eleven cosas

eleven things about olivia & dalin

1. I love learning to make things! Whether it is sewing, knitting, painting, carving, folding, gluing, making collages, cooking, baking, etc., I just love being able to do these things myself. Particularly things that I can display or use within my home. Maybe I should note that I am barely proficient at sewing and at knitting (among other things) for now, but I intend to master these when I'm a stay-at-home mom and--presumably--have the time.

1. Dalin declared that he likes science more than he used to. He said it's because he has to take so many lame science classes and he is starting to like learning about biology stuff and how things work. Pretty lucky since he is studying to become a dentist ;)

2. I love camping, fishing, kayaking, canoing, the woods, and stuff like that so much that I sometimes wish I lived in an obscure cabin in Alaska or Vermont or some place where we could just live off the land. The only trouble with this scenario that I can see, is that I would only enjoy it if I had a nice warm shower and working toilet. I think those would have to be deal-breakers.

2. Dalin wants to be a dentist because he thinks that teeth are interesting and he likes smiley little kids. He also wants to have a business that can be successful and make enough money so that we can have a big family.

3. I just think beagles and dachshunds are the cutest dogs there are. Dachshunds because my parents have one named Butterscotch (Buddy), and beagles because of Snoopy. I love that dog!

3. Dalin wants to get a husky someday. He likes them because "they have nice fur, they're nice, and they look like wolves." Haha, that's what he said.

4. After seeing all of the darling little girls that many of the couples in my ward have, I am starting to think I would not mind having daughters so much...some of those baby girls are so precious. So now I am not sure what family dynamics I would like. I suppose I'll be happy with whatever I get :)

4. Dalin is baby crazy. He loves little babies, especially with chubby cheeks. He cannot wait to be a daddy, and frankly, I can't wait to be a mom! :)

5. My dream car is an aqua convertible. This wish came from the time my mom and I rented a white one in Florida. I also would like one of those really nice trucks that has four doors. Like the one my father-in-law has :) 

5. Dalin's dream car is a green lamborghini gallardo. It's my brother Donovan's favorite, too.

6. Dalin and I will have known each other for a year on April 3rd. That is so strange to me because I sincerely feel like we've been best friends forever. 

6. Dalin's favorite book is Harry Potter. More than me, he says. Lie.

7. I LOVE roller coasters. Sooooo much. I love the adrenaline rush and I love the speed and I love everyone else thinking they're going to die. They don't scare me that much. 


7. Dalin would like to be a dentist someday...but he still has forever left in school...he already said this, but apparently it is imperative. He also enjoys playing tennis and golf. :)

8. Dalin and I are exactly the same. I swear. We disagree a lot, but it's more in a kidding way than anything. He says the exact phrasing of what I am thinking at least three times every day. I always regret not having said it first to prove that it really was what I was thinking.

8. Olivia is hott........(me: :] he is cute)

9. If I could be any animal, I would be a fox or a wolf. Mostly because they are fast and can be tamed and live in groups. I would not like being alone.


9. Dalin would be a rhinoceros because they're big and fast and strong. :]

10. I always had this feeling I would marry a tall man with dark hair, blue eyes, and lives in the west. I really did. And my parents always knew I would marry a dentist...weird.


10. Dalin is legally blind. His prescription is -8.00. He and I both want laser eye surgery. Soon.

11. I am on my 26th journal. Yup. I haven't missed a day (technically) since I was 13. Seven years of teenage drama. I have to admit the only portion of any worth has occurred within the last year...hint hint ;)

11. His top choices for our future children's names, include: Devon, Cove, Carter, and a lot of other black basketball player names. I cannot tell you our top picks though...there's the risk they might get stolen.

Blogger's questions:

1.  What are three words you would use to describe yourself?

me: silly, kind, impatient.

dalin: genius...expert on everything...humble.
jk, those were mine. his would be honest, hardworking, and thoughtful. i could not agree more ;)

2.  What is one piece of advice you would give to other ladies or guys your age?

don't get divorced for no reason! you can't give up so easily! if you're going to get divorced after a freaking year--or even after ten for that matter--don't bother getting married. huge pet peeve. marriage is important.

dalin's would be go on a mission.

3.  What is your favorite beauty product?

haha, if i could only pick one thing, (besides chapstick) i'd have to take mascara. my eyelashes are short and straight. i love anything from clinique.

ha, dalin says his clearasil. his "make-up."

