Marriage.

Post-sealing excitement. WE'RE MARRIED!

It's hard to believe be have been married for almost a month and a half, but look where we are! First off, Logan and I would like to say how grateful we are for all your love and support. You made our wedding day such a great memory. Although it's a bit of an overwhelming blur now, it was the funnest day ever! As we were planning the reception over the past couple months, I had a worry in the back of my mind that hardly anyone would show, and that it would be a bit of a flop. BUT this wasn't the case :) Logan and I had such a blast! It was such a party full of great memories, and you're to thank. 

The wedding was a bit difficult to plan since I was at school while the moms and sisters were on the mainland working like little busy bees (of course, our fathers were fully supportive, but we all know reception decorating isn't exactly their forte). Kristen and Dad took my engagement and bridal photos, Ashley did the flower arrangements with Kristen's help, Mom everything in between (from temple to reception), Yvonne handled the luncheon, and both moms tackled reception food. These ladies are superheroes. Andy treated us to a nice stay at the Grand America. This wedding was a family effort, and I'm pretty sure I had to do the least work of anyone. I even got to go to Lake Powell with Logan's family for a bit. Regardless, the months before the wedding were difficult. After Logan and I got engaged, he returned back to California and I to Hawaii, and the Skyping began. I'd Skype Logan to say hello. My mom would Skype me to show decoration ideas and get my opinion. It was crazy, it was messy, and it was fun. Oh yeah, there was a 14 credit semester shoved in there somewhere, and fortunately I came out alive. It was things like the Powell vacation and trips to the beach that kept me sane. 

Short engagement = :D                    Long distance engagement = :( 

Our first dance :) Awww...

Logan and I started school 3 days after the wedding. Woo! We're both taking Physiology + Lab, Molecular and Cellular Biology + Lab, Mentored Research, and Achieving Eternal Marriage. He's also taking a few online classes as well as a fitness class. I'm taking a early morning jogging class (6:00, yikes!) and English 201. I'm not gonna lie... as we talk about Homer and Shakespeare in my general requirement class, I'm going over the nervous system in my mind, preparing for my next 150-question test. Isn't it interesting how some teachers think their class is the most important thing in your life?Anyways... although we both planned to have an easy semester to enjoy our time together in Laie, we've ended up with a 16-17 credit load. The days are long, as we wake up at 5:30 to run then finish lab at 6 pm and collapse in our little studio apartment (nicknamed the "chicken coupe"). 

But it's all worth it. Logan is the best study buddy- we've been getting the top scores on our Physiology tests. We get to be together all the time and pursue our medical careers together. Yesterday in our Molecular lab, I got to look at a slide of Logan's blood through a phase contrast microscope. It was the coolest thing ever and I'm pretty sure only nerd couples like ourselves enjoy such things as much as we do. 

The other day, one of Logan's friends found out he recently got married. The friend asked "So, how is it having all your meals made for you?" (apparently not joking) and Logan replied "Dude, we make all our meals together. You've got lots to learn." Sure, this made me laugh but it also made me realize how lucky I am to have a team-oriented husband. I don't quite feel like a housewife yet because I'm not. Logan helps me too much, and doesn't deem anything "my job". It's ours :) 

I think my favorite part of the weekdays is cooking together. It's such a nice break from "school stuff", and since all we have is an electric stove, microwave, and toaster oven, he's shown me some cooking skills he learned in Japan. We also enjoy our weekly dose of New Girl, Revolution, Parenthood, and presidential debates. It's a good time.

And the weekends! We have had the pleasure of paddle boarding under Rainbow Bridge in Haleiwa with a group of friends. At one point, I looked down and saw a gigantic sea turtle swimming under our boards. We've had other adventures at Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach, as well as game nights and movie nights. We hope to go scuba diving soon, and are excited to see some whales before we leave. Heck, maybe we'll go on a hike this weekend. We also plan to take a whale-watching boat trip, and maybe a shark cage trip.We just bought some bicycles online, so maybe that will open up some travel options as well.

