The Countdown..

2 months. 59 days. 1416 hours. 84,960 minutes and I will be a married girl! Ok, I got the 2 months right, but I had some trouble doing the math, so I kind of guessed on the rest. :) I can't believe it's already been 2 months since Cam and I got engaged. Where has the time gone? Maybe it's because it feels like summer lasted 3 weeks, with the weather being bipolar. Anyway, just 2 months away, and Cam and I will be laying in the sands of Maui- as a married couple. The wedding plans are going well and everything is finally coming together. We will be moving to Southern California right after our honeymoon. Yep, you heard me right, we're moving. I am definitely nervous, but so excited at the same time. Luckily, CA is not too far, but it will be a big change for me. The only thing that matters is that I will have my best friend with me. He's got a great opportunity, and it'd be silly not to do this. His family will be very close, which will give me a great chance to get to know them better. However, it all just hasn't hit me yet! I'm sure it will. I know it will. It definitely will.

One step at a time. THE WEDDING. I can't wait for the day to come. It all seems surreal, almost like I've been planning someone else's wedding. It just doesn't seem real. It's like a fairy tale, and I'm finally the princess. My mom has been amazing through the planning! She has been so helpful and so patient with me. Many of you know how crazy planning a wedding can be, and how crazy the bride-to-be can be. I'm truly blessed to have such a mother. I've put it all in such a better perspective, and am more excited for the day, then stressed about each little detail.

Last week we had our engagement pictures taken. It was definitely an adventure in and of itself. We went down to Utah lake, all dressed up and ready to model- when an unexpected disaster came upon us. We were in a swampy field area, where there was an army of mosquitoes! Have you ever tried posing and looking pleasant for 2 hours straight with mosquitos eating you alive on every pour of your body? Yeahhh, not fun. Let me rephrase that, it was pure misery! In between each shot, the photographer was scratching like crazy as Cam and I were smacking bloody mosquitoes off of each other. The best part was jumping into the lake at the end of the shoot in our clothes. It gave us such a relief of all of the bites! Not to mention it was quite fun as well. We left that photo shoot with bumps all over our arms, legs and faces with itching pain. Literally. SO, lets HOPE the photos turn out to our liking. To top off that miserable experience, for the next week, Cam and I scrubbed our legs and arms with aveeno soap, and lathered ourselves with anti-itch creme in the middle of Gloria's Little Italy restaurant. We didn't get much sleep for those few days of recovering. Cam would call me early the next morning saying "Megan! I didn't sleep at all, and my bites are killing me! What should I do?!" Poor kid.

On a different note.. much more positive, I don't think anyone can ever fully prepare for marriage, but I'm trying my best and hoping to succeed at being the best wife I can be!

Today is a great day to say La Vita e Bella. . I'm engaged to my best friend, the most amazing man I've ever met (not to mention I absolutely adore him:).

In Russia, it's a tradition..

I can honestly say with all of my heart, that this weekend was the best I've had yet. It was one that will go down in history in my book. It was one that was very special, and eventful. It was stressful, exciting, fun and entertaining. It was the weekend I got engaged.

Friday, May 6th, was my best friends wedding dinner that night. From what we were told, it was at Bucca di Beppo in Salt Lake City at 5 pm. Cam and I drove up to the city around 4:50- and we drove around the restaurant for about 15 minutes, until we finally found a parking meter. Unfortunately, Cam and I had used all of his car change on Nickel City the night before- but luckily we found enough to pay for the meter. As we walked up to the restaurant, we got a phone call from the groom. "Wait, which Bucca di Beppo are you guys at?.. we're at the Midvale one." Great. We are already late, and we are 20 minutes North of where we need to be.

We finally roll in. 4o minutes late. We walk in, with everybody there for the wedding dinner staring at us, as Cam and I are (as an understatement) a bit over dressed. I am wearing a nice, bright dress, with heels so tall I'm literally tripping over every step. Cam looks very nice as well. Just to let you know how everybody else was dressed- the groom was wearing khaki shorts, a t-shirt and a Utah Jazz hat. Yeahhh, glad we were informed where the dinner was and what the dress was. ANYWAY, the night gets better, I promise!

For some reason, Cam wanted to stay up in SLC all night, to spend some time with me alone for my birthday ( May 7) since the wedding was on my birthday. So, he wanted to go to the look out point up on the mountain, where you can see the whole city so that he could give me my birthday card. I always give him a hard time because he "never writes me handwritten letters or cards" so I was really excited for him to give me my card. It would've been beautiful, the sun was about to set- there was just one problem: We couldn't find it. We drove around for a while, until 7:30 came a long and our movie was about to start. Since there was nothing playing in the city at that time, we drove back to south SL, went to a movie, and then afterward drove back up into the city, because Cam "really wanted some gelato (ice cream) from Sette Bello."

Meg: "Cam, why do you want gelato so bad? We'd have to go all the way back up to the city, and then all the way back home again."

Cam: "Meg, I just really want some and I was excited about it all day!"

Meg: "Ok.. let's go get some gelato, but I'm not going to get any."

I've never seen Cam eat something so fast- wait, let me rephrase that, I've never seen Cam inhale something so fast. He said that he wanted to give me my card, and a little something to go with it. So we walked around downtown and he wanted to go walk around the Temple. "Cam, I really don't think the Temple grounds will be open right now.." (of course I had no idea how stressed and nervous he was, as I clearly was not helping at all.) Luckily, it was open, and he took me through Temple Square. By this time, it was around 10:30. He has a small-medium size box wrapped for me, with a card of course. I thought for sure it was a Nixon watch!

