The countdown is ON.

Two weeks from yesterday I will be MRS. Caraline Lea Walker Williams. Or rather... Caraline Williams.

Wedding checklist:

Dress... FINISHED!
Shoes... bought.
Jewelry... waiting to be worn.
Pictures... this Saturday :)
Temple recommend... got it TODAY!
Ties... found. Bought. All 8 of them.
Family... maintaining sanity.
Music... waiting for the opportune moment to be rocked.
Flowers... beautiful. Tulips, daisies, calla lilies.
Tablecloths... just don't care after this point...

Bride... so incredibly excited that she has less than two weeks to make it all happen!
WISH ME LUCK!

I WILL FINISH!

i registered for school today! 4 classes now. one more to add. 16 credits total.

school school school.

i love school.
i remember getting a real phone call from the first boy that told me he liked me in 1st grade. he wanted me to go to a movie with him and his mom. i could taste the vomit rising into my mouth.

i remember curling my hair with rag ties the night before the first day of 3rd. boy, i had crazy hair the next day. i got made fun of and never wanted to curl my hair again. thanks, you stupid boys.

i remember the first time i experienced the pit in my stomach as i sat, waiting for my science teacher, to pass out an exam. i was in SIXTH GRADE.

i remember still wanting my mom to pack me a lunch my Junior year of High School. and she did. because she loves me :) she made me my lunch this week for work. best meat and cheese sandwich on the planet.

i know i'll look back in twenty years and remember things about my undergraduate and potentially graduate experience. i'm going to be married and going to school. that's a first. but this i promise you... i will finish. even if is from the Devil's school. no but really, i will always love school. and although i hope to never stop learning, i do hope the end to my bachelor's is sooner than i know.

even if it takes me a million years...

Summer Update!

It's been a while! So much to tell! I've been going crazy with planning summer camp for the kids at Gilbert Lifetime Fitness, planning a wedding, and planning my academic calendar for Fall.

Being home is awesome. I was able to meet two new very special people. My new niece, Samantha Jewel Walker was the first. She is adored by everyone, especially her big sister, Emma. And what a good big sister she is!


The second was my dear friend Mindi's baby boy, Logan. He's already three weeks old and so big! He told me I was his favorite babysitter.

It's a time for change and for new faces! Today marks the end of the first week of summer camp with new counselors and new kids. One week down, eleven to go! But we have an awesome staff this summer. Unfortunately, our enrollment numbers are low and we are seriously over-staffed. And since I'm in charge of scheduling the counselors I also hear all about the sad stories and circumstances everyone's in and why they need money badly. It's stressful! Such hard times. But the kids are awesome and make it all worth it!

I bought a wedding dress! For only $100! Can you believe it? I found it at a bridal salon called Azteca in Phoenix. Its not completely what I love, so Mr. William's aunt is going to alter and fix it into a version of this....

This is the Daphne wedding gown from the J.crew wedding line. It's no longer in stock because it SOLD OUT its first season. And in emailing everyone and their bridesmaid, this hot commodity can ONLY be found and bought for a hefty price. You guessed it... more than my $100 Azteca dress. This dress screams my name. But it isn't screaming loud enough for me to lay down a house payment just so I can look awesome come wedding day. I just know that the re-made version of this dress will be awesome-er and I cannot wait to wear it :)

I can't decide on a wedding announcement layout. And because they are so expensive I don't know whether to order them or just make them myself. All these decisions... vellum or no? Ribbon? A collage of pictures or just one? My colors are chocolate brown, pale yellow, and cream, and I'm having a hard time seeing an invitation with those colors. I got two months and 9 days. Wish me luck!

I think I may not go to ASU next semester and just take a full load at Mesa Community College. Since I have so many generals to take, I know it'll be a heck of a lot cheaper. And frankly, Mr. Williams and I can't afford much at this point. Our 'eating out' budget always exceeds the monthly goal because I just love my Applebees and Chipotle too much. Everything seemed cheaper in Provo. I'm still waiting for Cecil Samuelson to call me up on the phone and personally invite me and Ryan back to the Y, free of charge. Kind of like his apology for denying us.

But regardless of the busy busy days and high angst, I am so grateful to have time with my family and with Mr. Williams especially. He was so excited to show up to work and find two free tickets to the Dbacks game this week! He graciously took me. Date night couldn't have been better!Thanks Ryan for choosing your favorite girlfriend to take! I loved it :)

Another (school) year has gone by!

