Our Story- The Proposal (by Haley)

On December 18 I wrote, “He finally brought up marriage tonight. He was so scared to. I felt the spirit tell me that it was right to talk about...He is so amazing. We're going to pray about it to see. I am a little nervous because if the answer is no I'll be devastated and so sad.” “I am so in love with him. I can barely look at him without melting. I'm pathetic.” He also asked me to go to Aubry's sealing a few days later. I was scared to death! I thought that if I went my feelings would definitely grow stronger for Greg and it would become so difficult not to get married. I hesitated at first telling Greg I was unsure. Then he told me how his family really wanted me there and most of all he wanted me there. So I said yes.

On December 21 I went to Aubry and Jesse's wedding dinner with Greg. I really enjoyed being with his family. This was the first time I had met Eric and Rachel since they had been teaching English in China. Everyone was really nice and the program was great. Then we went over to the chapel where Aubry and Jesse's reception was going to be the next day. It was all beautifully set up. Greg played the organ for me and told me he loved me.

The next day we went to Aubry's sealing. Being in that sealing room with Greg and holding his hand all through it made the feelings of love so strong. I could barely stand it. If we didn't get married this would be so hard for me. As I hugged his sister Aubry in the sealing room she was crying and said, “Thank you so much for coming.” I really felt like she did want me there. Afterwards Greg and I went over the to Joseph Smith Memorial Building to listen to choirs sing Christmas songs. It was so fun to cuddle up close and listen to beautiful music. I was so happy. That night we both helped out with the reception a ton. Many people kept asking us when we were getting married or would say, “You guys are next!” I didn't mind. My favorite part of the evening was the dancing. I knew Greg hated to dance. Tonight though, Greg was going to have fun since it was his sister's wedding. He got all his siblings and cousins dancing. Everyone was dancing. I felt lucky to be his girl. Every slow song we would dance together. He asked the dj to play 'Just the Way You Are' by Billy Joel. He dedicated it to me. I melted. I knew everyone was looking at us and everyone could see that I was smitten. I couldn't hide it. I was so in love.

The following morning I woke up bright and early to drive to Idaho for Christmas. I missed Greg so much. It was wonderful to talk to him on a phone but it was obvious we were both miserable without each other. Finally on December 26 Greg flew in to Boise. His flight was late and I was really worried about him. Everything worked out though. I even gave him an Idaho Spud bar. He liked it. I took him over to Joel and Melanie's to sleep. The next few days were great. He got to meet my family. We went to a hot springs, we went on a hike, we went sledding, ate great food, the guys played football and Risk, and we even went out to dinner with mom and dad. All of my siblings were giving me a hard time. “So, when are you guys getting married?” I tried to not get too excited since we hadn't talked about marriage being a for sure thing yet. When my family would bring it up, I tried to change the subject.

On December 29 we got up early and drove back to Provo. Usually the drive from Horseshoe Bend back to Provo seems so long. This time, I could have been in that car with Greg forever. Greg brought up marriage. We discussed everything: where, when, future goals, etc. I told him that when I prayed to know if I should marry him I felt the same way I did when I asked Heavenly Father if The Book of Mormon was true. Why are you asking me? You already have the answer. You already know. Planning everything was so exciting. We stopped in Sandy to meet up with Bethany and Paul for lunch. They gave Greg a really hard time. Little did they know that we were already discussing dates. So in love.

The next day we finalized that our wedding day would be April 2 so that we could go on our honeymoon over my Spring Break. I started looking at rings online and then we went to some jewelry stores. It was tough for me. I didn't want to be high maintenance or ask for too much. In my journal I wrote: “Greg told me that you can find out a lot about a person going ring shopping with them. He said that I wasn't afraid to speak my mind if I didn't like it. He said that it was funny I didn't like the ring I liked online once I tried it on. I liked the rings with small diamonds.” That night we met up with Ashley and Ben at Brickoven. We had a feast. Then Greg drove me up to the temple. He asked me to marry him even though he didn't have the ring yet. He said he was practicing. I said yes. Then there were fireworks figuratively and literally since it was New Year's. We had a wonderful evening together.

On January 1 we went on a double date with our friends Matt and Lori. We ate dinner and then played mini golf at Trafalga. We were in our own little world. We hardly even talked to them. The next day we went to the temple together. I wrote, “I just read through a page I wrote on my mission of qualities ofmy future husband. It's amazing how Greg has every single one... The best part was sitting in the Celestial room with Greg. It felt right and I felt at peace.”

