New Years Eve

Seven years ago. Doesnt that make you feel so old? Seven years ago I got turned down 3 times and almost didnt go on the new years eve date Whitney had been begging me to go on for days. "Just ask one more person!" She nearly begged me. "Try Dalton!" 
I thought about it for a bit before giving her an answer. I have had a lot of rejection in my young life the last couple months and it was wearing on me. And I didnt know you very well. I had lost most of my friends and felt completely alone... which is why Whitney was trying to hard to get me to go on this date.  "Fine." I answered her. "But this is my last try. If this doesnt work I'm staying home."
I called the number listed for you in the ward directory and was instantly shot down when it said it was disconnected. Next thing I knew Whitney had given me your cell phone number. I had so many butterflies. This was so out of my comfort zone. I stuttered through my words as I asked you to go on this date with me. And instead of coming up with an excuse or flat out saying no, you promptly said "sure. Sounds fun!"
I nearly exploded. With excitement. With terror. I dont know. Something was going right in my life. For the first time in what felt like a very long time.
The next day getting ready for the date I put on my new Christmas outfit I swore I would never wear. It wasn't my style. Too "out there" for a girl who did her best to fly under the radar and not be noticed.  But I put it on anyway. And my sister did my hair. That day I didnt hide out in my room like I usually would, I was excited! I played just dance and rockband with my family. And did my best to fight off the butterflies. You were graduated. For some reason that scared me and made you feel so much older and mature than me.

We picked you up. And I was more awkward then ever. Over thinking everything. I had been crushing on you for years! This could be my one and only chance to actually get to know you better! I didnt want to do anything to mess this up!

I made small talk and slowly got a little more comfortable and relaxed. I had a fight with my best friend that morning and she had told me she didnt want to see me at the dance. She didnt want me to ruin her day again. Little did she know I would be here. Having way more fun with you. And for a night, I didnt care anymore! Adalinn could say whatever she wanted, I didnt care. I was happy?

We prank called Whitney on the front runner. Nothing went as planned for dinner but we made it work. Harmons deli it is. I got chicken tenders you got salmon. You offered to pay and I let you. Actually I was very grateful you did. I didnt have hardly any money! Anf would have spent everything I had on that date if I paid for dinner. We were the only ones who got hot chocolate at the cafe inside Harmons. We walked around temple square making jokes about zombies and hiding from them in the temple because they dont have reccomend. We raced to be in the front of our group at all times. And for the first time in forever I felt ok. I was comfortable in my own skin on a date with the cutest guy I knew and actually genuinely being myself. It was great!

We went to the dance and everyone broke off and did their own thing. You found some of your friends and I found mine. You came back to me for the last slow dance of the night. And when midnight struck all I knew is I was starting 2013 happy.

I had no idea then friendship that would begin to grow from this date. I had no idea 2 weeks later you would text me because you were "just thinking about you". No idea the walking dead nights, ghost hunting nights, or nerf gun wars that would follow in the next couple months. And absolutely no idea in would fall in love with you. And unofficially wait for you through your mission. Writing and sending packages the whole time. Emailing you every week. Who knew I would be at the airport waiting for you when you came home 2 years later? All the growing up I had done while you were gone, knowing we were meant to be together but not telling anyone because they would all think I was crazy. All the excitement that had built up for your return. All the anxiety that would come with your transition back into regular home life. All the tears when you didnt want to hang out with me all the time. I would kick myself everytime we hung out and I would get too scared to kiss you.  And on my birthday you told me "you dont ever have to be afraid to kiss me" and from that day on you always got a good night kiss.

The couch snuggles at your parents. The jerking awake because I got comfortable enough to fall asleep in your arms but knew my dad would flip if I wasn't home by midnight... ending up strolling through the door at 2 or 3am anyway.

Who knew the good times we would have together. As well as the struggles. Who knew we would get married, buy houses together and build our life! Who knew we would do foster care together in a hope to make life better for some children.

Life sure has brought a lot of change in these 7 short years. And I am so glad to have you by my side through eternity! Thanks for saying yes to that date. Thanks for making me comfortable with you so easily. Thanks for pulling me out of a lonely depression. Thanks for saving me. Thanks for being the best husband a crazy girl like me could ask for. I love you!

