joey + yuki

The main event of our California road trip was the wedding of our dear friends Joey and Yuki. Since I had the honor of being in the bridal party, these pictures were taken by Drew per my request. But he's not going to share them, so it is my duty to do so! :)

On the night before the sealing, we celebrated the couple at the beautiful Nelson home in Brea with tacos, ice cream, and a kickass dance party with music brought to you by Drew. If you need someone to make you a wedding mix that will consist of only the best, Drew is your guy! (jk, he is so sick of me volunteering him to do these for our friends-- he has done four weddings now-- so maybe ask him first lol)

 Mr. & Mrs. Nelson // May 20, 2017 // Los Angeles Temple

Story time! Yuki is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Her family moved to my hometown and home ward in Lancaster when I was 11 years old(? I think? I just remember being in senior primary and wishing I could be in Beehives with her. How CUTE is that?!) It didn't take long for us to become friends, and our families got along so well too. I was so sad when the Dorffs moved to Washington a few short years later, but we became loyal pen-pals. I didn't see her again until I flew out one summer to attend EFY together in Oregon when I was 15. To this day, we laugh about what a ridiculous and weird week that was, but it is still one of my fondest memories with Yuki. A few years later, she transferred to BYU Provo the same semester that I started my freshman year and we've been close ever since. Yuki is someone I know will be my friend for years to come, because it has never been hard for us to stay connected despite where our lives take us. I am STOKED that she married Joey. We love hanging out with them. Another fun fact! Drew and Joey have known each other since their freshman year at BYU eight years ago. So like, collectively, we have known this couple for a longgg time and can't wait for all the double dates in the future!

Bridesman, bridesmaids, bride, groom, groomsmen, groomswomen

Ethnically diverse bridal party? Check.

Photo courtesy of the groom himself! lol.

After the sealing we enjoyed an intimate and beautiful dinner in Topanga Canyon with family and friends of the bride and groom. The view, the venue, and the décor was all so dreamy. I cannot wait to see how their (also our ;)) wedding photographer extraordinaire, Moni, captured everything. But in the meantime, I'm pretty fond of the moments that Drew captured too :)

Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day! Big congrats and best wishes to the newly married joeynelson_official & yukinelson_official! I know you hate that joke by now, but I still love it. And I love you two! <3

the graduate.

When I first received my acceptance letter to Brigham Young University a week before my 17th birthday, I was just ready to get out of Amish Country, PA. I chose a school farther west than anyone else in my high school's graduating class. Moving to Utah meant living thousands of miles away from almost everyone I knew, and that I would only see my family on Christmas and summer breaks. Four years later, I can say with utmost certainty that it was the best experience and the smartest decision of my entire life.

 

In four years, I gained a lot of knowledge. I took dozens of science classes among the brilliant minds of pre-professionals, sometimes feeling extremely inadequate in those giant lecture halls as I did so. I confirmed that I hated Chemistry more than any other subject in the world, and that I loved Anatomy as much as I hated Chemistry. I learned how to speak a little bit of Tagalog and Icelandic. I had the privilege to learn from and get to know some very wise professors. I spent a lot of hours in the Harold B. Lee Library, wrote a lot of papers, studied a lot of flashcards, and consumed a lot of gallons of Sodalicious.

In four years, I learned a lot about people and even more about myself. I've met some of the smartest, coolest, funniest, and most spiritually minded individuals in the world and I am now lucky to call them my best friends. I learned to only make time for the people who make time for you. I learned that Halloween is a huge deal once you get to college, and that an iPod dance party is the best form of therapy. I discovered 15 different concert venues in Utah where I attended 30+ shows. I realized how much I enjoyed grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking for myself. I learned how to be outdoorsy, because this state is too pretty not to take advantage of it. I learned that sometimes you just have to cry or laugh it off when school/work/dating/life sucks. I cried over boys and I laughed over boys too (read: shared countless bad date stories with girlfriends). I got asked out a grand total of zero times throughout my entire freshman year and somehow started off my senior year with a husband.

In four years, I gained a true testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know for a fact that there is no other school in the world where I would've had the same spiritual experience as I did in this tiny bubble that is Provo, Utah. I went from living in a town where I was one out of ten Mormons in my high school to attending church in campus classrooms because there are thousands of us within a two mile radius. We started most classes with a prayer and professors tied in the Gospel to almost every secular topic. I had the privilege of attending General Conference multiple times. I have the ability to visit nine different temples within an hour from my house. I learned how to really pray, and how to trust in God's time-table instead of my own.

This turned into a sappy, wordy, love-fest real fast, but I'll close with this. I love Brigham Young University so very much. I will bleed blue until my dying day. I pray that one day my future children will get the chance to have a similar college experience here at the Y. I think I now know what it means to be an adult and I definitely know I would not be the person I am today if I spent these past four years anywhere else. 

COUGAR 4 LYFE.