January 3: “Today is our 2 month anniversary. Greg came over around ten. We chilled and I helped him with his clerk stuff. Then he invited me to go to the church with him to finish up some other stuff but instead we took a detour...to the temple. He was surprised to see the gate open, so we went in the parking lot and parked the car. It wasn't that cold outside (for once)---- actually sunny. We decided to get out and walk around. We started walking and Greg said a ton of nice things to me---including the fact that I was the only one he wanted to marry. Then I said some nice things back. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. With no hesitation I said yes. Then we kissed. He put the ring on my finger. We were so happy. When we got in the car I asked him when he asked my dad's permission. He said he didn't because he wanted it to all be surprising to me. I told him I couldn't wear the ring to church and my own parents not know. So I left the ring in the car and he called dad in between sacrament meeting and Sunday School---funny. I put the ring on after church and called everyone. No one was surprised except for Justin. I guess he hasn't been too involved in it all. After church we went to his parent's house for dinner. He hadn't told them yet. I tried to hide my ring, but his dad saw it and said, “Haley, that's some nice bling!” Ha, ha. His mom hugged me. Dinner was happy and then we played games. We announced it at Ward Prayer---fun! Then we read our Patriarchal Blessings to each other. I read my list of qualities I wanted in a husband—he overqualified. It was a love filled day. So happy!”

Our Story- Dating (by Haley)

November was an amazing month for us. For me, after experiencing so many break ups, I was very cautious and careful when we first started dating. I didn't want to fall in love with a guy who would break my heart. Every day he confirmed his interest and concern for me. He would stop by late at night just to see me or come volunteer in my classroom. Greg worked from the afternoon until late at night. I worked early in the morning until the late afternoon. It was difficult to see each other, but I knew Greg cared for me the way I cared for him. We experienced many late nights watching movies, or going on drives, or getting ice cream. Saturdays were sacred because we could share the whole morning together. Many times we went hiking and then did lunch together. Sundays we would drive to church together and hold hands. I loved holding his hand. Everyone in the ward kept telling us, “You guys are so cute.” “I totally saw it coming.” etc. I remember one particularly cold winter Sunday night Greg and I decided to go on a walk to the temple. I remember that it was chilly, but Greg kept me warm. I felt so safe and happy. I really enjoyed being with him. We always had such wonderful conversations.

One day I expressed to Greg how I heard that Billy Joel was coming to Salt Lake to perform. I reminded him that he was one of my favorite artists. I told Greg it was a goal of mine to attend one of his concerts. A couple days later Greg said that he wanted to buy a ticket for me to go but on one condition, he got to go too. I was so excited! I got to go to Billy Joel's concert and cuddle with my boyfriend all through it. He bought the tickets and I was so in love.

The next day Greg informed me that he wouldn't be able to go to the concert after all. He couldn't get work off. He told me that I should still go, just with someone else. I was so depressed. It wouldn't be as fun without Greg. Plus I felt like he was trying to distance himself from me. Little did I know that hisjob really was so demanding and he really couldn't get it off. As it turned out Billy got swine flu and had to postpone his concert anyway. A few months later we did get to go together. He was determined that I achieve that goal.

As the month went on we spent every moment we could together. We would eat breakfast together. I would visit Greg at work or he would volunteer in my class. We even went grocery shopping together. My friends at work wanted to meet Greg, so I took them to Brickoven. Of course Lisa and Marissa were both married and wanted me to be married too, so they said a lot of embarrassing stuff about how Greg and I needed to get engaged. All I remember is being so embarrassed and that after all of that Greg paid for everyone's food. That was why everyone loved him so much. He was just like that.

November 20 will always be a special day for me. After I got off work, Greg picked me up and then took me out to Lotus Garden (which was one of my favorite restaurants). After a wonderful meal we went to his orchestra concert. I sat by myself in the audience. I wrote in my journal, “He walked out on stage and I couldn't even look at him. I was smitten. He is so amazing.” After it finished I met his mom, his sister Aubry and her fiancee Jesse. I thought they were really nice. We all went out to Krispy Kreme together, which I later found out was a tradition of theirs. After we left, Greg and I watched 'Return to Me' on his latop in his truck. I remember that I wasn't even watching the movie because I was so in love and happy to be with him. Our time together was so precious because he was so busy. Finally he turned it off because it was getting late. I wrote in my journal: “Afterwards he said it might be kinda late to have a serious talk, but then he went on to say how he never got sick of me and loved spending time with me. How he liked me more each day and how he couldn't think of a reason not to like me. Then when I was about to say all the amazing things about him, he told me he loved me. I had to say it back because I love him too.” I don't think I slept much that night because I couldn't stop thinking about him.

