new blog

posting on 

www.healthylivingb.com

from here on out. 

xo

i will now be posting to www.theworldtravelwebsite.com. 

thanks for reading.

the proposal (finally)

i figure i need to tell the story of our engagement. considering it took place well over a year ago.  it was such a beautiful and perfect day. i don't ever want to forget a second of it.

it was june 9th, 2012 . . . . 

the night before, my instructor at the salon i work at, sent me a text saying that i didn't need to come in tomorrow because a handful of their clients had cancelled on them. i was excited to have a day off and join darin and his brother kevin in their saturday golf game for once. or so i thought - until darin informed me this "golf time" was bro time. i was bugged, but at the same time there were things i wanted to get done on my day off. so it was fine. plus - he promised we'd go on a hike together afterwards.

we woke up that morning slowly, laying in bed for almost an hour. he snuggled me so tight. around 11am i walked him out to his car and kissed him goodbye. i looked in his eyes and said "can you picture us doing this 20 years from now?" he grinned his charming grin and replied with a "yes" and then drove off.     to "golf". with that remark he was sure i knew about his plans. but to be completely honest.. i had no clue. i believe i was just feeding off  whatever he was feeling that day - because he knew what was to come. 

i cleaned house all morning and went to the DI (a local thrift store here in utah) to find some cute lamps for our bedroom. then to the art store for spray paint. the result ----

darin came home from golfing (picking up the ring) and i was on a major DIY kick after our lamps turned out so well. we went to ace hard ware for a few things. walking up to the store i grabbed his hand and he moved me to the other side of him. i didn't think anything of it then. little did i know the ring he would place on my finger that day was in his left pocket. he was so worried i would put my hand in there and find it. (because apparently i put my hands in his pockets while we're walking around). 

we got home and started getting ready for our hike. he seemed a little quiet, but not more than usual so i didn't suspect a thing. just thought maybe he was tired. like i said, i literally had no idea that today was the day. 

we went on our hike in bell canyon. he had the spot all picked out. in fact he had done the hike a week before that and sunburned his neck. what a good little liar he was; telling me it was from golfing on his lunch break. we hiked all over there and all around the little lake.  i was ready to leave but he wanted to go up to one more hill. (STILL had no idea!) we reach the top and we're staring out at the salt lake valley. it's beautiful. i take some photos and then he takes my hands and faces me and says a few things and "i'm just so excited to start our lives together". i look at him and say "START our lives together?" and then BAM! it hit me so hard at that moment, what was happening. i hate that i don't remember every sweet word he said to me. but i was so shocked about what was happening. he teared up, got down on his knee and pulled the ring out of his pocket.

"…  will you marry me, brandi ?"

i couldn't even think to say YES. i just kept hugging and kissing him and laughing out of shock. my hands were swollen from the heat so i could barely get the ring on my finger. but i was going to get that beauty on there if my life depended on it. it wasn't anything i could have ever imagined. it had rubies in it, which is not only my favorite gem but also my birthstone.  the rubies just happened to be from a run that my grandmother passed down to me a few years prior. 
       after the rush, darin says we need to get down from the mountain and go to our dinner reservations. how exciting! he planned this whole evening for us. we then proceeded to float down the mountain on clouds, exclaiming to each passerby that "we just got engaged." whatta feeling that was. 

the entire drive back to our apartment i am blowing up my families cell phones. each and every one of them. where was everyone?? why wasn't my momma answering her phone?? i sent text after text telling her she needed to call me asap. i was going crazy! i couldn't wait to tell my parents. they loved darin so much and i know they were so anxious for us to get engaged (and married) to each other. 

we get home and shower fast and throw on our nicest clothes.  the whole time calling my mom over and over again. as we're walking up to the restaurant i see familiar faces seated on the other side of the windowed walls. my parents and his parents; together, waiting for our arrival. i run through the front door, ecstatic to tell them all in person. but wait… they must already know because why else would they be here. of course i lose it when i hug my momma. darin's dad, jim is recording the whole moment.   turns out my fiancé had been planning this all along with our parents. coordinating with my dad to fly from south dakota with my mom and pick up his parents in southern califonia. then to come here to utah to be there for the announcement. 