((So what does a young, poor, married couple do right after finishing their undergraduate career?!? Travel to Europe, of course!! Fun fact, it's past midnight here in Reykjavík as I finish writing this post because the jetlag struggle is real. To follow along on our European adventures these next two weeks, you can check out my Instagram. I will be obnoxiously posting on there until I lose 50% of my followers. Cool! Bye!))

come listen to a prophet's voice

This past weekend I had the always wonderful opportunity to listen to and attend the 185th Semi-Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I saw and heard our beloved prophet and apostles give their powerful messages over the pulpit. Social media flooded with quotes from every single talk, the hashtag #ldsconf was trending worldwide, and thousands of members paid homage to Mecca aka Temple Square to gather and watch conference together. As hard as it is to narrow down everything that I learned from conference and which of the talks I heard were my favorite, the topic that is still on my mind is one that actually came from a blog post I stumbled upon at the conclusion of the weekend. Greg Trimble's post entitled: "President Monson...I Wish I Could Have Come and Held You Up" caught my attention. My exact thoughts were written so eloquently, you might as well just go and read it HERE. 

One of the talks that had a similar and equally powerful message was by Elder David A. Bednar, who explained why "indeed it is wonderful to have older men of such spiritual maturity and judgement serving in the senior leadership positions of the restored church of Jesus Christ." Over the years, there has been a lot of criticism concerning the leaders of our church, and how it seems to be run by 'old men.' Elder Bednar makes so many valid points about this, and you can hear all of them HERE.

What I'm getting at with this article and this talk is that these men have been called of God. We need to remember that there is a reason they are seated on the stand, and as faithful members of the church, we should love them, sustain them, and pray for them. What made me the saddest after reading that article and listening to Elder Bednar's talk was thinking about all the people who openly criticize these leaders, whether it be through social media, or attending conference and opposing these kind and gentle old men in person as they raise their hands in opposition. People need to realize what it actually means to be a general authority of the church. Not that I have any experience, but there is nothing glamorous about it. They travel the world for most of the year and live in hotel rooms more than their actual home. They leave their wives and families to visit with members, leaders, and missionaries from around the world, all of which look to them for spiritual guidance and knowledge. Once you are called as an apostle, you are dedicating the remainder of your life to serving the church.

President Thomas S. Monson was called as an apostle at the age of 36. That means that for over 50 years, he has been in a leadership position of a global church with over 15 million members. I think we all could see how much this calling has aged him and worn him out as our hearts broke watching him struggle just to speak on the podium this past weekend. Can you even imagine the burdens he faces on a regular day? Just consider what he has gone through in the recent past: his beloved wife Frances died leaving him a widow, he's had to call upon new apostles as three of his dear friends passed away in a matter of months, he stands back and watches the deteriorating morals of society effecting the members of the church, and on top of that, as president of the church, millions are looking to him for comfort and to lift their spirits, when I think sometimes he needs it most of all.

I have a testimony of a living prophet in our church. I believe that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today, and God speaks through him, and through his counselors and apostles to address the world with His message. D&C 1:38 states "Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."  These amazing men are called of God because they have the maturity, years of experience, and spiritual knowledge that only someone of their age posseses. As much backlash our church gets for having these men in leadership positions, I know they are the best men for the job. I look forward to hearing them speak every six months, and I am grateful for the sacrifices that they and their families make for the well-being of the members around the world.

I know this wasn't like anything that I normally post on here, but I definitely do not share my testimony as much as I should, and I am trying to improve on that! I just want someone (out of the five of you readers) to know that I do love this Gospel and it is the biggest blessing in my life. I honestly do not know where I would be without it, or without the counsel, love, and support I receive from my church leaders and teachers. The church is true! Go watch all of conference HERE!

"Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other" 
-Thomas S. Monson

all the feels.

I am a very nostalgic person. I keep every note, letter, postcard, and invite I receive in a toolbox I found at a vintage market. I keep a numbered list of every concert I've ever attended with the date, location, and opening acts featured ( PS- I reached #50 last week at Chromeo ft. ODESZA and it rocked). Speaking of vintage markets, I also love visiting those things more than life itself. Something about old artifacts/clothes/straight up junk make my heart sing. I look back at old photos and watch old videos on my phone more often than I care to admit. Recently, everything has been making me nostalgic and I just want time to stop. Please?

Desiree's 21st birthday soiree // Cori's backyard bridal shower

Freshman year in David John Hall feels like forever ago, and yet recent e-mails back and forth to my freshman roommate Lindsay (who is currently serving in Cebu, Philippines and will be home in one month--yes, I am the worst for just now e-mailing her) and updating her on my life makes three years seem very short at the same time. This summer, everything really is changing. Girls are getting married (like me?!? LOLWUT?!) Best friends are leaving on missions, people are graduating and moving away and getting real-life jobs and I don't understand how any of us are old enough for this! I know this happens all the time to everyone because life, but this is the first time it has been so applicable and personal to me. This morning I saw my dear Abby for the last time for at least 18 months, who is now at the Provo Missionary Training Center as we speak. She will be the coolest and classiest sister missionary that ever graced Kansas. She is my most glam friend and will be my "A" date forever. I know she will change the lives of so many people and everyone she comes in contact with will feel of her sweet spirit.

Remember when she quoted Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" in her farewell talk? We all do.

