Week Ten - Steve

Him: Steve

Her: Andrea

Where do you currently live?

We live in Sandy, Utah and have been here for almost three years. Since our wedding we have also lived in Provo Utah, Tucson Arizona, and Mesa Arizona.

Children/Pets?

We have three kids, Andrew (6), Ella Rose (4), and Ivy Lucile (2). We also have a Yellow Lab named Daisy.

When/Where did you get married?

We were married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on December 17, 1999. We just celebrated our ten year anniversary!

What was the first thing that attracted you to him?

When Andrea first met me she thought I was nice, soft spoken, and cute.

How do you like to spend your free time together?

We like to go on dates and since the last year we have done a good job of getting out together about once a week. We both like good food, so we enjoy exploring new restaurants together.

What is your best marriage advice?

Andrea recommends respecting one another and to not be selfish. I think it is just important to be kind and to make sure you show your love to her by the way you treat her. Make her feel like the most special person in the world. I also recommend having a really good babysitter.

Love at First Sight

In college I played bass guitar in a band with two of my really good friends. We were called the Truffledogs. We wrote our own music and also did various cover songs. I was having a blast and we actually got pretty good. For a while we were playing shows almost every weekend. It was awesome and still one of the most memorable times of my life.


I had a friend I met in a class named Ryan and he wanted to throw a house party to kick off the start of winter semester in January 1999. He asked the Truffledogs (along with some other bands) to play at the party. Meanwhile he invited everyone he knew to come to his party including Andrea and her roommate, Rachel.


We played the show and it was awesome. It was actually one of our first real shows and we were pretty excited about how we did and how much everyone seemed to enjoy our music. In addition to being really happy about how well we played, I remember noticing a cute girl in the back of the room dancing to our music with her friends. I remember thinking her smile was incredible and that she looked so beautiful with her short hair cut, her dark-rimmed glasses, and she just seemed to have a really cool manner and style. We didn’t really talk at the party, but right after we played I had to wash my hands in the kitchen because I had some blisters on my fingers that were actually bleeding (from rocking out so much). We had some sort of exchange there that I don’t clearly remember, but I think Andrea or Rachel made some comment about my fingers and I just kind of smiled. I don’t think Andrea made any special note of me that evening, but I thought she looked like someone I would want to be friends with.


I asked my friend Ryan about her a few days later and I just told him I thought she seemed like she would be really cool. We talked about getting a group of people together to do something just so I could meet her. We didn’t want to plan an official date, so we planned to have a bunch of people go down to some hot springs to swim and hang out. Ryan called Andrea and Rachel and I guess he was being kind of funny saying things like “we need to hang out and do something…you know me, you, Steve…” and Andrea and Rachel were like “why does Ryan all of the sudden want to do stuff with us” and “who is this Steve guy”. I think he was even more transparent about my interests in meeting Andrea, but I don’t really know the details of that. So we planned a group trip to the hot springs, but honestly everyone else we invited bailed on us and it ended up being just Rachel, Ryan, Andrea, and me. Andrea accuses us of telling them it was a big group going there to trick them into this “date”, but whatever, that’s not true.


Before the trip to the hot springs (or hot pots as we call them), as a typical musician I was constantly writing songs about things going on in my life and in my mind. Since this cute girl from the party was on my mind, I wrote a little song about her. I guess word got out to Ryan and even eventually to Andrea (before we even officially met) that this guy wrote a song about her. I have no idea why she wasn’t creeped out by the whole thing, but I guess she was okay with it.


We went to the hot pots and had a really fun time. I remember Andrea being so funny, fun loving, laid back, nice, cute, and awesome. She sat in the front seat while I drove and we talked the whole way down there and back after we swam around in the hot pots for a few hours. I don’t know what she thought of me, but I have heard her say several times she thought my legs looked really skinny in my swim shorts. When we got back we said good-bye, but I can’t remember if we made any plans to stay in touch or anything like that.


