thanksgiving in st. george

my adorable fiance

Thanksgiving weekend...where do I even begin?

Chris and I decided to head down to St. George for Thanksgiving with his whole Mom's side of the family a day early seeing that there was this huge storm coming in...the worst that Utah has seen in 7 years...(what a joke..!). So we left work early, got all packed, and hit the road.

We were making great timing and the weather was great. It was windy, but no snow yet, so we were happy. Although, with about 10 miles left until St. George, the real fun began! 

As we were driving the car all of a sudden got really bumpy and we smelt something really gross. Chris pulled the car over and sure enough we had a blown out tire! We don't know how this happened, but there were 3 slashes in the tire and all we can say is that we are extremely lucky! It could've been really bad. So Chris preceded to change the tire. When he was finished we got back in the car all ready to go...and the car wouldn't start. We just looked at each other and laughed. Chris had a few ideas, tried them, and nothing worked. We then tried something that he's never done before - popping the clutch.

This was something else...! Since I don't know how to drive a stick shift, I had to get out and push the car, which I was perfectly fine with, but the one thing that I wasn't fine with was the traffic zooming by and how dark it was out. I was so scared!! We luckily made it to a hill and Chris was able to pop the clutch. I love my man :)

Thanksgiving was wonderful. It was fun being able to celebrate it with someone new. We talked about the different things we do on Thanksgiving and the things that we as a couple want to do. The food was so good...Chris's uncle Greg grilled the turkey, which made it super tastey. I think I ate more food in that one sitting than I did this whole weekend.

 me and my yummy food

Chris's plate of food...he ate it all!

There's this day after Thanksgiving day that is a favorite of mine. It's called Black Friday. Now I am never one to sleep outside for some ridiculous deal, but I do love hitting up Target for some cheap movies. Since I'm engaged and all Chris and I were talking about this killer deal that Target was having...a 40 inch flat screen on sale for $298 (original price $600). We talked about how we will need a TV for when we get married and after doing some research and talking a lot about it, we thought it would be a wise purchase. So we bundled up and headed over to Target to wait in line. Yes, you heard me, wait in line..outside...overnight.

us all bundled up

So we got to Target and there was hardly anyone in line! Awesome! We were #13. So 7 hours later and freezing our bums off, we got ready to make a run for the TV and movies. The doors opened, Chris ran for the TV. See the mistake that some people make is the grab a cart. Bad idea!! Go for your item and worry about a cart later. Chris had to stiff-armed a cart out of the way because some lady just had to get one! Anyways, we got our TV and 2 armfuls of movies. I would say it was  Black Friday success!

Overall the weekend was a lot of fun for Chris and I. We are so excited for the future Thanksgivings we are going to have together, but most of all I am thankful for such a loving fiance who cares about me and my well being, for a family who loves me, and for this gospel that I get to be apart of and the many blessings that come from it.

thanksgiving vs. christmas.

thanksgiving.

 This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love it for many reasons. Growing up in Minnesota it was for the snow, my mom's cooking, and the fact that Christmas was right around the corner. Ever since I've gone to college though, it's been hard to enjoy some of those things. It's been nice to have family here in Utah though to be able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with, but I still miss my Mom's Thanksgiving cooking.

One thing though that seems to make it's appearance each year, earlier than the last, is the playing of Christmas music. For the longest time I hated it. I always felt bad for Thanksgiving thinking "why is this holiday getting jipped?" Plus I refused to play Christmas until after I had had my fill of turkey and football.

It wasn't until the other day when in fact I started listening to Christmas music in the car that I realized Thanksgiving and Christmas go hand-in-hand...

Thanksgiving is all about being thankful, right? Well, I thought what is one of the things I am most grateful for this year? The answer came quick: my Savior Jesus Christ. That's what Christmas is about. Celebrating the birth of Him who created all things. Him who performed such a loving act ac giving of His own life so that we may have ours. What an amazing thing to be Thankful for!

So, this is not to say that I'm going to start listening to Christmas music the second it turns November 1st (because we know the Utah radio stations like to start it then...maybe it's the sugar coma from the night before that does it to them?), but I am saying that from now on I'm going to celebrate the meaning of Christmas along with Thanksgiving. Why not celebrate such a wonderful blessing for more than a month? I think it's a good idea!

So here is to a happy Thanksgiving and Christmas!

design

Being out of school and not being able to keep up with my design work has been rough. I miss it!! My aunt Laura asked if I would design their family Christmas card. Something that she could take to Costco and just print off as a picture. I of course said yes. Last night I sat down at my computer and designed away. It was so fun and I had forgotten how much I love designing. Here's the finished product of what took less than an hour to do!

