3 Months!

(This picture was taken a couple of months before we started dating--at the very beginning of our friendship!)

When we kissed, I felt a sweet sensation....

 ...this time it wasn't just my imagination!

Being married to S.W. Riley has been nothing short of a miracle in my life. He is SO GOOD to me. I know I'm young, but I definitely felt like it took me a "long time" to get married--

but it was WORTH EVERY MINUTE. It was worth every tear and worry, because Spencer is exactly the man who I was searching for.

He's all I've wanted all my life and even more...the boy whose life and dreams and love I want to share.

We are in Xanadu

Seriously we are in Xanadu! Married life is amazing. I have an amazing husband who does so much for me. As we speak he is retrieving the oil to rub on my sore neck. Man, am I lucky or what??

Natalie & Spencer (Temple Only) from A Guy & A Girl Productions on Vimeo.

During our engagement, we sat down with our parents to plan what we wanted our wedding to be like and how we were going to do that. We thought it would be a fun idea to have video footage of our debut as husband and wife! I wasn't very interested in a long movie of the reception, etc, but we thought a little video would be fun. So, I sent an email to my friend Cameron of A Guy and A Girl Productions and this is what he came up with. It is AMAZING! We love it. It is exactly what I was looking for :) I have already watched it a million times (roughly) and Spencer and I love to watch it together.

Love is grand

Remember how a few months back I posted a blog about how I couldn't believe I had been engaged to the most wonderful man in the world for four days?

We did it!!!

Me and the boys!

Well guess what? I have now been married to the most wonderful man in the world for over a month. It has been an amazing month! I didn't know I could feel so blessed and lucky. My husband is amazing and I love being married to him. We have already had some fun adventures including broken glasses, leaky sinks, and trips to the hospital, and we look forward to the adventures of the rest of our lives!!

All the girls! Murrays on the left, Rileys on the right! I love my new family!! They are so amazing, supportive, and fun!

All the boys! Murrays on the left, Rileys on the right. I love that I have more brothers! And an awesome (and buff) father in law!

Tidbit

My grandma played the piano at our reception. My grandpa joined her for a few duets. It was really, really cool. 

Our famous happy ending!

Our debut as husband and wife!

With our sisters Abby and Nicole. 

On June 21st, Spencer and I were sealed in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. The ceremony was amazing and we are so blessed to have the sealing power in our lives and our marriage. I couldn't be happier! I love him so much and married life is awesome. Spencer and I are seriously perfect for each other, and there hasn't really been any sort of adjustment to living together (except for the few times when we've accidentally hit each other in the face in the middle of the night. We aren't quite used to sharing a bed yet). Here is a sneak peak of wedding day bliss (for even more of a sneak peak, visit Karly's blog). 

We did it!

A little over a month ago, Spencer and I set a goal to go to baptisms six times (in six different temples) before our wedding. We did it! We went to the Provo, St. George, Draper, Oquirrh Mountain, Mt. Timpanogos, and Salt Lake temples. It was amazing. I am so grateful and blessed to be marrying a wonderful, worthy man!

6!!

Spencer and I with most of our sisters. We are missing Breanna, Nicole R, and Nicole M. 

After we did baptisms in the Salt Lake temple, we went to the Church History Museum. Here we are getting ready to do our Argentine dance! We are really good at dances from other cultures. The museum is really cool because there are historic artifacts from the early days of the church and the prophets, as well as art and a children's exhibit! 

Before we came home, we made sure to eat at the Lion House....yum! Their sourdough bread bowls are TDF!

PS: 3 DAYS!!!

You know what today is??

Seven days until the wedding!! Can you believe it? It's coming up so soon!

Okay. I know I'm a bit behind! But...last week we went to the Mt.Timpanogos Temple as part of our countdown. The next time we go there will be when I go through the temple!

2...

100 day engagement brownies!