Finals are over! I took my last final and it wasn't exactly how I wanted to end my BYU career. Because, yes, I am leaving BYU and going to ASU for the Fall. Why? Because I'm marrying the best man in the world and living apart just won't do. How do I feel about it? Bitter/sweet. I tried having a moment with campus as I walked home from my last BYU test ever, and the Utah wind almost knocked me off my feet. Intimate moment gone. Utah weather knows I hate wind the most and loves choosing opportune times to perpetuate it. It's the one element I'm always fighting with; I get so frustrated when it deters me from walking in a straight line or talking on the phone. But nonetheless, I will miss you, Provo. Thank you for the endless winters, krispy kreme donuts, prank wars, the University Avenue Bum, breaking and entering into apartments, the many parking tickets, dance parties on the kitchen table, and too many memories to name. Talking about it makes me sad. So on to the next!

My housing contract is up! I'm living out of boxes and am about to be kicked out of my room so a new Liberty Square resident can enjoy the cinder block I've been slumbering on for the last 8 months. And with the passing of the torch I will take my rightful place on the couch. I'm really stoked about it. Super stoked.

With school OFF, work is ON. Women's Conference is this Thursday and Friday and the paper chain I made a month ago is looking pretty short. EEEK! My boss Jenn always get mad when I remind everyone in the office of our countdown. If anyone is coming to the big Women's Conference, come visit me in the Wilkinson Center Garden Court- I'll be helping your every needs. The rest of you, pray for me. 18,000 women can be overwhelming. I do promise to blog the many stories that will follow the mass exodus of women. Last year it was the chicken salad lady who left her food unattended for "only a minute" and when she returned it was gone. What?! Gone?? Obviously it was taken to the lost and found (under my care) and after two attempts to reclaim it, in the space of 2 hours, chicken salad lady lost her own battle. "Someone must have eaten it." She's probably right. Or the lady who, as I'm eating my lunch, wants me to share some. Oh sure, stranger. All I'm saying is just be ready for complete awesomeness.

I move home the day after (Saturday) and I'm excited! Again, bitter/sweet. I think Ryan will veto me ever leaving to go anywhere again. I tried telling him a study abroad wouldn't be THAT bad.... but we both know that's just silly. Plus, I really do just want to marry him. I'm sick of writing my name on my groceries. This summer = a whole lot of work with summer camp and wedding planning! I'm really excited :) And I've started to make big plans with my entrance into ASU. Goals that will keep me busy and involved. Arizona State won't know what hit them!

Until next time. Goodbye roomies, I love you!

Good news

HELLOOO. My boss told me that my good news is definitely blogger-appropriate. Although I usually never display the truly personal aspects of my life on here, I think its time :)

I'm ENGAGED! I've been dating a very wonderful man named Ryan Andrew Williams for 9 months now. We met in Arizona last summer and dated off and on during those months and became "official" in August. He's been going to school in Arizona and me in Utah and our long-distance time has been... way... fun. It's been rough but we're just glad to see have seen each other as much as we could. He came up last weekend for Conference and proposed on top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, at the glass window that overlooks Temple Square, in the midst of many tourists and on-lookers. Our audience made for quite a memorable experience. We've now become the new face on pages of many strangers' scrapbooks.

We are getting married in the Mesa, Arizona Temple on Saturday, August the 8th. We booked the Wright House for our reception that night and are planning on a killer honeymoon to Hawaii. Thank you Brother and Sister Williams. Everything feels happy and we couldn't be more excited!

Here are some cute pictures of us and the proposal.

Y-not serve?

This semester has been crazy busy! And it's half-way OVERRRRR. Crikey.

I've been volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. It's a Christian organization that builds homes for families that can't otherwise afford at their own cost. We build homes. I build homes. Who-would-a thunk? I am gratefully one of their newest Site Safety Coordinator's. It sounds more awesome than it is. I pick out splinters and help my friends be safe, as well as work alongside the other volunteers. Along with my personal endeavors with this non-profit organization, I have become apart of Habitat's new BYU Chapter group. The President of the club is in my ward and asked me to be the Social Coordinator (I prefer "the social guru") and help get the club kick-started. It's been a blast! We've been working on a home in Provo and have another one that opened this week in Orem. We also had our first ever social full of waffles, music, and mingling. Thanks to Facebook and mass texting, we had over 30 people attend. Build days are full of painting fumes, dust everywhere, power tools, roofing, safety glasses, and some of the best people in all of Provo.

