Bridesmaids.

So now that he proposed

I definately need my ladies

So I chose 5 babes to be my right hand gals! 

I thought this was a cute way to ask and it was dang cheap too!

All I had to buy was ribbon, ring pops and cupcake boxes. 

I'll introduce my gals later ;)

And just for kicks... here's my GORGEOUS ring!

and my dog. 

This Boy...

So... This boy... is pretty much the best. ever. 

For the past couple days I haven't been feeling so great.

coughing, throat hurt, felt like puking all the time, ya know...

But... This guy planned a date, and I was feeling a lil' better.

So he picked me up at six-thirty.

We went out to dinner

I ate like 3 bites...

then we went out to the middle of nowhere

and he had a generator set up with lights in the back of the truck.

And we shot skeet.

Well... he shot skeet..

I missed a lot of skeet

and I had like 3 coats on....

But it was a hecka lot of fun! 

and then my stomach started hurting...

So then he takes me home

and I was not feeling good at all..

so he walked me up the stairs and tucked me in

then went downstairs and came back with 

crackers, pretzels, cough medicine, niquil, and ice water... 

he made me eat these nasty whole grain crackers to help my stomach feel better

I asked him if he could give me a blessing, and he did

amazing experience.

and then he kissed me and told me he loves me

said to call if I need anything and he left..

Umm... can someone say he's a keeper? gem? stud? so cute?

I'm so lucky. 

Now that I'm better... let the planning begin ;) 

The story.

Alright so yes I got engaged last night, and I realized that a lot of you didn't know I was dating someone.  Probably because we both aren't on Facebook a ton, and we have like no pictures together!

First, I'll have you meet Kyle.

His name is Kyle Stephens, from Palmyra, Utah.  He served a mission in Frankfurt, Germany.  He loves anything outdoors and he's kind of a daredevil I've come to realize.  He works as a welder for powder river (super hot I know!). He's tall dark and handsome.  He's a workaholic, he always has to be doing something.  He's got a really strong testimony and he's just a wonderful man.  But here are the things that made me fall in love with him.  He treats his mom like a queen... And of course he treats me so well too! He is an awesome older brother, and he cares a lot for others.  He doesn't settle for anything. He will do anything for anyone to help them out.  He is the hardest worker I know.  He wears cowboy boots and wranglers.  Hes not scared of having fun and doing new things.  He can kill spiders... He loves God more than anything else, and he thinks he's the luckiest guy in the world, little does he know that I am the luckiest girl in the world getting to spend the rest of my life with this guy. 

So here's our story. 

I had kind of gotten tired of dating and therefore I was perfectly content just living my life without dating... And I told myself that I would not be one of those girls that found their husbands at byu. That was the plan.

Until I showed up to school in these dirty cracked cowgirl boots (I was working that morning and didn't have time to change) and this guy I was sitting next to in biology said, "nice boots" i said thanks, first guy I'd met at byu who actually complimented my boots.  And the guy was quite attractive... But I was done dating remember?

Well he complimented my boots again and I think asked me a question about one of the lectures... Then the next time we sat together we actually talked... We found out we both have horses and he was from a small town called palmyra... But we didn't get each others names... Oops!

At this point there were only a few lectures left in the class... So apparently he thought he better make a move soon because he got my number and asked me out for dinner. And I said yes I'd like that!

So our first date... He picked me up and we went to sizzlers, we talked a whole bunch and we found out we had a lot in common!  Then he took me horseback riding at the fairgrounds.  Guys... He took me riding.... First time that has ever happened!  First time i didnt have to trailer the horses or saddle up a horse for someone... This guy was a keeper.  And his horse was cute too! Then we went out for ice cream and he took me home.  If its possible to fall for a guy on the first date I think that was it!

Second date.  I wanted to go riding up slate canyon and he said he'd come too. Except it was snowing pretty hard... So he called me asking if we still wanted to go, and I said of course! So we rode up the canyon in the snow.  So this guy would come along on some of my crazy adventures, and he's definitely no sissy! On the way back I sat in the middle seat of the truck ;)

Third date. We went up to temple square and saw the lights and went out to dinner.  I got to meet his friend Gus and he held my hand for the first time.  I went out on a limb and I told him I liked him a little, he said he liked me a lot!

