Time

I think I told Charles at the beginning of last week that I was going to make an official post, but I never did and time has flown by very quickly. So, here's the sequence of events for those of you who have been kinda out of the loop (my fault).

1) Somewhere in March this guy started showing up at church. I noticed him for a few reasons, but mostly because I figured he was YSA age and felt the need to draw him into the YSA group before I left for Utah because, well, Searcy's social scene is non-existent for the YSAs.

2) I saw him again at General Conference on Saturday. I didn't know at the time that he had gotten baptized between sessions by the stake president. Interestingly enough, this was the same weekend that I learned I was moving to Utah.

3)There was a YSA fireside on April 20th so I decided to approach this new guy and tell him about it and invite him along. He said he wasn't sure he would be coming, but got my number so he could get directions to meet me there. He didn't show.

4) The next Sunday I was at ropes course and so the following Sunday was the day of the CES Fireside. He came up to me after Sacrament meeting and asked about the last fireside and I told him about the one that night. He said he "might" come. After some adventure of trying to get a key to the building, me, David and Logan (my VT companion's 14 year old son) watched the fireside and talked for a little of it. Afterward David asked what I was doing and I told him that I was just going back to my apartment by myself. I (being the intuitive person that I am) could tell he wanted to talk some more, but I brushed it off because my apartment can be pretty boring, especially on Sundays when I just...chill. So, we went our separate ways.

5) That was a mistake, haha. By the time I got home I was trying to figure out a way to get in touch with him to talk to him some more. He had my number, but I didn't have his. I thought of all the people I could call to get it, but couldn't justify such a ridiculous thing. I looked to see if his number was in the ward directory and it wasn't yet, so I just waited, a little frustrated with myself. About ten minutes after I gave up the search...my phone rang. :)

6) We ended up talking for a few hours for the next several nights about pretty much everything. His conversion story, his past, his family, etc. and there wasn't really anything we didn't talk about and nothing awkward about any of it. He knew I was going to be moving and wasn't really thrilled about it at all. His best persuasions didn't sway me and he got rather discouraged about "us".

7) A few times we decided to go as long as we could without talking. I was busy with school, so it was easy to not think about it, but the first time he lasted about...24 hours (after bragging about being able to last three days) without calling. After another conversation about how serious I was about moving, he decided that he wasn't up for it and would just not keep in touch at all. This time he was more serious I think. By this time he had already decided that he loved me, but I wouldn't respond because I didn't think it would make it easier on him when I left. Frustrating weekend to say the least.

8) By Wednesday things had cooled down, but we still hadn't spoken, just a text or two saying we'd still be friends. Blah. By Thursday we were talking again and Saturday we appeared in public together with people we knew for the first time and on Sunday the ward learned we were "together" because he didn't sit with the Berkheimers after passing the sacrament. Oh the scandal!

9) By the time I left for Ginny's wedding we were pretty serious and already had picked out April 11th as our "date". Nothing official of course, but wheels were in motion and we continued like that until the 11th of July.

10) On the 11th of July we went on a double date with a young couple in our ward. I've been over to their place a couple times for dinner and they wanted all of us to get together, so we did. The conversation turned to long distance relationships and they talked about their experience of planning for a long separation, but bumped it up a few months. David was all excited that it might be earlier than April and suggested going ahead and getting married in October (when we next planned to see each other). We tossed it around a little, but on Saturday I told him there was no way we weren't waiting until April.

11) Friday and Saturday night I had a really hard time sleeping. I'd wake up and only be able to think about this whole moving the date up thing. I knew that it was pretty much the most insane thing I'd ever do (hopefully) and went against everything I'd ever said I stood for. Friday night I successfully avoided it by watching a movie instead of thinking. When I woke at 2 in the morning on Sunday morning and it wouldn't go away I decided to just go ahead a pray about it, to get rid of it (I thought). By 5:00 that morning I woke up David and asked him to come home with me the next weekend and we decided to get married the day before graduation.

So, yeah, I'm getting married tomorrow. Yes. It's insane, considering half of you haven't even met him yet. No, I didn't ask him first, he'd asked me several times before. I wish I could explain why this makes so much sense when it doesn't seem to from the outside. All my initial concerns that I had have been addressed and discussed. Neither one of us are perfect, but we're trying to be better. Certain classmates are less supportive than others, but I know what I'm supposed to do and it will happen. We're still going to get sealed in April, but don't know if it will be Utah or Birmingham yet. A lot of that is up to our finances, etc. at the time. We'll probably celebrate a little more (and with more notice/preparation) at that time.

Wednesday we move to Utah on a new adventure. We still don't have an apartment (but Jade & Ashley are both helping tremendously with that) and I'm still interviewing for jobs, but things will work out. Thanks for all your help and support in this very fast change in my (our) life. He's a little shy at first, but will really surprise you when you get to know him.