2010 was a year where my life was turned upside down...in a good way. Life as I knew it completely changed, but it was the best change I could have ever imagined.
The change all started on April 9, when after nearly 4 years of dating Brian popped the question. Due to my shock and awe, he had to ask 3 times...but of course the answer was YES!
With all of the excitement still settling in, I found out that my dear friend Catherine was going to give us an early wedding present. Catherine and I have taught together at Sprucewood since 2008 and have become great friends. She knew Brian and I would struggle to survive being newlyweds and owning our first home. So she did the most selfless thing anyone could do. She offered to take my half time position and gave me her full time position! I will forever be grateful to Catherine for making our lives just a little bit easier.
We planned the big day for July 9, giving us only 3 months to plan a wedding. Doing what we do best, Brian and I decided to throw a little curve ball into the picture and purchase a house.
We bought our home in Draper. It is small, but perfect! It is actually in the boundaries of my school which makes commuting to work a piece of cake.
Only a week after getting engaged, we welcomed a new member to the Dahl family. Little Elin Jane was born April 16 and it only added to the fun and craziness of it all. She is the sweetest little girl and we love her very much.
The wedding day was absolutely perfect! After a mini thunderstorm about 2 hours before the wedding, the weather cleared up just long enough to have the wedding. As you can tell by the picture, that moment was the happiest moment of my life. I FINALLY married the love of my life and my best friend. I have never felt anything like it.The wedding was small, but exactly how I wanted it. Everyone I loved was there (or there in spirit) and it honestly was the coolest experience. Many people told me I would regret not having a big, expensive wedding. But if you know me at all, you will know simple is the only way I would ever go. I am not the typical girl who had planned her wedding from the first time I saw a wedding dress. I started planning it about an hour after Brian proposed. But the picture I had in my mind was exactly the picture that was drawn that day.
We left the next day for a quick honeymoon get-away in Park City. With the wedding and buying a home, we were left with next to no money, so Park City was just the answer. I have to admit, I was VERY happy I didn't have to travel the day after the wedding. We were both exhausted. Hanging around the pool, going to the spa, shopping, and of course eating, was exactly what we needed to re-energize. Don't you worry though, we are planning a super fun vacation for our 1 year anniversary.The last half of the year was not nearly as eventful as the first half. It has taken us 6 months to finally get a house (somewhat) put together. I am still working on it. Being a full time special ed teacher has definitely taken its toll on me, but I am still loving what I do. We survived our first Rivalry week living in the same house (believe me, we were nervous about it) Good thing it worked out for me this year
We celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple in our own home. It was very different than either of us were use too, but sweet none-the-less.
It is going to be really hard for 2011 to top 2010 for the Dahl family. But you never know what life is going to throw you.