That next week I stopped by her apartment unannounced, but she wasn’t there. I remember that being kind of a bold thing for me, but I really thought she was cool and I guess I didn’t mind taking a few chances. I talked to her roommate Rachel for a while and as we were talking Andrea came home. I just remember her walking in the door, she said “hi” and just walked by to another room. I guess she was embarrassed, but also excited. She did come out and talk after a few minutes, but I don’t remember much else about that visit.


I think within a week I called her and asked her out on our first official date. I picked her up and we had dinner at Macaroni Grill. It was magical being with her. I was shy and nervous, but I also remember being so comfortable around her. We talked and drew pictures with crayons on the white paper tablecloth at the restaurant. After dinner we watched a movie together and held hands for the first time. I took her back to her apartment and on the way I told her about the song I wrote about her and played a recording of it for her. By this time I knew she already knew about it, so I figured it was okay if she heard it.

Click HERE to hear a recording of the Truffledogs singing Steve's song for Andrea. (This was also performed by the Truffledogs' lead singer, Joe, at their wedding reception.)
After this first date we started doing stuff together several times a week and I guess officially started dating pretty much right away. We had a lot of fun dating and getting to know each other. We were engaged in August of that same year and married in December. And that’s pretty much the story about how this whole thing went down.


Ten years later, I think my relationship with Andrea is as magical as the first time I saw her dancing at the party (oh yeah, I forgot to mention we have that on video). She is the most wonderful person and marrying her has been the greatest thing in my life. We continue to grow closer together as we figure out this crazy life and this parenting thing together. I love her more than anything and can’t imagine life without her.

******

Steve is my older brother (see the resemblence now, don't you!).  I love that he was the one to tell the story this week.  Thanks Bro!

 

Wow, weekly dates?!?  I'm impressed!!  Imagine how much stronger all marriages would be if everyone was this committed to dating their spouse.  Steve, I'm sure your children will remember watching their mom and dad date all through their childhood years.  It will make them have stronger marriages when they grow up.  Just like I remember Mom & Dad going to the Portland temple every month.  I never quite understood what they were doing at the time, but it left an impression on me.

 

I love Steve & Andrea.  They have always been a wonderful example to me.  They are amazing parents, and I have never seen them treat each other with anything but love and respect.  Aww, the Truffledogs.....I was a senior in high school during all of this..... They mention my name and my sweet job at Taco Bell in one of their songs, haha!!  I used to tag along to these parties, and I thought I was pretty cool hanging out with college kids!!  (I wasn't cool at all though....just the nerdy groupie who helped carry equipment and was insanely infatuated with the band's lead singer, Joe!  Oh the memories.....)

 

I got to spend time with Steve's kids a few weeks ago while they took a cruise for their 10-year anniversary.  Drew, Ella & Ivy are smart, beautiful, funny and just great kids.  I loved getting to know them so well that week.  I have always admired Andrea as a mother, and I hope to be half the mother she is!!  I have always looked up to Steve.  I know I used to bug him growing up, but hey, as the baby of the fam, I guess that's what I'm entitled to do, right??

 

Thanks again, Steve, for taking the time to write this.  It was fun to change it up with a guy's point of view!!

Week Nine ~ Kari

Her: Kari

Him: Spencer

Where do you currently live?

In the cinderblock palaces. We love it.

Children/Pets:

We have butterflies in our house right now.

Savannah Grace is 4 yrs. old and Moirah Mae is 5 months old.

When/Where did you get married?

July 26th, 2003 in the Mt. Timpanogas Temple.

What was the first thing that attracted you to him?

This is a long story, but the short of it is…he had hair that was stick straight, messy and standing on end one night at FHE and no glasses on. I think it was the combination of his hair and his gorgeous blue eyes that made me have butterflies inside. Later, before we started dating, he shaved his head (completely bald) and I still thought he was hot.

What is your best marriage advice?

Always have open communication. Communicating means not only being able to talk to each other and discuss things, but also being able to listen to each other without giving advice.

How do you like to spend your free time together?

Hanging out in bed at night when the kids are in bed watching our favorite TV shows online and eating ice cream or popcorn.