He sat me down right in front of the pond by the SL Temple, and started to explain the gift. He told me that his good friend served his mission in Russia, and told him that when each girl turns 21, they receive a Russian (nesting) doll. However many little dolls are inside of it, means how many kids they will have. So, it being my 21st birthday in about an hour from then, I opened the present, and there was a Russian doll. I opened the first one- then the second- then the third, and there it was. The ring.





Cam got down on one knee, as I was in shock with tears streaming, and he asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes. We then took a carriage ride through the city, as I texted all of my girlfriends the news.

What a great way to start of a birthday, eh? Best birthday present ever. So even though it was a rough and stressful day for Cam, with everything going against him (mostly me) to propose, it was amazing.

I had waited my whole life for this day, and I couldn't of imagined it better. I can't wait to be Mrs. Megan Josephine Harris, on September 10, 2011.



I don't think I have ever had a better reason to say, La Vita e Bella.

With help from the beautiful Hallie Keenan, we had a beautiful photo shoot.




















I L O V E what I do, I feel my photography is an art- and I only plan on gaining more knowledge and love for it.

P H O T O G R A P H Y

Some of you know that I have been getting my feet wet in photography, and plan to keep learning and progressing. Let me know if any of you are in need of some newfamily portraits, senior pictures, engagements, weddings, etc. I'd love to show you my work! Well, here is just a little bit of what I have been working on. Thank you all, for all your support.

To see more of my work, go to Megan Lisonbee Photography, and press 'Like' for support, thanks!

Models, perhaps?

Andrea & Nate

A Day in an Ice land

LESSON OF THE WEEK: You don't have to go to Alaska to do what I did. Utah Lake.

Mary, did you REALLY know?

Every kid wants to be something absolutely great when they grow up. For me, I had 2 things in mind since I was about 5 years of age. A) A school teacher. (Of course, that fell through once my imaginary students disobeyed me for the last time.) and B) An actress. I may or may not used to sing and "play house" alone, in my room- thinking I was going to be the next star on Disney!
Well, most of you know I had been visiting my parents this last year on their mission in Milan, Italy. My mom had told me that the church is making a new movie, about the New Testament, and they're holding auditions in MILAN while I'LL be there. She told me that I should audition, just for fun! Of course, being myself, I said NO- I've never really done anything like that, and I've never really planned on it. Well, the day came. the auditions were held. Believe it or not, I was the last one to audition that night. I read the part of Mary, the mother of Christ. I felt like I bombed it, I was so nervous. Well, they wanted me to come back and audition for the director, producer, casting director (who casted for Quantum of Solace, pretty cool) etc. I auditioned for them a week later, and surprisingly, they loved me! I mean, really, I didn't expect anything to happen beyond that point, but it truly was a fun, good experience out of my comfort zone.

A couple of weeks go by, and I get an email. It's from the director of the film, whom I auditioned for. He invited me to go to a "special week of auditions" for the movie, in Rome, Italy. ROME! How could I say no? So, I went- with 7 other candidates, and it was a very special week. I was WAY out of my comfort zone, however- I am so glad that I did it. I had my own cute little cottage I stayed in.


I can't believe I did it.

I feel very blessed that I was chosen to attend this audition. Out of thousands of girls who tried out, they wanted me to come back.


It was a busy week full of early mornings and late evenings, Lots of line memorization, practicing over and over again, trying to feel how Mary really felt, making new friends, and eating LOTS of CIOBAR. (Best hot chocolate ever.) It was so fun, and such a great experience on getting to know such different people. Such beautiful and amazing people.

There were times where I was struggling immensely with the scenes, specifically when angel Gabriel appears to Mary. That is one of the most special and sacred moments in the history of the world- and there I was, having to re-enact it. The first time I was doing the scene, I just wasn't getting it. I was getting really frustrated with myself, and almost wanting to give up. I sat there, in scene, and prayed my little heart out to truly feel what Mary felt when she was going through this, and to really lose myself into the character. As I started the scene over, kneeling on the floor looking up at Gabriel, I was completely overcome with the spirit, and started to cry a little bit. I was able to forget myself, and think about what Mary was going through during that special time.

It was such an amazing, spiritual experience- where I was completely out of my comfort zone.

The place we were, is about 2 hours from the city of Rome, called Santo Stefano. It is such a beautiful, secluded little city that was hit by the big earthquake a couple of years ago. It is very remote, with no more than 80 people that live there. It is right up in the mountains, and so very beautiful. I would definitely recommend it :) It truly looks like the Holy Land.

It was such an amazing experience, and truly- no matter what happens from here, I am definitely satisfied. The other girls who tried out for Mary's part as well as I did, were absolutely incredible. I will be so happy for whoever gets the part, truly. Plus- I got to fulfill my little girl dream.. even though it wasn't for the Disney Channel. :)

NOW- we wait. . wait to hear the results. After the First Presidency makes their decision of who they want to cast, we will find out.

I wonder what Mary's thinking right now, as I could possibly be the one that will play her role, the most precious, intense, sacred, special and beautiful role that I could imagine.

I will never forget that special week in Santo Stefano.

I am so blessed to have had this incredible opportunity- with that being said, La Vita E Bella.