The girl who cried wolf

I am engaged. To be married. To one handsome and witty Wolf.

It all happened Thursday, February 17, 2011.

It was a Thursday like any other Thursday; full of carefree events that might make it into a daily journal (if I kept a daily journal) and yet not memorable enough that in ten years I would sit my children down and tell them the tales of that Thursday. I lunched with my {then} boyfriend at noon, went wedding present shopping with my darling friend Manny in early afternoon, and then dutifully went to my two classes that are held on Thursdays.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

That night, I received my nightly phone call from work and called my boss to pass on the numbers. Immediately after I hung up with my boss, I headed out the door. I had plans that night to have a laid back evening with Manny. However, as I pulled into her driveway/parking lot, I got another call. From Kaeli. Kaeli closed at work.
"Hey, Laura, I locked my keys in the cart. My work key and my car keys."
After running a few options through my brain that did not involve me actually going to the mall, I agreed to come rescue her. (It was not the first nor probably the last time.) As I pulled up to the mall, I noticed my {then} boyfriend's car still in the parking lot.
'Strange. He was supposed to have left twenty minutes ago.' And yet, I did not suspect anything. I dashed to the cart and then stopped in my tracks.
There was no Kaeli.
I walked around the cart once.
No Kaeli.
As I was about to pull out my phone to call her, I saw my {then} boyfriend walking up.
"Hey! What are you doing here?"
"Kaeli called me to come unlock the cart. Her keys are in there."
"I saw her leave fifteen minutes ago."
"Oh."
And yet, I did not suspect anything.

Until.
"But since you're here..." And with that, he pulled out a ring box. A deliciously colored ring box that made my heart start to pound and my eyes widen. I slowly opened it and then felt annoyance start to rise in my being. In this gorgeous box that I would have filled with my most prized trinkets fifteen years ago was a very large, very obnoxious flower ring.
For the next five--very long--seconds, I thought he was trying his hand at pranking. A fake proposal just to mess me up. Something that would give him street cred in the humor department. It just was not working for him.
After those five seconds, I noticed him pull something off his pinky. This ring came with a proposal.
And I honestly don't remember the two minutes right after that moment.
I do know that when he gave me the real ring, my first reaction was "I hate you."
I do know that I was kidding about hating him.
I'm pretty sure I told him yes.

I accidentally stood up Manny that night.
She has since forgiven me.

Thanksgiving

What am I thankful for?These adorable 4 1/2 inchers that I bought yesterday. Mmmm. They are the first peeptoe shoes that I've bought.
My fambam. Every single one of you. Siblings, parents, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents. You know who you are. I really do appreciate you.
All my amazing friends. The ones I see on a regular basis and the ones that I rarely see. New and old. I love them all. A shout out to two in particular? Audra Campbell and Julia Blackham. My life would be rather boring without them and they are two of my absolute best friends ever. I could talk to them about anything and I respect their opinions more than pretty much anyone else. Though sometimes I do not get to see them on a terribly frequent basis, I know that I can always count on them.
My school. I have a rather intense obsession with BYU. I love it. I love learning. I feel privileged to be going there.
My religion. I would be a very different person without it.
The chocolate pecan pie in the oven. I hope it turns out.
My talents. Whatever they are. (And by "whatever they are" I mean all the various ones I have. I'm not doing a pity party for myself. )
My job and the fact that my boss trusts me so much and respects what I have to say. It's no joke when I say that I call her more than anyone else. (I don't make very many phone calls.) She is a very intelligent woman and the sweetest lady in the world.
Music. Chopin is my hero. Paul McCartney is a stud. John Mayer is really good live.
My very warm bedroom at my parents.
America.

It has happened...Now I want cake to celebrate.

Today I became an official Elementary Education major. I cannot believe this day has finally arrived.
In other news...I played a great role in participation during my biology class today.
"'Yes, there are thousands and thousands of uses for corn, all of which I'm going to tell you about right now'...Does anyone know what movie that is from?"
Silence in the class.
"That quote is from Tina the Tour Guide who works in the Alamo."
Laura in her best Texan accent: "There's no basement in the Alamo."
"Very good. I can tell you've seen the movie."