4.  What is one food that you cannot stand?

i cannot stand whoppers, chocolate-covered raisins, or tootsie rolls.

p.s. these are dalin's favorite candies.

dalin cannot stand soda. which is a lie since he drinks Inca Kola which has a ton of caffeine. but he really doesn't drink much soda.

5. Where would your dream vacation be?

my dream vacation...probably ireland or scotland. i have wanted to go to those places foreverrrr. my great great grandmother is directly from ireland and i just really want to see it.

dalin's dream vacation is a cruise to the bahamas. he only says that because we watched Into the Blue last night. heehee. he also said "or jamaica. or mostly italy." hmm.

6.  Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

well my husband beats them both...but i have two. joseph gordon-levitt (arthur from inception) and josh charles (knox in dead poets society). i think that their characters are very polite, sensitive, and brave. and they both exhibit high, well-mannered decorum. technically i only like their characters though...because otherwise i know nothing about joseph or josh.

Joseph Gorden-Levitt (Arthur in Inception) 

Josh Charles (Knox Overstreet from Dead Poets Society)

And the studliest of all....Dalin Brent Gunnell (my cutie husband)

I can't even talk about Dalin's man crush...I'll just show you:

Yes. His is Eugene Fitzherbert. I'll admit he is funny and handsome and nice at the end of Tangled...but that's it.

7.  Who is your celebrity lady crush?

well, if i had to pick, i would probably say blake lively. not only because i love her name, but her hair and skin are so gorgeous. amanda seyfried is also gorgeous and her singing voice is so beautiful. loved her in mamma mia and in letters to juliet.

Blake Lively. She is so cute and her hair is pretty.

Amanda Seyfried. Dalin disagrees with me...but I think she is very pretty.

dalin says I am his celebrity lady crush :) (he had to say that). but in reality he would say jessica alba. barf. 

Jessica Alba. She is really pretty, so I take back the barf from before.

8.  What is your favorite milkshake?

i love frappes (same thing?) and always eat my ice cream in milk anyway...but i love chocolate almond and mint chocolate chip best. i like basically every flavor though. 

dalin loves mint chocolate. he likes DQ blizzards better though apparently. 

9.  What is your favorite blog link-up?

well, the only ones i actually read are my friends' megan wernig and elisabeth gringeri. so theirs.

dalin doesn't know any. so ours. 

10.  If you could have a super power what would it be and why?

i used to want to fly more than anything, but thinking about it more carefully, i'd rather be able to apparate. then i would not have to drive to work, i could go to ireland and scotland and all the other places i want to, and i could apparate into the sky...which isn't the same as flying but that's a sacrifice i'd be willing to make. 

dalin would want to be invisible. he said then you could sneak on whatever jet you want. obviously my way is more honest...just kidding, but seriously. 

11.  What is one thing that you wish that you could buy for yourself? 

a home in portsmouth, new hampshire. near the ocean. for my husband and our future children. 

dalin would buy "probably a house in idaho to live in." (me: hahhahahhahaa.) he read my answer first.

things to know BEFORE the wedding

i thought i'd make this list because, number one, IF i have a daughter someday (hopefully only one, if i do...), there are certain things i loved about my wedding and was really grateful to know and a few things i wish had been thought of. and number two, i think there are mothers or soon-to-be brides out there who also should be aware of these things.

so here we go. 


1. be sure to enjoy the day, (as cliché as that sounds) reminding yourself that despite the hassle it might be to interact with the endless numbers of guests (including several you may not know well or even at all), this is maybe the only day in your whole life that so many people will be celebrating only you and your companion. i found that after the festivities--which i had not necessarily been looking forward to--i wished the reception had been longer. looking back, it truly was the only time i have been given so much attention from members of my church, family, and friends. and although i tend to dislike attention, particularly in large groups, it felt nice to have the spotlight on Dalin and me for a few hours. so soak it up for the day.

2. talk to your future husband about the honeymoon before the honeymoon. yes, this sounds kind of awkward or even obvious, but it really needs to be done. i don't really want to go into this, but you and your future companion need to talk about this. sometimes it's hard, but it truly helps ease nerves, and gives you an idea of what to expect, and anything you can work out beforehand, so that your first weeks together can be stress-free and enjoyable. don't be afraid to ask each other questions or for advice. truly, try not to be embarrassed...after one day of being married, you already will begin to overcome any shyness or apprehensions you may have had before. President Spencer W. Kimball said, 

“The Bible makes plain that evil, when related to sex, means not the use of something inherently corrupt but the misuse of something pure and good. It teaches clearly that sex can be a wonderful servant but a terrible master: that it can be a creative force more powerful than any other in the fostering of love, companionship, and happiness, or can be the most destructive of all life’s forces.”