Let me know what you think! If anyone else wants a Christmas card done for them, let me know! I would love to do it.

engagement pictures

me and the fiance

 

better picture of the ring

our dear friend Nick who helped Chris out

typical kissing picture...but we love each other :)

There are the pictures promised!!

144 days to go!

 

 

the boyfriend asked and i said yes!

I'M ENGAGED!!!! 

It's finally here. I can finally tell all. I have known that the boyfriend and I were going to get married for a good month now, but we hadn't found the ring yet and then by the time we did we had to custom make it and so that took a little longer as well. Of course, the boyfriend knew all the timing. I only knew that it had been ordered. It was crazy not being able to tell everyone that we were getting married. That's all I wanted to do because I was so excited.

Ready for the proposal story? Ok, here it is:

Earlier on Wednesday, during work, Chris sent me a text asking if I was busy after work and if I wanted to go bowling (because BYU won their game with more than 30 points, we get a free game of bowling at Fat Cats). I told him yes and so we planned to meet at about 4:30. I got done with work, ran some errands, and got home. Chris sent me a text telling me to look cute (as if I needed a text to tell me that :)!). I sent him a text letting him know when I was ready. He called me and said that he needed me to do him a favor...I needed to go check my windshield and that I couldn't have any form of communication with him or anyone else that I needed to figure it out on my own, but that he would be waiting for me at the end. If you've ever seen the show Amazing Race, it was a lot like that!

So I ran out to look at my car and sure enough there was an envelope with my name on it sitting there. I opened it up and there was a poem and my first clue. It lead me to the Riviera Apartments in Provo. This is where we had first flirted and actually talked. Sitting there by the bike rack was our friend Nick. In order to get my next clue, I had to do the efy cheer, while being video taped! HA! Who would've thought that after 3 summers worth of doing that cheer, I wouldn't be able to think of it right on the spot. Yep, that happened. After my embarrassing moment, he gave me the next clue.

The second one lead to one of our favorite places to eat: cafe rio. Inside was Katelin, Nick's cute wife, sitting with a big black garbage bag. I grabbed the bag and went outside so I wouldn't be gawked at. Inside the bag were about 10 balloons. I had to pop each balloon, which had puzzle pieces inside each of them. As soon as I pieced them together, I was given the third clue.

This clue took me to another place that we love to eat at: J'dawgs. Standing outside was Nick, next to Chris' car, waiting for me to show up. On the trunk of Chris' car were all of his shoes that I had to tie into a double knot. Chris works as a kindergarten aid and I always tease him for tying shoes all day. Guess I had that one coming. Once I tied all of the shoes I then had to untie them. That was a task in its self! After I had done that, I then had to reach my hand into each of them (yuck!) and find a prize. In the last shoe there was a ring box. I kind of freaked out at first because I didn't want to open it! Chris was the one that was supposed to do it! Anyways, I did and there was a penny in the slot where the ring was supposed to be. After completing this task I was given my fourth clue.

This fourth clue lead me to the Taco Bell in the Wilkinson Center at BYU. Chris and I would usually get food here whenever the food during the summer was gross. Poor Katelin was standing there with this huge white box. Of course it just had to be right during the dinner rush and so EVERYONE and their dog were watching me open box after box to finally get to this little box with a thing of smarties in it! How embarrassing. Once I did that. Katelin gave me my last clue.

This clue took me to the Y mountain. Before I go on let me explain the meaning. Before Chris and I met, we both had this spot at the Y that we would go and just sit to think, or read, or study. Whatever it was that we did, we just went up there to basically escape. So when Chris and I found that out about each other, we made our spot. We've gone up there a lot to talk about us, our marriage, and our future plans and family. It's been a really big part of our relationship. Now back to the story. So I made my way up to the Y. When I didn't see him in the normal spot I panicked! I decided I drive a bit further up. Sure enough there was his car with a sign pointing up this trail. As I made my way up I saw him there. I don't think I could've ran faster! By the time I got to him I was out of breath, but so excited to see him. We talked for a minute and then he told me that he loved me, got down on one knee and said "Paige Kirsten Aase, will you marry me for all time and eternity?" During the whole "race" I told myself I wasn't going to cry when he asked me. Of course that didn't go as planned and I balled as I said "yes"! The ring was beautiful and I couldn't be happier!!

So to everyone that is wanting to know, Christopher James McNulty and I are getting married on April 7th, 2011 in the Salt Lake Temple!! We are so excited to finally be engaged and to be able to tell everyone.

(more pictures to come...stay tuned!!)