Tricia & Tristan's Update
January 21, 2007
NEWS FLASH....TRISTAN FINALLY PROPOSES...
AND TRICIA SAYS YES!!!
Alpine, UTAH , Jan. 21, 2007 – At a stirring ceremony over plaster dust, dry-wall screws, tools and two-by-fours, Patricia Skousen was proposed to, amidst the construction of the unfinished basement of her parent’s home, by a kneeling Tristan Taylor, also of Alpine, Utah . The answer was “mummmph” because there was this big hug afterwards and the rest of us were all laughing or bawling or cheering. A beautiful ring now adorns her hand.
The date has been set for April 17, 2 p.m., at the Salt Lake Temple . In lieu of a reception, the bride and groom at this point are looking at a luncheon only for families and immediate friends, to which Tricia’s married siblings all replied, “I WISH WE HAD DONE THAT!!!”
Tristan Taylor is from Alpine, Utah , and works with his dad (an attorney) at a DNA lab. Tristan played football for BYU during Coach Lavell Edward’s last year. He’s an excellent student and, sometime in mid-summer, the newlyweds will be leaving the state to attend dental school. A handful of offers have arrived from several excellent schools (most of them back East) but no decision yet on where they’ll go.
The purpose for the basement proposal was to catch Tricia totally by surprise. It really worked. The whole family was on this “treasure hunt” through the house with notes from Jacob and Jen (they live in NY), leading us to believe it was a baby announcement. But alas, the hurried hunt led downstairs to an empty, plastered room where we looked all around and then noticed music coming from an adjoining room. I followed the younger kids with my camera, expecting to discover something to do with babies, and instead of pink balloons and baby stuff, there stood this big husky football player, a look of sheer panic on his face, modest decorations hanging from the ceiling, balloons, and a small velvet box gripped tightly in his hand, awaiting anxiously for Tricia to appear. When she walked in, she gasped with hands to face, her eyes sparkling up with tears while Tristan dropped to a knee, and the rest is history.
The attached photos include the couple after the “Yes!” The restaurant photo was taken at Los Hermanos in Lindon, where, over beef chimichangas, the negotiation for the exchange were initiated and concluded. We sealed the deal with a handshake although attorneys are still reviewing the documents for the rental of the dairy farm and veterinarian services for the 12 cows, after which time said papers will be notarized, and I’ll get him the cashier’s check sometime this week.
January 19, 2007
Isn't there some kind of universal rule that you are supposed to get a
break from stress after the holidays? I thought life would just be
fair enough to give us that. Before Christmas I was busy with making
the 2006 ASPB video. I haven't come to terms with the movie yet and
still consider not making a 2007 one. I don't know how many brain
blood vessels burst in the process. With Brittany's help this year I
may consider it.
On Christmas Eve Tristan surprised me with an Amish made Cedar
Chest....it's BEAUTIFUL and smells amazing. On Christmas I got gifts
that are more like "Real life" gifts than toys. That's what I prefer.
Funny how toys just happen to turn more useful when we're older.
A few days after Christmas Tristan and I flew out to NY to visit Jake
and Jen. Jake was just getting over pink eye, but we all had tons of
fun nonetheless. Tristan fell in love with Nino's pizza and requests
that as his only gift for Birthdays and Christmas here on out. We
walked the Brooklyn Bridge, went on the Staten Island Ferry past the
Statue of Liberty (where Jackson couldn't help but yell "KING" the
whole way...then realizing the statue didn't have a coat continued
yelling "King COLD!!"), went to the top of the Empire State Building
(cool, but will never do it again), We went to Times Square for New
Years and stood in the same 2 sq. ft. spot for over 5 hours (another
thing that was cool but will never do again), we saw where the WTC
towers were, we walked through Central Park and the weather was
PERFECT the whole time. Jackson was so funny...his word for PB
sandwiches is "Bearsheeba" and from now on, that's what we call it,
too. Sydney is a doll!! Happy as a clam all day. So content with
life...for her size when she was born, she's just a teeny tiny girl
now! The day we left it was pouring rain, but we both like the rain so
didn't mind at all. NY was awesome!! Jake and Jen were great to put us
up for a little bit as we visited them! :)
Now I'm back to work, still trying to catch up, still angry at the
movie ;) and trying to decide if doing what I like to do but not
getting paid much is more important then being paid more but hating my
job. Until the next update, I'm signing off. Well, I'll sign Tricia
too, I guess.
November 6, 2006
Where to start....I could start from my 21st birthday since that is
the only thing of me that's been up on this website since it
started....but then I don't want to bore you, so I'll start with the
beginning of this summer.
When we first moved to Alpine I started going to the Willow Canyon
singles ward. I loved the first week and hated the second week. I
planned on going to another ward the following Sunday. When I was
walking out the door that next week, the first counselor called to
have me speak in church. So, disappointingly I stayed, but I was going
to give one heck of a talk. I started with a joke. I'm sure I've told
you all. (BTW- I don't like when people start with jokes...it's lame.
But this one is an exception.) "The bishop asked me to speak not
because I was new, but for other reasons. He wanted the best looking
person in the ward to speak, so he called them....but they said no. So
he called the smartest person in the ward. They said no. So he decided
to ask the funniest person in the ward to speak, so he called them,
and I couldn't say no three times, and I finally agreed." Thanks to
that joke, it caught the attention of Tristan Taylor, a Sunday School
teacher, now executive secretary in the ward. I was scared to talk to
him, so anytime he tried to talk to me, I would find an excuse to get
away.
In June Wendy and I took a road trip across the midwest states. We
stopped in Missouri and convinced Jen to play ultimate Frisbee to get
the baby coming. No such luck. A week after we left Sydney was born.
It was a fun trip and we saw too many things to list here.
When we got home it was a dating feast. I had more dates in one week
than I had had all year...well...kinda. :)
I started going on lots of dates with a boy named Jonathan, but he
turned into a stalker. I suspected something weird with him and when I
told mom and dad I didn't want to date him anymore, they got mad. So
you see mom and dad...sometimes I do do the right thing! :)
Meanwhile I started going on dates with Tristan, and we started doing
everything together. If we weren't at work, I was at his house or he
was at mine. We usually played pool.
Out of the blue I bought a ticket to Washington D.C. and went there
about 3 weeks ago. Tiffany let me stay at her place...and yet again I
saw too much to list here. Mom said I saw more in 4 days than they saw
in 8 years. My feet sure felt like it. Did you know you could bruise
from walking and standing so much!! I was a pro at emptying my pockets
by the time I left. Every single building has you walk through a
magnetometer...whatever.
As of now, Tristan and I have been dating for 3 months. We see each
other everyday unless he is somewhere in the country being interviewed
for Dental school. Then we talk on the phone. There are bets to a ring
by Christmas, I hear. I make no comment on that. I do have a soap box
issue though...if you have something to say or are wondering...ask
me....none of this gossipy stuff...I'll tell you what you want to
know! I promise! :)
