Two WHOLE months!!!

I guess it is kinda sad that I only attend to my blog every month or so. I will do better when I am done with school. I don't even have any new pictures to post, my poor blog... I guess we could say that it has seen better days. On the other hand, I guess we could also say that better days for having more time to post on the blog are right around the corner!!! Yay!! One and a half semesters left till I am done with school forever!!! Life is good and only gonna get GREATER!!! My husband is so supportive and wonderful, even on the days I come home tired and kinda grouchy, that is hard to admit, but yes, I get grouchy and it happens quite a bit lately with the lack of time and the excessive amount of tasks that need to get done.
One thing that I am working on is trying to live in the moment and enjoy every minute of it in order to eliminate, as much as possible, the grouchiness. I recognize that I still have a long way to go but I am doing the best that I can and my husband is ever so patient! What a great man!!! I am not sure what I did to deserve such a perfect man for me but I would do it all over again in a heart beat!!!
Just to name a FEW of the things that I love and appreciate about Alofaaga are:
1. He is toooo sweet to me! He knows what my favorite treats are and when he goes to the store he always brings it back for me just to show me that he was thinking about me! I LOVE it sooo much!!! And so does my tummy!! :)
2. He always is sensitive to my thoughts and feelings. If I come home grouchy, he wants to talk and find out why, then he wants to fix it so I am not so upset. I am so thankful for that! He listens to me and comforts me when I need it.
3. He is SOOOOO funny!!! I laugh out loud EVERY single day because of him. He has a great sense of humor and a wonderful perspective on life. It helps me to mellow out a little and 'go with the flow.' Sometimes (okay, A LOT of the time) I need help with that. He balances me perfectly.
4. He is strong when I am weak. It is a new experience for me since I have been independent for so long, but it is soooo refreshing to have a shoulder to cry on and a hand to hold through tough stuff, knowing that we are in this together and we will make it out together! I LOVE that thought soooo much!!!
5. He helps me to identify the MANY blessings that we have enjoyed together and is a great example of being thankful and humble. I often times stand in awe of his humility and have learned VOLUMES on how to be a more giving and thoughtful person. I am sooo LUCKY to have him.
6. On the days that I question whether or not I want to keep working towards finishing school he provides the support and encouragement that I need. He ALWAYS tells me that he thinks that I am sooo talented, smart and that he feels so lucky to have me. I think it is the other way around... I am SOOO LUCKY TO HAVE HIM!!!
7. He loves Oggie, my puppy. At first Alofaaga wasn't a fan of Oggie. As time has gone on I have seen a DRASTIC change take place and now Alofaaga LOVES Oggie. He plays with him and he feeds him every day now when before he wanted to lock Oggie out of the house. He is making up for the time I am away from my puppy and is such a great puppy daddy! TOO CUTE!!!
Okay, okay, okay... I could go on and on about how wonderful I think Al is and how much I love him as well as why but that could get boring for all that read this so I will stop.
I am so grateful that I have been so blessed in so many ways! I know that Heavenly Father shows his love for us through other people, and I have felt His love so much through his humble servant, Alofaaga Laulu, through the past two WONDERFUL months!!! The BEST is yet to come and every day gets better and better!!!

It's been one MONTH!!!

Time FLIES when you are having fun and in love. I know it has only been one month but it has been the best month of my life thus far. I am one lucky girl, that is all I have to say. Alofaaga is such a kind and patient man to have to put up with me (a very stressed out grad student of a wife). I have learned so much about him over the past month. He is the most kind and giving person I have ever met. I really admire this about him because he is sooo willing to do anything for anyone, at the same time GIVE anything to anyone. He truly does have a heart of gold, and for that I am thankful!!! He is sooo good to me. He knows that I have LONG and STRESSFUL days so when I come home from work or school he has dinner cooked (chicken and rice) as well the whole house clean. WOW!!! I love coming home to a clean home, where the spirit is felt, and a cooked meal. I must confess though, I often times feel guilty because I want to be the one cleaning the house and cooking the meals for HIM!!! I know that as soon as I get done with school I will have ALOT more time to do those types of things to show him my love and gratitude for him.
Our yard looks WONDERFUL!!! Al has the magic touch that can make grass grow ANYWHERE. I am sooo serious! There is grass in places I thought would NEVER be grass!!! With the help of Lemalie (Al's brother) and Michelle (Lemalie's wife) our yard has never looked better (Thanks guys!!) and our neighbors aren't disappointed at how awful our yard looks anymore!!! Whew! What a relief!!!
Al has opened my eyes to things that I never even thought about before, such as rugby, eating lamb for every meal, luaus and of course Koko Samoan. I love the luaus, still don't understand anything about rugby and trying to learn to like lamb and Koko Samoan. I think it'll come with time (if not it just leaves more for Al, which I am SURE he won't mind:))
Life is good! I couldn't ask for a kinder, more understanding, patient husband for myself. I am not sure if such a man exists. I look forward to the rest of forever with the man of my dreams... Alofaaga Laulu!!!

