THE ENGAGEMENT...

December 24, 2013...I can't just jump into the engagement story.  I have to set it up a little bit.  Well...John is soooo ADORABLE, that is the first thing you need to know!!!  I had my MRI a week or so before we left for Missouri.  I had bronchitis  at the beginning of December, and threw out my back.  It was just horrible!!!  I was in sooo much pain and just thought I would be getting surgery super soon.  I couldn't think of any other solution to the pain I was feeling.  The MRI showed that I still had two herniated discs.  I had just irritated them so badly through my coughing with bronchitis.  My doctor gave me some Percocet and some Skelaxin (muscle relaxer) to help with the pain until I could get in to see a neurologist after I got back from Missouri.  I knew that going to Missouri would be a rough trip, and I didn’t know if I could bare the pain on the plane.  So…the week before we left, I had been on sooo many medications, that I was just loopy every time John was around me.  He had the ring in his pocket for a week before we left for Missouri, but he told me later that he just felt like he would be taking advantage of me if he proposed while I was on the medications.  He wanted to make sure I remembered getting engaged, and he wanted to make sure I had the ability to call people after to let them know, if I wanted to.  He knew I would want to make some calls, and he also knew that the medications made me tired and loopy and that phone calls late at night would be hard for me.  He is so sweet to put so much thought into all of this!  We got all packed to go and we were so excited to fly home to Missouri.  (He bought me a new suitcase before we left and told me to take a picture of me in it...I thought that was cute!)  I was worried about my back and John went and found me a memory foam pillow for me to sit on in the plane.  It was the sweetest thing.  I didn’t ask him, but he knew I was worried about the hard seats on the plane, so he just went out and found a solution.  It actually worked really well.  We left Salt Lake on Tuesday, December 24^th.  I took a lot of Percocet before we left and pretty much slept all the way to Denver.  My back felt wonderful all the way there.  I felt so blessed.  I knew I needed to take some Skelaxin before we left Denver to fly to Missouri.  My back was starting to hurt.  I told John I needed to take some more medication so I wouldn’t be in pain for the next flight.  He told me that he wanted to take me to this Mexican restaurant at the Denver airport.  He had told me about this restaurant several weeks before we left on our trip.  He went there a long time ago and just enjoys eating there.  We had a 3 hour layover in Denver, so we had planned on eating there for lunch anyway.  He took me up to the third floor of the Denver airport.  It was Christmas Eve, so there weren’t that many people there.  There were two restaurants up there, so if you weren’t up there eating, there was really no reason for you to be up there.  We walked along a walking escalator and at the end, he pulled me over to the railing where the roller coaster looking décor was.  I asked him what he was doing.  He said he wanted to people watch for a minute.  (We both love to people watch, so this wasn’t a weird thing.)  The sunlight was coming in and was in my eyes.  I told him it was a horrible place to people watch because the light was so bright in our eyes and you couldn’t really see very well.  He said that it was actually a perfect place.  He pulled me close to him and asked me when I was going to say yes to him.  I told him that I had said yes to him a long time ago.  He held up his left hand where he had my ring on his pinky and said, “Well then, should we make it official?”  I seriously had to take a double take because I was a little shocked.  I was so happy that he had proposed to me when I didn’t know it was going to happen.  It was beautiful and was just sparkling in the sun (that is why he was finding a place where the sun was shining in…he went to the third level to chase the falling sun).  I asked him if he was being serious this time.  He said, “Will you Marry me?”  I told him yes and he kissed me.  It was really cute and very simple.  No one around us knew what was happening because there weren’t many people around us.  We went in to the restaurant that was right there across the little area where we were standing.  It was called Mesa Verde.  We took pictures of my hand and took some pictures of us together.  It was so precious!!!  He was soooo happy and I was just beaming.  They sat us down across from one another.  Anyone that knows us, knows that we don’t sit apart from each other.  We always sit next to each other.  He took the small table, switched it around length-wise and then sat next to me.  One of the waitresses, that wasn’t our waitress came over and said, “Can I just say…you two are so cute together!”  It was cute because she was younger than us and just was a cute girl.  It was funny!  We also had a group of 4 colleagues that were eating there, that come up to us on their way out.  One of the ladies said, “Can I ask you guys something?  Did you just get engaged recently?”   We told her yes and she said, “I knew it.  Can I see your ring?”  It was really cute!  She was so happy for us and said that she told her colleagues that she just knew we had just gotten engaged.  It was really cute.  We had a wonderful