The next day we went on a hike and made lunch together. Then on Sunday Greg invited me to West Jordan for dinner with his family. His parents, grandparents, sisters (Aubry and Malerie), and Jesse were all there. I was really impressed with his family. They were really nice and interested in me. I automatically felt like I knew them before or something. Later that night Greg and I went for a drive. Greg told me that he wasn't caught up in the moment or was just saying he loved me, he meant it. He said that he had thought through it all beforehand. That just made me love him even more.

Then it was Thanksgiving. I was going to Texas to visit Justin and Kelsey. Greg took me to the Salt Lake airport. We stopped by the Church History Museum beforehand. I was only interested in one thing while we were there and it wasn't church history. Greg called me every day during Thanksgiving break. When I flew back to Provo, Greg picked me up. It was a very happy reunion.

Once I got back from Texas things started to get a lot more serious. Greg would always compliment me and make me feel so special. Many times he would tell me strengths I had that were specifically found in my patriarchal blessing. Every snowy winter morning Greg would get up early, heat up my car for me and scrape my windows in time for me to go to work. He was so thoughtful and knew the way to my heart.

On December 3 we reached our month mark. Greg bought me eight roses and I bought him a journal since he had lost his and wanted a new one so badly. We looked at the Christmas lights on Center Street and read a Christmas story with all of my roommates (a fun little tradition).

In December we went to Christmas Around the World, attended his final concert of the semester, went to a Comedy show of HumorU and Divine Comedy, went to Temple Square, went to Denny's for hot chocolate, and did all the typical Christmas festivities.

On December 17 my parents were in town for some of my cousins' weddings. Greg finally got to meet them. I wrote in my journal, “They really like him. He really likes them...It was fun to introduce Greg to people. Everyone liked him...Wow. I'm really in love with him.”

TO BE CONTINUED... FIND OUT OUR PROPOSAL STORY NEXT THURSDAY!!

Real Romance and Valentines Day (Ashley)

Some may suggest that Valentine's day is a lame commercial holiday. How silly that there is one day to wine-and-dine your sweetheart, when you should be doing it all year! Valentines day can cause hurt feelings for many women. The plague of comparison is at an all-time high around this holiday, and it can leave one feeling unhappy and unsatisfied. As the pictures get blasted all over the internet of romantic dinners, thoughtful flowers, and surprise gifts, it is going to be pretty easy to start a pity party.

But, as I learned with Mother's day, maybe this day isn't all about me and what I didn't get. I want to use this day for something positive instead.

I have three small children who look to me for guidance and direction. If I'm not teaching them with words, my actions are telling them what is important. I want Valentine's Day to become a day where I teach my children what real romance is. I want to teach them what a happy and fulfilling relationship looks like. No Disney princesses or some romantic comedy, but real, lasting love. Marriage is the correct and proper place for intimate, romantic love. I want to take this "love day" to teach my children what is love in marriage.


Real romance is putting your spouse first. It is putting them at the top of your priority list. This can manifest itself in a number of ways on Valentine's day, for example. Making a special dinner, giving a special gift, dressing nicely. But I want to make the connection for my children that romance is about giving and sacrificing, and not getting on Valentine's day.

Real romance is alone time. When you have children, you show your spouse you love them by giving them your undivided attention. For some couples this may mean going out, dinner together, or catching a movie. For us this year it will be spent at home in front of the fire, after the kids go to bed. Romance does not equal extravagance, I want my children to know that.

Real romance is learning how your spouse feels love, and giving that to them. The world will send you many messages of what love should look like, or make you believe that men and women don't need to change much to be in a relationship. But real romance means putting all of your energy into finding out what you can do, what habits you can create to make your spouse the happiest person around.

I love my sweetheart.

P.S.- How we met here

Our Story- How We Started Dating (by Haley)

The semester before I met Greg I was living in Bountiful Court Apartments in Provo, Utah. I had four roommates and ALL of them were engaged. I hated going home to an apartment of people in love and kissing. I was 24 and felt like I had done all that I could to get married. I went on dates, I had had boyfriends, I was social, and felt like I was doing all the right things. I began to wonder of I should move somewhere else. The whole staying on Provo thing didn't seem to be working out for me. So, at the end of Winter semester 2009 I made a quick trip to Rexburg. It seemed like a great idea for me to check out the single scene in a new place. While visiting there the feeling was strong that I should just stay in Provo. So I came back and checked out Alta Apartments. When I saw a guy carry a girl's groceries to her apartment, I knew it was the place for me.