Our Love Story:

There are a lot of little things that lead up to us getting together, however I’ll just tell you about the first 13 days.


Day 1: First date to a friends surprise birthday party at Applebee’s. We went to another friends house afterwards and on the ride there I said, “I would love to spend more time with you.” Spencer said, “So would I.” Next we went to Spencer’s house and watched Sphere and just hang out cuddling on the couch. He took me home at midnight but didn’t leave my driveway until 5am.


Day 2: Went grocery shopping for things to make tin foil dinners for the next day. Got ice cream and ended up watching Serendipity instead of making tin foil dinners. Listened to the Serendipity menu music for nearly 4 hrs. while we sat on the couch talking until 7am.


Day 3: Went to work with only 2 hours of sleep in 2 days. After work we went to Moab to go 4 wheelin’ with a bunch of friends. Spent half the trip cuddling in the back and sleeping. Went on one of the trails until 3am. Tried to sleep in the car afterwards.


Day 4: More 4 wheelin’ while listening to Spencer sing to Dave Matthews. It was adorable. More cuddling on the way home. Got home super late. Got about 5 hrs. of sleep.


Day 5: Went to my mission companions homecoming talk. Went to dinner at Spencer’s sister’s house. His niece whispered in my ear, “ I think Spencer wants to kiss you.” I giggled because he kissed me 3 hrs. in to our first date. Went back to my house and read out of a book called ‘Teaching by the Spirit.’ We knelt in prayer together. The spirit was so incredibly strong. Spencer asked me when I thought was a good time of the year to get married. I responded I always thought that July was always a good time. He said he always thought winter was a good time. (He’s an avid skier.)


Day 6: Family home evening with the ward.


Day 7: Volleyball with the ward.


Day 8: 2nd official date. Dinner to The Cinegrill in SLC (we lived in Utah county.) Fun conversation on the way.


Day 9: Decided to take Spencer home to meet the family. Left at 5pm for an 8 hr. drive. Such a fun trip.


Day 10: Played games and hung out with my family.


Day 11: Went to church and got a bunch of stares and questions from the members. Spencer is sweating the whole time knowing that he has an important questions for my dad. My mom just comes out and asks us over dinner if we are heading towards marriage.


Day 12: Family home evening with the ward. Lots of stares and questions from the members.


Day 13: We were supposed to go to the temple for the last session. Spencer called and was running late so he picked me up and we went to Magleby’s for dinner instead. Afterwards we decided to go play volleyball since we always did that on Tues. nights. We were still dressed in our church clothes so when we got there I went to the bathroom to change. When I got done I was expecting to get started playing. In the gym there were about 50 people just standing around. I didn’t understand why no one was playing and getting things going. It was already 10pm. I head up by the net hoping to take charge and get the show on the road. One of the guys on the other side of the net says that we need to get started but he is wondering what is on the net. He flipped it over and tied to the middle of the net with a purple ribbon was a diamond ring. Spencer untied it, knelt down on one knee and said, “Kari Lynne will you marry me.” I of course said yes. He hugged me. He was shaking so bad. I was shocked. I knew that I loved him and wanted to marry him after day 4, however I didn’t think he was going to ask me so quickly. He had my ring custom made by a friend’s dad that made and sold jewelry from his home.


That was the first 13 days of our relationship. We were engaged for 4 ½ months. We knew each other for 7 months before our first date and looking back we saw many times when we feel we were slowly coming together but didn’t realize we had those feelings at the time until after we got together. I get butterflies even know as I think back on those first 13 days. They were exciting, scary, exhausting, and the most fun I’ve had in my life. Now we have been married for almost 7 yrs. and have 2 beautiful girls.

******

Okay, I have lots of little comments.  I'll try to be brief:

Yay for cinder block palaces!  These apartments are old and ugly, but wow, talk about meeting some of the BEST people ever.  We love living here too!!  We wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.  And yay for Dave Matthews!  I heard him in concert once......I think what kind of music a guy listens to says a lot about him.  Am I right?  Totally.  Nate & I spent a lot of time talking about and listening to awesome music when we were dating.  He bought me my 2nd John Mayer CD only a week after our first date, good move on his part!!