Everything about this summer and beyond makes me nervous, but excited (#namethatquote). My thoughts are mostly consumed by my own wedding, but all of my friends are embarking on new, scary, and amazing adventures and I don't know when we'll all be together again, especially my little Wyview Crew that I have grown so close to after meeting at the beginning of our freshman year. Hearing about their stories via e-mails/Instagram posts and not being together to chat until 3 AM is just not the same! BRB crying. Not to mention life AFTER the wedding?? Ha ha ha yeah that is uncharted territory. I am thrilled beyond belief/on the brink of tears whenever I think about all the things that go with it. Just a lot of feelings right now. Mostly I just want time to stop so I can sit back, breathe, and then probably cry some more. So if that could happen, I would greatly appreciate it. THX BAIII.

april showers bring (summer weddings)

This past weekend was simply the happiest. Not only did General Conference fall on Easter weekend this year and Drew's parents were in town for it, but a few of my best girlfriends threw me the prettiest bridal shower on Saturday! Since all sessions of General Conference consisted of me sitting on a couch/bed in my pajamas and we didn't have our normal church service, meaning no matching dresses with Ynna and my mom (which we do every Easter Sunday...insert crying emoji here), I decided to document the most glamorous of the three events: my beautiful shower!

Let's first talk about those PAPER FLOWERS. My friends know all too well about my love for crafty photo backdrops at parties, and I am still so enamored whenever I look at pictures of this one. People are still talking about them (probably). I essentially want this same thing at my reception, hope they don't mind. Abby, the queen of flowers, picked up my favorite colored flowers to display around the room and they were just the prettiest! (Sorry that for the duration of this post I won't use any other word as much as prettiest, but it's the truth).

80% of the room was pink and orange and I was 100% okay with it. Special thank you to the Miller's for opening up their beautiful home to us and hosting my shower.

My future mother & sisters-in-law: Katrina, Katie, and Sarah

All of my guests took a picture of themselves and wrote/illustrated how we first met each other. I just love these two! Emilee is going to be my roommate this summer and I am stoked. My last roommate before my eternal roommate hahaha WUT. I always have so much fun with this girl and I'm looking forward to the boba dates and Sodalicious runs that will surely ensue when we live together. She also introduced me to sweet Lauren, who I had known of for awhile (IDPs & Twitter bring the ppl together) but we decided to take our cyber friendship to the next level this semester and I am so thankful for it! Now we're practically dating considering how often we have movie dates and post-date drop-off chats (she is my boyfriend) with each other. So thankful for both of your friendships and your attendance at my shower!

I wore each of these outfits when something significant happened in mine and Drew's relationship. First date/first kiss, the proposal, first met, and first concert shown from L to R. Say what you will, but this is me we're talking about so of course the first concert we attended together is on the same level as the day he proposed. The game was that everyone had to guess which outfit went with which occasion, and then I told the story about each. Even though most of my friends already heard these stories (or were even present for them), it was still so fun to retell them and think about how much has happened in a year. For instance, exactly one year ago from the date of my shower was when Drew asked me out on our first date for the following weekend! Awww

Let the flower wall photoshoot begin

 Love my Kaity baby for coming down from Idaho for the weekend to celebrate with me <3

 Sup we're engaged. August is gonna be cray. (I promise we're wearing our rings, we just opted for ones where you can't even tell)

OK this is by far THE PRETTIEST card I have ever received. My classy friend Maddy made this and I will probably frame it in our house, hope she doesn't mind. She is so thoughtful and even painted those flowers in the same exact colors my wedding bouquet will be! I showed her maybe one picture of a bouquet I liked over a month ago. Hire her now for all your calligraphy needs. I know I am!

T is for TEKULVE

And finally, a picture of me surrounded by my angel friends/hosts. They went above and beyond to give me the prettiest, most Alyanna-esque shower there ever was. I cannot thank them enough for pulling this off in the midst of this crazy end-of-semester period, just so I could have all my friends together before the summer of weddings/missions/study abroads/internships takes over and everyone leaves me here in Provo. Sorry that everything has to be as difficult as possible. I am #srslysoblessed to have these girls by my side throughout this college experience and all the monumental decisions and events that go with it. Thank you for adopting me into your Wyview clique that fateful freshman year and being my roommates, confidantes, and go-to girls when I need anything! They will undoubtedly roll their eyes at the sappiness of this, but I just love ya!

One more big thank you to all the ladies who attended my shower and made me feel so very loved! I truly appreciated your presence and your presents ;) This whole weekend I felt loved, not only from my sweet friends, but especially from listening to the messages at General Conference from our wonderful prophet and church leaders. I feel my Savior's love for me everyday, but this past Easter weekend was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how truly grateful I am to have the knowledge of the Gospel in my life. Because He lives, I get to marry my sweetheart for time and all eternity and we can be with our families forever. I love this Church and know that the talks shared with us were truly inspired. You can listen to/watch all of the sessions from this weekend HERE.

xoxo,

 -the soon-to-be Mrs. T 

(promise that won't be my new sign-off or anything--you can kill me first--it just seemed fitting for this post. Speaking of which...4 months from today y'all! Eeeeeek!)