Fourth date.  In my previous blog post I kind of talked about how I drove up this snowy canyon road to go on a ride with this boy and Gus. Well after Gus left, and we were sitting in the cabin I asked him to tell me something I didn't know about him. And he said "well I was kind of hoping I could kiss you sometime" I said "yeah I would hope so too" and... We kissed. Then we figured out that our horses had run off, so we had a nice long walk back to the truck.  This day was also our first snowball fight...

Then we got to meet each others families.  Love them.

Fast forward to a night where I took him out to one of my favorite spots by the lake, and we got talking. And he said "I think I'm in love with you" well boy, I'm in love with you too.

In the month and a half that we've been dating we've had so many adventures together and I've been falling more and more in love with him every single time.  He taught me how to snowboard, we've been on alot of horse rides, we've been camping, he passed the farm test! (Blog post later) we've gotten in countless snowball fights, been snowmobiling, roping, watched my cousins wrestling tournament, survived finals week together, stayed up way too late, moved a ton of hay, made dinner, had a bonfire, been hiking...the list goes on and on.  And best of all is I get to do that forever now!

Okay now the proposal... I knew he was up to something when he kept asking me when i was working.  I worked Monday, and when I came home and asked if Kyle had been by my mom said "I don't know". Caught. But all I could get out of my dad was "he's a fine young man" I already knew that...

So last night he asked if I wanted to hang out, I said of course.  He was acting funny... And we drove out to the lake where he told me he loved me, and we got out of the car and we were holding each other and he steps back and said "here goes nothing" then he hit one knee and said "Jennifer Brockbank, I love you so much, I want to spend my life with you" (he threw in a would you go with me from a josh turner song too, but then decided a "will you marry me?" would be better).  And he put the ring on my finger and I said yes and I kissed him!

To be continued ... :)

Fishtailing in a Winter Wonderland.

Let me tell you how much I love being back all day every day doing what I love... without school.  

Anyone who knows me at all knows that once I set my mind on an adventure theres no backing down.

So on saturday when it was snowing,  you better believe I was still heading up the canyon! 

I turned off at vivian park and headed up the road to big springs... except the roads weren't plowed

and I got to test out my insanely good truck and trailer driving skills kicking it in 4high and fishtailing up the hill... poor Arizona swaying in the back!

Finally made it up there and met up with the guys and they took me on a long ride around the mountains and it was beautiful! 

I mean look at this landscape

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Anyway. These boys had "restored" a cabin they'd found years before and even put in a tent stove and brought up food and slept there the night before. It was like a Jeremiah Johnson cabin it was so cute!

Gus had to leave early so me and Kyle hung out at the cabin for a while

While we were sitting there... we heard a snap from outside.  We looked outside and our horses were gone (along with my keys and phone in my saddlebags) not to mention my brand new headstall...

oh.... and that high maintenance horse too. 

So I laughed. he finally laughed too and we started walking back to the trucks.  There were lots of streams on the way back so I'm so grateful someone was there to help me from falling on my face walking across logs and slippery rocks in cowboy boots.  

Thankfully we started seeing more hoof prints and tracks from a pole being dragged on the ground.. 

And then I got to start my first snowball fight of the year! 

And we made it back to see the kiddos just standing by the trailer looking at us like... "where ya'll been?"  

All and all... I love winter rides, little cabins, white-washing, waterproof cowboy boots and people that are just as crazy ambitious as me. 

More to come!  

Dear Santa,

I'm putting my christmas list on here k peeps?

I've already got too many ponies so no worries there.. but donations of hay and grain are greatly appreciated.









First of all... can I just say I love these boots... they're $150... minus the $20 coupon code I've got... these might just have to slip into my budget this month.... just saying.. I'd get married in these!  you know... something blue?









This backpack.. I need a new one anyway and I love this one... I love the indian print and it's from Victorias Secret for less than $50 I'm pretty sure!

I've always wanted a pair of Chacos.  I got to borrow Lenzi's on our river trip and I got the coolest tan line ever.... and they are just plain fantastic... $100 for this pair, and I love this particular pair.  

And as obvious by my blog title pic.. I love dreamcatchers... I think they are so darling! So I would love this necklace and bracelet off of easy... I think they're like 20 each... but come on they are homemade and just so lovely.

Merry Christmas!

and love to you all ;)

Dear Cousins...

Dear Cousins,

I love my cousins more than anything, in a lot of ways they've shaped me into the gal I am today.  And better than that they're some of my dearest closest friends who I get to be with forever and ever!

My family is the ultimate support system, I can lean on them for anything... I'll tell a story to explain this.