To close this post, I'd like to list a few things I've learned about Logan:

I'll use the number 13 since Halloween is coming up :)

1. He eats 2-3 bowls of honey bunches of oats every morning. 

2. Give him a frying pan and he can make anything taste delicious.

3. He is very adamant about going to bed by 9:00 when it's possible. (Okay, maybe he did this while we were dating as well)

4. He's slowly and reluctantly realizing that he married an avid Taylor Swift fan.

5. He takes longer showers than any girl I know.

6. He showers twice a day.

7. He likes to get on Google and learn random facts. Right now he's been learning (and telling me about) the richest families in history. I try to sound interested ;)

8. He knows a LOT about politics.

9. He looks like an adorable little boy when he's tired.

10. Logan loves Halloween.

11. He has special feet (he has to wear running shoes or they hurt).

12. He knows when to let me sit back and take a break while he cooks dinner or cleans the apartment.

13. He loves to learn- he doesn't attend a class to get a good grade, but to actually learn something.

That's everything from the Rahn Family! We hope you enjoyed our post, and happy haunting! 

P.S. Comment and leave your favorite Halloween traditions if you dare...

Powell

The end of Alex's first long wakeboarding run :)

What an epic week at Lake Powell! This was my first houseboat experience and it couldn't have been better! The weather was great. The location in West Canyon was great. The food was great. The people were great. Everything turned out to be picture-perfect- there were no injuries, no technical or mechanical malfunctions, and no storms! I didn't get sunburned ONCE. Miraculous, right? I think the best part of the trip was getting to hang out with Logan 24/7. On Thursday night, the women arrived at Walmart at about 12:30 am and we were on a mission- to get enough food for 21 people for an entire week. I also learned how to wakeboard! Logan really improved his wakeboarding skills as well- he ended the week with over a foot of air and a board-grab during his jump. It was also my first time on a seadoo or jetski. It was a BLAST. We had access to 6 and were always zipping around on the water. People were constantly taking trips out on our two ski boats, whether it was for tube wars or skiing or wakeboarding. Which reminds me- I also had my first tube war experience on this trip. Let's just say it's my new favorite thing EVER! I love whipping around at high speeds and jumping off your tube in order to drag someone else into the water. Hehehe... On Monday night we hooked up a projector and watched The Princess Bride on the canyon wall, laying on the roof of the houseboat. It was epic. Everyone was having fun with the fishing poles too, catching fish left and right. Logan's little sister, Summer, caught a catfish over 1 foot long! It was so cool. One evening we donned our life jackets with glow sticks and had an awesome time doing likely illegal things in the dark. We visited Rainbow Bridge National Monument, and got a private tour. We walked UNDER the bridge! It was a real treat. The trip couldn't have been better. Logan and I are so thankful for all the hard work and preparation that went into making it all possible. We love you guys :)

P.S. 19 days until the wedding! Ahhh!

So close.

The words of that epic song from the end of Disney's Enchanted by Jon McLaughlin keep running through my head. So close... but still so far. (click to listen Enchanted- So Close)

After much anticipation and stress from enduring a long distance relationship (we're at a running total of 15 weeks apart), the end is drawing near. In 1 week I'll get to see my favorite person in the world! How joyous it will be :) Logan and I will reunite in California on August 8, then drive with his family to Lake Powell for a fun-filled 1 1/2 weeks with family friends, the Sorensens and Turnbulls. I am EXCITED! 

Unfortunately I will be missing school, and after all the splendor that Powell brings, I will fly back to BYU-Hawaii alone on August 19 just in time for finals. Another 2 weeks apart. Will it ever end!? After I take (and hopefully pass) some exams, I'll fly back to Utah on September 1 with less than 1 week until the wedding. Wooo!

As hard as we're trying to enjoy the engagement, Logan and I are so excited to finally be within a 100-mile radius of each other.

Quote Logan, "I never want to be away from you for more than 1 week for the rest of our lives." 