engagement lunch.  We ordered some cheese fries.  I ordered a salad and John ordered a sandwich.  We just had a good time sitting there talking and I couldn’t keep my eyes off that adorable heart shaped diamond ring.  (I know that I wrote in here about the ring a while ago when John got it and showed me a picture of it.  It is beautiful.  It is a heart-shaped diamond so that I have “the ultimate heart-shaped rock.”  John is just cute like that…and he picked it out himself.)  I love this man!!!  After we ate, we walked over and sat down on some chairs and just cuddled.  I knew I would forget some things, so I got out a notebook and jotted down some notes about our engagement so I wouldn’t forget the details.  We just sat there and relived the engagement and then we just talked about how we wanted to tell people.  He told me that he wanted me to have some time to tell people and that he thought it would be perfect to ask me at the airport.  He knew that way he would have some time with me before I went off and told people.  He knew I would want to tell people on my own time.  I LOVE that he asked me at the airport on our way to Missouri.  I then knew I had the entire trip to tell people or wait until I got back.  I loved that I didn’t feel rushed to have to tell people.  We just sat there and laughed and talked.  I told him I had to go to the bathroom.  I ran downstairs and found a gift shop, bought some Hershey Kisses and found a card with a heart-shape flower on the front and it was blank inside.  I wrote him a little note and thanked him for proposing to me and told him how much I loved him and that these were the first of many kisses he would be getting from me.  I signed it “your fiance.”  I went and gave them to him and he was surprised that I found something like that in the airport so quickly.  What can I say, I’m good!  J  He was just cute!  We had a great time sitting there just cuddling together.  Something that was really funny – there were a lot of black people around us.  There were a couple guys sitting close to us.  John knows I love black people and that I want a black baby.  He leaned over to me and said, “Sorry I’m not black!”  I busted up laughing sooooo hard!  He started laughing to and I couldn’t believe he said that…but it was really funny!  I just love this man so much!  We got in to Missouri around 6:30pm or so.  Dad, Mom, Taylor and Whitney were there to pick us up.  As soon as we saw them, I told mom that I wanted her to see my ring that John had given me a couple months ago…then I said, “And now you need to see this ring” and I showed her my engagement ring.  She just screamed and the girls were happy and dad gave me a kiss and congratulated us.  It was really cute.  When we got to the house, everyone (Bristol and Wyndam’s family) were doing a pyramid when we got there.  I wish I would have known so I could have taken a picture.  We walked in and they were struggling to stay together.  We were laughing sooo hard.  As soon as we saw them, they fell!  It was really cute!  I love my family.  We ate dinner and one by one I was showing off my ring to people and seeing who was going to notice.  It was funny, because Morgan noticed as soon as I walked in, but she didn’t say anything to anyone.  It was so much fun telling people.  We called John’s parents and told them.  Grandpa and Teresa came over, so we told them as well.  We didn’t tell anyone else that night.  We all just hung out and talked and talked and talked.  The next day John texted all his family.  We called Grandma Emery and told her as well.  I then called Windsor and Amberly and Brighton and Nash and told them.  They were all so excited for us.  It was just soooo much funnnn!!!!  I LOVE being engaged to this guy!  We will be married FOREVER!!!  I thought for a long time that this wasn’t going to ever happen to me.  I am so grateful I was wrong!  I just can’t imagine my life without John!  We are so perfect for one another!!! 

Christmas Gifts...

December 2013...We decided to give everyone my famous peanut brittle and a flat-bottomed

spoon that my dad engraved on for Christmas.  I LOVE making my peanut brittle and thought it would be fun to share my favorite Christmas gift with those I love (my family, John's family and a few friends).  Everyone seemed to love it, so we were happy with what we gave everyone.  I still get comments from people all the time that my peanut brittle is their favorite, by far.  It is my Grandma Emery's (Reeve's) peanut brittle recipe.  She personally taught me how to make it, and I

have made it every year since!  I love this family tradition, and will always keep it!

Joanna & JT's Christmas Concert...

December 15, 2013...Joanna & JT invited us to their Christmas concert at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  They did such an amazing job!  We went last year and they sang at the church building on Temple Square.  It was so much fun to go and support them.  There were a lot of people there, and they just did wonderful!  We love hanging out with Joanna and JT.

Thanksgiving with John's Family...

November 27, 2013...We had so much fun!  We went to Chuck-A-Rama in Sandy for lunch/dinner.  This has been a Campbell/Tucker family tradition that happens every couple years.  Chuck-A-

Rama opens at 11:30am and so a few of us got in line to wait.  I can't believe how many people actually get in line to eat there.  I LOVE the idea of eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet for Thanksgiving.  I love knowing that I can eat a little bit of everything and not have to be in the kitchen all day long.  Most of the Tucker's came and Ted and John were there from the Campbell side.  I just love John's family!  We have a lot of fun with both the Tucker's and the Campbell's.  This is a great family to marry into.  I think we got a picture of everyone that came.  The

reason we did lunch here is so that we didn't have to stress out and make all the food; however, Joanna was so sweet and we came back home and she had practically made an entire Thanksgiving feast for dinner that night.  She made rolls, turkey, ham, beans and some potatoes.  It was fantastic, so we had another feast that night.  YUM!!!!