I was right.

I was blessed with wonderful roommates and an awesome ward. It was seriously the perfect fit for me. I made friends quickly and felt comfortable there. I remember the first time I saw Greg. I was walking up the stairs to visit one of my friends and I saw him. He said hi to me and I thought, “That guy is really cute. Why haven't I ever seen him before?” Later I remember visiting one of Greg's roommates. We were playing some wii game and Greg happened to be in the room with us. Greg kept making silly comments. I thought he was really funny. I kept thinking that he was like a hidden treasure in our ward because he was so cool but no one really knew about him.

On June 30, 2009 I went on a roommate date. I went with this guy in the ward that I wasn't particularly interested in. On the date we built a rice crispy castle, which actually turned out to be really cool. It was so big and we didn't want it all to go to waste so we decided to take it around to people in the ward. First we went to girls' apartments. Then over to the boys. I made sure we knocked on Greg's door, even though I knew he probably wouldn't be home.

When we knocked on his door, he was laying on the couch. I couldn't believe he has there! I asked him if he was alright. He said that he had broken his toe pretty badly playing volleyball. He looked like he was in pain. After talking for a few minutes, we gave him some rice crispies and then we were off. I kept thinking “I hope this date ends soon because Greg is at his apartment and I want to go talk to him some more.” I was so happy that the date did end early. I went directly over to Greg's. We laughed and talked and talked until it was late. That night started our wonderful friendship.

A couple of days later (July 2), my roommates invited some people over to watch Independence Day at our apartment. I really hoped Greg would come. The movie was almost over when Greg finally showed up. It was okay though because he brought everyone Brickoven pizza and cookies. We flirted a lot that night and I was so pleased he showed up.

The next day our apartment had a pancake party and hiked Stewart Falls. I was so excited to spend more time with Greg. I kept flirting with him on the hike but I was beginning to think that he liked my roommate Cynthia. So I kind of backed off a little bit.

That Sunday we had Ward Prayer. A guy in our ward was giving a spiritual thought on service. He asked the audience to share experiences where people had served them. Greg raised his hand and said, “I hurt my toe really bad the other day and Haley came and consoled me.” After that I knew he must of at least appreciated my friendship.

By the end of July we were pretty good friends. I loved being around Greg. I felt like I could totally be myself. I thought he was such a nice guy and a gentleman. When he would come over or ask me out I didn't really think he had any interest in me. Mostly I thought this because he never touched me. We never hugged or anything at the end of a date. I assumed he enjoyed my company and friendship. I assumed we both had the understanding that we were just really good buddies.

Things continued the same for a while. In August Greg took me out to lunch and even to Thanksgiving Point to see the waterfalls and gardens. We ate a Zupa's. I remember on August 7 I ran a 5K Midnight Moon Run with my roommates. The race started at midnight, obviously. After the race we were all really hyper. We decided to get some grub at Denny's. I knew that Greg got off of work late that night, so I called him and invited him to meet up with us. He totally did! He even paid for everyone's food. That's the kind of guy Greg was. My roommates LOVED him. By the way, we didn't get home until 3am!!!

Well, as things turned out Greg was asked to go to St. George to help open up a Brickoven restaurant. He was going to be in St. George for 4 weeks. I tried really hard to convince him not to go because I knew I would miss my buddy. Greg felt like he needed to go, so he left. It surprised us how well we kept in touch with each other. We called and texted each other while he was gone. Many times we stayed up past midnight chatting on the phone. We had some great talks and really got to know each other even better.

On September 6, Greg was back in Provo. The first time I saw him was at church. I was so excited to see him and he looked good. Best of all, he was really excited to see me too. After church got out, we met up and talked for a few hours. 

Towards the end of the month, my sister Ashley invited me and my brother Derek over to watch the Emma Smith movie. She told us we had to bring a date. I wasn't really into anyone at the time, so I thought, “Well, Greg is a great friend of mine. I'll invite him.” As it turned out Ashley and Derek LOVED him. Later Ashley told me, “Why don't you go for Greg? He is really cool.” The next day we went on a drive to see the fall leaves up the canyon. Something Greg loved to do every fall. I didn't feel any romantic feelings for him, I just really enjoyed his company.

