold! I know that our wedding day was amazing but there was something special about that dinner. People at that dinner came from all over the world to be there and there was an amazing energy and outpouring of love. I've never felt so comfortable and happy in my life. Our families were not only merging, they were actually having fun and getting along!

That night, it was open to give toasts. We heard inspiring and loving words that we needed more than anything. I didn't want that night to end. It went by so quickly. Before I knew it, I was at my condo with Larissa laying in bed and having our last pillow talk. As we giggled, the stress began to melt away even more. I expressed my fears and excitement about what the future held and it made everything so real. Larissa reassured me everything would be wonderful and to enjoy every moment. It was sad for me to know that I wouldn't share sleepy talk with my girlfriends again... but then it made me excited that I would always have the man of my dreams next to me every night.

I drugged myself with a sleeping pill because I knew that if I started thinking about getting married I wouldn't sleep. It was like waiting for Christmas day...

Bummer Blog

Provo, Utah is known for BYU... Mormons.... Beautiful Mountains... Yep, that's about all I can come up with right now. Lets get to the point, I'm not writing this blog post to tell you that Provo should be your next vacation spot.... because well..... I hate it.

I Hate Provo.

Some of you may leave comments about how I "didn't find my niche" or how I did something to have the God of Provo spit fireballs at me but I won't listen. Lesson that I learned from Provo, people can hide an awful lot to uphold a certain appearance. For those of you that think it is great, good for you. Maybe I just hit the lotto of terrible people/experiences. The reason I am saying all of this is because I'm setting you up for the backdrop of my romantic adventure with Josh... it's a miracle our love could grow amongst filth.

Josh and I began a wonderful summer together in 2009. He took me to my first MLS game. We enjoyed the cool summer nights. We traveled to Salt Lake City for delicious food and entertainment. We went to Josh's family reunion. We traveled occasionally to Vegas. As the fall started to set in, things became even more magical. The leaves changed color. We went to California and met my new step baby brother, We had a beautiful Thanksgiving in St. George and life was wonderful. Our love was growing. We laughed together, watched the same trashy TV shows, we spent every second together. There were some hard times too. We would misunderstand each other and argue. We reacted poorly and there were consequences. We had other stresses outside of our relationship that created strains. When things were hard I wanted to run away.... but I ultimately wanted him. I can recall a time when I thought we weren't going to work out. I sat in my car in front of his house about to drive away but then I stopped. I thought, "Why we would be breaking up?" It stumped me. I wondered what I would tell people why we broke up. I couldn't think of a reason. I think that's the night I absolutely knew i was going to marry him. I knew there was no reason to break up with him. He was the whole package. He was everything that I ever wanted. I let my personal fears of divorce and other stupid fears get in my way of realizing that things were wonderful. After realizing that, I had to get my butt back into the house and tell him I was dumb and that i wanted him in my life permanently.

First came the love... then came the "M" word. It was a long, hard road for me to want to get married but not for Josh. Lots of other people just assumed that he was the one dragging his feet about marriage. People saw us together and just thought, it was him not wanting to settle down. Truth is, we were both scared but... Josh was ready. He patiently waited for me and I'm glad he did. We started making plans to make things official. We had no idea what we were in for. As if things in Provo weren't hard enough sometimes, we were about to have the worst engagement ever.

I've tried to block out most of the bad things that happened but lets see....
- Our invitations were printed with a wrong address and we had to reprint them, at our expense.
- Both of our cars broke down at the same time
- We were in constant battle with a rental company in St. George (which is where we decided to marry) because they not only had the wrong quantities of tables/chairs/etc but they also always had the wrong reception date and time. Idiots.
- Due to some of the restrictions of church and city buildings, our ceremony site fell through about 5 different times in 5 different places. This was mainly the reason that our invitations did not get into the mail until about 28 days before the wedding.
- Various friends/family were expressing offense because of the wedding party, money, other guests that might be in attendance, timing, distance, etc etc
- Things and people we thought we could count on were MIA
- About 2 weeks before the wedding, there was a miscommunication and one of the quotes for our decorations was wrong... by about $8,000. Luckily, we were able to get everything worked out perfectly.
- We felt sick a lot (or maybe I was just never able to get warm because the snow sucks)
- My wedding dress was literally handed to me at 7am the morning we drove down to St. George before the wedding. I had about 7 different fittings for sleeves over a couple months and it just did not get done or there was something wrong with it.
- Some of the bridesmaids dresses took longer than expected and needed to be tailored (like my dress) just days before the wedding.
- We spent money and time in LA chasing down things we were promised, only to find out the guy selling it to us split without letting us know. (I still hate you Edgar.)
- Josh was denied some of the top schools he wanted to go to for his Phd.
- Arsenal (Josh's soccer team) didn't get into any finals and didn't win any silverware, aka, awards/cups.
- Decorations broke/ didn't work out.

