utahhhhhhh.

this past friday, one of my favorite people from BYU got married.

you remember when kara and derek got engaged, right? (if not check out the link. the story is in there, promise.)

yes, i realize this photo has graced my blog three times. but...it had to be done just one more time.

anyway, these two lovebirds, surrounded by hearts, were married in the mt timanogos temple.

so of course i had to be there. i mean, what would you do?

so i flew out to utah on thursday afternoon, where becca picked me up from the airport. at there airport there were at least 6 families waiting for missionaries to come home. you would have thought i was in salt lake or something.

then we went to costa vida. blessed costa vida. i had been craving that salad all summer, and it was kind of a bummer that the nearest one was...oh...800 miles away.

then i went to steph and karen's apartment where there was a huge hug fest. and i helped them move in and we talked about our summers and i got to hear all about jerusalem from them. and it was great.

karen struggling with making her bed. it's hard to have your bed in a corner.

the next morning i went to breakfast with my friend brittany. she's the sweetest. we went to the awful waffle together, a place that i personally LOVE, and where she works. it was pretty great. she told me all about her time in paris and i ate it all up (that is referring to both the stories and the crêpe. ha). i don't know why we didn't get a photo together...since we both take way more photos that is necessary. haha.

then i walked back to the apartment

and then i found heather! and i helped her move stuff from her car to her room. and then steph and i went to the bookstore and the museum of art and costco.

then we went back to the apartment again and saw brooke and new roommate alex and then i made myself "look presentable," as heather would say. then annie came over and we were off to the wedding!!

can i just say that i love weddings? especially when it's someone that is near and dear to me? and because i was a tenderheart...my eyes kept watering just a little. sometimes. i guess. but it was great.

kara's backyard was decorated so nicely! i can't even tell you how impressed i was. my photos don't do it justice. the tea lights, the banners, the desserts...the entire atmosphere was perfect. she nailed it.

she and derek were so so happy. this is the only photo i have with them...and just a disclaimer, i am not holding derek's hand. that somehow seems to happen to me. that i either do accidentally hold the groom's hand, or i just look like i am. i'm just an awkward person, i suppose.

sorry it's blurry...

so we sampled the desserts, talked for a while, and stayed for cake cutting, the bouquet toss, and the first dance.

and i may or may not have caught the bouquet. um. yep. it happened. there were a bunch of little girls in front of the "big girls" who wanted it, so i stayed back...but ended up catching it because seriously, that thing came straight at my face. i had no choice. i tried to give it to a little girl who really wanted it, but i was told that i couldn't. so kara and i took a photo together, and then i let kara keep it, because really, it was her bouquet.

then annie, heather, steph, and i were hungry so we stopped at wendy's.

then we just talked at the apartment for a long time.

and then the next morning i went to target with heather and brooke.

and then heather showed me jerusalem photos and we talked for a long time, because let me tell you, catching up with your best friend requires a lot of talking. and then she tried to concentrate on chem...but that was hard. so we turned on photo booth. but we were both tired haha. and then it was time for me to leave.

so then becca and marissa picked me up and we were off to zupa's for lunch. delish. i love that place.

and then we stopped at my aunt maryn's for a quick hello, and then i went to the airport.

and there was a freak rainstorm from thanksgiving point to draper and i was so happy. i love those summer rainstorms with the big fat drops and the blue skies overhead. i rolled down my window and breathed as deeply as i could. utah smells wonderful during summer storms. i wish i could bottle that smell and carry it with me wherever i go. i also missed the mountains. utah mountains make the mountains surrounding the valley look like hills.

utah drivers. [eye roll.] i forgot that you can make a turning lane out of the bike lane. 1/4 of a mile away from the light.

rain rain rain

rain and blue skiessss

and i was so happy. and white.

anyway. it was a wonderful weekend, and i'm so glad i had the chance to go to utah for kara's wedding and to see all my friends! it was such a great time.