P.S.
I posted a ton more of wedding pictures under the last post... If you haven't had a chance to see them check them out! The are AMAZING!!! (Thank you Jared and Lisa!!!)

For time and ALL ETERNITY!!!

So this may be a little bit of a picture overload, but I have so many to pick from that it was hard to leave very many out... It took me a while to get these pictures posted... We've been super busy! Enjoy the pictures from the most wonderful and perfect day of my life so far, 8-22-2009, the day I married the most perfect and wonderful man for me... The man that I love with all of my heart and look forward to spending ETERNITY with!! :)

My mom with Al and I at the reception

Al's family that was able to make it up to the temple
Al's mom, Loa and his brother, Lemalie at the temple

Al giving his sister, Ise, a hug after the sealing

Al and I with his mom, Loa

First picture as a married couple :)

All of the girls

All of the desserts, they did such a GREAT job! It looked amazing and

tasted even better!!!

Tender :)

My husband is sooooo HOT!!!

Grandma, Grandpa, Alofaaga and Me

Lisa and Me, She did my hair and my makeup,

She Always does such a GREAT job and I LOVE HER!!

My Cusion Jared, He took all of the Pictures!

AMAZING!

Alofaaga and I with one of Alofaaga's best friends, Deon

Alofaaga with Grandma

The cake... I LOVED the cake!!!

Not the best picture of us cutting the cake... but still fun :)

My dad, Tina and Joseph with us

Laulu Love!!!!!

So it has been two weeks since I married the most wonderful and perfect man for me!!! I have never been happier in my whole life!!! With school, work and getting adjusted to married life I have had very little time to blog... I will make time soon to update everyone on what is going on in our lives, but for now here are a couple pictures from the wedding...

Very Humbled and Eternally Grateful

While it is true that I have been super busy with all that is going on and the sealing getting closer, I have had some time to reflect on my life and the journey that has brought me to where I am today. My heart is full, my eyes are wet and I am so humbled at the plan my Father in Heaven has had and continues to have for me as well as His patience and His mercy. In less than six days I will be sealed to my eternal companion, a man that I adore, admire and respect so much. A man that makes me want to be a better person in all that I do and a man that I love with all of my heart. A man that I will be with FOREVER because of the merciful plan of our Father in Heaven. I am so thankful for the knowledge that I have of the gospel and all of those who have taught me about the better way through word and deed. I have never in my life experienced so much joy and happiness as I am now experiencing at this time in my life. I lay awake at night just thinking about the adventure that is before us and my heart overflows with JOY! While it is true that at times I have felt weak and did not completely understand the plan that He had for me, He has been patient with me and very merciful. I am so THANKFUL for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and all that is made possible through it. I had a opportunity to go and do washing and anointings at the temple a few weeks ago. I was amazed at the blessings that our Father in Heaven has prepared for us as we love and serve him. I had heard the blessings before but this time, with a different frame of mind, the blessings really stood out to me and I felt so grateful to my Savior and Father in Heaven. Together FOREVER has never meant more to me than it does now...

The Announcement

Let me know what ya think!!!

The Lord's Timing

This fast Sunday has been a great one! I have had plenty of time to think and reflect on my life as well as all of the changes that are about to come to pass. I must confess that I am soooo very excited. I feel a little like Nephi when he was trying to get the gold plates from Laban. Nephi states "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." (1st Nephi 4:6) I know that I have received confirmation that Al is the right man, August 22nd, 2009 is the right time and the Idaho Falls Temple is the right place. I know that I will finish school here at ISU and continue to work at MK Place but as for the rest I have not idea what the future holds. I am soo excited to find out what awaits me and my sweetheart, Al!!!! YAY!!!

I have thought alot about the Lord's timing. While I was on my mission my trainer gave me a talk by Elder Oaks that I have referred to MANY TIMES since I have been home from the mission:

"The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith means trust—trust in God’s will, trust in His way of doing things, and trust in His timetable. We should not try to impose our timetable on His. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said:
“The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe He has our welfare at heart, may we not let His plans unfold as He thinks best? The same is true with the second coming and with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord’s timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes.” Elder Oaks, Timing.

I think back to a few months ago when I made my "to do list" for the summer, little did I know that the Lord had another "to do list" for me. Some of the not so important things on my list have been moved down due to more pressing and important tasks that lay ahead of me.

"The timing of marriage is perhaps the best example of an extremely important event in our lives that is almost impossible to plan. Like other important mortal events that depend on the agency of others or the will and timing of the Lord, marriage cannot be anticipated or planned with certainty." Elder Oaks, Timing.

I have been waiting for Al for 27 VERY LONG years!!!! I must confess that there were times in which I did not know whether or not my eternal companion made it out of the War in Heaven alive and my faith in the plan that Heavenly Father had for me wavered. I wish that I could say that it never did but that would not be completely true.

I found HIM and as I reflect on my life and all that I have been able to learn and do, I recognize that now is the perfect time in my life. I am so thankful for a loving and kind Father in Heaven who knows WAY more about what, when and who is the best for me! I am happier with the plan which He has laid out for me that I ever would have been if I had it my way all of the times that I thought I knew what was best for me. Great things take time!