Chapter 1: How We Met

I'm surprised how excited I am about the first post to the "marriage blog." Anyone who knows me or Stu know we both have a unique disdain for any and all things cliche. Starting a blog after you get engaged is about as cliche as you can get! I decided to make an exception though, just this once, and give in to the classic mormon relationship blog haha. I have a great story for this one, so hopefully that makes up for it a little bit. :)

Before I get to the Proposal, I better fill in the backstory of how Stu and I met. 

I graduated in 2010 from Jordan High School and one of the things I was most excited about for college for getting to attend a student ward. (This is especially funny for anyone who knows how notoriously anti-social I am in my wards). Luckily I was at least semi-social in my Freshman Ward because that's where I met Lucas Reynolds. We were super good friends that entire year and he was always telling me how I needed to come do something with him and his older brothers, all of whom attended BYU as well other than Ethan, who was on a mission at the time. Plans were made several times for me to come do stuff with them but they always seemed to fall through. 

That finally changed when Lucas left on his mission. He had already moved back home to Washington for the Summer but decided to come out to Utah to visit some friends one last time in the middle of June before he headed out for Brazil. I'm so glad he did. :) That weekend my roommate Steph and I met up with Lucas and his brothers, Paul and Stuart, along with their cousin Stacie to go bowling at Fat Cats. To be completely honest the only interaction I really remember having with Stu that night was when he came and tried to help me with my bowling strategy one or two times because he was scared I was going to send the bowling ball through the floor. The other vivid memory from that night is him mocking a socially awkward girl that was dancing in the lane next to us. A boy after my own heart.

He sent me a friend request on Facebook that night and sent me a message, "Did you get that shoulder iced?" (I don't think I'm that bad at bowling!) The rest of that conversation consisted of brainstorming techniques to make a better bowler, making fun of redheads, and much sarcasm. We probably talked strictly on Facebook for a few days before I finally just decided we needed to take our interaction to the next level and threw my phone number out there. 

We went stargazing and to get snowcones that weekend  and hung out for about 2 weeks before our first official date. A fateful date that ended in a little pain, and a lot of amusement. We went to sushi at Happy Sumo and then went back to Stu's to watch a movie.. to "watch a movie." We "watched a movie" so much that I got a rash on my upper and lower lip and woke up the next morning with a large portion of my lower face significantly scabbed. This would have been hilarious if the story ended there, but just to add injury to insult, I was going to the Young Women's Camp  director for my home ward during the coming week. Luckily it was pirate themed so I just drew a black beard on my face with a little makeup! 

I don't think I fooled anyone and it's still something I don't think I'll ever live down. When your first kiss came along with such an awesome story, you're morally obligated to share it with the world, right? :)

Anyway, that's the beginning of our story! I can't believe we've known each other almost a year or that we'll be getting married in just 3 short months, almost exactly a year after we started dating. 

August 31, 2011:

 Out to dinner at La Jolla Groves for my birthday.

Now I better get started on my next post about the proposal... It's a good one. :)