 

You guys have butterflies?  Like real ones?  We'll be over this afternoon to see them! :)

 

13 days!!!  I thought my engagement was fast!!  Well, when you know, you know, right?  Love it!  And he tied the ring to the net.....it's perfect!  Way to pull off a surprise, Spencer!  Were you even able to focus on the game after that?

 

Kari is such a wonderful friend.  She cuts all of our hair, and I love talking to her about motherhood.  She is an amazing mother and a wonderful example to me.  Her daughters are easily the most beautiful girls I've ever seen.  It's just unreal how gorgeous they are.

 

Thank you Kari!  I LOVED your answer to what attracted you to him!  All of my blog readers are probably sick of me talking about how hot I think Nate is.  But I just love hearing wives & husbands talk openly about their attraction to their spouses....especially as the years pass.  It makes me smile and reminds me the true love is forever and never has to fade!! 

Week Eight ~ Becca

I thought since it's Valentine's Day, I'd have Nate & I share our Love Story!  I feel like my blog is a non-stop gush-fest over Nate, so I'm going to have HIM answer the beginning questions for our post.  You hear plenty from me already!

Him: Nate

Her: Becca

Married: February 3, 2005

Mt. Timpanogos Temple, American Fork, Utah

Two Children:  Cameron (age 3)

Allison (age 1)

Our little interview, done on 2/7/10 as I plopped down on the sofa next to him:

B: Hey, will you answer some questions for me?

N: Sure.

B: Describe our marriage in one word.

N: Groovy

(I immediately crack up......)

B: What's the first thing that attracted you to me?

(we both laugh....cuz we met as missionaries!)

N: Well that's an inappropriate question.....just kidding.  Um...it was your eyeballs.  Just kidding.  Seriously, it was your eyes.  Then your bum.

B:  Oh geez, maybe this was a bad idea!!  Next, what's your best marriage advice?

N: Say 'I Love You' every day.

B: Oh that's good!

N: I love you.

B: I love you too.  Next....What do the two of us like to do in our spare time together?

N: (suspicious smirk....his eyebrows shoot up....)

B: No, not that....

(maybe this was really a bad idea!!)

N: We never do anything productive together.....we spend hours and hours watching seasons and seasons of 24 and LOST.

B:  Haha, you're so right.

N: And we like to play tennis, when we find the time.

B: Okay, that's it.  Thanks dude.

Okay....moving on!!

So here is the story of how we met.  I think it would be fun to hear BOTH of our versions....but today it's just mine:

Nate & I were both called to serve in the Korea Seoul West Mission for the LDS Church. 

Me as a missionary:

Nate as a missionary:

We both arrived in Korea in the summer of 2002, but didn't meet for a year.  When Nate first got to Korea, he was assigned to an area called "Boh-ng Chun".  There are usually 8-10 missionaries in an area. There, he became good friends with another girl missionary (called 'sister missionaries') because they both served in that area for 7 months.  Meanwhile, I was in other areas, and I didn't know either of them.  Every few months, all of the missionaries would get together for a big conference, so we all knew everyone's names, but unless you serve in the same area, it's not likely that you'll get to know everyone.

(If you aren't LDS or would like to know more about missions, click HERE....I hope I don't confuse anyone with all of this mission talk!!)

Here is all of us....can you find me & Nate?
I'm in purple, 5th in from the right.
Nate is 3 rows above me, over one to the left, kneeling.  He's the one in the suit & tie.....ha! We got to wear traditional Korean dresses for Christmas, it was really fun.

Anyway, fast forward about 8 months to Spring of 2003.  This sister missionary, who had served with and become close friends to Nate, she transferred over to my area, and we became companions (missionaries always work together in pairs of 2).  She would go on and on about "Elder Wood" and how awesome he was and what a wonderful missionary he was.

