Braces!

Be honest... how old do I look in this picture??
Right after I got the braces on, Scott and I went to Cafe Rio. He said he was afraid to hold my hand in case someone thought he was robbing the cradle! Later, I went to the grocery store and Scott was sure to warn me on the way out that I needed to be careful and not let the high school boys hit on me. Of course, the teasing is just for fun. He always tells me how beautiful I look.

And, it's little Alivia in the picture! I can't believe how much she's grown already! Jen and Lance are moving out to Virginia for school and today was the last time I got to see them before they left. I'll be out there in October for Michelle's wedding, but by then she'll practically be walking!

Our little Garden... and little more!

I've been meaning to post for forever, but haven't had time!

DAT!!
Scott has been studying for months for the DAT (dental admissions test). Since our honeymoon he's been working on it like a full time job--just about 8 hours a day or more. The DAT has Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading, and Biology. He was doing really well with Reading and Biology but was a little nervous for the Chemistry sections... his classes here at BYU have discouraged him a bit, BUT... he did a great job!!! He took the 5 hour test yesterday and then celebrated all day! His overall score was a 19! That puts him at the 77.2 percentile in the nation! I am so proud of his hard work. He really dedicated a lot of time and effort into studying and it paid off! Plus, I know that the Lord had his hand in it too as he was able to recall those things that he studied quickly and efficiently. This certainly doesn't guarantee a spot in dental school, but we are excited about his success and at least we know the Lord is on our side in this decision! We are finishing up applications this week and will wait in anticipation to start hearing back!

Braces!
Second, after I picked up Scott yesterday from his test, we went up to Sandy to the dentist! I had to get spacers on my back teeth in preparation for braces! Yikes! They don't hurt, but I wonder why they use bright blue rubber bands! It looks like I'm chewing gum (it feels like it too!). They are making space for the back brackets that hold everything together that they'll put on on Friday... and then braces on a week from today (and one day after my birthday!) Wish me luck.

Garden!
Third, we are so excited to live in a house here in Provo because that means we have a back yard where we can plant a little garden! It isn't much space as we have to share the area with the owners that live in the basement, but we are so excited to see our little plants grow and produce fruits and veggies!
This picture is from when we first planted our little seedlings. We have a zucchini, yellow squash, tomato, bell pepper, strawberry, and pea plant. We also planted carrot seeds that keep getting eaten by some slimy slugs! I'll keep posting pictures as the garden grows. It's been about 3 weeks now and we are already seeing results!

Scott loves to go out and water the little plants and take care of them. One morning after showering, I couldn't find him anywhere. Finally, I looked outside and this is what I found:

What a cutie! We love our little garden! We already have a reddening strawberry and 3 pea pods!

Hurray for gardens!

A little taste of Hawaii

I just wanted to share a taste of Hawaii. These clips are from the Polynesian Cultural Center:



another (shake those hips!):

A few more

These are some pictures from our awesome second shooter, Lesley! Look at pictures from the reception here. The wedding pictures are here. I think she did a great job! You can see how excited I was by the picture! What a handsome husband I have!!

Just so you know it's official

It's been so hard to be back to work again after the wedding. We're trying to finish up putting the house together, and just enjoying married life! I'll post pictures soon of the wedding day and some from Hawaii!!

Pay no attention to how tired I look. I haven't slept much lately. But, here is Alivia's smile :) At first glance she make look like she's in pain, but have no fear, it's really a smile (a larger picture shows the happiness).

Alivia Noel Ames

Jen had her baby early this morning! Alivia was born at 12:16am (we saw the doctor come in while we were in the waiting room... he arrived at about 12:14am) and was 7 lbs 0 oz and 19 in long.

Dress and other plans

I picked up my dress yesterday and I'm so excited!!! I'm not going to post it, just in case Scott happens to see my blog... but if you want to see, just let me know! Plus, in the picture, my sash is too wide (I made it, so I'm just going to sew it skinnier) and it's not tied on very tight, so it's not a true representation :)

We're getting closer to finishing everything! PLUS, Scott sold his spring/summer contract so we are very grateful for that! I just have to get flowers arranged and a cake. Then we just have to order the catering, pick food for the luncheon, and settle on ties and bridesmaid dresses (we are just doing siblings... which totals a lot).

Hurray!

Why we Build Temples

I found this on Tricia's blog and loved it. This is a recent response made about why we build temples. I love that the Harvard Dean of Divinity states that he could see himself taking part in baptisms for the dead. It's short, but wonderful.