Dr. Who Murder Mystery...

November 24, 2013...We had such a fun time at the Murder Mystery.  This was the second one that we have gone to a Murder Mystery together.  My friends, Maile and Genna had someone drop out two weeks before this Murder Mystery, so they invited us.  It was a Dr. Who Murder Mystery, based off

the Dr. Who show.  Neither of us had watched Dr. Who, but the actual 50th year anniversary of the show was the day of the Murder Mystery.  We went and put on fun attire for the party.  You were the original Dr. Who.  I was Astrid Peth, who was a part of the Tenth Dr. Who.  I had some sickness the week of, so I didn't have time to go get my outfit until the day of.  I was limited and needed to find a waitress outfit.  The costume stores really only had skanky maid outfits.  I had to add a longer black shirt and some leggings and boots to make it work, but I got it figured out.  I also bought a wig (you actually bought it for me and brought it down for me).  You also got a fun outfit and used a cane and bought a wig as well.  The Murder Mystery was more like a big Clue game.  Not very many of the participants had seen Dr. Who much, and we were told you didn't have to know that much about the show to participate.  We just went and played Clue basically.  We moved from one room to another and got yummy food in each room.  We had appetizers and lots of finger foods.  It was a lot of fun!  Maile and BrianJohnson were there, obviously.  Genna put the whole thing together, and did a great job!  We had a lot of fun just hanging out and talking to people.  Another couple dropped out a week before the Murder

Mystery, so I invited Dan and Charone Peterson to come along, and they were able to.  It was an entertaining night!  We got pictures with everyone and after we were done with the night, you wanted me to trade wigs with  me.  You had me wear your tight curly grey wig on and you put on my Marilyn Monroe wig and everyone got a good laugh.  You told me that I looked like my mom with your wig on.  We really liked that wig on me and I thought that if I had that much hair when I was older, I would be a happy camper!  We just had a great time together.  It was so much fun to just be together, laugh and play the part.  I love that you will pick out your own costumes and that you enjoy being a part of something like this.  I love doing things with me and spending time just having fun with one another, doing something different.  Thank you for laughing with me.  Maile and Genna both told me that they love having us be a part of things, because they always know that we will make the night better.  They love that we dress up and that we are outgoing and will help the party be how they would like it to be.  They said that they will for sure keep inviting us to their Murder Mysteries.  Woohooo for us!!!

Bad Day Gone Good...

