Getting Close-

I can't believe I am marrying my high school sweetheart in 3 days. Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming. This past week has been so much fun getting ready for the big day! Let me rewind.

Saturday, June 15 I received my endowments! My brother and I did it together in the Salt Lake Temple. What an amazing experience. It was so neat. I loved it. My family was there and Shawn. I loved looking at him in the temple all in white. It made me think about all the times we'd talk about how excited we were for that. We wrote about it all the time in letters. My favorite part was at the end, when we all gathered in a very special room and hugged. And Shawn took my hand and walked me to this couch. This couch is very special to us, because that's the couch Shawn sat on while he prayed about me being his wife and waiting for him on his mission 2 years ago.

After the temple, I had a bachelorette party. My cute bridesmaids threw it for me. Thanks Holly and Miranda. And everyone who came. It was a blast. Lets just say..... my girls know how to take care of me ;) 

This past week has been crazy! Monday I went to school literally all day, doing everyone's hair for the wedding. And then finishing up some crafts. Those of you who are coming to my reception, you'll walk in and say "This is definitely a pinterest wedding!" 

No joke.

Then Yesterday, I cleaned out my whole room, packed, and moved in to my new apartment. I'm not living there right now, but all my stuff is there. THAT was weird. But a good weird of course. We had the help of our parents, and Shawn's best friend Nick. While Shawn and Nick were moving everything in, I was looking at everything and putting it in places. Hanging up my clothes in the closet was so fun to me. We have two closets in our bedroom and I kept thinking, "Here's my closet, and here's his" hahaha. And after we finished, Shawn, Nick, and I sat on the couches and just kind of took it all in. Even though Shawn and Nick were talking about who knows what, I kept looking over at Shawn while he was looking around the Living Room and just smiling at me.

This is real guys, I'm gonna be Mrs Larkin in 3 days. :) 

We're practically done with wedding stuff. So now its time for my mom and I to go get pedi's mani's and eyelashes. :) 

Tandem bike & a picnic-

Yesterday was hilarious! I can't wait to show you the video. Last night, we met up with the videographer to do a little "couples story/date video''. We felt like celebrities having cameras and microphones in our face. I don't want to tell you too much because I want you to wait and see the video but it was SO fun! Shawn had such a great attitude about it ;) As we were walking out of my house to get in the car he says, "Alright. Here we go. My favorite thing in the world". That little smart A. I love it. But really, he did have a good time. We did the video out in Daybreak, (one of my favorite places in Utah). It is so beautiful out there! We had a picnic, rode a tandem bike, and hung out by the lake.

When we did our couples story, we did it separated so we could get two stories from different point of views :) And yes, when I talked about "Why I love Shawn" I cried. SO WHAT. I am SO excited to see the video and what he said about how we met and fell in love and stuuuuffff.

OH YA. and did I tell you one of my very favorite couple lives too far away from us? She lives in Idaho and he lives in North Dakota. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. They are getting married in July and then moving to North Dakota for his job. STUPID STUPID STUPID. His name is Jake. Her name is Amber. Jake was one of Shawn's mission companions. And Amber and I are the same person. I adore that girl.

Oh and I never posted pictures of the two family bridal showers.
Look how cute my aunts are! I'm so lucky, I have the best family in the world.


Elkins Shower: 

Covington&Larkin Shower: 

How did I get so lucky?

So, as most of you may know, Shawn saw me in my dress for the first time. It was easily one of the best days of my life. I kept thinking, 'how could I possibly be happier?' and then I realized it wasn't even my wedding day yet. It's hard to imagine I could be happier but I know that day will be incredible.

So want to know what happened when Shawn saw me in my dress? I guess you'll have to wait and find out when you watch the video :) But I'll tell you as much as I can.

There I was, standing in my dress behind a bush so he wouldn't see me. I watched him walk into place and he wouldn't even look back. What a good guy ;) He stood in position and the videographer blind folded him. I stood there holding back tears, looking at my future husband. Every girl dreams of the day she marries her best friend. But what's also been exciting and special for me, is my husband seeing me in my wedding dress. Even in High School, I wouldn't show Shawn my Prom dresses!

So as I started walking towards him, I really wasn't in a hurry. I wanted to take it all in and remember the moment. When I got closer to him, I held his hand. He squeezed it tighter. And I kissed him. Yes, he was still blind folded. Then I took off his blind fold, and he slowly started to turn around. As I type this, tears fill my eyes because that moment was everything I dream't of and more. It took his breath away as he finally saw me. He then said, "wow, Look at you!" and I started to laugh. Tears filled his eyes as he pulled me in closer to kiss me. He then whispered, "You look beautiful Em".

It then became real. I'm going to be his wife. Forever. I've wanted this since I knew I loved him at age 16. For the rest of the day he kept telling me how beautiful I am and I could just tell his heart was so full of love and excitement.

The wedding is getting so close! I am marrying Shawn in 16 days. 16!! Yesterday, while Shawn was skyping a kid from Chile, I found a letter that Shawn wrote me while he was on his mission. I opened it up and started to read it.

It was written February 2012.

I started to read and I lost it. I started to cry. This is why:

"Em, I miss you every day. But I know you are the one. I am so happy that you are waiting for me. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father. He is helping us every day,cheering us on. I am so excited for the day that I propose to you. I am so excited to go look for a place with you and picture us in that house. I can't wait to call you my fiance. I promise when we are married that I will cherish our love every day because what we have is so special to me. I love you so much and when we get married it will be the best day of my life. Knowing that everything we went through was so worth it when I look at you and you're my wife."

I cried because it brought back emotions of waiting for Shawn and how HARD it was. It took me back to when I read that last year and all I wanted was for that to come true. Everything he said. And now we're here. We made it. We've looked at places, we found a place. I'm his fiance. and in 16 days I'll be able to kiss him as my husband. Waiting for him was hard, but so worth it. I'd do it all over again.

I am so grateful for him and his love.