Happiness...

...is a warm gun.

Well, that's what my dear friends John, Paul, George, and Ringo think. I might have to disagree with them.
I am generally a happy person. I do not get discouraged easily. I am able to laugh at myself in almost any situation. I have never had any sort of depression. I love my life and my life seems to love me back.
These past two weeks, however, I have been all over the emotional spectrum. Occasionally I found myself sitting in the middle of my bedroom, cursing at my laundry. ("Stupid laundry. Why do you have to be washed? Why do I have to wear clothes? Why can't I just buy new clothes every day? How come I cannot find a couple hours to just do one load?" I finally got one load done yesterday. I have about three or four left.)
But I have also laughed. Quite a bit. Because my little brother shook his hips for me. (This was right after the action:)
I am not at my house terribly often. It does not help that I have tried to be out of the house every evening this past week. It worked. These are the activities that made me very happy and out of the house in the evening this past week:

Monday~Hip hop dancing.
Tuesday~Temple and...something else...secretive. (Ange, you're the best. You do all the dirty work for me. See, I probably would have been a minute ahead of you because I had to give you directions, and I would have ran into said person. As it stands, it is a good thing it was dark or else said person would have seen my brown car.)
Wednesday~Work. (I had other plans for Wednesday. Other awesome plans that included dancing, but I found out last minute that I had to work. At least I got to see my darling Rachel and have an amazing chat with her.)
Thursday~Ice cream date.
Friday~Tuesdays with Morrie. Amazing play. I absolutely loved it.
Saturday~Iowa v Arizona football game with one of my besties, her boy, a girl I've known since elementary school, and two other boys. (He is cute, Manny. Maybe if I meet him again, he won't be playing a card game so I can legit talk to him.)

Happiness to me? Fresh rolls on Tuesday. (Making bread dough is very soothing to me.)

Picking up Angela on her way home from school. (No, she doesn't go to Cascade. And she is in this picture. Just to the right of the cement dumpster holder things.)

Watching my father look very educated and dignified even when he eats a tv dinner for lunch.

A classic

My darling cousin, Christine, showed me this awesome photo. I don't know what's better about it. The cat's face or the fact that we have proof that he sat on my mother's lap--especially after she got her Quickie 3000. I miss that old wheelchair. Sometimes I go and sit on it.
Her new wheelchair is a tribute to me. It's a Solara.

I am now a woman.

More than a week ago, I flew in to California for my long awaited cruise for sister week.
[sis-ter week] noun.
1. A get together that happens every other year in which the Sederberg sisters (Rebecca, Maria, Laura, and Angela) gather and do something fun.
I arrived in the Long Beach Airport a few hours before Rebecca could come pick me up, so I sat on one of the few benches in that tiny airport. I watched people come and go, but I definitely sat for the longest amount of time. Since I love to people watch, I did not mind the wait.
After an hour, a man sat down at a bench close to mine. He was in his late thirties or early fourties. When he had been seated for a few minutes, I heard him speak.
"Excuse me....Excuse me." I turned and realized he was directing his speech towards me. "Are you from Phoenix or Texas?" Uh...what?
"Nope. I am not." Ever since then, I've wondered what would have happened if I had answered yes.
"Oh. Well I am waiting for someone from there." Is this your tactic to find said person? Ask random people if they are from Phoenix? Or Texas?
"Yeah. I'm waiting for someone as well." I turned my head back to the position it was in before.
A couple minutes passed.
"Hey, can I buy you a drink?" What? I turned back so I could face him.
"No. That's okay. I'm fine." I didn't know whether to laugh or walk away.
"Really? Because I'm headed over to get myself one right now. I could get you anything."
"I'm really not thirsty. I just had a lot of...water on the plane." How on earth are you supposed to graciously turn down a man offering you a drink? In the passenger pick up area of an airport?

The worst part of the situation is that he went to the little food stand we were seated next. We had our conversation right as I was contemplating getting some food because I hadn't eaten in quite a while. After we spoke, I felt like I couldn't get up right after him and order some food.