Thursday, May 17, 2012

Oh Yeah... I have a blog!

Initially, I started this blog to keep those people at home in Utah updated on my life here in Spain. Last summer I think this blog served its purpose well. When I went back to Utah last fall I suppose that I should have kept updating it. Although none of you have been begging me to update it, many of you have asked what I have been up to and what plans Ulises and I have made. So here I am once again blogging. So do you want your update? Here you go.



After I left Spain last fall I was excited to go home and earn money and plan the wedding and the big move to Spain. I spent my time in Utah living in my parents basement ( thanks mom!) and working. I had several jobs over a 6 month period. Some of those job changes were welcomed and others weren't. Either way I felt really blessed to have earned enough money to buy a couple plane flights and save some money for Ulises and my wedding. More importantly I was happy to be with my mom, sisters and some friends who helped me plan a wedding and throw me showers. I love them so much and their help is appreciated! Then on March 21st I flew back to Spain!

So basically I planned my whole wedding while I was home in Utah and Ulises was here in Spain. That might seem difficult and in a lot of ways, but seriously-- who ever has a 10 month long engagement shouldn't struggle with planning a wedding in time. I had to wait to come to Spain to send out the Spanish invitations and Ulises and I still wanna choose our music and practice dancing-- but everything else is planned!

I am sure there are a number of you who are thinking. Wait-- they aren't married yet? I have had many friends meet new boyfriends or girlfriends get engaged and get married all within the time that Ulises and I have been engaged. It's frustrating at times to see others progress and we are stalled because of things outside our control. But I have to realize our situation is unique and that its not fair to compare. We are really blessed!

What has been so difficult you ask? Well, first-- saving money! I had to come back here to Spain in order to marry civilly first. That is why I am here! Ulises and I will marry civilly in Barcelona ( this saves us a lot of $$ and headache that would have been spent on paper work in the USA and also gets me instant residency) and then we will fly back to SLC for our sealing. We got special permission from the church to marry civilly first, here in Barcelona, and seal our marriage in SLC within a week. So June 16th Ulises and I will run over to the hosue of the city, tie the knot, then hop on a plane! Another reason we waited so long was to understand and plan for all these regulations for residency and work permits etc. It wasn't cheap either! We also had to pay for Ulises and his whole family to go to Madrid for Visas to come visit and see our marriage in the USA. That was something that as nerve-wracking. Luckily-- all of them were granted visas ( which don't expire till 2022! weeeee). This was another reason we chose to wait-- to have his family not only come to Utah to see the sealing--but to allow his family to stay in Utah for a couple weeks during summer vacation and visit church sites and meet my family. Ulises and I will also have the opportunity to stay in Utah for the whole month of July to spend time with my family and enjoy them before making Barcelona our home for the next 5 years ( at least). That couldn't have happened if we got married mid- school year. ( Did I mention Ulises will be the only student in his entire university that is married. They all think he is crazy for marrying so young -26)

So no, we are not married yet. Yes, you will be receiving your invitation in the mail soon. Yes-- you should come to our wedding and then hang out with us in July before we move to Barcelona. Yes-- you can come visit us. 

June 21st is the Utah sealing and reception date. Come! It will be in Draper Historic Park from 7:30-9:30. We will feed you cake and things. My sister Rachel is a fantastic chef/baker--extraordinaire and has been spending these last few months perfecting an amazing Martha steward wedding cake recipe. It also will be beautiful! So if you don't come to see me or Ulises. Come to see and eat the cake!

Also, I am so grateful for Katy and my Sisters and those who have helped throw bridal showers ( Yeah, it was weird to have those 3 months before the wedding.) And for Katy and Charissa who took my bridal pictures at the Utah state capitol. My  mom has been amazing handling last minute ( can you really call it that if we still have a month before the wedding?) things while I am too far away to do it myself. She has been so wonderful.

What else? I got my dress online from China and it's awesome. No regrets.
6 months was just enough time to make 30+ paper flowers to hang at my reception. Hopefully it'll be nice.
6 months wasn't long enough for Ulises to decide what colors he wanted for the wedding. I wanted pink and he wanted purple and we compromised. So....yeah-- bubblegum wedding of Pink and purple. hmmmp Oh well!


We are so excited to spend a whole month in Utah with my family. We are excited that 2 of those weeks Ulises family will be with us! I know it's not much of a honeymoon to stay in Utah with your in-laws ( all of us living in my parent's basement) but we are excited for the opportunity for them to meet and for us all to spend time together. I am also excited that my brother Sam will be home for the summer so Ulises can know him more. And my sister Sarah and her sweet family will all be coming out! ( boy will that house be full!).

We are being sealed in the Temple. Sealing is all about perpetuating family relationships. So I think it's beautiful that we will all be able to spend that time together as a family. Who knows when we will have that opportunity again!

So that was a long post! I hope you can fit us in your summer schedule. I would love for all of you to meet Ulises. I would love to see you all before we set up our home here in Barcelona, Spain.

Mark your calendars-- June 21st!









5 comments:

  1. Mary, I can't thank you enough for posting this. I am so excited for you and so wish we could be with you, but we will still be here in Magyarland until the end of August. I wish you all the very best in all that is happening. Can't wait to see the pictures.

    Love,

    Nan Gudgell

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  2. Mary, thanks for the update! It sounds like its been a crazy past few months! I'm so glad everything is working out so nicely for you. I can't wait to get your wedding announcement! Good luck with the last few things on your list and I hope to see you in June!

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  3. I am sooooo excited for you!!!! You have such amazing patience to work out of the international red tape!

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  4. YEA! We are SO excited for you! I hope you enjoy every single wedded-bliss moment. You deserve ALL the goodness coming your way!
    Love,
    Paige (and the Fishbowl Fishes)

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  5. I swear this is my last comment but I so understand the hassle and paperwork of wanting to marry a foreigner. After we got engaged we went to the city hall in my hometown to fix a date and were told because my husband isn't Belgian that he needed a proof of celibacy, a proof of nationality and a birth certificate. All these documents had to be less than 2 months old and certified by the Belgian embassy in South Africa. Once those arrived in Belgium we had to have them translated by a sworn translator and legalized by the courts here. It cost a lot of our time and effort and it took so long for those papers to get here. We handed them in at the city hall only 2 or 3 days before the deadline. :)

    Anyways, I'm done commenting now. :)

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