Take Time

I am writing this post to anyone that has ever been engaged experienced a little thing that I like to call, life. This post is about taking time to enjoy the everyday things during the craziness of life. In other words, this post is going to be about my current thoughts in relation to what is going on in my life right now.

Now, I'm sure that everyone notice that I crossed out "been engaged" in the first paragraph. I want to make a few comments about this before I continue. I am not saying this because I am unhappy being engaged. If you think that, then you are thinking about this the wrong way. I love being engaged but more particularly I love being engaged to the love of my life, Brooke Walker. I wrote that, and then crossed it out, because I realized that being engaged is not the only thing in life that causes one to become busy. Now, as I write this post I will probably bring up a lot of things about being engaged but once again, never think that I am unhappy being engaged or engagement is the only thing that it applies to.

From my last post everyone knows that Brooke and I got engaged on the 19th of May and ever since then it has been absolutely incredible. We have had a long engagement and as such have been able to take things pretty slowly for the most part. As time gets closer though, and now that we only have about 50 days, we are starting to realize how many different things there are to take care of and the list keeps growing. Not only are there wedding things but there are also life things -- such as both of us graduating within the next year.

The more that I look at this growing list of things the more stressed and overwhelmed I get. Not because I don't enjoy doing them, but because there is so much to do and so little time. Lucky for me, I know a lot of people that are much smarter and wiser than me and I have learned one important truth:

I am getting married to Brooke Walker, the love of my life, on the 21st of December, 2012 in the Raleigh, North Carolina Temple.

Do the other things matter? Yes. In the grand scheme of things however, the only thing that matters is the statement above. Are the other things going to get done? Yeah, they are. Everything will be done by the 21st of December. However, I am going to take time as well to enjoy the time that Brooke and I have to be an engaged couple. This only happens once.

This has been on my mind because sometimes (or more often that I like) I get so busy trying to do all of the little things that I forget to focus on the thing that matters most. Are the other things good? Yeah, there is no question about that. However they are not the best things.

It is my personal belief that the world would be a much better place if each one of us took a step back and looked at our lives. What are we filling our lives with? Are we filling our lives with things that are good? Or are we filling our lives with things that are best? Just something that I think we can all think a little bit about this Thanksgiving season. I mean, isn't that what this season is all about? Taking time for the things that you are most thankful and grateful for. In the end, those are the things that we will each remember. That and Thanksgiving dinner.

Also, just to close up my comments. I think the following is a good video to watch and in fact it is actually the video that got me thinking about all of this. It was put out by my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is totally worth a watch:

My First, and Not Last, Post ... Ever

Everyone probably already knows, but this is a blog shared by Brooke and myself. However, I do more of the viewing (with the occasional adding of a zebra jumping through the grass) and Brooke does more of the writing. Here is my attempt to change this, although momentarily, and let Brooke have a moment of viewing while I have a moment of writing.

The biggest problem that I have had, when it comes to blogging, is knowing exactly what it is that I can write about. That is when I had this following moment of realization -- it doesn't matter. It is my blog and it is Brooke's blog. We can write about whatever we want and other people can choose to read it or not. For this blog I decided to write about our engagement story though, as I know that is a question that a lot of people have been asking about and wondering about.

So, here it goes.

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It was the 19th of May, 2012 -- which just so happened to be my mother's birthday. The day started off with a very nervous Kevin and a very unexpecting Brooke. I woke up quite early that morning and as my roommates could testify, paced. Never had I been more excited but never had I been more nervous as well. The biggest question on my mind was "How can I get this day started or how can I get this ball rolling?"

That is when Brooke provided me with the most perfect of opportunities. She texted me "Good morning" and as a joke asked for me to bring her a brownie as well as her favorite soda. So that is when I started to go to work. I went and grabbed her a brownie and her favorite soda, from a mini-mart, as well as a few of her favorite flowers from a local flower shop.

When I arrived and Brooke opened her door. Not only was she surprised to see me with the specified goods that she had asked for but she was also surprised to see me with flowers. In fact, at this moment I could tell that she started to suspect something and she announced her suspicions to me. Luckily I was able to put on a straight face and lead her away from guessing what it was that I had planned on doing. For those that know me, know that I'm not very good at putting on a straight face when I'm trying to hide something. Somehow I pulled it off this time though.