How It All Began

High school is hard.  My senior year I was pretty fed up with it.  I had lost a handful of friends due to some pretty stupid drama and I often felt pretty alone. I felt abandoned. Useless. Its safe to say I was depressed. I didn't think I was good at anything or that I was pretty enough for anyone. I was just stuck. I never felt like doing anything or going anywhere. I just went to school, work, and home. Where I spent most of my time locked in my room alone.
That December one of my friends told me that for new year's eve we were going to go on a girls choice date.  I told her I didn't wanna go and I didn't know who I would ask.  She pretty much told me that she would find a date for me, one of her cousins friends,  if I didn't find one myself.  After I asked 3 different guys, being rejected by each one I told her I didn't want to go.  She told me to ask one more person. "How about Dalton?" This took me by surprise because just a year ago she had told me not to ask Dalton on a date because he was too much like a brother to her and it would be weird.
So I got his phone number from the ward directory and called.  He didn't answer. In fact,  it said the phone number was disconnected. I went back to my friend telling her I gave up, but she was persistent. She messaged him on Facebook and told him to call me. When he did I sheepishly asked him to go on this date with me. I had already been rejected three times, why should I expect this time to be any different? To my surprise, he said yes. And not only did he say yes, he seamed eager to go on this date.
The next day I woke up with more optimism and excitement than I had felt in a long time. Never for a second did I think that this date would change my life forever, I was just looking forward to a night spent out with a few friends and one of the cutest boys from high school.
The date turned into the BEST DATE EVER up to that point. From the minute he got in the car with us I could just tell he was special. The way he looked at me made my heart melt. He actually treated me like I was worth something. More so than any other guy had. Dinner didn't go quite as planned because we didn't take into consideration that some places might close early on New Years, so instead of eating at the food court in City Creek, we ate from the deli at Harmon's. He offered to pay, and I let him. I got chicken tender, he got salmon. We snuck away from the group for a minute to get hot chocolate from the little cafe in Harmon's. Everybody else in our group seamed awkward, but I felt like Dalton and I just clicked. We raced to get to the front of the line while we walked around Temple Square. We talked about zombies and The Walking Dead. I couldn't believe how easy it was to have fun and be myself around him.
After getting lost in Ogden and finally making it back to our little hometown we all went to the multi-stake dance. And our date kind of unofficially ended. Dalton found a group of friends he had when he was in high school and I jumped between groups of friends avoiding the friend who had caused so much drama in my life at that time. We all just kind of did our own thing. Around the end, just before midnight Dalton came back and danced with me, giving me the last dance of the night.
At midnight I stood with one of my best friends in the middle of the gym while balloons fell and everyone was blowing horns and welcoming in the new year. And for a minute, in the midst of my hardest year of high school, everything was okay. I felt pretty for once. I had just gone on the best date of my life with great guy! And at that point in time, I knew that 2013 was going to be a year. Things were going to be different. Things were going to get better!

Picture of a Memory

     Pictures are worth a thousand words right? You know how you can just look at certain pictures and remember exactly how you were feeling and the thoughts going through your head as you posed for this picture. You can remember the sounds and the smells and the knot in your stomach? So many emotions can be held in a single snapshot.
     Well just yesterday facebook reminded me that 2 years ago my best friend stepped off the plane.  Home from his mission. I greeted him at the busy airport and stood next to him while my dad took the most awkward picture I have ever been involved in. And I am an awkward person,  so that's saying something. I remember the butterflies in my stomach.  I remember how excited I was to have him home.  And I remember having to fight back the urge to just give him a great big hug.  I didn't know it at the time,  but life had a lot in store for us in just a short amount of time.

     Looking back now,  I had no idea what I was getting myself into. No idea where life would take us or the adventures we'd go on together or the struggles we would face. But I knew I had waited 2 long years to see if this relationship would work out. I knew I loved him, though I wouldn't admit it to anyone at the time. And I knew I would do anything for him and that I wanted to keep him around.
     This man who stood before taught me so much and had helped me through some of the toughest patches of my life.  He helped me to see my worth,  and my potential.  And always encouraged me to do great things and never give up.  He was happy with my success. He actually cared about me. And I was excited to see where this would go and how our story would unfold.
     Just recently we celebrated our first wedding anniversary,  so naturally a lot has changed since this picture was taken. Life has been quite the roller coaster these last two years with all its ups and downs, and a few loop-da-loops. But there is no one I'd rather be on this ride with than him.