November 1, 2013...I LOVE you soooo much!  I had a really hard day at work today and just felt like the biggest baby and drama queen.  I haven’t cried at work or about work the entire time I’ve been there.  Well…I did today!  I feel like I’ve been so behind in everything.  I can’t get ahead and I am being interrupted time and time again.  I’m so tired of not feeling like I can get my stuff done without getting more assignments.  Usually I can handle things, but I just couldn’t today.  I had some things stolen from my desk and I just feel like I am being taken advantage of right now.  I know how to say no outside of work, but I don’t know how to tell people at work that my load is too much and I don’t feel like I can say no to some of the things I’m given.  I went into Traci’s office and just broke down in tears.  It’s the first time in 3 years at this job that I’ve cried because of my workload.  I miss Rob being here.  He made everything ok and was just a great boss.  Dallas is amazing and really a great guy, I just miss having Rob as my boss!  I tried to control myself, but I broke down about 4 times today.  I text you while I was crying, just to share with you my feelings and emotions, but I told you there was nothing you could do.  You called me several times and left the sweetest messages on my phone.  I finally left work around 3:00pm and brought everything home with me.  I was a mess!  I was supposed to go play soccer tonight and then go to Mel’s birthday dinner after that.  I decided I couldn’t handle that, and I didn’t want to show up crying and be a grouch and ruin Mel’s night, so I canceled!  I just have been working all night trying to get a little caught up so that I am not so overwhelmed at work.  I talked to you several times throughout the night and you were just so wonderful and comforting!   I told you several times how much I just love and appreciate you being so good with me.  You called me one time and I was asking you what you were doing.  You said that you were finally finishing up your errands for the night and was about to head home, but you asked me to come check my door!  There you were with a big grin on your face with beautiful purple daisy flowers in hand!  You were ADORABLE!!!  I wanted to cry, but I was smiling so much that I couldn’t.  You just held me and kissed me and told me that you wanted to make me smile and help make my day better!  You gave me my purple flowers and just hugged me and gave me a kiss.  I was grinning from ear to ear!  I couldn’t tell you how happy I was!  Then you told me that when you were buying my flowers the cute two older ladies asked who the flowers were for.  You said they were for your fiancé, and that I had a rough day at work, and that you  needed to make me happy.  They just thought that was so sweet!  When you told me that, I was just so excited that you referred to me as your fiancé!  Soooo cute!  You hugged and kissed me and then told me to stay right there.  You reached round the outside of the door and grabbed 4 fruit leathers for me.  You told me that they have no added sugar, so I would be able to eat them with my cleanse I am doing.  You handed them to me and told me to stay there.  You went around the corner and grabbed a bag of dates that also had no added sugar and told me that I could have those as well.  You hugged me and kissed me and then told me to stay there.  You then reached around the corner again and grabbed a set of very nice headphones that you bought me.  You told me that it is a proven statistic that when you are at work and you have headphones on, people won’t interrupt you.  You told me that when I am at work and I need to get some things done, I can put these on to drown out the noise and then people won’t bother me as much!  You told me you had been looking for these specific headphones for months now and you actually just found them on sale at the last store you looked at tonight.  You then gave them to me and told me to stay there.  You had something else for me that you bought for me a long time ago (last spring) and was waiting for the perfect time to give them to me.  You went around the corner one last time and came back with these handcrafted Sorel natural rubber books with leather around them and fur at the top.  They are sooooo adorable and sooo comfortable.  You told me you bought them for me on sale last winterish and was thinking about giving them to me for Christmas, but thought today was the best day.  You thought it would be a good idea for me to have them to wear when it starts to snow and that they will be comfortable, cute and stylish for me.  You said that you thought I could also wear them when my feet are cold inside.  You was so excited to give them to me.  You had me try them on right there in the entry way of my town home.  It was the cutest thing.  You even turned the light on so that you could show me the purple lining that was on the boots, because you know how much I love purple.  You were just so happy to make me happy!  You spent all your time after work trying to find things that would make my day better.  You told me tonight on the phone that I do so much for so many people when they are down and having a hard time.  You said it is your job to make me happy when I am feeling down.  I just feel so grateful and so lucky to have you in my life.  You left and I couldn’t stop smiling.  You didn’t come up and spend time with me.  You knew I had a lot of work to do and that I was clocked in.  You had me put on my boots and then you put everything else you gave me in the box (besides the flowers), handed the box to me, gave me a kiss and told me to get back to work and good luck!  You said goodbye, let yourself out the door and I just sat there wanting you to come back!  I love how wonderful you are with me and to me.  I don’t know how I got so lucky to have you in my life, but I can’t imagine my life without you.  I literally smiled the rest of the night because I was soooo happy to have you in my life.  You have told me time and time again that you will do whatever it takes to make sure I am taken care of and happy for the rest of my life.  You said that you would prove that to me every day.  You really do prove that to me.  I just LOVE you so much!!! 

Halloween...

October 31, 2013...We did so much stuff for Halloween.  We invited anyone from your family

over to carve pumpkins and make caramel apples.  Ashely and Doug's family came over.  Shayla also came with her kids.  We all had a lot of fun.  You and I went to the pumpkin patch by your house and got three very big pumpkins.  They were awesome!  You carved one and I carved one.  We left the last one for your parents for when they got back from

St. Kitts.  They ended up not carving it, so we took it to Robin and Brady's and carved it with their family a week later.  It was fun hosting a little party at your parents' house while they were gone.  I felt like we were hosting something at our own place.  We can't wait to have our own place, so we can host all the time.  The kids loved carving their

pumpkins.  After everyone was done, I had them all help me with the caramel apples.  They each got their own apple to decorate.  They all did such a great job.  It was fun watching them get all excited and pick what they wanted on their apples.  I am really glad we did that.  I know that the kid had fun, and I had a lot of fun as well.  Another festive thing that we did this year, was Ashley's annual Halloween party.  The theme

was zombies, so we went to DI and got some clothes that we could trash and turn ourselves into Zombies.  She had her party the weekend before Halloween.  It was a lot of fun being with your siblings and step-siblings.  They had great food and entertainment.  Ashley really does take her parties seriously.  It was fun being there with everyone!  On

actual Halloween, we went over to Dave and Dawn Robison's house to help them with their scary Halloween setup in their garage for the trick-or-treaters.  I dressed up as Madusa and you dressed up as the scary tree, like last year.  It was fun, but they didn't have as many trick-or-treaters as they did last year, since they moved.  We just had fun being

together and socializing with everyone.  It was a festive Halloween for us this year!