Overall, right up until the day before the wedding, everything was a disaster. At that point, I said, Ok, I'm done. I decided I was going to forget it all. The only thing that really mattered was that I would get married. Family was starting to arrive in St. George and it no longer mattered if we all celebrated in a gas station parking lot. Things were starting to change... It began to settle in that I was going to be with Josh forever. My mind doesn't quite understand that concept but I realized that he would be my husband. My team mate. The person I could always count on. The guy in my corner. Josh and Misty v. The World... And nothing else mattered....

London Love Part Deux

When I look back at my life, it feels like a small miracle that I experienced the things I experienced. There were some things I swore I would never do and ended up doing them. There are some people that I didn't think I would make friends with and I have. There are some things I said I wouldn't like... and ended up liking them. And then there are some times when I am completely right....

The distance between London and Huntington Beach is about 5,456 miles.... and it felt it. I wondered if we had be just set up for failure though. With the back drop of London with its beautiful light rain, spectacular museums, and vacation feel, I wondered if I had just had a London fling. I worried that maybe he was just too good to be true. I didn't want to get my hopes up. I needed more time and consistency. I certainly got it.

For 6 long months Josh and I saw each other and talked via Skype. At first it was casual... I told him when I got asked out by people. I told him they were handsome men. I told him they were very nice gentlemen. I felt good about this. I wanted to see how he reacted. Truthfully, I hated it. The guys that were asking me out were handsome gentlemen but had the personality of rocks. I found Josh and his interests so fascinating that nothing could compare.

After an amount of time, I felt really safe with our relationship. Josh was a great friend. He was fun to talk to and hang out with online. I was content with the distance and felt like everything was fine... until a few American tarts entered the picture. I had spies on Josh the whole time we were apart. I knew the church activities he went to, I knew how he was doing in school, I knew who he was hanging out with... which is where the problem began. I heard through the grapevine that there were some women that were semi aggressively showing interest in Josh. Yep, the claws were about to come out.

I realized that although I was casually hanging out with people of the opposite sex, he wasn't allowed to. Luckily, with the help of good friends who had my back, I was able to preserve my class and still fight back. I also began a full fledged facebook attack to Josh's page: "I love you"'s and baby talk and all. It was a huge turning point for me. Josh was mine. I was willing to fight for him because he was worth it. I knew him like no one else. I helped him through his times of need and he with mine. No one, I repeat, NO ONE could get in the way of that. I understand that this may sound obsessive but once you have something that unique and special, you're willing to do anything. It's true... love does make you a little crazy. And boy was I about to do some crazy stuff.

For those of you that may not know, in England, you can get your masters in a year. You do about about 8 months of course work in an actual class room and the last few months you spend researching and writing a dissertation. One day, Josh informed me of this. Our relationship had grown by leaps and bounds and he made a deal with me. He told me he would leave London (insane) and move back to America where he could do his research to finish his paper. But he could only move one place to do his research: Provo Utah. Yep, I did the thing I said I would never do: move to Utah.

Josh loves books and had a lot of things to bring home and I missed friends and Josh terribly so I decided to take a trip to London. So, just before my birthday, I flew out. Josh and I hadn't seen each other in almost exactly 6 months (even thought we spoke EVERY DAY). I was so nervous. I spent all the money I had to get out there. I wondered if we'd see each other and just go "meh". I worried that maybe we'd just lose interest and I'd end up moving to Provo for nothing.... but I think all great things come with a bit of a risk.

Terrified, excited, full of emotions, and broke, I arrived in London. He met me at the airport. He even shaved his beard for me. It was weird making the connection that this was the man I had fallen for in London then connected with via internet. We hugged and both admitted we were nervous. We held hands awkwardly like it was the first time. I was exhausted from traveling so he helped me with my luggage and let me rest at his place, affectionately known as his "cell". We sat together and had a quiet moment. It seemed like time stood still for awhile. We kissed and all of my fears were gone. It was the real thing. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to spend every waking second with him. And we have.

I was able to see some wonderful friends and have those long awaited moments of old friendship; Girly chats, city adventures, and the wonderful feeling of having my spirit connect to other incredible humans. I was once again able to walk the streets of London, the most beautiful place, with my hand and heart intertwined with Josh's. I was in heaven. Heavenly bliss. Or as some called it, La La Land.