3. do NOT listen to all that you are told about the honeymoon. this includes information from friends, family, roommates, and especially the internet. especially if they have not been married themselves because you'll find that your situation is probably (most likely) completely different from theirs. i promise you that most of the things that you hear will be incorrect for you. i was fairly naive and had a lot of questions for all of the types of persons and other sources mentioned above. most of what i was told made me incredibly nervous and afraid. i felt intimidated and more anxiety than ever. because of this, i cannot stress the importance of developing a positive and accurate attitude regarding marital intimacy. go to a pre-marital course, like the one offered at BYU-Idaho or by a trained doctor. once you have correct facts and views, you will feel much more ready to face what is coming and learn that uncorrected fear [of pain] can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

4. if, like Dalin and myself, you were engaged after a rather short period of time, you may feel you need to justify yourself, or even deflect rumors that you're only doing it because you're "probably pregnant" or something as thick as that. don't feel as though you need to justify your pending marriage. for most people, when you know, you know. the Spirit will tell you, and probably not everyone else. stop caring about what other people think unless they have a truly valid reason to make you question yourself. if people think you're demented, they are most likely jealous, or they have no understanding of you, your circumstances, or your relationship. many of those potentially criticizing you, might find themselves in similar situations and won't they feel silly when they are receiving the same treatment from others.

5. here is some of Dalin's advice: keep notes about what they tell you in the temple. if you think you will be too busy to do it yourself at some point during the day, give a notebook and pen to a close friend or relative who will be present, but preferably not your parents--they'll want to enjoy the moment for themselves. if you are unable to do this, take a minute to make some notes in a journal before going out to take pictures. after pictures, you'll be too flustered to remember the key parts of your ceremony. 

6. speaking of pictures, try to enjoy the picture-taking. it sounds impossible because you have to tolerate a lot of group photos with various families, but make sure you take a break to take some fun ones with your spouse. as you've heard endlessly, the best way to remember your wedding day is through the pictures, and it does go by fast enough. i actually wish i had taken the time to plan out some pictures of the two of us together. i also wish i had some nice bridal photos, featuring in more detail my ring, bouquet, and especially my dress. so: plan ahead, and have patience with the photographers. 

7. plan through each day of your honeymoon. this does not mean that you have to stick to your plan! but it is my advice to have one. know what places or activities you would like to go to and participate in each day and have an idea of some places to eat. you don't need to go to gourmet restaurants each day, and it would be a waste to do so. think of ways to save money and still have a nice time. Dalin and i stayed close to home (well close to home for me) but we enjoyed our unique honeymoon and i was able to share many memories from my past with Dalin and we made plenty of our own as we tried new things together. 

8. register for gifts at a few places. this basically sums itself up. if you get duplicates, most places are pretty good about returns. even if you don't know where something came from, wal-mart, target, and bed bath and beyond are safe bets. sometimes they'll just take it if they aren't sure. registering is time-consuming and probably should be done before announcements even, so that you can make mention of your registries in the announcement....a word to the wise....

9. this goes along with the last two notes: request a few restaurant giftcards. whether they come from friends, your parents--whomever--we felt so grateful to have a number of $25 giftcards to some common local restaurants (such as Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Applebee's, and others). they held us over for at least one nice meal a day and we didn't feel the strain of paying each time. i would highly suggest doing this. 

well, that's all i will advise for now. you might check back in for any additions, as i'm sure other things will occur to me. best wishes! 

Oh, the places we'll go!

did i catch your attention? well i hope so. 


i have decided that it is my intention to share with you, our dreams. dalin's and mine. while we certainly have them, we are fairly realistic (not that i want to be >:[ ) and i don't necessarily expect to be making these trips anytime soon...or in this life...but we can hope! 


anyway, the point is this: dalin and i want to see some places in this world. so here they are and here's why.


#10) EGyPt. <click here to see pictures!
obviously the pyramids and sphinx and whatnot are things most people are dying to see. i think it would be a tad scary to actually go into a tomb, primarily because i would worry about it becoming my own tomb. but apart from that, egypt seems like an interesting place. did you know that egypt has the greatest population of arabs in the whole world? well it does. plus it has the nile river which i would like to see some small piece of. just don't drink the water...from the river of course, or anywhere else for that matter.