In October Greg came over a bunch (8 times). I also went on a trip to San Diego with my roommate Cynthia, and we talked on the phone a couple of times while I was gone. Greg even volunteered in my class for the first time, which I always found so attractive. At the end of October we had Stake Conference. I sat by Greg. Afterwards he came over and we made brownies. On Halloween Greg came over while we were watching Little Shop of Horrors. He was dressed up as House. He had his hair all spiked and grey to look the part. I thought he looked really hot. I had a hard time watching the movie. I was beginning to develop those romantic feelings.

In the mean time my roommates were giving me a hard time. “Greg likes you!” they would say. Then I would say, “No he doesn't you guys. We're just good friends. He doesn't even touch me.” All my roommates had decided that we would be perfect together. Plus he gave them free food and was such a gentleman. They liked having him around. On top of that, Ashley and Derek kept saying things to me like, “Haley, Greg is so wonderful” “He reminds me of you” “I really like Greg”, etc.

So what does Ashley do? She invites us over to watch the CES Fireside at her house. She said, “You have to invite Greg. He's my favorite.” So I did. We had fun as always. The following day Greg came and volunteered in my class again. I wrote in my journal: “I think I like him.” Then Greg asked me out for the next day (November 3).

It shouldn't have been a big deal at all since we had been out enough times, but for some reason I was a little more nervous this time. My feelings for Greg had formed into more romantic ones. I tossed and turned all night. I knew that I needed to bring up our relationship. I knew that it was time to figure out our feelings for each other. I was nervous he didn't like me the way I liked him.

On November 3 I kept thinking about Greg all through school. That night I was working in the temple and kept stumbling over all of my words because I was thinking about him. When I got home, he picked me up (we often went on late dates due to his crazy schedule). In my mind I knew if he acted a certain way then our little DTR would go well. I felt so comfortable and at ease when he started joking with me. We flirted and laughed all the way to Jamba Juice. Then we went to the park, but it was too cold so we went on a little drive. The whole time I was thinking, “I need to bring it up, I need to bring it up.” No moment seemed ideal and I was too scared.

Finally he walked me to my apartment to drop me off. I invited him to come inside for a little bit. We both sat on different couches...that was how we were. We were buds. All of my roommates were in their rooms (so kind). Then I said, “I want to talk to you about something but it's hard for me. So why don't you start?” Greg thought that was pretty funny. He started talking about the weather. Finally he said, “I know what you want to talk about. You want to talk about me and you.” I felt so much relief that he said it and not me. He went on to say that he liked me and wanted to date me. He said that his job was too crazy and he was so busy that it probably wouldn't really work. Then I said, “Well, I think we should try. If we both like each other it only makes sense.” Then he said, “Okay.” Then I said, “Well, shouldn't we hug or something?”

It was pretty funny that there we were sitting on opposite couches, saying we wanted to date each other and we had never even touched each other before. I was excited to see how it would go. He got up and we hugged. It was wonderful. Then something happened that I wasn't expecting, he kissed me. It felt great. We sat on the couch holding hands. I cuddled up to him. In two minutes we had hugged, kissed, held hands, and cuddled. Two minutes earlier we had never even touched. Though somehow everything felt good and right to me. I wrote in my journal: “It felt so good. He kept saying how good he felt and thinks he really likes me. I feel so comfortable around him and I'm totally myself. Awesome.”

TO BE CONTINUED... CHECK OUT THE BLOG NEXT THURSDAY FOR MORE OF THE STORY!

How We Met: Our Love Story - by Bethany

Before heading off to the Philippines as an LDS missionary in 2003, I spent 9 weeks in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Utah attempting to learn how to preach the gospel... in Tagalog. It was a very humbling experience to arrive with no language training at all, but I could (kind of) pray in Tagalog by the end of my first full day there! Three weeks in, I was really starting to get it.

It's a photo of a photo. I didn't have a digital camera back then!

That's when the new missionaries arrived. They seemed so young and green. They stopped by our classroom to be wowed by how far they would come in just a few short weeks. We showed off our skills to the new elders, including one from Riverton, UT. If we only knew then what we know now, maybe we would've taken more notice of each other!

Paul's "batch". He's the one with the glasses.