Then after a moment of contemplated extension, "Yeah, one week's good." Of course... Logan and his way with words :)

For now, this is as good as it gets. Thank you Logan for making every day a fairytale and being my best friend. See you soon :)

Love, 

    Alex

The Proposal Story

I finally finished it! It may be a little long but it is worth reading I promise.

Alex asked me to write the proposal story because while she knows how it ultimately went down, I know what went on behind the scenes. So get ready for a behind the scenes tour of “the proposal” ( no not the movie )

It all started in June. I decided I wanted to marry Alex and started thinking of ways to propose. I thought about the court yard at BYUH where we started dating, the little cement box by the beach down the street from my house where Alex and I had our most thought provoking conversations,  the top of Laie Summit where I realized I wanted to start dating Alex, and the beach where Alex and I had out first kiss. After thinking about it a good amount, I decided on the cement box. I know strange, but I had an idea. I wanted to decorate the box like a picnic table with candles and such, then have a nice picnic dinner and ask Alex to marry me. It sounded wonderful and looked even better in my head.

If you’re thinking that my idea is really cute or that it sounds really good I hate to disappoint but it didn’t happen. Something even more wonderful happened! You see, in order for my plan to propose in Hawaii to work I would have had to wait all the way until September. If you know Alex and how amazing she is, you know that I could not possibly wait that long. So I had to change my plans. Luckily I had the opportunity for Alex to come visit my family and for me to visit hers. I knew this was a blessing/opportunity I could not possibly let pass me by.

Once I realized I was able to propose much sooner than planned, I was very nervous and very excited. I started thinking of ways to do it in California or in Utah. California went out the window pretty quickly because I needed to talk to her father first and ask his blessing.  So Utah was going to be the place. I thought and I thought and I thought and I really couldn’t come up with any ideas on how to go about proposing. Coincidentally during all this thinking I realized I still didn’t have the ring!

Picking the ring was a little bit of a process- I wanted to pick it out myself without Alex knowing what ring I ended up getting so it would be more personal and thoughtful. First I started by asking the future Mrs., and I quickly learned that Alex likes a very wide range of jewelry. This was a good thing, but slightly frustrating because I really had no base to go off of. Once I knew I had free range on the type of ring, I decided to go with my own taste. I went to the store ( The Diamond Gallery for those of you who live in Fresno ) and found a couple that I really liked. I eventually decided to go with a halo setting and I did not want the diamond to be raised out of the setting. I wanted what is called a bezel setting. I know you might be thinking why a bezel setting or what in the tarnation is a bezel setting... well that is a whole other story. In short, a bezel setting allows the diamond to sit flush inside of the ring. I didn’t want the diamond to snag on things and fall out. Also when I was little, my Mom’s diamond would occasionally poke me when she would pick me up; hence I had a desire for a bezel setting.  Once I had decided all of that, I went about looking at diamonds. During this whole ordeal my wonderful mother was kind enough to offer me the diamond in HER original engagement ring. I thought using it would be a cool way to make the ring even more special so I took her up on the offer ( thanks again Mom! ).

I had the diamond and I knew what style I wanted, so I headed back to the store. I picked out a ring, but was nervous to buy it without Alex’s approval ( dropping a bunch of cash on something she thought was hideous was not something I wanted to happen ). Luckily, a couple days after I had gone to the store Alex came into town to meet my family for the first time ever! I brought her to the diamond gallery, asked her which rings she liked, and BAM! She immediately pointed to the one I had picked a couple days before! That’s right, I know what I’m doing :) I bought the ring and we drove to Utah on the same day. Ken, the owner of the Diamond Gallery, promised to ship the ring to me as soon as it was ready.

In Utah, I met Alex’s family, went to the lake, hung out with some of her friends, and most importantly, asked her dad's permission to marry his daughter. Chuck didn’t know me all that well, so it was an understandably long conversation that was also very fun. We pretty much spent an hour and a half talking about how awesome Alex is and about Alex’s and my plans for the future. At the end of it I found out I had passed. I had the green light and it was time to jump.