Also, last Sunday was our 100 day mark. Can you believe it? We've now been engaged for more than 100 days! That is crazy. But you know what? I didn't need to engaged for 100 days, or 10, or even 1 to know how incredibly blessed I am to have Spencer by my side. He is amazing and so supportive. I am so lucky and he is so good! Can't wait to have our  union written on the records of Heaven!

Good things come in 3's

These past few days have been great!

Okay, I will be the first to admit that I get incredibly stressed out by little things. I know, I know, something to work on! And lately I've been letting myself get carried away. It's like if I think one anxious thought, my mind won't let it go. So yes, I've jumped on the mind train a few times lately. But for every time I jumped on that awful train, someone has been there to help me jump off. And I have! So we're good.

1. At Spencer's "old man" softball game this week, he hit TWO home runs! Way to go!!

2. Abby graduated from high school! She is so kind and loving to everyone around her--seriously inspiring to me. I love you Ab and congratulations!!

3...

3. We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. We are getting so close! Two more temple visits to do baptisms! And bridals tomorrow! I can't wait. This morning I woke up with that knot in your stomach you used to get (or maybe, if you're like me, you still get!) Christmas morning thinking about the day that lies ahead. I can't wait for him to see my dress. This is the only secret I've ever really kept from him and it's killing me! 

Still can't get over it.

I still can't get over how amazing this man is. 

Seriously. 

Putting together wedding announcements!!

4...

At the Draper Temple :)

Less than one month!

Last weekend Spencer and I decided to go on a prehoneymoon/first family vacation/celebration trip (I got a job!!!) to St. George to continue in our temple countdown. 

So I washed the car...

We packed up our new picnic basket with TONS of good road trip food...which I'm still eating one week later... ;)

We stopped at the Beaver Cheese Factory! Of course.  

5...

After visiting my good friend Steve at The Music Store, we had a picnic and headed home. 

Our trip was perfect. It was so nice having lots of time together with just us, time to talk, laugh, and read together. I can't wait to marry this man. Just thinking about him makes me want to be a better person. He is kind, wonderful, good, and pretty much perfect! I am so lucky. 

The countdown!

I know, you are all dying to know how many more days until the wedding! The official count is in: 41 days from tomorrow!! Considering we started counting down from the triple digits, this wedding is feeling incredibly close right now. And I am so excited! I can't believe someone as wonderful as S. Winston is going to marry someone like me! Wow. I am definitely blessed. Things keep falling into place and we are all but done with all of the wedding preparation.

Last week, Spencer and I set a goal to go to the temple and do baptisms six times before the wedding. And thus begins our temple countdown!

6...

Into the woods to wed the prince.

There were dangers, and confusions, and our paths would often swerve. There were constant disillusions, but we never lost our nerve. And we reached the right conclusions, and we got what we deserved.

Though it's fearful, though it's deep, though it's dark, and though you may lose the path--though you may encounter wolves-- you mustn't stop, you mustn't swerve, you mustn't ponder, you have to act!

To get your wish you go into the woods where nothing's clear. Where witches, ghosts, and wolves appear. Into the woods and through the fear you have to take the journey. Into the woods and down the dell. In vain, perhaps, but who can tell?

Into the woods to get the thing that makes it worth the journeying.

And happily ever after!

Pretty much how I feel about teaching

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

Emily Dickinson

So EXCITED!

And no, it isn't the jeans we're excited about. 

Sneak Peak!

The story of choosing my wedding dress coming soon! For now, please enjoy this picture (because that's all you're gonna get before the wedding)!

FYI

You may be noticing a trend in the topic of my blogs lately...they are all spencerspencerspencer! This is because he is AMAZING. I am the luckiest girl in the whole world!

Anyway, the purpose of this particular post is to inform you that we have created a wedding website, to satiate your desire to learn more about us!

Should you feel so inclined, please visit us here.

Four days later...

...and I still CANNOT believe I am marrying this boy. I feel like I'm living someone else's life because it just seems so perfect! I could not have imagined someone more wonderful than Spencer. He's all I've wanted all my life and even more! Much more. Good as gold and better.