Now, as a side note, the night before I had asked her on a date. I suggested that we should do a "Chopped" date, rent a tandem bike, and go on a bike ride. Now I'm assuming that all of you know what a tandem bike is so I won't go into detail on that but for those that don't know what Chopped is, let me give you a brief rundown. Chopped is a television show on the Food channel that Brooke and I watched almost every Sunday. There is a group of contestants each of which is given three mysterious ingredients that they have to cook into a food and serve to a panel of judges.

As such, for our "Chopped" date we decided that we would run to the store, pick out a few ingredients for each other, and cook it into a meal for lunch. So from there we headed out to the store. On the way to the store though we found out that one of our good friends had gotten engaged the night before. Brooke, being extremely excited for her friend called her friend up and told her to come over. Gah!! Luckily, when we went in the store and went our different ways to get mystery ingredients I called up her friend and let her know my plan. She got excited as well and let me know that she would just come over for a minute or two and then leave. Talk about a real life saver!

So after we had gathered our mystery ingredients for each other we went back to the apartment and cooked it into a meal, although it was more of an appetizer. While there I joked with Brooke about how I needed to get on the ball and propose to her. Turns out I had actually gotten a ring pop the day before, to help me throw her off the track if she started to sense something, and right there I got down and proposed to her with the ring pop. She accepted the ring pop but not the proposal -- she said that I needed to propose with the real ring. I told her I would get around to it one day.

Right around this point her friend came over and we all talked for a short moment before her friend said that she had some things to get done before work and headed out.

Now it was time to head to the area that I had planned, and set up with my aunt, to propose. Once again though, I need to add another side note. A few days earlier, in fact the Monday before, my aunt had come over to my apartment and we had made a few things. We melted down different types of chocolate and made little chocolate molds of cupcakes -- another idea centering two other television shows that we often watched on the food channel called "Cupcake Wars" and "Sweet Genius". We numbered each of the cupcakes and inside each of the cupcakes we placed various candies as well as various pieces of a poem, that when read in order, made a full poem. In the last one, we placed the ring.

Now, back to where we were before this last paragraph. After talking to her friend and eating our lunch / appetizer -- which actually turned out to taste alright, not great, but alright (although my nerves may have had something to do with it) -- we went to the Outdoor Recreation Center, at BYU-Idaho, and rented a tandem bike. Something that Brooke and I had always wanted to try out. Turned out to be a lot harder than we thought it would be. It was extremely hard to start but easy to keep going once it was actually going.

Being in the front and therefore having the most control over the bike we biked around town and eventually went to a park that was and is a not very well known park in town. Therefore there wasn't really anybody there, except for my aunt who was hiding behind some trees to take pictures. This is the point that I really think Brooke started to figure out what was going on.

I took her down to a picnic table, watched her go through each of the chocolate mold cupcakes in order (occasionally grabbing a piece of candy to eat), very quickly I might add, and finally opening the last cupcake to find the ring in the center of it. She was definitely surprised but I took the ring, knelt down beside her, and asked, "Will you marry me?".

She very quickly said "Yes" and that was the start of our journey towards our "Happily Ever After"!

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Now, I'm sure that there were details left out and no black and white text can fully describe the emotions of that day. However it was one of the best days of my life ... and every day since then, with Brooke, has been the best day of my life.

I look forward to sharing this blog with her and especially look forward to marrying her on the 21st of December -- less than two months away!

Give Thanks

So, sometime life doesn't go as expect.  Things happen, life happens and it is tough.   It can be something as simple as plans falling through, you are called a bad name or something as hard as, a life is cut short or a life-threatening sickness...the list goes on and I bet everyone has their own story to tell.  In the words of Dory, from Finding Nemo, sometimes you "just keeping swimming."  I guess I have a had a lot of moments to stop and think over the past few months about my life.  

It has been a roller coaster and not at all what I expected.  One of my good friends comments on how different things were a year ago.  I can say,  I was not expecting to be engaged and two months away from being done at BYU-Idaho, but it has been amazing and I am a better person because of it.  Sometimes life knocks you down hard, but God is mindful of us all and sends us those daily reminders of being loved, even if it is through a friend, a song or a cookie.  I have so much to be grateful for and blessings that I sometimes forget to count. 