Success.

Working with this program has helped balance my life up here and put things into a busy and humble perspective. I love it :)

pretty maids all in a row.

I always have a song in my head..

Today's: You Are The Best Thing by Ray LaMontagne. It was actually the background number to my dream... which was rudely disturbed by a said roommates alarm. A song by Nickleback nonetheless. Never a song in my head.

I love music. Particularly the music bred into me. Music played from numbers of records and tapes my father stashed away until weekend nights with the family. CCR and The Beach Boys. 90's music my brother's worshipped while arguing if Soundgarden or The Smashing Pumpkins would win in a rock-off. Beatles, Foo Fighters, Simon and Garfunkle, The Police, Pearl Jam, Sublime, the freaking Aquabats, anything rock-and-roll (to name a few). The strong denial of disco and 80's butt-rock music. (And, of course, country.) I admit I've found my likings outside of my mentoring. Whether I've stuck with the Walker family guidelines to the correct usage of music, I just know how to boogie. "I feel it in my bones." It's in my blood. And my blood wants to share my top iPod songs with you. I constantly listen to these songs. Allow me to enlighten you on my fav's. Listening?

(I just added this one... so yes, you counted right. 11 songs.)
11.) To Be Surprised by: Sondre Lerche
From the movie Dan In Real Life, which I adore. I can relate to songs like this and feel that the folk sound isn't utilized enough in popular music. Please PLEASE download this song.

10.) Rosanna by: Toto.
This is the closest thing I know of 80's music. You can't stop me. There's a certain awesomeness to the xylophone interludes and synthesized brass instruments. The musicality is simply striking. The snapping makes it a pretty easy song to dance Westside Story-like to. You know exactly what I'm talking about.

9.) Love Story by: Taylor Swift.
I just can't help myself. I had to be honest.

8.) In Your Eyes: Peter Gabriel
Recent discovery... long time comin'. Unfortunately the means in which I discovered this song was through a cover done by Sara Bareilles. She did do an excellent job, but the original is absolutely better. Next song to find by Peter G... Sledgehammer.

7.) Lovers In Japan/Reign of Love by: Coldplay
I wish this weren't already a single. Something about everyone now having this as their ringtone sends a wave of irritation through my jacket. I guess it's just that good of a single... two songs in one. It has a good dynamic contrast between the two. If you really want to be wow-ed, go see them in concert. Twice is not enough for me.

6.) Forever by: Chris Brown.
Look, I don't even care what you say. Go ahead and judge me. This song puts me in a better mood than anything. He's got the moves. He's got the looks. He's got the song of my heart. I plan on quoting him this song when I meet him.

5.) Listen to the Music by: The Doobie Brothers
I don't know half of what is being said but I don't care. I'm gonna let the music play. Definitely a feel-good song. That's all I really have to say about it. I do want to watch Remember the Titans everytime I listen to this song. Don't even think its apart of the soundtrack. It's just THAT good.

4.) Slow Me Down by: Emmy Rossum
This is a mix between Imogen Heap and Enya. Little Miss former star of Phantom has done quite well with her vocal abilities. I found this, along with some Jonas Brothers jams, on the Lifetime Fitness summer playlist. This song is fantastic. (So is Love Bug by the boys.)

3.) Lady In Spain: Ingrid Michaelson
There are too little words to describe my passion for Ingrid. She is the perfect arrangement of happy for me. I recently found this song and with my 30 second iTunes preview, knew I had to buy it. "I can be... anything I want to."

2.) Love Will Keep Us Alive by: The Eagles
My parents have this live concert of their whole Hell Freezes Over album and this song gives me chills to hear everytime. It's the perfect little Valentine's song.

1.) Brass Bed by: Josh Gracin
Mmmmmm. At different poses, Josh looks like the Fonze. I'm okay with that. I'm not the hugest country fan and am the outcast of the family for even breaching the country side. But I am beginning to like it more and more. Mainly, I just love this song. I will never retire from Brass Bed. It will go down with me to my grave.... bed.

There you have it. Another insight into my soul.