The next 6 months...

*note: picture loader isn't working, I'll add them later*

After dinner that night we went back to my apartment and told my roommates (I had already called my family and talked to them on the way to the restaurant) and got to look at the photos that Perry and McKell had taken. So the next few days were spent figuring out a date and telling friends from home. We settled on August 22, 2008. 5 months away!!! If there had been a way, I'm sure we'd only have waited two or three months, butttttt....I had an internship in Chicago and Chayse was going to work at APX Alarm selling security systems to help get us started since I was spending my last dimes on my internship (but, might I add, I got about 90% of it paid through scholarships...I just had spent most of my savings in Spain with Grace the summer before!) I am so grateful to have a man that sacrificed his whole summer to just earn money to pay for an engagement ring that he gave to me when we got married and to also have enough money to afford a few things when we got back from our honeymoon like, oh, an apartment? But anyways...

Before parting for the summer, we took our engagement pictures by the Timpanogos temple. We also spent every moment possible together, if that weren't already happening. Then April 29 came and I took Chayse to the airport to head off to Seattle. Boy, what a rough day!!! I'm sure my roommates remember me being in TEARS every time someone mentioned his name or just anything. I was just a giant wreck. 4 months? That's a long time when you're talking to a crazy engaged woman! I was staying in Provo for a month before leaving May 20 (the day Raya was born and I wasn't even there!!!) and working a bit before I was going home to get my wisdom teeth taken out (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

I got the teeth removed and it was a pretty big ordeal. I ended up getting anxiety medicine and then was completely out and asleep for the next 48 hours after the operation. I'm sure Chayse really appreciated that since I was the shining light at the end of his really long days and I was NOT coherent enough to talk. He did send me a bear that never left my side while I was laying on the couch. In fact, I think it's head is close to falling off because I held it so tight for too long! But I was able to finish wedding planning with Mom while I was home and getting invites ready for her to just bring to the post office when the time came. Then the day came that I was able to fly out to see Chayse for a few days before going to Chicago for the rest of the summer!!!!! I was sooo excited I couldn't believe the time had finally come! I was disappointed because it meant I wasn't able to go to my roommate Jenna's wedding in Florida, but I'm sure she understood when it was between her wedding or seeing my fiance for the only time we were planning during the summer before we got married!

We had an absolute blast together! I don't think we really got any sleep because I just kept thinking, in the other room is the man I love whom I haven't seen in AGES!!! So we'd go to sleep around 2 and be back up around 6. Love makes you do crazy things, doesn't it? And now I'm up to 9 hours of sleep...ha. But we did everything we could think of in Seattle and I met some of his friends out there. (And we are still good friends with one couple! Thank goodness!!) We went to Pike's Place, the Space Needle, went out to eat, made fun, laughed and just had the best time together. And then...he had to take me back to the airport! BOOO!

I landed in Chicago on a Tuesday evening, so that wasn't too bright on my part. I somehow managed to bring 2 check-ins and a carry on, plus purse, through the train, 2 buses and into the dorm complex I was staying in....in the dark. AMAZING! I met two roommates, met up with a few friends from BYU that were also there for internships, then proceeded to unpack and be ready for the next day! Ahh! A lot to do in one night. Forget food, my friends offered me breakfast in the morning and I'd just buy lunch then head to the store after work. I absolutely loved working in Chicago. It was a dream job for me and wish that it could have turned into something more, but then again I was very anxious for the summer to end and see Chayse again!

On little treat during the summer was Chayse surprising me with a visit! Well, not completely. I think it was a Saturday night that he flew in late and I met him at the airport on the train and he stayed through Tuesday possibly? But he joked and said was buying a ticket and I said how wonderful it would be..and well...he did! And my boss gave me some time off because she wanted to meet him and she knew how much I missed him!! It was middle of July when he came out, and over a month had gone by without seeing his face again! We did everything possible together in Chicago and had a blast. I love that city, it really holds wonderful memories for me! So go and visit while you can!!!

Then the summer finally ended and I said goodbye to my magazine gig and Chayse left his buddies behind to finish up the summer selling and we met up in Atlanta a week before the wedding and were still in love! THANK GOODNESS!! We got sealed in the Atlanta Temple and then had a reception and left the next morning for Cancun for an amazing getaway!!! What a wonderful time we had lounging around and finally being together after 4 long months apart!

We finally got back to Provo in time for a reception the week after we got married and was able to spend time with my family and his, as well as go to a football game the next day! But we didn't start school for fall semseter...we ended up leaving after we had unpacked most of our things in our basement apartment and brought a few things in the car with us to live in Boston for a month to sell for APX. Wow. Let's recap, we've been to Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Cancun and now Boston together...all within 5 months!! It was a fun adventure there but I was more than thrilled to return to real life and start doing normal things together for once!!

To be continued...