My relationship with Paul was a casual one for the next six weeks. In fact, neither of us remember much about each other from the MTC. We were kind of friends, but he was overly uptight and nerdy, so we didn't hang out much. We saw each other at church on Sundays, and at mealtimes, gym time, and laundry time, but we mostly stuck with our own "batch". 

My batch: me, our American teacher, and five islanders. We had lots of fun!

I do have one memory of Paul from the laundry room. An elder from his batch was using bad language, and I was getting upset with him. The elder thought it was funny to keep riling me up, and he wouldn't quit. Paul stepped in (as his district leader) and got him to stop. My knight in shining armor!

Paul remembers the day I got my travel papers. Apparently, I came up to him all excited and showed them to him. (As I recall, I did that to pretty much every person I knew, and even some I didn't know!) Then I was off to the Philippines Olongapo Mission, never to see or hear from Paul again. No love lost there. He soon left for the Philippines Quezon City Mission, and I'm sure he didn't lie awake at night thinking of me either. We were just never really that close.

The only proof that Paul and I were in the MTC together at all.
He took this picture where you can see the top half of my head. 

I was supposed to serve for 18 months, but with time off for sickness, it ended up taking me about 2 years to finish. That's just when Paul was done with his mission, so fate landed us in the same Tagalog culture class at BYU the next semester. We both recognized each other the first day, and even remembered each other's names - at least LAST names:) But we each had other mission buddies in the class, so we didn't talk much.

I was living with Heather at Stadium Terrace Apartments at the time. We were a force to be reckoned with on the dating front. Both of us dated A LOT, and we weren't afraid to be a little bit assertive if we had an open weekend. We pushed each other to get ourselves out there, be social, and to ALWAYS have boys over for Sunday dinner. 

One Sunday, I didn't feel up to finding a guy to have over. I was between boyfriends, I'd had a bad date the night before, and I was in a very slow-moving probably-we'll-be-more-than-friends-someday hang-out relationship with another guy. Heather was in a very serious relationship, and wanted our regular double date dinner, and kept pushing me to find ANYONE to invite over. I wasn't in the mood to flirt or put myself out there, so I decided to call Paul. He was somewhat of a friend, and I had no interest in him. Perfect.

He agreed to come over on very short notice. Who can resist roast beef? Well, apparently Paul can. He barely ate, and I was a little offended. I found out later that he had already eaten, but that he really want to come over and spend time with me, so he came anyway:) He was good company, and we had a nice talk afterwards, which ended in him asking me out on a date for the next Thursday. Score!

I had some time before Paul picked me up for our first date. I wasn't particularly excited to go out with him, but I was in the mood to get pretty, so I did my make-up and hair and got all dressed up for the black and white party at the BYU Museum of Art. He had dressed up too, complete with a bow tie and bowler hat! I could tell he hadn't dated much when he didn't open doors for me, or slow down to walk with me in my heels, but he was an eager student. 

We spent some time looking at black and white art and eating from black and white chocolate fountains. Then we found an empty bench by the flower gardens and fountains in front of the administration building where we just sat and talked. Paul told me later that he knew this could turn into something because we didn't default to talking about our missions. It was a huge cool thing we had in common, but it wasn't what our relationship was based on. I was still indifferent towards him, and definitely still looking. Heather showed me her brand new engagement ring that night:)

This is actually an engagement photo, but it's on a bench at least, so it goes with the story, right?

For the next few weeks, I became increasingly more unhappy with my life. I spent my days at school, work, and doing homework, then spent my evenings killing time with friends and roommates, or dating guys I didn't like. I felt like I was in a rut. Meanwhile, my roommate/sister was getting all ready for her upcoming wedding. Our mom came one weekend to shop with her. Paul happened to ask me out for a second date that weekend, and Mom asked if she needed to meet him. I told her nothing would ever come of it.

We went on a date with Paul's parents to see his one and only sibling, Lynne, in a high school choir concert. I like that kind of stuff, which really impressed Paul. It wasn't weird at all to be with his parents, even when they paid for our dinner at Fazoli's. When he took me home afterward, we ended up going for a walk, talking for a long time, and he even put his arm around me! I was starting to like this guy... but not enough to rule out other guys, of course:)

I didn't see Paul for a few days, but then he came with me and some of my mission buddies to volunteer at the MTC. He left immediately after, while the rest of us went to my place to watch a Filipino movie. I called Paul halfway through to see if he wanted to come over, and he came. We cuddled under a blanket, and he held my hand! I wrote in my journal that night: "I don't know for sure how much I like Paul. We're good friends and he's nice and really smart and he takes me on dates, but I don't know if it'll ever work."

