Oh baby!

Iam an all or nothing kind of girl, so I hate posting on the blog unless I have time to sit down and write about everything! Plus, I need a blog tutor to help me figure out how to format stuff and make it look good etc. Any volunteers?

I am making an exception to my "black and white" personality because I had to post this picture! My oldest brother Ammon and his wife Ashley are having a baby this summer. I'm so excited my Mom finally gets to be a Grandma! Ammon and Ashley live in NY so we will have to spoil the baby with packages instead of constant hugs and kisses. With our family and close friends having babies and seeing what a great responsibility being a parent is, I have never wanted to be more prepared for motherhood. I am majoring in Family Studies and will have a minor in Social Work and Psychology, and after learning so much about the development of children and parenting it makes me feel less prepared for children! Funny how the more you learn the more ignorant you feel. Though children are not in the near future for Landon and me, I can't help but think about what they will be like, how they will act, how I will teach them, how much they'll love their Dad, and what they will look like. Isn't funny that when you date someone the thought of what your children would look like together crosses your mind? With Landon's curls and our blue eyes I'd like to think we will make some cute little monkeys, but we are just left to guessing and silly website like the one I used to make this picture! ....... and here is a Stetson possibility!

My new "title" is my favorite

I recently returned from a Gerontology Conference in Midway and ran into Jean Hatch who is on the Board of Directors for Miss Utah. We had a great visit and she begged me to do another pageant. She asked me if I was sad to give up my title as Miss Davis County, with a smile on my face I told her yes, but I was more excited to hold the next title...... "MRS. PITCHER!"

I would never consider myself a “pageant girl” and get frustrated when the competition of pageants and spending money on dresses etc. becomes a girl’s life. But I can say I am so grateful for the opportunities and doors pageants have opened in my life. Not only have they helped to fund my education, they have given me the greatest opportunities to serve and be involved in wonderful things! Looking back, the scholarship monies that I’ve received do not compensate for the time driving around the state of Utah, gas money, preparation of talks and speeches, and countless hours of service, but I wouldn’t ask for a high paying job to take the place of those memorable experiences! Here are just a few experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything:

• Visiting with President Monson and listening to his stories while watching the Days of 47 Rodeo with him
• Having lunch with Elder Ballard and having him telling us we were “the prettiest royalty he had ever seen!”
• Speaking and playing the piano at a fireside at the Utah State Prison and feeling the spirit strong enough to bring me to tears
• Overcoming my fear of singing in front of others when I sang the National Anthem in the Energy Solution Arena
• Visiting and sharing the stage with famous NBA basketball player and singer Thuro Bailey
• Competing with Utah’s most talented and beautiful girls in Miss Utah
• Advocating for Eating Disorders and working with NEDA
• Speaking in Sacrament meetings one or two times every Sunday except fast Sundays Four months in a row all over the state of Utah
• Learning about my pioneer heritage and feeling their spirit of sacrifice and love for the gospel
• Having lunch with Mayor Rocky Anderson
• Meeting Glen Beck! I love his show!
• Working with all age groups in the school system and local libraries promoting the platform “Child First, Disability Second”
• Learning that we all have disabilities, some are more obvious than others, and some are more difficult, but we all need love and acceptance to bravely face and overcome our disabilities.
• Realizing that we are more alike than different from each other
• Meeting and networking with others while speaking to different clubs and organizations such as Rotary clubs, Kiwanis Club, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Sons of the Utah Pioneers, Beehive club, etc.
• Educating myself on current events, forming opinions, and taking a political stand on issues of importance to society.
• Getting my hands dirty through service projects such a painting, washing cars, planting flowers, and pie eating contests!
• Gaining poise and presence modeling for Macy’s and a Bridal company that has helped me on and off stage.
• Learning to balance my time and schedule……but still learning
• Gainging friendships and holding those people dear to my heart
• Most importantly, Learning about myself and understanding who I really am
  

Our Wedding Day

This picture is us coming out of the Logan Temple November 22, 2008. I was so pleased with our wedding day and wouldn't change anything. Good thing, because Landon says he won't ever marry me again! :)

Our day began with a few pictures of just the bride and groom at the Logan temple. Then we went to the beautiful and charming Riter Mansion were we held our wedding Luncheon and a program while we ate. Landon and I greeted everyone at the door and enjoyed seeing all the people we love so much! It was just as nice sitting at the head table and looking over the room and seeing some of the most influencial people in our lives, people who have led us to where we are today. Landon's oldest brother Court sang an opening song and my oldest brother Ammon gave the invocation.

It was so special to have my brother Ammon and his wife Ashley there, not to mention they were great help! Ammon just returned from a deployment in Iraq and we didn't know if he would be home for our wedding. It made me pretty emotional to have my WHOLE family together. My Dad left last week for Afganistan, a specific mission that he was called out of retirement to go on, Brady might as well be in another country with his busy law school life, and Ryan is at the Air Force Academy.

