Thursday, April 15, 2010

Good Night Slide Show

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Pasta, Passion, and Pistols Mystery Dinner


This was our Mystery Dinner date night. It was so much fun. We all dress up as our characters and ate pizza, fettucini alfredo, and 'wine' (sparkling fruit drinks)


Scenario: Four dats ago restauranteur Giuseppe (Pepi) Roni was found murdered in the kitchen of his remowned New York City eatery, La Speranza. Pepi had been shot in the back with his own pistal. Tonight, his family and friends have gathered to play their respects to poor Pepi and to eat a feast of Italian food in his honor. One of them is a murderer.


Our Characters:
Angel Roni (Amber): Angel is Pepi and Rosa's beautiful daughter. it was Pepi's dream that his 'Angel' would marry a good Italian boy, have children and carry on the family traditions. Angel has a few fantasies of her own, and one of them is that hunk, Bo Jalais. Mama-Mia!
Costume: Angel is in mourning so her short leather skirt is black, complemented with a tight black sweater sweater. She loves gold jewlery.

Bo Jalais (Jon): Cousin of a cousin of Rocco's, Bo manages the Scargazzi vineyards. Bo comes from a long line of French wine makers and no one knows 'ze' grape like Bo. An important man in the Scarfazzi organization...what could Bo possibly have to whine about?
Costume: Bo typically wears a beret and a casual sports jacket over a black t-shirt. Grape-stained fingers and an eye for fine wines complete his ensemble.

Clair Voyant (MJ): Rosa's friend and astrology advisor. Clair's talents include an ability to communicate with the spirit world and see into the future.
Costume: Clair wears a gypsy-style gown with excessive makeup. She talks with a husky voice.

Father Al Fredo (Lorne): An Italian priest and long-time family friend of the Roni's and the Scarfazzi's. The good priest has heard their confessions and knows their sins.
Costume: Priest's cassock and hat. An overnight bag with at least one bottle of wine (for religious purposes only).

Mama Rosa (Emily): Pepi's grieving widow. For 25 years, Mama Rosa cooked the pasta while Pepi greeted La Speranza's dinner guests. In all the years they were married, not once did they argue. Had something finally boiled over in Rosa's kitchen?
Costume: Widow's black. Pots and ladling spoons optional.

Marco Roni (Nathan): Pepi and Mama Rosa's only son, Marco was expected to take over the restaurant after his parents retired. Marco hates waiting tables. His goal is to play on a World Cup soccer team but his papa has been keeping him permanently on the bench.
Costume: Soccer player's uniform. Waiter's apron optional.

Rocco Scarfazzi (Jimmy): Pepi's twin brother, a tough-talking no-nonsense Italian businessman. In addition to his vineyards and real estate holdings, it is rumored Rocco is the 'laundering' business. He had no love for his brother Pepi but his reasons are his own...capishe?
Costume: Black three-piece suit, white shirt, black hate and cane. Limousine optional.

Tara Misu (Ashley): Tara is Rocco's vivacious young fiancee. She was an upstairs maid in Rocco's villa until she swept him off his feet. Now Tara keeps a smile on his face and a firm grip on Rocco's assests.
Costume: Tara is dressed to kill. She knows the effect she has on men and flaunts her charms shamelessly.




Thursday, February 04, 2010

Our Adventures...


We have been fortunate to be able to travel together over the past few months.  It has been great to experience new places together.  We started collecting magnets and souvenirs from each place that we visit.  The fridge is starting to fill up already!  We both love to travel and see new sites and plan to continue this trend as long as possible. :)  Some of the places we have been: Price, UT; Sedona, AZ; Phoenix, AZ; Chicago, IL; St.Paul/Minnapolis, MN; Duluth, MN; Ephraim, UT; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO;  So here are some links to our adventures together...


1- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103061&id=688592774&l=bf8f8c7fc4

2- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=104759&id=688592774&l=a68f6307c2

3- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107856&id=688592774&l=7af81499a9

4- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107887&id=688592774&l=1700451362

5- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107900&id=688592774&l=2305b46e53

6- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=108628&id=688592774&l=826bfb3fd7

7- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113106&id=688592774&l=1d2a63ac3f

8- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113652&id=688592774&l=a709749ba5

9- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113659&id=688592774&l=4e2ac0f163

10- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114174&id=688592774&l=3e94264b6f

11- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118219&id=688592774&l=830b135aa5

12- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=139386&id=688592774&l=5c42651293

13- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=145278&id=688592774&l=6debd26087


Monday, December 07, 2009

The Proposal


The Proposal
Originally uploaded by akayj

         LOL he was so nervous that he said the wrong month. He ment to say July when I told him he felt like a fiance and not a boyfriend.
         That was the best surprise of my life. I can't wait until we can be together for good. I'm a lucky girl to have been able to be with him.
       There was more video of before and after, but I was limited to 90 seconds; for the full video go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6pjZj7zENE

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Save the Date...

Date: May 29, 2010
Where: Somewhere Inn Time; 175 North State Street, Lindon, Utah 84042
Time: TBA (afternoon/early evening)


Saturday, December 05, 2009

Engaged!