So... if any of you know in my previous blog posts I got a ticket for having an "animal at large" aka dog off a leash... and if any of you know the kind of person that I am you know that I am a firm believer that stupid things are meant to be broken.  So I refused to pay that ticket, then I found out I had a warrant out for my arrest... because it had been 5 months since I had gotten the ticket


I was going to my cousin's farewell and I was late!  of course I was speeding, and I got pulled over for going 73 in a 45... oops.  Pulled over to the side of the road and all I could think about was... who am I going to call to bail me out?   My best friend Alisha was out of town..  My mom would leave me there...

Luckily, due to the tender mercies of God... or perhaps the fact that I only had one earring in, and looked frantic to get out of there.. he let me off... after running through my drivers license.  Thank you officer!!!

So I made it in time to hear Brayden speak and he did amazing of course.. and I mentioned it to my family that I almost had to call them to come bail me out and everyone told me to call them any day anytime to have anything and they'd be there.. And most people would say that... I know these people mean it.







So Brayden... He's just one of the rocks in my life that I can lean on, one of those good, solid people you know you can count on 110% of the time to be there for you, to tell you the things you need to hear, and just to make you smile!  I have so so many fond memories of this man!

I remember us being really little and I didn't like playing house like the other girls, so me and Brayden, Jeremy, my brothers, and Johnny would all play night games and explore around the pond at grandma's house even though we weren't supposed to... or we'd sneak next door to play on the teeter-totter.

Fast forward a little bit to when we were older and we would start branding and taking down cows and teasing uncle leland.  Although they're a little braver than I... I don't know if I could quite outrun leland...




Fast forward a little bit more to when we would spend the weekends at Bear Lake with all the cousins... and me, Brayden, and Jeremy took the canoe out on the lake.. I don't remember who's genius idea it was to tip it... but for the life of all of us, we couldn't get that canoe up again... so we sat there until a wave-runner came and rescued us.

Or back track a little bit to winters up at Randy's cabin.... and we'd go sledding and jump off the deck, fight over the pinball machine, and stay up late with "the older kids".

And that brings us back to our most recent adventure.  For the past few years we always spend a couple nights at Aspen Grove as a family.  We tell christmas stories, watch the kids perform the nativity, and listen to Grandma and Grandpa speak.

OK now onto the adventure part... my brothers LOVE playing poker, I do too... I am my (other grandfather's) daughter of course! So me, my brothers, Brayden, and Andrew played a friendly game of Texas hold'em...  rebellious as that is.. My grandma doesn't approve of face cards, which is why we had to hide in one of the rooms to play it, and when Aunt Suzy walked in.... we were playing a grueling game of Go Fish, with face cards and chips... holla!

The second thing my grandma doesn't believe in... caffeine... and
since Aspen Grove is BYU run, neither does Aspen grove vending machines... and I happen to believe in Dr. Pepper.... and I didn't think the situation through and bring my own.  So we decided to utilize this dilema and make a run down to the Maverik in Orem, at 4 in the morning!  I would only ever stay up this late for Brayden and it being his last night to stay up late and drink caffeine for a while... not to mention play poker until 5:30 in the morning when we snuck back in!

But you know what?  I love playing the game, our family loves to play it together, and I know for a fact if I were to ever really gamble I would lose all my money... so no need to worry folks.

So Brayden?  I'm going to miss you like crazy nummie!  Especially your hugs.. I can't wait to write and send packages to you in Ohio! I'll see you in two years! Love you!

My life's been one long country song...

Ok there's a lot of people out there who love to make fun of country music, but they all know they're wrong in the end.  I particularly love old country... Chris Ledoux, Clint Black, Weylin Jennings, these are the classics.  So today's thoughts are on how country music has changed my life, and lessons I learn from them.

1.  If he can't bait a hook, drive a truck, or skin a buck... run. just run.

2.  Thank God every day... even for unanswered prayers.  Because any road that will lead you somewhere great will be broken.

3.  There is nothing like listening to a night train...

4. Girls and Guys both look hot in Wranglers and trucks...

5.  If there's any doubt in your mind guys... just kiss the girl... it'll either be amazing or you'll know that she doesn't want to kiss you.

6. Life's better taking backroads and stopping in small towns.

7.  Sometimes you just need to get up and leave town

8.  Don't whine.. cowboy up or go sit in the truck...

9.  It's a sad thing when your dog dies.

10. Honor God and this country.