June rolled around, and Nate's birthday is June 2, so my companion suggested we get permission to take the subway to Nate's area and visit him....she also wanted to see some of the families she had worked with.  So on June 2, 2003, we rode the subway a few stops.  "Elder Wood", his companion, and a lady who they all had just baptized, met us there.  When I first saw him, I didn't think anything.....I mean, we were missionaries, I wasn't trying to check out the elders or anything!

We decided to go to Pizza Hut and bowling. I ended up sitting across from him at lunch, and I remember looking at him and sort of being hit with this feeling of:  "Wow, he is a really decent guy."  I thought he just seemed so nice and funny and sweet. We had a really fun afternoon. I'm a horrible bowler, and Nate tells me now that he thought it was adorable that I was so bad!  He got a few strikes that day, cuz he rocks.  We also all got stuck in the elevator leaving the bowling alley, it was funny (and kind of scary, cuz I HATE elevators almost as much as I hate airplanes!).

Nate trying to pry open the elevator door!!

So this is the fun part: That night, I wrote about our day in my journal, just like I did every night on my mission.  He did the same thing.  Here is what we wrote about meeting each other.

Becca's Mission Journal - June 2, 2003:

"Today was a fun P-Day.  Today is Elder Wood's 20th birthday, so Sister Pink & I went to BuCheon!  We hung out with their convert, and Elder Mattingly was there.  I had never really talked to Elder Wood before, but he is absolutely a gem.  I just loved the crap out of him - he's hilarious!  He's really shy and reserved, a lot like me, actually.  But he kept making these funny faces and saying these hilarious comments."

Nate's Mission Journal - June 2, 2003:

"We went to the station, and we met Sun Kyeong there, and Sisters Pink & Warner.  Then we ate at Pizza Hut!  They sang a song for me.  It was great!  Then we went to the bowling alley.  It was great fun!  Sister Warner is so cool!  I'm really glad I got to meet her.  She is so hilarious."

Can you believe that?  Straight from our journals, I swear!!  Yeah, I called him a 'gem'....I'm a nerd.

(By the way, P-Day means Preparation Day...once a week as missionaries, we had one day where we could dress down, do laundry, grocery shopping, sight-seeing, letter-writing, etc)

Here's proof:

So six more months went by.....we still never got assigned to the same area.  I think it's safe to say that we

both maintained a really high opinion of each other, but really never thought anything of it.  We'd talk at Mission Conferences, but that was about it.

I went home 6 months later, and Nate still had 6 months left.  He claims he thought about writing me after I left....but he had heard through the grapevine that I was dating someone, so he assumed I was long gone.  He was very wrong!!

Fast forward to June 2004. 

Nate comes home. He dates a little.  I'm very single. I date a little. I had sort of forgotten about him.

In July, that same mutual friend of ours invited a bunch of friends out for Korean food.  I lived in Salem, Utah and Nate lived in West Jordan, Utah...about an hour apart.  She invites both of us.  I arrive before Nate and am just hanging out.  Suddenly Nate walks in....um, hello Mr. Gorgeous!  I immediately had butterflies.  All I can say is that in the year since we last had hung out, he had really grown up.  He was SO HOT.  We weren't missionaries anymore, so I was free to check him out all I wanted!!!  So check him out I did...

We sat across from each other again.  We talked and laughed a lot....but he didn't know I was single.  And I thought he was WAY out of my league and assumed he'd never date me. (I was having some self-esteem issues at that time!)  Afterwards, we sort of lingered outside the restaurant.  He says now that he wanted to hug me, but was too shy. We go our separate ways.

A few weeks later, this same friend forwarded me something that Nate had emailed her.....so I copied his email address and wrote to him.  This gets fun because we have saved all of the emails we have ever sent from this point on!  They are hilarious.  Anyway, so I wrote him and was just all casual and "mission-buddy"-ish.  After a few emails, we quickly learned that we were both very single.  I still thought he was out of my league, but we set up a day to hang out in September.....me, him, and our friend.  The three of us, haha!  The day before we were supposed to all hang out, our friend cancelled.  I assumed the outing was off....but Nate emailed me and asked if I still wanted to do something with just him.

YES!!!