The next night, Paul had me over to his apartment for dinner. The day after that, he visited me at work. I liked him, but I was still spending a lot of time with a lot of other guys. I did invite him to sit with me and all my cousins at the football game that Saturday, so I must have had some inkling that things were happening. 

Hanging out with friends, roommates, and Paul at my apartment. I'm the one being crushed!

That Sunday, Paul was driving to Rexburg at 5 AM for a mission companion's homecoming. I offered to go with him, mostly because I felt bad that he'd be driving all that way alone and sleepy. We had nice talks the whole drive, looked at mission pictures, told mission stories, and met a lot of people. We didn't quite know what to introduce ourselves as, but it wasn't awkward. On the drive home, Paul sang songs to me as we cuddled up together. I was finally admitting to myself that I REALLY liked him!

Two days later, he brought me cookies because I was having a bad day. He just let me talk and talk about everything in my life that was bothering me. We started seeing each other almost every day. One evening, after studying and hanging out at his apartment, we were walking to the parking lot so he could take me home. All of a sudden, he pulled me towards him and kissed me! I was surprised, but I didn't resist! When we got to my doorstep, I asked him if he wanted me to break my date for that weekend. (The slow mover finally asked me out on a real date after months of just hanging out together every day. You snooze, you lose, buddy!) I cancelled the date, and Paul and I were official!

We went to a Halloween party together as Clark Kent (can you see the Superman shirt underneath?)
 and Alice in Wonderland.

We went to Idaho to visit my family, along with the engaged couple. (We're on the right.)

After four more months of getting to know each other better, going on dates, meeting each other's families, studying together, kissing a lot, fighting a little, one short break-up (yes, the slow mover showed up again to pick up the pieces, only to be disappointed the next day when we got back together), and plenty of gross public displays of affection, Paul got down on one knee in front of the Salt Lake Temple and asked me to marry him! I was so surprised that he asked three days before Valentine's Day, but catching me off-guard worked!

At the Boise temple for Heather's wedding.

Hanging out with Heather, Austin, and my parents at my extended family bridal shower.

It's not easy finishing up a bachelor's degree while engaged - we stayed up way too late every night, and had a lot to do to prepare for our upcoming wedding/life together - but we both got amazingly good grades that semester, and were all ready for our new adventure!

I had to wait three more years for Paul to get HIS bachelor's degree!

Whitney took our engagement pictures.

On June 10, 2006, Paul and I were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. It was the best day of my life, and the beginning of a truly happy eternity with the man I love. I'm so glad he chose me, and that I get to be with him forever! I love you, Paul!

Seven years later!

An Amazing Valentine Treat (by Haley)

I have a confession to make. I have an obsession. I think that I'm a Dairy Queen-oholic. Seriously. I LOVE their ice cream, especially their blizzards. When I have had a bad day or when it's a day to celebrate, there is no question...we're going to Dairy Queen! As Dairy Queen says, "So delicious, it's sure to be love at first bite."

Yesterday we went to Dairy Queen. The guy at the cash register told us we should try the blizzard flavor of the month. He said, once you try some you won't be able to stop. He was right. All I can say is WOW! Red velvet cake bits with cream cheese frosting mixed into vanilla ice cream never tasted so good. It was amazing! My husband was really jealous he didn't get the same flavor as me. 

I realize that this is an expensive addiction. So, I decided to experiment and make my very own red velvet blizzard at home. Here is what I did:

1. First I bought: vanilla ice cream, a red velvet cake mix, and some cream cheese frosting.

2. Then I made the red velvet cake and cut it up into little pieces. I put the cut up pieces in a tupperware and put them in the freezer. I left them in the freezer for about an hour.

 3. Then I got out my blender to mix the ice cream a little.

 4. I generously added some cream cheese frosting and then blended it with the ice cream.

 5. Then I got the red velvet cake bits out of the freezer and added them to the mix.

 6. I turned the blender on and mixed them all together. I poured it all in a cup.

7. I put the delicious red velvet cake bits on top and tried my first bite...

Well, you're gonna have to try it to believe it, but I think it tasted better than Dairy Queen! Looks like my addiction just got a lot cheaper!