With our German chocolate engagement pie! See here for more details :)

We're engaged!

"This is the moment when all I've done--all of the dreaming, scheming and screaming--become one. This is the day (see it sparkle and shine!) when all I've lived for becomes mine."

(Don't worry, he didn't propose at In-N-Out, but he took me there after--because he's the best!)

Spencer is the most amazing man I have ever met. I am blessed to have him in my life. He is kind, wonderful, and so good. It blows my mind that someone as wonderful as he wants to spend forever with me! We are getting married June 21st and we couldn't be happier! I can't stop smiling and thinking about how lucky I am. It's amazing how life works out.

Star awards

Last Saturday, the SCERA recognized my grandma for her involvement and support in the arts. My grandmother is an amazing woman and has done so much for so many people. She is a fantastic piano teacher and knows how to help all her students reach their full potential. It was way cool to see her recognized for all she has done for the community and for the arts! Way to go, Grandma!

It was also really nice to spend an evening with my family and Spencer's grandparents :)

Fortune favors the brave

"It's all worked out, my road is clear. The lines of latitude extend way beyond my wildest dreams, toward some great triumphant end. We seize the day, we turn the tides, we touch the stars, we mock the grave, we move into uncharted lands."

The finest and the luckiest

Happy Valentines day to the most amazing man in the world!

Isn't that what life was made of?

"I'm sleeping, and right in the middle of a good dream, when all at once I wake up from something that keeps knocking at my brain. Before I go insane I hold my pillow to my head and spring up in my bed screaming out the words I dread."

What if you are what a prince would envision?

Last week was a hard week for me. I was worrying about the future because of what has happened in the past. Like Lot's wife, my attachment to the past, however negative, outweighed my confidence in the future. I am so confused about how I let that happen. I mean I have faith! I know Heavenly Father has a plan for my life!

I was trying so hard to get off the mind train, but it's hard when the train is barreling down upon you ninety to the dozen!



I had to just jump off that train, in a very Sherlock Holmes sort of way. And I realized some things.

I have been dreaming of teaching school for a long time. And now what am I doing? Teaching school! I have a whole classroom full of little wonders. While school is crazy and busy and hard, it's a dream come true and I am loving it!

(This picture was taken before school even started. My classroom definitely has a more "lived in" feel now!)

I'm dating a wonderful guy. No more a smart little girl with no heart! Seriously, he's lovely and perfect. True. And if you'll excuse an expression I use...

And lastly, a quote from my favorite British friend: "I've decided to just be happy, because if not then you can't really help anyone." And really, charity is always something I need to be working on!

Sweet and sour CHICKEN!

Seriously...I love this guy so much! Oh, Phil.

A year in review--2011

So, to be completely honest, 2011 started out rough. But I worked at being happy, prayed a lot, and soon I was definitely able to grow and change. I've had so many great experiences and blessings this year! Wouldn't change it for the world, but I'm ready to see what 2012 has to offer :)



Spent more lovely time in a boot! Had to start wearing orthotics.



Finished the majority of my undergrad coursework and got hired as an intern at Orchard Hills Elementary. This is what I had been dreaming about for years...definitely cried on the phone when the principal called to tell me.



Met Marc Brown! Very exciting.



Was called as RSP for the second time...there's obviously a lesson I need to learn!



My best friend got married!!



Had a great vacation to Disneyland with my family. Went on Tower of Terror for the first time and I LIVED!



Started my first year of teaching! Totally fell in love with my job and 25 ten year olds.



Had an intense Halloween party at a barn--we survived, and luckily my car did too!



Talked to Santa...and he totally delivered this year. I believe!



Got to see the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert with a pretty awesome guy and two of my best friends.



Ended the year by spending some great time up at Aspen Grove with the Murrays!


As you can see, I've had a great year. I feel very blessed and I'm excited to set goals and grow next year!