blog change

it official - the blog address is changing. i decided we should have a blog for us both, not just me. (not that brans will ever post anything... maybe he will... we will see.)

so as of now, it will no longer be www.shannaa.blogspot.com. (it will still be accessible, but probably not updated.)

i will now be using:

www.bransonandshanna.blogspot.com

so let it be known and spread the word! and check it out for upcoming pictures and updates of life since june 12th!

R2D2

while bored at work, i stumbled upon one of the most amazing things ever:

an R2D2 cake. yes, c a k e.

here's the proof.

i am so going to make this cake someday! i can't wait!

davison photography

my good friend lauren came to my wedding and took lots of pictures for us! here is a link to go check a few of them out!

davison photography

it came!

it came! and it was perfect!

what a great day!

we haven't gotten many pictures back yet, but i thought this one was quite cool. that's us! in front of the temple! hooray!

more pictures to come!

less than 48 hours

less than 48 hours
i think i'm almost ready!

wow... its almost here!

longer weekends

6 days and counting! its coming quick!

and can i just say how excited i am that its the weekend? granted, i wish weekends are longer! and mine is packed! i have too many things to do... hopefully i can get them all done.

weekends should be at least a day longer. wouldn't you agree?

but on that note, i am grateful for the two days off. when i worked at the bakery, i worked saturday mornings at 5am. brutal. just brutal. so i should count my blessings that i have saturdays off. and i am super grateful for that. if not, i definitely would be ready for this wedding on time.

but i think i'm pretty close. i should be at least. only 6 days left! but out of those 6 days, really only a couple are left to do things. i decided early on that the day before my wedding would be peaceful and relaxing. so everything will be done by then. but with a funeral on monday, its kindof upped my time frame. monday will be a day with family, so i'm down to 3ish days. saturday, sunday, tuesday. i can finish by then. yes sirree.

just pray that the cleaners get my dress done on time and that the photo printers print in the time frame they claimed they would. then i will be just fine.

nervous-less

in officially less than one week, brans and i will be married! i cannot fully express my excitement!

i know i've said this a million times, but i honestly can't believe how quickly it came! with all that's been going on, its almost as if i have forgotten the time. days seem like mere hours to me and weeks are more like single days! the time has just zoomed past me, leaving me to wonder how it went so fast.

but its almost here. i'm so relieved and excited and thrilled beyond belief, but not nervous or dreading it in anyway. the most frequently asked question lately has been, "so, are you nervous?" and honestly - not at all. i couldn't be less nervous! its the culmination of everything i've dreamed of and worked for my whole life. my dream is coming true!

and i just love branson. more than i ever thought possible. he is my best friend and i'm so grateful for him and for his support and for all that he does for me. i'm excited to have him forever. i think we will be slash are an excellent team. we have a lot of fun together and we've learned how to work together. i love spending time with him, even if its doing the dishes together, cooking, tearing down wallpaper, playing games or even just watching the news together. he is the best!

so 6 days and 20 some-odd hours... it can't come fast enough and has come far too swiftly at the same time! sigh... ready or not... here we come.

one week! yay!

peacefully heartbroken

Loren William Ashcraft

1919-2008

grandad passed away yesterday at about 11:30am.
he was released from his suffering
and was reunited with grandma.
what a joyful reunion that must have been!

when my mom's dad passed away, she described her feelings by saying she was "peacefully heartbroken." i think that sums it up fairly well. we are all peacefully heartbroken - sad that our time on earth with grandad is over, but thrilled with the knowledge that we will see him again, and we are all at peace.

i arrived at grandad's house shortly after his passing, and for about a half hour sat with my great aunt lila in grandad's room, talking and reminiscing with her. we both commented on how incredible the feeling in the room was - the spirit was definitely present. at one point, we commented on the great reunion of grandad and grandma, and all of the other loved ones who would have greeted him. aunt lila laughed and said, "oh i'm so jealous. they are having a party without me." it was the sweetest thing.

grandad was a great man. still is. one of the greatest. he is such a phenomenal example to all of us and he will be missed. however, in our peacefully heartbroken state, our sadness won't linger long. his memory will hopefully encourage us all to be like him and follow in his footsteps.

we love you grandad

grape juice, not grapefruit

lately my grandad hasn't been doing very well. he's in a lot of pain and doesn't have very much strength. most of the family will be surprised if he lives through the week.

he's had prostate cancer for the past twenty-some odd years and it hasn't really been a big issue. but in the past few months it has gotten much, much worse. it makes me sad to see him suffering so much. i know he's ready to go home, ready to see grandma again, but something is keeping him here. and i hope it lets him go soon.

with all the medication he's been given lately, he's had quite a few episodes of hallucinations. he sees objects that aren't there. but through it all, he has kept his sense of humor.

saturday and sunday afternoon, we went over to his house. a few of his brothers and sisters had flown in from out of state to see him. it was fun to visit with them and hear stories from their childhood - stories that often included grandad. at one point, i was inside sitting with grandad while the aunts and uncles were in the other room talking. he asked for alona, my aunt, so i sent bryson to get her. when alona came into the room, she started talking to grandad asking him if he wanted something to drink. he asked what she had, to which she replied, "i have some grape juice." but i guess he thought she said "grapefruit" and grandad hates grapefruit. so he declined and said, "i don't like grapefruit."
"no, grape juice."
"no grapefruit."

it went back and forth for a minute or two, and then he finally understood, "grape juice" and said, "yeah, i'll have a sip of that."

the exchange made me smile.

i just hope his suffering isn't prolonged.

june disbelief

i can't believe its already june. the 2nd of june... i get married in 10 days. a week and a half. and only a few more things to do. i am still on top of things, i think. i'm trying to get all the last minute things does, so that at the last minute, i will be relaxing with my mom. i think its a good plan.

ten days... its almost here!