Matthew and I decided we wanted to get married in late 2008, a few months after we started dating (at Jacob Lake). I distinctly remember having this whirlwind fling up at JL and deciding I wanted to date him when we both went home after the summer ended. The night before he left JL to go back home to Provo, I walked to his dorm and took him to the hammock outside to talk. I was so worried that this was just a summer thing for him and that he wouldn't want to see me after JL was over! I asked if he wanted to keep dating, and he was shocked I even asked the question! Of course he did! That was the biggest transition of nerves to relief I think I've ever had :)
One night we went on a drive, which is still one of our favorite things to do. We like looking at houses together. They were good]chances to have nice talks alone. One night we were looking over the city and I had the feeling I was going to marry him. I think we had already said I Love You by this point. We all know I don't have a filter, so the second I thought it, I said it out loud. "Have you ever thought about getting married?" Again, another nerve-wracking question! Another yes! Another sigh of relief.
Two years later, Matt left on his mission to the Philippines. We both learned and grew so much apart, but I'm not going to lie...it was very hard. But this girl knows what she wants, and I wanted to marry him more than anything, so I stuck it out. The whole time, I just knew it was going to work out when he got back. That's the great thing about love. Love removes all fear. I had doubts of my decision in short bursts of weakness (Am I making the right decision? Will he want me when he gets back?), but I always knew deep down in my heart of hearts that when you find a man who treats you like a woman should be treated and is as great as Matt is, you marry him.
Matt got home from his mission on March 17, 2012. Once he was home, we were inseparable. We were together so much I felt bad for his family for taking him away.
This is me, a ball of nerves, waiting for the call saying, "I'm released!"
Our first picture together in two years! This is the picture that inspired me to get an iPhone haha.
I met him up at his family's house the first night, and we drove up to Sundance at 10 pm. I remember a lot of silence on that ride, even though we were both so excited to be together. We didn't even need words because all the words had been said in our weekly letters. We knew everything that had happened during our time apart, and how we both felt. Later he told me that was a quality he really admired in me, to be able to enjoy silence with another person like that. While we were stargazing, he told me that he had told his mission president about me, and the mission president told him to come home and marry me. The next night, he said again, "I need to marry you." Those words made be inexplicably happy! So we started planning our future, and got engaged on April 7, 2012.
Matt has always been really good at gestures of romanticism. He would write me love notes, or poems, or leave me small presents, bring flowers home randomly, cook me dinner, or take me on fun dates. In 2008, he started saying that he was going to take me on so many epic dates when he got home that I wouldn't even know what hit me when he proposed! He was right. I didn't see it coming.
We went on a date to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, where we had already decided to get married.
I thought for sure it was going to happen this night. Nope.
My parents were in town, so we had dinner at Matt's family's house so they could meet each other. We looked at baby pictures and told stories and had a nice time. Then we went stargazing up the canyon. Matt stopped to get drinks at a gas station, and we were on our way. He parked somewhere and we hiked up a small hill that had a great view of the full moon on one side and the city on the other. Matt had a bean bag, blankets, and champagne glasses with sparkling cider. The moment I started to suspect this was "the night" was on the hike up. He started say really epic, romantic things. Usually we go on awesome dates like this one, but he doesn't say epic things that often. We even chose "our star", and that's when I realized something was up haha! He took out a paper towel folded up, and told me to open it and read what was inside. At JL he began courting me by leaving me anonymous love notes at work written on paper towels like this one. I read the letter, which was very thoughtful and sweet. At the end it said, "Will you marry me?" I looked at him and he said, "You have to get up for this part," because we were squished on a child-sized bean bag. I got up and he showed me the ring and got on one knee and asked, and I started bawling (see our wedding story), and obviously said YES!
Yeah boy! Right after we got engaged.
Can you tell that I love our rings? Haha. We got my ring at Wilson's (highly recommended) and I got his ring in Italy in 2009. He wore it every day of his mission.
Apparently he had a team down in the valley that was supposed to put up twinkle lights that said "Marry me" on the field, but they couldn't find an outlet haha. That's why he was stalling at the gas station earlier. Either way, it was perfect for us :)
I told Matt about how I hate when people get married and suddenly feel the need to blog about their daily happenings. But I get it now. Life is so much better with him around, and we always do fun things, and I want to record it so future generations can see how we lived our life together. I'm watching this show called "Who Do You Think You Are?" Celebrities + Family History = ADDICTION. It makes family history feel so much more important. But they keep finding the most basic of clues: names in censuses, maybe a picture if they're lucky. I want to be able to leave an entire blog behind so my kids, grandkids, great-grandkids and so forth and get a slice of what I was like. My inner thoughts, our activities, and how happy Matt has made me.
So get prepared to read a lot about the man who has made my life amazing.
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