September 18, 2004:

Nate knocks on my door (he drove an hour down to my house).  I open it, and he's just so gorgeous, standing there smiling at me.  I still remember what he was wearing and just how yummy he looked. We went for a walk in the park, lunch, a movie, dinner, a BYU football game, talked nonstop about our adventures in Korea.....our first date was 9 hours long! 

We were engaged 6 weeks later.  Yep.  The details of those 6 weeks are pretty fun too.  But that'll be for another Love Story Sunday.

Here's an email that Nate sent to our friend about 2 weeks after we started dating:
"Things with Becca and I are just perfect. She is sooo awesome. The best! I just want to say thank you, cuz without you I don't think Becca and I would be together. I'm glad you invited me to eat korean that one night. It's kinda interesting, but that night changed my life. If I didn't go, I wouldn't have seen Warner, and she wouldn't have e-mailed me and we wouldn't be together. Thanks! I'm just soo happy!"

A few dating pics:

I obviously didn't know this pic was being taken....but Nate looks ridiculously HOT, I think!

Feeding stale cookies to the ducks!

At a mission reunion, about a week after our first date.

Click HERE to see a few of our wedding photos.

Happy Lover's Day!
Go smooch your honey....I know I'm going to!!

Week Seven ~ Kristi

Her: Kristi

Him: Matt aka Hot Husband.

Current Status: Married

Where do you currently live? We live in a far far away land. It's a fly in only isolated spot in Northern Manitoba.

Children/Pets? We got us one kid....

This is Isaiah....or Cute Kid as I usually refer to him on my blog.

No pets! I'm allergic to them. This is going to be a fighting battle for my entire life I can feel it. The cute kid loves dogs!

When/Where did you get married? We got married July 10 2004 in the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple. Here it is....isn't it pretty!?

How did you meet?  Well I can't be sure of the exact date. But we've been kicking it since we were at least in nursery. So that would make us 18 months old. I've known Hot Husband my entire life. I remember him sitting in Sunday School on his chair...not uttering a peep. He was a little chubby and he'd fold his arms and was super reverent.

The LOVE story: This story has two sides. You'll get mostly mine and some of his as best as I can tell you. This love story was not love at first sight. Unless you thought we've been together since birth. After college I moved to my hometown. At the time I wasn't active in my church but after some time of being home and a really fabulous friend (Hi Keah!) I started going again. Of course Hot Husband was there. He was always pretty thugish...big....muscles....with a sort of Brooklyn accent. He was Matthew. I've known him my whole life. Everyone else called him Matt....but not me....he was Matthew.

A group of us hung out for the summer. I sorta got to know him then as more of a friend for the first time in our entire lives that we knew each other. He was planning to serve his Mission (with our church for those of you out there that don't know what that is) in the Winnipeg Manitoba Mission (ironic that it is the province that we now live in) and I was just going about my life. It was a fun summer of just hanging out. I didn't really feel like the two of us hung out a lot one on one. Just in group settings. I mean I've known the guy my whole life right?  No biggie. At the end of the summer my friend Keah and I moved back to Halifax so I could start my career (in Graphic Design) and she could finish school and Matt headed off on his mission. He wrote to Keah and I (though I noticed most of the letters were directed towards me) throughout his mission. He even phoned a few times. And no, he wasn't suppose to do that. But he was having a hard time and later after he was done his mission he confessed that those phone calls helped to keep him going on his journey rather then give up when he had wanted to on some really hard occasions. Ironically throughout my teenage life we had similar friends but never really crossed paths. One of these mutual friends used to tease me the entire time he was gone that I was going to marry him when he got back. I was like um "HECK NO!" like I've known the guy my ENTIRE life that's just tooooo weird. AND I didn't think that he really liked me that way (that much). I really did NOT think of him in any other way then...well that's Matthew. Matthew, the boy that I've known since I was a baby. Honestly....it sorta grossed me out. It was like he was my brother in a way.