#9) INdia.  <pictures!
the birthplace of buddhism! according to my high school soccer coach, the people are not necessarily the most polite out there...i will certainly be wary of people spitting on me or worse. but thanks to indiana jones and the jungle book, i want to go to india for the sheer beauty of the jungles and maybe for a detour to the taj mahal.


#8) PaRis. <pics...
strictly for the eiffel tower, the seine river, the louvre, notre dame, and maybe versailles.


#7) BaRceLoNa. <fotos
i would love to take a stroll down la rambla and shop and practice my spanish skills. also, i love spanish history and would like to experience it first-hand. 


#6) CoPenHAgEn. <pix
it just looks beautiful and they say the happiest place to live in the world is denmark and so i am slightly curious about what it is like there. check out the pictures...


#5) Jolly Old EnGlanD. <photography...
home of "the fab four"/"the mop tops"...aka the beatles. i definitely would like to visit london and look for platform 9 3/4 and diagon alley of course. among other things, i want to see big ben and several other lovely things. plus it's fun to practice english accents and vernacular.


#4) Peru. <más fotos
i would like to see machu picchu and follow the inca trail. although this is unrelated, south america makes me think of el dorado which, apart from being a good movie, would be a sweet place to travel to. also it'd feel so adventurous i think. i want to see the amazon river...maybe from a distance, but still. 


#3) StocKHolm SwEdeN. <you guessed it...click here!
my cousins are from sweden and i just wanna see it. 


#2) NicaRagua. <if you wanna see some Nicaragua...
my former roommate at BYU-I is serving a nursing mission there and it looks incredibly fantastic. i want to see that part of the world and speak spanish and help the people there. 


and above all, ahead of everywhere else on our list...


#1) IReLaND & ScOtLanD. <see the beauty....here.
i wonder if an explanation is even necessary, it seems so obvious to me. since i have seen the movie leap year (and also coming from irish and scottish descent), i have wanted to explore my heritage and witness the beauty of the irish landscape and scottish castles more than ever. in particular, i want to see where harry potter was filmed. but that would just be a bonus. ;) anyway, the views are stunning and i want to experience the romanticism of irish spring rains. and maybe feel like i'm a small part of that land like my ascendents. 




as a side note, i do want to see each u.s. state and canada...but those don't count as cool so that is why they are located in this afterthought. 

success!

so here i am, applying for a billion jobs when i finally get a few more interviews.
tuesday, after helping Payson to move into his new apartment by UVU, i received a couple of calls within a few hours...first from Michael's craft store............i got the job!!!!!!!!! i am a part-time floor associate and meet on monday at noon!!!!!! so after celebrating and calling my parents to brag, i also heard from Dillard's! my interview had gone well and the assistant manager wanted me to "do some paperwork" around 1pm on thursday!!!!! so i guess the only question is...does "do some paperwork" mean "you have a job"? my hopes and belief is yes. but i guess we will see today! so then i pick up Dalin from his preview to dentistry class and get informed that i have an interview with Bishop Schroeder in a short while! i hurriedly changed into church clothes once i got back to the apartment then Dalin and i walked to the chapel and what do you know, i got a calling :) technically i can't say it yet, but after sunday i'll mention it.

what a day.
two jobs and a church calling.
now my worry is...how am i going to balance it all?? ;)

getting into the swing of things :)

well it certainly has been a while since i have made a post for this blog!

but i think my excuse is fairly valid seeing as it was just over a month ago that i married Dalin Gunnell for time and eternity in the Boston Temple. sometimes i can hardly believe that we're married. but it definitely has started to sink in now that we have settled into our apartment at Wymount, and now that Dalin is working his two jobs and nearly always is at one of them or at school. being home alone STINKS. i have had two job interviews and have applied to several places but so far nothing is definite. i spend most of my day getting the apartment clean, running silly errands (like getting groceries and whatnot), and writing thank-you notes for all of the generous gifts we received for our wedding. thankfully i have finished the notes from my side...and i am nearly done with those from Dalin's. 

but enough about my uninteresting schedule.

it is officially AUTUMN!!!!!! it's too bad the weather is not reflecting this. it's much too hot every day. i'm truthfully fed up with the 80's. i want to be able to wear sweaters and fall coats! not shorts. i am also anxious because this will be my first autumn without the dramatic color-change of the beautiful trees of New England. below are some pictures that i took a few years ago back in New Hampshire. how could anyone not love the trees when they look like this?

soon, i'll be adding pictures of my autumn decorations. once i've collected some... ;) 

Happy Autumn!