***WARNING: If you're trying to loose weight, do not try this blizzard!***

Guest Post: Why I stopped giving my wife gifts for Valentine's Day (by Paul, Bethany's husband)

I don't know how the tradition first started (and this was way before Pinterest, Whitney), but every February as I was growing up, I got valentines from my dad. We all did, my mom, my sister and I, in what we called "the 12 days of Valentines." Beginning each February 3rd, my dad would secretly set out a gift each day, accompanied by a valentine. The gifts were usually bulk candies set in a cut glass teacup (cinnamon hot lips made a frequent appearance) and the valentines connected the gift  - sometimes it was a stretch - to the number of the day. My dad freely admits that he nabbed many of the gifts at random from grocery store shelves in desperation after realizing that he hadn't prepared for that day yet. That's how we got "On the eighth day - eight pudding cups (divided by two)" or "If you carrot all, be my valentine" to accompany, of course, a bag of carrots.

Classy, dad. Nothing says love like pudding cups.

Each day the gifts appeared magically on the hearth or on the piano bench, somehow always set out without us noticing. Always the final gift, on the 12th day, was something special. My first wristwatch arrived on the 12th day one year. Another year we got new gloves for an upcoming cross-country ski trip. In college (yes, he kept sending me stuff in college) it was an Elvis' No. 1 Hits CD.

So as Bethany and I started dating and our first February approached (Bethany is my first and my forever Valentine) I figured I'd carry on the tradition. I only remember a few of the gifts from that year. I'm sure I glued conversation hearts to a 3x5 card and filled in the words to make a message - one of Dad's perennials. I remember the orange plastic water bottle from day one (how romantic) only because we still have it.

I also remember, and will never forget, day nine, the day I proposed - "A ring to make your other nine fingers jealous." My gift shopping had included a stop at the jeweler's in the mall. The moment was unexpected and magical. I haven't been able to top it yet.

As you can tell from our apparel in this re-enactment, she said yes.

I continued giving gifts each year after we were married, but 12 days' worth of gifts, even as cheaply as I could pull them together from dollar stores and Rite-Aids, didn't fit into our tiny student budget. So, for our fifth Valentine's together, I changed my tack. I would do all free gifts. I made a plan that called for about 12 sheets of paper. You'd be surprised how many things you can make with paper.  How could she not love an origami piano, when we were still too poor to afford a real one, or her favorite scripture, rendered in calligraphy by hand? And surely, I thought, the gifts would mean even more because of all the time I put into each meticulous piece. I was sure it would be perfect.

It wasn't. Every spare second, starting in late January, was filled with cutting, drawing, tracing, and folding. I was under pressure, and Bethany could feel it. The magic that I'd hoped to create was swallowed in stress as I breathlessly presented a gift only to wonder how I could finish the next. Sometimes I'd have to dedicate an evening to "gift work," and I'd cut and fold while Bethany waited or worked in another room. The 12 Days were cutting into our time together.

It's a paper Taj Mahal. Only slightly less work to construct than the actual thing.

Are thoughtful treasures for your spouse, chosen with love and sometimes crafted by hand, worth it? Absolutely. Is Bethany worth any sacrifice of my time, energy, or resources? No question. But was the tradition of 12 consecutive days of gifts bringing us closer together and bringing magic into my sweetheart's life? We agreed that it was not and, after one more year of strictly store-bought gifts, decided it was time for the tradition to end.

But I had loved the challenge of expressing my love twelve different ways. I loved pouring a little creativity into something that would make her smile. How could I preserve the heart of the 12 Days while jettisoning the stress? The answer arrived in Bethany's inbox on February 3rd, a year after we had moved on from the 12 Days. My e-mail to her was short, heartfelt and, for her, totally unexpected:

"On the first day of Valentines. . . You are the only ONE for me," it began. 

In the eleven e-mails that followed, Bethany and I rediscovered the fun and the delight of the 12 Days of Valentines. No pressure. No cost.

So, three years later, I still do the 12 Days. But now there are no folded paper Taj Mahals, no plastic hearts filled with M&Ms, no bulk candies. I've found a better way. I write notes to Bethany because it's fun for both of us - I smile as I write them, and she smiles as she reads them. The worse my awkward rhyming couplets are, the better.

Which brings us to this year. Each day since Monday, Bethany has found a note, hidden where she'll run into it in the course of the day. The notes are a cheesy celebration of all the fun we have together, tackily written on folded pieces of plain paper and groan-inducingly connected to one of the 12 Days of Valentines. I hope each one of these notes, and each moment in which Bethany finds them, is filled with surprise, love and magic.