The date for the jump was July 3^rd. The time was to be determined. The plan was simple. Alex and I would drive up to The Canyons ski resort with her family and watch a concert. At the end of the concert there would be fireworks. During the concert, Alex and I would ride the chair lift to the top of the resort and then underneath the beautiful luminescent glow of the fireworks I would ask Alex to marry me. But then the wildfire in Alpine started that same morning…

We got to The Canyons and found out that the fireworks had been cancelled and the lift was closed. My heart dropped. I had no backup plan and a ring burning a hole in my pocket. I frantically texted Alex’s family asking what they thought my best option was. She was a bit bothered that I was buried in my phone for much of the evening. If she only knew :) At first it seemed the proposal would have to wait until a later date, but then Chuck saved the day with a wonderful recommendation!

Chuck suggested I pop the question at another resort in the area- The Montage in Deer Valley. He and Maggie guided us to the resort and I immediately knew it was the place I wanted to propose. It looked like a castle that some medieval king had built tucked away in the mountains. The interior lived up to the resort’s outside appearance, with beautiful wood work, vaulted ceilings, and a twin staircase complete with a chandelier in the entrance. It was also a great coincidence that during July, ski resorts aren't the liveliest places. We had this castle to ourselves. Since her parents were with us, Alex didn't suspect anything which was good because I'm not an expert at hiding things from her (an admirable trait in a husband, I might add :D ). But when we split from her parents, she suspiciously asked "What's going on...?" We explored the resort and my seemingly glum and guilty mood sent her the message that the ring had arrived late and I was sad that she might be getting her hopes up. After having a bit of fun exploring our castle, we found a massive lawn complete with a fire pit overlooking the valley. It was beautiful! The sun was setting and I felt the moment was right. I reached into my pocket and pulled out THE RING! I got down on one knee, told Alex I loved her  ( and some other details I won’t include ) and then asked her to marry me. She looked into my eyes with the most beautiful and radiant smile I have ever seen and said…..

Well, I think you know what her answer was :) The rest is history.

So the long-distance engagement begins...

Farewell...

Today Logan and I said our goodbyes and began our one-month separation as he drove back to California to continue working as an oral surgeon assistant. I fly back to Oahu on Saturday to finish up summer semester, which ends August 31 then back to the mainland for a Lake Powell trip in the middle of August (we hope to get married the first week of September) . This upcoming month isn't the first time Logan and I have attempted a long distance relationship- I had already committed to attend summer semester at BYU-Hawaii when Logan decided to take a break from school and begin working in Fresno last May, so we decided to toughen up and hope for the best. So far so good (: At the time we parted with hopes of maintaining a friendship, dating other people, and the possibility of getting back together in September. But things took a turn for the better. After being back in California for only a few days, Logan realized that he didn't want to date anyone else and missed me like crazy. The phone calls and Skype dates began. Over the next looooong two months, we realized two things. 1) Skype is the best invention since ice cream. 

                           2) We wanted to get married!

Although Logan's eagerness to commit after 4 months of an easygoing, fun relationship came as a little bit of a surprise, I welcomed it knowing it was what I wanted more than anything else. Looking back on those 4 months of fun (and at times, frustration), I don't regret a thing. Whom I viewed as a goofy, low-stress, low-maintenance, slow-moving guy was actually an inspired, brilliant, disciplined friend. And today, Logan is my best friend. We can talk about anything, we know how to have fun, how to help each other, and how to communicate. We can play together, study together, entertain each other, and pray together. We have been fortunate to have amazing parents who have counseled and supported us every step of the way. Logan once shared a quote with me that sums up his philosophy on dating and marriage: "Be quick but don't hurry" (John Wooden), and I'd recommend it to anyone. My advice: date to make friends, and make friends to marry. You're going to marry your best friend, so you might as well go through the process in the correct order. Otherwise it's like you're steering a car without using the gas- it's not going to go anywhere. I'm SO glad that Logan is my best friend and took the time to do things the right way. It has given us confidence and happiness in our decision to be together forever. 

Logan, see you in 28 days in the San Jose airport!

I'll miss you.


Alex

Engagements

This is one of Logan's favorites.

....and this is one of Alex's favorites.