30 in 11

I dated a lot at BYU. I hung-out with a lot of guys at BYU. I didn't want to get serious with anyone at BYU. Then I met HIM!!!

Actually we had a lot of run-ins. Our first meeting was when I went over to some of my guy friends' apartment and he was playing Hearts with them. They were into the card game and not the girl (ummm, me!) so I left annoyed that they hadn't paid more attention to me. Then I met him at Battle of the Bands. I said, "Hi" and he just looked right over me (he is a foot taller!). He swears he has no recollection of this! He remembers meeting me at his apartment when he had a party. He was dancing with one of his friends and all the girls were circled around them like a bunch of groupies. I was in the kitchen, and I thought he was cute, but I couldn't bring myself to ooh and aah with all the other girls so my roommate and I left. Then in January of 2003, my roommate and I had a spaghetti dinner at our house and we invited a few guy friends over, okay like 20 guy friends (no girls, that would have been silly!). And he came...he wasn't supposed to, but his roommate talked him into it. He was dressed in his white shirt and tie because he had been teaching at the MTC that day. We spoke for over and hour and I was so excited! I desperately wanted him to ask me out. We both played it cool and saw each other once or twice over the next few days then he asked me out on the steps of the WILK. I remember us separating to walk to our classes after he asked me out and I tried not to skip! He made me pesto, we played cards and watched Moulin Rouge (I still have the VHS we watched!) on that first date. We both had some dates we had already committed to, so we both went out with a few other people. (I won't get into the night he was supposed to come to my house for a party and I saw his roommate that night and he said, "Isn't Joey on a date with you?" My thought was, "No but it sounds like he is on a date with someone!" Nope, I'm over that!) Anyway, a few weeks later we had been out, talked a ton and we just stopped seeing other people. We hung out all the time and talked more than I've ever talked to another person.


In March we went to California so I could meet his family and he popped the question on a beautiful beach in Santa Cruz. He asked me three questions. Are you committed to living the gospel? Are you committed to loving me? and Would I marry Him? I answered "I promise" to the first two questions then "Yes" to the final question (I had the words "I promise" inscribed in Joey's wedding ring) I was shocked and happier than I had ever been. Joey makes me want to be better. He sees so much potential in me. He loves me more than anything. He wants me to be happy. He has made me realize that I'm worth loving and I really, really love him for that.

This is after he proposed. We drove back to his parents house and I was so happy. I tried to find the picture that the hippy took of us right after he proposed but I couldn't find it! So these are about an hour after the actual proposal:)