If you are curious how we got to this point read the last post "Our History..."
               So for me it all started on Wednesday in class.  My friend Ashley sent me a note in class saying that we should go out for a girls night out on Thursday night to celebrate taking this huge test that day.  Then my friend Emily said that she had a great idea.  That her father-in-law gave her a gift certificate to this really nice restaurant in Scottsdale that had a great view looking over the entire valley, called Hilton's Tapatio Cliffs Resorts - A Different Point of View.  So we should all dress up because we never get a chance to look girly any more and have a girls night out there.  That sounded like a good idea to me.  So Emily said that she would pick me up since I usually drive and she knew where the place was so it would be easier for her to drive.
             Normally me and Nathan will text each other throughout the day to see how each other are doing.  But Thursday afternoon he texted me and told me he was at the library and was turning his phone off so he wouldn't be able to get my texts for a few hours.  He had his Senior Thesis due on Friday so I believed that he would be at the library trying to finish it on time.  He also asked what my plans were for the night.  I told him about the restaurant and our girls night out.  He asked if we had to dress up and I told him that we were going to.  So he asked me to send him pictures so he could see us all dressed up.
              So Thursday night Emily came to pick me up and we went to the restaurant.  Ashley called and said that she was already there that she got there early because she didn't realize how close it was to her house.  When we got there Ashley met us at the hostess desk with a video camera.  She said that her boyfriend Jimmy had bought it for her today and she was trying to learn how to use it.  She said it would be fun to video our night out and we could send it to Nathan to see.  Which I thought was a good idea.  When we sat down at our table we had the waiter take our picture with my phone and I texted the picture to Nathan so he could see.  Then the waiter took our drink order.  I didn't even notice the waiter when he brought our drinks out to us.  But then I heard someone say "Amber."  I had no idea who would know me there.  So I turned around and there was Nathan dressed like one of the waiters standing there.  I was so surprised!  At first I thought, "That waiter looks a lot like Nathan..."  I was so confused and surprised.  Then he gave the sweetest speech that he could barely finish because he was starting to choke up.  It made me cry.  Then he got on his knee and asked me to marry him.  And I said yes.  :)  Then he put the ring on my finger.  I was so shocked I couldn't even look at it for a while.  
             Then he sat down at the table with us and they all told me how they had been planning this since Monday or Tuesday.  Ashley and Emily had been avoiding me all day because they thought that they were going to give it away and I would know.  Then Emily was driving super slow on the freeway (she was going like 40 mph on the freeway with a line of cars behind us LOL).  She thought we were going to be too early and they wouldn't be ready so she was going slow to waste time.  And when Nathan said he was at the library, he meant "I'm on a plane", and "I'm taking a break" meant "I just landed".  LOL  He is a good last minute planner.  They thought of it on Monday or Tuesday, he got the ring Wednesday, and flew out and proposed on Thursday, and then back to MN and finished his Senior Thesis on Friday.
              Then he told me that he had reserved a room for us at the Hilton there so we could spend time together.  So I stayed there with him and then he drove me to school in the morning.  So Emily went to my house and got my scrubs and stuff so that I could change at the school in the morning.  So then Emily and Ashley left and we ate dinner at the restaurant.  The views were amazing, you could see the entire valley lights.  And then from our room you could see all of North Phoenix valley lights.  It was a perfect and amazing night.  :)  And the ring is beautiful...He went to Jared! lol  He picked it out himself and he did an amazing job.



We do have video of the proposal so we will get it on here soon so everyone can see it.


Our History...

            We both went to high school together at Carbon High and we had a lot of friends in the same group.  We found out later that we both had a little crush on each other our Junior year.  But he had a girlfriend at the time and I was too busy for boys. ;)  On my way to my math class I had to go through the gym since the classroom was in the gym.  He had gym class at that same time.  I remember talking to him almost every day before and after that class.  I used to look for him so that I could talk to him.
              After our junior year I graduated a year early and went to CEU for two years to receive my Associates degree.  I then went on to BYU for one year where I decided to go on a mission.  3 weeks after my 21st birthday I went on my mission to Ireland.  After my mission I was married for 6 years to an elder I met on my mission.  I moved to Arizona where he was from and have been here since.  Currently I am in the Dental hygiene program at Rio Salado in Phoenix and will graduate in May.
             Nathan finished high school and then went to CEU for a year before going on his mission.  He served in Chicago.  When he returned home he went to Utah State University in Logan.  He is finishing his Bachelors Degree from there this month in Business/Psychology/Finance and will be applying to a Masters program in the next year or two.  After his mission he joined the Army and has served overseas in Germany, Egypt, and a deployment to Kuwait and is currently in Minnesota working for their Finance department preparing soldiers who are deploying to Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan.  He has been with them for 6 1/2 years and plans on retiring with them.
             As those 11 years passed we both went in different direction but time has brought us back together.  We reconnected through Facebook and my mom.  As I was going through my divorce my mom was keeping everyone up dated on what was happening with me.  My mom adds all my friends and my friends friends to her Facebook for her real estate business and because people her age don't really Facebook. :) So Nathan was one of her friends and would talk to her on Facebook and ask her questions about the situation. (Nathan is such a friendly person, he is a friend to everyone and talks to everyone on Facebook chat).  So they got to be really good friends.  My mom would tell me what an amazing guy he was and she really wanted us to meet up.  So on the 4th of July we were both in Utah to visit our families.  My mom invited him to come see the fireworks with us and stay the night at our house.  We clicked right away.  There was nothing awkward or uncomfortable, it was so comfortable and perfect.  After that we started talking on Facebook and on the phone and that lead us to where we are now.