Oh hey.....

Remember Me? Yeah it has been forever, but really you can't blame me, blame the graduate program I have become a slave to the last few months. Ready for some updates? There are definitely some good ones!

First, update on the puppy... Griffey! I love that little crazy mutt! Let me be honest, the first few months were total HELL, he decided to bite holes in all of the walls, tear up many articles of clothing and shoes, eat things that no living thing should eat, and paid for it later when he couldn't do you know what outside so the vet had to pull it out for him! Yeah. Lot's of pleasant things. So, we put him in puppy training, and honestly it helped, it didn't solve all of his eating problems, but he was much more responsive to me, because if you didn't know, he's a stubborn, stubborn boy. So with age and the training he's becoming much more of a treat! I really do love him and he's pretty much mine and Joey's illegitimate son, so we both love that guy!

Now an update on graduate school... wow, I thought it would be hard, but never this hard. It is extremely time consuming and blood pressure raising. Hence the reason I have been MIA from the blogging world. Every time I would get the inkling to write on the blog I would remember an assignment, reading, paper, etc. due for class. And every time I had a free moment where I could have blogged, I would sleep or hey, maybe see the people I love like family and Joe. I wish I had more time, but I figure in just over a year I will have as much time as I want. So for all those people I have wanted to see, mark your calendars for the day after my graduation 2012! So even though it is hard and a lot is expected of me, I really do love it. I just have to keep telling myself I love it. Clinic is the best, I love getting to actually work with clients, it's the classes that are causing some tears, but hey, I signed up for this so I'll take it all in stride!

Now for other happenings, I was able to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in August right before school started which was amazing and I wish I was there right now. Then my family spent Thanksgiving in Hawaii which was so amazing and much needed, even if I did do homework on the beach the whole time! I figured, I would rather be doing homework on the beaches of Hawaii, then in my house in cold and snowy Utah! Glass half full people, glass half full!

Hmmm, I'm trying to think if there is anything else I need to update on......

Oh yeah......

I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!

That's right blogosphere, after 5 years of dating the one and only Joseph Michael Ropolo, we are finally engaged! I am so excited, but it honestly doesn't feel real because I have waited so long for this! How about the fact that even though I could have slept in today I woke up early and wanted to wake up so I could put my ring back on, yeah I'm that excited! Now for the story of how it all went down....

Well first, me and Joe were planning on August to get married anyway, and we had already gone to look at rings and found the perfect one, but I had no idea when it would actually be coming. Well as the OCD planner that I am, I was worried about planning a wedding in August because I knew that was when a lot of college kids, like myself, would be getting married, in between semesters. Therefore, I thought we should probably book things like photographer, videographer, and site early on. I've wanted the ceremony at Red Butte Garden for awhile now because in pictures I thought it was so beautiful and such a natural setting, which is what I wanted. I emailed the event planners there and decided to set up a tour for this week for me, Joe, my mom and his mom to go look at the beauty there! Thursday, January 27th was the day of the tour. I had school just down the street in the morning, so my mom, Joe's mom, and Joe met me up at Red Butte at 12:30. We get there and begin our tour, it was absolutely beautiful and I really felt like this is where the ceremony needed to be. Little did I know, that the decision would be 100% made in just a few minutes. We were walking and listening to the event planner, when Joe said please excuse us and pulled me aside. I was shaking because I wasn't sure what was going on, but I was hoping it was what I thought it was! Oh, side note, my mom totally threw me off by saying that Joey had called my dad to ask if he could come talk to him on Saturday, so I thought for sure the engagement wouldn't be until after then! Little did I know that he had actually gone and asked permission from both my mom and dad on Tuesday night! Back to the engagement, so he pulled me aside and was talking about if I thought this was the place and what I thought and we talked about how much we loved it. Then he said he had one more question, and down he goes on one knee, and out comes the tears from me (of course), he said something really sweet which I vaguely remember because I was a little in shock! And then he asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes!! I was so excited and the ring is so gorgeous! The way he did it was perfect too, the only thing I've ever asked is that there were photos and/or video of the proposal and that some of the family was there, and Joe listened! The mom's were there, and my mom was taking pictures! It was simple, and yet everything I ever wanted!

Needless to say, Red Butte Garden will be where the ceremony is held on August 10th, 2o11! I can't wait, it is now such a memorable place, and I see it pretty much everyday when I go to the clinic, so it's a reminder of the man I love every day, not like I really need a reminder of him!

So there ya go, an update on my life, I am a tired, engaged, happy fiancee and mother of a pup! I love it, I'm a fiancee, and on August 10th, I will be Amanda Ropolo! WOOOOOO!

P.S. Here are pictures of the above mentioned events, in no particular order, because lets be honest, we all know what a joke it is to upload pictures on blogger!

Thanksgiving in Hawaii

Peurto Vallarta

Griffey

Proposal Pics