Matt returned home from his mission and we started to hang out. A lot. And I really liked him. As a friend. I felt comfortable around him. He was nice. I'll even admit that when I went to greet him at the airport (because he phoned to make sure I'd go) he came out of that door and I had a little bit of butterflies. I quickly was like UMMMM NOT! And brushed that thought aside. To me we were friends. But a few conversations of Matt TRYING to be discreet revealed to me that I think he really may be starting to like me. Christmas was the first time he told me that he liked me. Already sort of knowing this I tried to play dumb. I wasn't sure what to do. How to feel. What to think. All I knew is that I loved hanging out with him. I trusted him. But I hadn't begun to think like that about him. It weirded me out. On top of that I had been through a couple of break ups that really turned me off of finding love for a bit. I wasn't sure if I was good at picking a good guy for me. My response to that was that I hadn't thought of him that way....but I knew that I liked hanging out with him and that I thought we should just keep going and see where it progresses. Matt wasn't used to this sort of response. He took that as the "friend" card and did what any SANE guy would do. He moved to across the country to Calgary. YEP....YEP he did! The weeks leading up to this sudden decision to move to Alberta we hung out a lot. I started to think about him as a prospect. And the night before he left....he gave me a real hug. Not the "slap on the back buddy" hug he normally gave (he wasn't a physical flirty type of guy) but a full on melt your heart hug.

And I had butterflies.

I remember him going out the door and then buzzing me from the doorway area of my apartment. And he was like....just saying good-bye again. I asked why he was going. And he said he didn't know. After he was gone a few days he sent me an email. He asked if he had screwed up his chances. I replied no. And that was the end of it. He never mentioned it again. UMM what the duke??? That was it?? After he completely stopped the pursuit, I quit him! Now we still talked. We were still friends. Normally at this point I'd have quit him completely. I'd have done whatever I could to make him not like me. But it was different with him. I really cared about him. He's just that kind of guy. You respect him. You like him. You laugh with him. You just can't be mean to him. 

A couple months later he came home for his brother's wedding. I went to the reception and him and I hung out a bit. And after some catching up and jokes he finally blurted out.... "So are you gonna give a brother a chance or what?" 

And I said.........wait for it.......... no.   

Just no. 

He lived in Calgary. He left. I hadn't thought of him that way. (Though I did think of him sometimes....wondering....) I just couldn't see it. Even though his plans were to move back in the fall. I had closed that chapter. I later found out that this actually made him tear up to his family after our conversation. They thought for sure I was going for it. Then they began to think maybe I was playing him at this point. But I wasn't. I wasn't playing any game.  I just was being honest.

A few months later, after having been laid off of my job I moved back home to my home town again. Matt got word of this....and decided he was going to come home early. I didn't realize then....that it was for me.  That he moved home to try to win me over.  ME!  In his mind he later told me, "I knew you wouldn't have anyone to hang out with so I figured you'd be hanging out with me and you'd finally come to your senses." LOL!  So we did. We hung out. I didn't jump on the band wagon. I wasn't into it. Until...one day he just stopped calling me. I was like "What is his problem??" The next time I saw him I got like....all flirty. Sheesh talk about text book dating guide. Ignore the girl and she'll come running. He had given up. Until I started to flirt a bit.

Fast forward a few days now....we're at a dance at our church. We're dancing. He asks, as his LAST attempt to get me to agree to try this. "Are we going to be just friends forever?" And I said, yeah...I think we'll probably be friends forever.

You're probably thinking right then....that's when I agreed. That I said something EPIC and it was the perfect moment.  But it's not. I told him to "hold the phone" so to speak....and I ran and gathered a few friends for a conference. I asked them what I should do where I still felt so uncertain about my feelings.  (I'm a very indecisive person)  My friend Celine finally said....what are you going to do if you let him go and someone else gets him? How are you going to feel? The rest of the girls were like....just say YES already!

I went back to dancing with him for a second time. And he started in blubbering that he doesn't want to pressure me blah blah....and I said...."OK!" And he keeps going on. And I said...."I said Okay!". And still he's going BLAH BLAH.... 

And finally I was like "MATT, I said Okay." 