During our wedding luncheon meal we had an "open mic." This was on of my favorite parts because many of our family members and dear friends made us laugh and feel so blessed to be marriying each other with their stories and comments. I'll have to post some of them or add them to this post later when I find what my sister inlaw Ashley typed up for us. Landon sang a song he wrote for me with the piano acccompaniment of his friend Randon. It was a great surprise and I LOVED it! I keep asking if he'll sing it again for me but he hasn't yet. Landon's voice is amazing and I am so lucky that I get to be his number one fan, even if most of his performances are in the car. I followed Landon's song with a few remarks and thanked everyone for their influence and love. I also wanted to share a few words about our herritage and the two lines of great people that we were begining to merge with our marriage union. I put together a table "All because two People Fell in Love," where one of our wedding pictures, and both of our parent's and grandparent's wedding picutres displayed, along with a card that shared their marriage date and the temple where they were married. Our families are so important to us and we feel so blessed to have been sent to homes of love and understanding where that gospel has been taught. We hope our marriage and own family can be patterned after the great examples of our parents and grandparents.

After everyone was done eating we cut our cake. Our cake was not only beautiful, it was the best tasting cake I've ever had! Kayley a gal I used to work with made it for us, black raspberry and vanilla swirl cake, raspberry cream cheese filling, cream cheese frosting underneath white fondant, topped with chocolate and strawberries! We sent each of our guests home with a piece of wedding cake in a box as a favor, it was too good to be thrown away like so many wedding cake are! I'm so embarrassed that I don't want to write this, but it's too funny to not. Landon and I went over to the cake and our photographer followed. I picked up the knife and started cutting if by myself!!!! From all the weddings I've beed to, all I remember is the bride and groom feeding cake to each other and making a mess. My photographer started laughing and told me Landon was supposed to help! Landon made a cute comment to everyone and said this represented our relationship.... something to the effect that I take the initiative and he follows :) He somehow makes even the most embarrassing moments turn out memorable.

After we shared the first piece of cake, (Landon was a perfect gentleman while feeding it to me) it was time for Landon and I to leave for the temple. My Dad asked everyone to stand as we walked through the room and out the doors to leave for the temple in honour of our accomplishment and decision. I didn't think my Dad originally thought of that, but it was neat that everyone stood and clapped for us as we wove through tables and left. Our guests stayed and watched our fabulous wedding video that was made by Isaac Beaus and finished desert. Some of our close friends and family members met us at the temple for our sealing at 2:15pm. The temple president performed our sealing in absence of Elder Ballard. When I was Days of 47 Royalty I had the oppurtunity to have lunch with Elder Ballard and he mentioned something about letting him know when we were ready to get married..... Landon actually talked to Elder Ballard on the phone and asked him if he would perform our temple sealing. Elder Ballard had saddly informed us that he another obligation that day across the country that he was not able to change but asked the Logan Temple President to do it in his absence. What a beautiful sealing! I understand more why all of our lives we have been taught over and over again in primary and young womens the importance of getting married in the temple and going back often. So far we have been weekly. The temple really was the highlight of our day. We were able to take some pictures on the grounds with family and friends and then left from the temple! So many people told us we would be sorry about not having a reception and that we were missing out on all of the gifts. The greatest gift is that we were able to focus on the temple and our eternal marriage. Spending the day with close friends and family in a more intimate setting was so special for us. We still want our neighbors and friends to know how much we appreciate them being a part of our lives and want to acknowledge them by sending them announcements of our marriage. We are grateful that nieghbors and friends have been so nice and supportive of our decision to not have a reception and we hope we didn't miss anyone when we sent out announcements. Our wedding was such a great day and I am so happy to be able to keep Landon forever!

More Pre Wedding Pictures!

Look close....we are in the picture!

I love Landon's eyes!

Feathers in hair for wedding day or not?

After seeing the pics I want to do it a bit different I think.

Brooke is such a glam/romantic photographer! My Mom told me awhile ago that when people aren't smiling in engagement pictures, it doesn't look like they are excited to get married. I think Brooke captured it, but I hope you can see how in love we are!

Wedding Announcements

Just rounding up a few more addresses before we send out wedding announcements. Please send me your address if I don't already have it. We would hate to miss anyone who would like an announcement!

My email is mariannestuart@hotmail.com

Thanks guys!

Wedding Picture Preview

Landon and I had a Bridal/Groomal session with Blush Photography today. She already posted this first picture on her blog, kind of whimsical don't you think?

Student Gerontology Association

I just got back from a great conference in Midway! I'm the VP of the Student Gerontology Association at Utah State and the department kindly paid all expenses to attend the Utah Aging Alliance Conference at the beautiful Zermatt Resort for two days.

I am almost finished with my Gerontology certificate and think it's a great back up plan for a future career. In high school I volunteered weekly at Apple Village, an assisted living center, and loved visiting with the residents who became my dear friends. My favorite thing was playing the piano, especially trying to play duets with Elinor who had once been a concert pianist. Her poor hands had arthritis and she tried so hard to play with me. She had a trunk full of random sheet music, so old that the pieces had mostly fallen out of books. I took all the music home in a card board box and put each sheet in a protector page in order and filled several binders. She was also getting Alzheimer's and it broke my heart to see it gradually get worse with each visit. When I brought the music back she was so tickled that I owned some of her favorite pieces, she didn't remember that it was hers. Each time she wouldn't let me forget my binders full of music and made me take them home! I didn't mind practicing the yellowed sheet music in my own living room, in fact one of my very favorite songs is one of hers called Poem. I am grateful for wisdom and life experience that the residents shared with me, we have so much to learn from the elderly. I never thought of seeking a job in gerontology until one of my current professors preached the need for specialists in this field, especially since our baby boomers are starting to get older. More money than ever before will be offered for products and services provided to the elderly. Since I actually like working with the elderly, it is something to consider.