incredible.  t h o u g h t f u l. 

                romantic.       above and beyond… 

that is my darin. 

twenty thirteen

it seems i take ridiculous breaks from posting. consistency is something i am working on. and SO - it's a new year. 
how about a recap of 2013:

FEBRUARY

"we do"

hunnymoon in the bahamas

MARCH

accepted the fact that we live
in UTAH (2 years later).

took up golfing

APRIL

enjoyed a beautiful utah spring with fam 

  JULY

catalina girls trip

me jamie desiree momma dawn ryan melissa

       AUGUST                SEPTEMBER

mcvay family reunion in south dakota

camping at bear lake with friends

                  DECEMBER

our first married christmas.
we were able to spend it in our own home this year for once.  some family came up and stayed with us as well.
it was perfect.

all and all it was a great year. we didn't do much traveling only because the previous year we were planning a wedding and traveling a lot for that. we decided to play catch up in 2013. they say the first year of marriage is the hardest. darin & i were lucky enough to experience our "first year of marriage" in 2010 when we moved in together. i know that neither of our parents agreed with our decision - but i strongly feel that it was the best decision for us both considering where we were at in life. we're so incredibly happy. looking forward to 2014 and everything that comes with it.

NCAA bracket.

c o s m e t o l o g y

when it rains it pours. and i say that in the most positive manner possible. on top of fun foam furnishings ball rolling, i will soon officially begin my apprenticeship to obtain my cosmetology license.
since the sixth grade, i have been dreaming of "doing hair". i use to get held in at recess because i refused to put my brush away during class. and when i did make it out to the play ground i was putting my friends hair in fancy up-dos. all through-out high school i colored and cut my sisters hair and all of her friends. never charging a dime for product or my time. i enjoyed it that much. i loved seeing the outcome of my creations and more-so i loved making my "clients" happy and feelin' good. in HIGH SCHOOL! upon graduating i made the decision to live on my own and by doing so i had to keep a full-time job, if not two. never being able to commit to school. so here i am. 12 years later, halfway to an associates degree and finally working towards doing what i love. i have been given the opportunity to apprentice in the cutest salon i have ever seen, and under one of the most amazing stylists i have ever met. every day i am in that salon, i am grateful for the opportunity i have been given. if it weren't for darins sister denise, i might not have ever even thought this was an option for me here in utah. i did consider cosmetology school once work picked up for darin. but THIS is even better.

the little one

my darling niece, adrianna, has the craziest effect on me. i would do anything in the world for her. she has me wrapped around her little finger. she lives in california with her parents and i in utah. i've never felt such pain in missing someone before. except for the few months darin and i tried living apart from each other. the only difference is i knew i was going to be reunited with him shortly and more importantly he wasn't changing much in those few months apart. adrianna is growing up so fast and i feel like i am missing some of the best parts of her life. she'll be 4 in june this year. we talk on the phone now. which to this day is a trip to me. i still feel like when i see her i'm going to put a bottle in her mouth and sing her lullabys in my arms trying to get her to sleep. but nope. now she sings with me and teaches me songs she learned in school. i can't handle it. it causes me literal physical pain to my heart. i miss her so much some days. today my mom told me that she stayed the night there last night. my mom told adrianna that desiree (my younger sister) was coming by to visit. the first words out of adriannas mouth were "is brandi coming?!?!" with excitement. my mom had to tell her i wasn't. as soon as desiree arrived she picked her up and swung her around and squeezed her tight, then adrianna says "can we call brandi and say hi?!". uuggh it hurts so bad not being able to see her.  this weekend we are taking a trip to california for my little brothers wedding. as excited as i am for him, i am so unbelievably anxious to hold my sweet adrianna. i have already dedicated two of my evenings there: thursday night to jordan [the 21 year old baby brother who will wed on saturday] & friday night to adrianna.  she brought me home from washington state, will she take me away from utah before it's my time?