He was a bit in shock. Trying hard not to smile too big.  It was weird at first.  It was hard to make that switch.  But something changed....history was made and a future was started.

Five months later we were engaged.

What was the first thing that attracted you to him? Well from reading the story you can see it wasn't a first attraction sort of thing. But the first thing that gave me real butterflies was that hug. My hubby is big, warm and has the best hugs on the planet. I wanted that hug forever.

{Yes - that's the hug in action.}

How do you like to spend your free time together? 

Honestly we love to watch movies and TV series together.  We also love going for walks and drives around the city (when we live in one) and while we live here in the wilderness we like to go on family ski-doo rides or quad rides.  In the summer (here) we like to go to the dump and see the bears eating diapers.  That's for reals.  We live a weird life right now.  But I think anything together is good.  OH but my favorite I think is when we'll have an impromptu chat.  Like, if I go to bed before he does he'll come in to say good-night and we'll have a good chat.  Or this will happen in the morning when the boys have let me sleep in and come in and wake me up and we jump (well THEY jump) on the bed.  This may also get a good chat in.  You know....the simple things.

What is your best marriage advice?

Put each other first.  If you love each other and take care of your relationship you'll be better parents.  You're kids will grow up and leave you someday and you'll want to still love and be friends with the person you've spent all those years with.  You're kids will also learn to love this way.  And focus on the 80% that is good in the other person rather then the 20% maybe not so good.  We're all growing.  We need to be compassionate and compromise.

Engagement Story:  Since this LOVE STORY is getting UBER long I'll try to keep this short.

That day....Christmas when he first told me he liked me.  He had taken me to the beach.  And yes it was cold.  We live in Canada for crying out loud.  But he hadn't seen the beach in a loooong time so we went.   Fast forward...

When we were dating....on Valentine's Day (I know CHEEEESE  - loves it) we were visiting his family in P.E.I.  I knew he was going to ask.  His family was giving it away left right and center.  (Oh yes y'all were!)  And I was getting nervous.  I didn't know how he was going to do it.  But I knew he wanted to go to the beach.  So I had a feeling he was doing "our thing".  After prying me away from my now sister-in-laws, he took me to the beach.  {And yes...it was cold then too}.  And he just did it.  He went down on one knee,  while I was looking at the ocean and I turned around and asked me to marry him with the cutest face on the planet. Trying to act like I didn't know he was going to do it...

I said YES.

And I have to say....there is no other person that is more perfect for who I am and for me....then he is.

Before Matt came home from his mission...I had said a prayer.  I prayed that maybe I needed a different way of finding the one that I was suppose to be with.  No word of a lie.  I asked for someone that would work for me.  That maybe I wouldn't want at first.  That would be persistent.  That eventually I would really end up wanting to be with.  It wasn't until after we started dating that I remembered this prayer....and that I had prayed for this story of ours TO THE TEE!  I think it was Heavenly Father's way of telling me...showing me that he listens and answers prayers.  And it was His way of helping me recognize that this was the one.

Funny how that works out huh?

Perfectly.

******

OH I just LOVE the full-on melt-your-heart hugs that you mentioned!  Nate gave me one of those after our first date, and I knew I was just done.....stick a fork in me, cuz I was smitten!!  And I really love how you had to have a little girlie conference before you answered him at the dance, why are we like that?!?

Kristi & I are 'bloggy friends', as I like to call it.  We only know each other via the wonderful world of blogging, but I have really just come to adore her!  Can you see why?  It's pretty obvious!!  We 'met' nearly a year ago when we discovered that both of our sons have an adorable love of sign language!  I have also guest-blogged over at her fun blog, and it's just funny how you can really become friends this day and age!  I have several 'bloggy friends' who I feel just as close to as any of my 'real, tangible' friends!! 

THANK YOU Kristi for sharing your stories.....gorgeous pictures too!  I love your hair in your wedding photo, so so elegant!  And cute kid....he's a yummy one!!  You should re-name him "Yummy Kid". 

Be sure to check out Kristi's blog....it's a keeper!! :)
And stay tuned for a special Valentine's Day Love Story......next week!!!