Last Weekend.

Oh Lurker, I miss you already!!

Amanda's one of my close friends.

We were roommates last year for an entire year.

Although I love having my own room, I miss sharing a room with her a lot. Of course she wasn't a replacement of any of my sisters, but she was definitely an addition. We became so very close.
"We are SUCH roommates."

She's getting married two weeks after me and KR.
Except, she's been dating her fiance, Zach, for over 4 years. They started dating her senior year of high school and have been long distance ever since. After some crazy, unforseen events, she decided it was best to move back to Georgia, where they're from, and suddenly, she had a week left in Utah, for forever. So, of course she had to have a bridal shower before she left!
It was SO fun and I can't express enough how excited I am for her!! I can't believe they are finally getting married! Yay!!

Northwoods #1 was reunited for the first time in a few months that night! I truly was so blessed to have been roommates with these girls. What are the odds that SIX strangers would get along so well? We were all so different and unique, and yet we really got along more than great and it was an amazing time of my life.

Me and Mandy Panties (hahahahahhaa it's funny cuz it's true!)

We're engaged!!

I purposely wore turquoise because I assumed Amanda would be wearing pink, since she's the bride (I know I will. . . ) and it backfired. I matched just about everybody, including the bride. Hahah. I love it.

Leisl Sarah and me. Some amazing girls I am grateful to have in my life.

Our stake activity was last weekend. It was a western social and it was in an actual barn. It was really neat!

They had a man teaching people how to use a whip. KR was already a pro and cracked it his first try. It made me smile.

Then it was my turn. I wasn't as good, but then again, it was my first time. I had to listen carefully to the instructions.

I was so scared it was going to come back and whip me. Do you know why? Because the guy was showing off and whipped himself in the face, right across his lips, chin and cheek. He was bleeding. Hence my fear.

I finally did crack the whip though. It was such an accomplishment for me, and I loved it! My arm was totally sore the next few days though. Those whips are pretty heavy!

Next was learning to lasso! It didn't take me as long to get the hang of this, and it was still a cool feeling when I did it.

This is what we were trying to catch. In a real rodeo, this is my absolute least favorite part. It makes me so sad to see them catching the baby calves and bringing them roughly to the ground. I can't even stand to watch.

I've always thought there was something so attractive about a man who is strong and rugged with a little bit of cowboy in him. I think KR has the perfect mount of cowboy in him. Not only did he serve his mission in Texas, where he picked up some awesome apparel and western mannerisms, he grew up raising animals and alfalfa (the official term for hay, he taught me that). I love that. He even raised his very own sheep and auctioned them off at the fair. How cute is that? I am so glad his family taught him the importance of hard work. He's going to make a wonderful husband and father some day.

It's impossible for me to look at this picture and not smile.

While we were cowboying it up inside, a bunch of snow fell and it took forever for us to get out of the giant field being used for a parking lot.

One more time before Amanda left for Georgia, we had a Northwoods reunion, including the boys.
Gabe and Zach got to jam again.

Poor KR! His tongue was split playing basketball. He took an elbow to the mouth, and somehow he wound up with a vertical split down his tongue! We had to get him two shakes for dinner, but he's much better already. It's practically gone. The mouth is amazingly fast at healing.

Northwoods #1 (minus Andy)

We really are crazy but such great friends!