1. Shortly after my last post, on May 8, 2011, Mothers Day, Michael Atkinson asked me on a date but since my birthday was the following weekend and I was in a wedding! We didn't go on our first date until May 21, 2011, I know I am cruel! This ended up being a totally unexpected blessing in my life!
2. Mike and I continue to date throughout the summer and might I add that Amanda helped me and Mike out a bit because I most definitely tried to get rid of him but it didn't really work! Throughout the summer many things happened, Mikes birthday which is July 4th and me taking tests and preparing for student teaching! I was not exactly the person you would always want to be around at this time, HIGH stress levels but my cute little Mike wasn't letting me go that easy!
3. I started student teaching in August at Gilbert High School with Mrs. Peterson where I ended up teaching Algebra 1, freshman! I was at Gilbert High until November, this was also a stressful time in my life and it was hard but I definitely learned a lot! Something I learned on my mission that I learned again was that, "I CAN DO HARD THINGS!!" I also want to say that life always happens at the times you least expect it to happen! I was never planning on coming home from BYU-Idaho and finding a man, I just wanted to graduate college but that is the way it worked out! The Lord definitely blesses us when it is the right timing, he really does know us best!
4. September 16, 2011, Mike proposes to me at Golfland! We went miniature golfing, and I totally won! :) and then we played arcade basketball and I totally won at that as well! and then we are going to get prizes for our tickets and BAM there was a card and BAM he was down on one knee, totally had a suspicion but a little unsure, he was being weird ever since he picked me up to go on our date! (No pics on my camera :( of the actual event but here are some of our engagement pics! We had lots of fun with Amanda taking them! ) These were actually taken quite later than September 16th because I was just too busy with school!
5. After Student Teaching was over I had time to focus on wedding things, which was a very stressful time because of some people but it all ended up working out!! On December 16th I graduated officially from BYU-Idaho with a degree in Math Education, I passed Student Teaching!! I didn't go back up there to walk because I walked in April, you know how cold it is in December in Idaho!? I did not want to go back! (These are some pics my mom took when I got home, she actually came up to see me walk and she took pics but I currently don't know where those are at!)
6. Also on December 16, 2011, I got sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple at 12 pm to my eternal companion Michael Atkinson! It was a great day in my life and I am so very grateful that the Lord provided me with an opportunity to get married in this life because I sure did not ever think it was going to happen! That is why I was so stubborn in the beginning! :)
Mike's Family Sarah, Pam, Javier (Sarah's Husband) and Gary
The Girls! These are a few of my favorite!!! My bridesmaids, Patty, Serriah, Tammy, Amanda, Carolina, Casey and of course Brooke!
A few of the roommates from BYU-Idaho, I had many!
This is one of the pics where Mike first stuck his tongue down my throat! It was weird!!!
7. The Honeymoon, Sedona Arizona! We had a blast! even though it rained a lot and we just stayed in our hotel! :)
The lady who took this picture for us asked us if we were brother and sister and of course we said No!... Awkward!
9. Now Mike and I have been almost married for 7 months and we are currently looking to buy a house and boy is it harder than it seems! We will eventually have our own place and I am so excited for that day! I am grateful to be sealed to a wonderful man and I am excited to live life with him!