My sister-in-law (future) was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and this experience has allowed me to reflect on life and the tender mercies of God.  To see her strength during these past months while she suffers through such an ordeal, truly is an eye opening experience.  I have grown to love many and be sensitive to others around me!
Again, I see it in the fifth graders that I work with for my practicum.   I see students who live in a life style that I could never imagine.  God is so good to me.  Even through hard times, I find that I learn the most and that He sends to me, people that I need to learn from.  Life is short and sometimes it is hard but take the time to count those blessing and even count your trials and most of all...give thanks.

I want to live my life to the fullest, I haven't realized how fragile life is until people I knew and loved battled for their life.  So what?-- plans don't happen the way you wanted---make new plans.  Brush things off your shoulder because in the heat of the moment, it isn't worth it.  You will realize that seconds, minutes or sometimes days after.  Enjoy what God gives.

In closing, I loved President Dieter F. Uchdorf talk in this past General Conference, Of Regrets and Resolutions.  It was an amazing talk and made me think.  I also stopped to ask myself,  Do I have any regrets?  I don't want to have regrets in my life.  I want to live life to its fullest.  I love my religion and that with each and every day, I can do and be better.  President Uchdorf said:

"The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets. The more we rely on the Savior’s grace, the more we will feel that we are on the track our Father in Heaven has intended for us.....Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it."

The gospel is true and a powerful witness to me that I need and can do better.  Count your blessing this year and be happy just to be happy.  Don't regret what you couldn't and didn't do.  Look at what you did do, and what you can do.  Be proactive and smile! :)

I will not scrimp....!

So since I am about to get married, I am learning slowly that I can no longer just buy and buy.  Granted it isn't like I go on crazed shopping adventures every other weekend.  My weakness is food and especially when I am in class all day and then have homework, I come home hungry.  And the last thing I want to do is cook up a meal in the kitchen for me and only me.... so the many restaurants in Rexburg call my name. (And when I say many...I mean Taco Bell or if I get crazy Jimmy Johns...exciting, I know....).

Anywho...so I know that I need to do better and don't get me wrong, I cook and I love to cook and so does Kevin.  We fell in love with some shows on the Food Network and it inspires us to cook.  So it is a work in progress!  So as far as budgeting, there are things that I can cut or reduce or go cheap on BUT there are some things that I am beginning to learn that I will not and can not scrimp on.  I mean there are certain things or food brands that are just not the same, in my opinion....

One thing that I have learned throughout the past college years (and no offense to my former roommates) is TOILET PAPER, you need to have some good toilet paper and your tush needs and deserves better.  So remember that people, some things you just need to put your foot down and not scrimp on and just get it.  It is necessary! And there is no problem with that....

The Lonely Zebra? What is up with the name, Brooke?

Funny thing you should ask.  I feel that I have been watching too much Big Bang Theory and developing traits of Sheldon.  Not exactly a good thing or maybe I just think it is something I can see Sheldon doing.  He is such a funny person---any who!  Back to the name of the blog site.  Well "the lonely zebra" is a sad sad story indeed, but I shall tell you.

Once Upon Time, 

there were two people who fell in love and decided to get married.  There was the handsome funny Kevin and the beautiful exciting Brooke.  Well Kevin liked color coordination and patterns--crazy stuff he learned in college and Brooke liked splashes of colors, zebras and the list goes on.  So Brooke pleaded with Kevin for the zebra prints but failing miserably as Kevin denied the zebra to star in there new apartment.  So Brooke has to tell the Zebra goodbye with hopes for it's future but a promise from the Kevin that all will be done right.  So the poor zebra sits alone hoping that one day it can rise to stardom!

The End.

Behind The Scenes

Okay, so I got a little bored.  It happens to everyone.  I like writing, I just know that I am not as good at it as I think I am.  I need a hobby on the side of the few mindless apps on the iPhone that I play and I need to work better on keeping a journal. So it has comes to this.  I have been having "a-ha!" moments on the point of keeping a journal and I better start listening to those moments.  So here it goes.  It isn't so much a matter of wanting people to read my blog.  My blog is for me and I will write for me and if I have something to write that for some reason I don't want someone else to read, by chance, then I will keep it out of sight.  The things some people write on the web--ridiculous.  PEOPLE if there is anything I can say--be careful what you put on the web because someone will read it and then tell someone else, who will tell someone else and yeah--- do we see where this is going?  Well this is my blog--here it goes--giving into the peer pressure of it all.  Are you happy world? ha-ha-ha.