Sad goodbyes were said once again but this time, it was only for my London friends. Josh would be joining me soon in America and we would move to Provo together. Did I mention love does crazy things? Well it does, I moved to Provo. My least favorite place in the world. I would rather live in Compton. While there were some genuine and kind people, I learned the hard way that just because someone says they're a friend, Mormon, or good person, it doesn't mean it is true. I shed many tears and heartache with people calling me a liar, rude, and judgmental. It hurt a lot. I won't go into the details of that... however, I will focus on the positive. I ultimately found my husband.... but as we would later learn, the heartache would not limit itself just to a city...

Our Story: Part 1

I suppose it's time for a major update. This may take a few days but my recent insomnia will aid this adventure. Where to start...

Lets rewind back to 2008 while I was in London so you get the full story..... Beware, it's full of my deepest personal thoughts on love and the pursuit of it. It is sappy and mushy but it is my history.

I went to church one day in September and saw a guy who I recognized was new in the ward. I made a plan to say "welcome" but didn't get to that day. The next weekend, I went to General Conference (a world wide broadcast of sermons from church leaders) and saw the same guy. I noticed that there was something about him that attracted me instantly. I wanted to follow through with my plan to introduce myself but backed out because he was cute.... until I noticed him talking to a girl that I despised. Word was spreading of people going out to eat after the broadcast to a restaurant called Wagamama's. I wondered if he had been invited. So, playing it cool, I walked over to this slag and played friendly. I told her we were going to Wagamam

a's and she should come... and this new friend. He accepted and the rest of the night we were inseparable. I almost lost him at the shuffle of seating arrangements at the restaurant but I gave myself a fierce mental pep talk to go after him!

The whole dinner we argued. I told him I loved Minus the Bear. He said Botch was better. I told him no one loved pizza like I did. He told me he started a pizza club and had a shirt. It was love. After dinner friends invited us to a house to watch the Goonies. That night it rained and I wasn't wearing the best shoes while we walked so I was very cold. I sat between Larissa and Josh to get warm and our host got me a blanket. The 3 of us sat VERY close... or should I say 2 of us did... (This picture was taken of us at Wagamama's the very first night we met.)

That night at the roomie "debriefing" with Larissa she said, "So... Josh...?" and I said, "Yeah! He's kind of a jerk! He is studying mysticism, he has all these strong opinions, he says he hates babies, and just... jerk! But... there's something about him.... there's something so intriguing..."

The next day I saw him at Conference. He came over to my flat afterwards for games and treats. We played the sleeping game which "necessitated" some cuddling. (The sleeping game is really a game. I wasn't just being a tart!)

The next day, Monday, he and I met up to go to the National Gallery but it closed so we wandered through Trafalgar Square to South Kensington. We stopped at parks, enjoyed the rain, enjoyed the trees, enjoyed the company. It went that way for months. We were always together. We saw each other every day. We explored museums, Soho, Stonehenge, Bath, Camden, markets, festivals, we even got lost wandering random London streets. He became my best friend quickly.

Earlier that year had my heart shattered and at times it was hard to believe that Josh was for real. I tested his integrity and probed into his history. I finally realized that I could trust him. He could be shy or put out a tough exterior at times but I slowly allowed myself to see the man he was. He cared intensely for his family and talked to them often. He waved and made faces at children on the tube. He was forever dependable and honorable. He shared his love of humanity and God in the humblest of ways. He was real.

By the time I realized all of this, time was running out. My visa was expiring and could not be extended. He was mid masters program and committed to stay for another 6 months. I felt at peace with things though. Finding love in London wasn't what I expected but it felt right. I didn't want to put pressure on anything so I said we should keep in touch and see what happens when he gets back to the states. I never felt so much pain and cried so many tears as I did when I left him at the Heathrow airport. Even security workers gave me a pat on the back as they checked my passport and I sobbed.... the ugly sob. I knew something was different.

I returned home to California. My grandparents are amazing and made me feel loved and wonderful. I missed my sisters like crazy and enjoyed getting to spend time with them. It took time to find a job and I desperately needed things to fill my time. I tried to get involved in my new ward and it just didn't fit. I got asked out by wonderful people but... they didn't have that spark. My heart had decided on Josh. No relationship or even friendship I ever had could compare to him. In May 2009, Josh gave me a choice. He said that he would finish his masters dissertation from America if I moved to Utah where he could do his research. I packed my bags for London... I was going to help move to America...

To be continued...

Forever

Yep,  livin in Utah now.  More about that to come.  For now, here's somethin I found online.  There aren't many things that make me happy like this.  This was pure genius and yet adorable.