how we began

A few weeks ago, Chad and I celebrated our  SEVEN year anniversary.

Here's a read-deal blog post about marriage I wrote a little bit ago: HERE

Which means, we've been together for seven and a half years. 

I was going through our box of pictures and flipped through the very few pictures I have from when we  were dating/engaged. Here are some:

CHAD WITH HAIR! This is in Idaho Falls, ID on 4th of July for "the biggest firework show west of the mississippi".   We wanted to make out the whole time, but unfortunately/thankfully one of my socially awkward roommates was the third wheel. Please note Chad's uber cool sunglasses, I called them J-Lo glasses, cause they were just barely tinted and super "trendy".

This is a side ways me, on our way to "ring shop". If you want to know what I look like when I don't eat and work out 2 hours a day (literally) thats what I look like. Oh, and I was still a teenager.  Please note the bed on cinder blocks behind? So classic. 

 Us, wearing each other's clothes posing like famous art. I remember we even changed in the same room (what??! Gasp) but we promised to close our eyes, and Chad still  insists he never peeked. DUMB.

 Physical proof we broke BYU-I's honor code...a lot. They have a strict no-boys-in-girl's rooms rule. Looking back, we were so dumb, but we never got caught, and we both graduated! 

Randomness at Porter Park (in Rexburg, ID). 

 This is post bridge jumping or something very typical BYU-Idahoie. Please note the super cool puka shells in the rear view mirror, so hip. 

Headed to the library, a few weeks before we got hitched. PS- We still have that hat, and that bag? Its our diaper bag. 

And, to make this post even longer, here's how we started:

 It was spring of '05. I had just "sent off" a missionary (my freshman year boyfriend, went to serve a two year mission for our church, we totally talked about getting married...ha!)  I was almost done with my semester break and sooo ready to get out of Bellingham, WA and get back to school at BYU-Idaho. Chad came home from his two year mission at the same time. I saw him at church the week before I left, but didn't care. But he noticed me. I moved back to school, started to actually take school seriously, and got a job. I had good room mates and a great ward (church congregation). I was working hard, and making good grades (go me!) My roommates and I threw our socially awkward roommate a surprise party, we invited everyone we knew. And one of my best friends, Shane came. He was so excited cause his old buddy, Chad Meynders was in town. He was begging me to go see say hi with him, and I literally said: "Shane, I do not care about a Chad Meynders." But eventually Shane convinced me. We went to say hi, then he came back with us to my apartment for cake and ice cream. After making small talk with him, I turned to my roommates  Heather and Mallory and said "I do NOT like this guy."

Rewind back a few weeks, during first summer block (1st half of the semester) I was taking an Old Testament class. (REL 301, if I remember correctly?) It was a hard class, but one of my all time favorites. One day in class I had the strongest feeling that I needed to prepare to go to the temple now, not because I was going to go on a mission, but that I would be getting married, and soon. I called and told my mom (step mom, not to confuse you) and she was of course very wise and supportive, and just listened to me.  

Fast forward a couple weeks, Chad ends up moving into the same ward as me, and Shane had just broken up with his girl friend and needed to get over it, Chad suggested they do a double date, and ended up asking me by default, (or so I thought, cause I was sitting next to him). We then went on a double date of frisbee golf and soccer tennis (Alicia! That's you!). We went out a couple more times, all the while I was thinking I was just a pitty date cause he didn't know anyone else....I am a bit slow when it comes to the whole picking up hints thing. 

ON our third date, we went and got Jamba Juice, and went for a walk around Smith park. After a while I was tuning him out and I got the strongest feeling, almost like I could hear the words in my heart: " You are going to marry this man."

I was shocked, started shaking, and acting uncomfortable, Chad noticed and asked if I was cold (...uh it was the middle of June...not cold.) and took me home. I went home, and cried to my roommate Heather, I could not deny what I felt, I knew it was true, but it was against all previous plans I had: Go on a mission, graduate, grad school, maybe Peace Corps? THEN get married, to the boy I already made plans with.

I fasted, I prayed and, I just felt so much peace when I thought about being married to Chad, which is pretty crazy cause we really barely knew each other, REALLY. So from then on, I was NOT hard to get, I mean, lets get this ball rolling right? I said yes to every date, I even kissed HIM first. Looking back he probably thought he had some serious game, or was super smooth, but nope. We went on a couple road trips with friends, to UT and WA and played the "question game" the whole way. We learned a LOT about each other, our likes, dislikes, passions, history, mistakes, dreams...After we kissed, we became "official" boyfriend-girlfriend. 

EIGHT days later, on a Sunday night, we read some scriptures like we did every night together, and then went for a walk. Chad was kind of quiet, we made it up to the soccer fields, and he turned to me and said: "what would you say if I told you I loved you?"

Me: "I'd say it back."

Him: "I love you."

Me: "I love you, too."

....a few minutes of silence....

Him: "Will you marry me?"

Me: "Yes."

Then we we're like: "What the crazy?! We're crazy, this is awesome! Let's call our parents!"

SIX long, fun/painful months later (we should have gotten hitched the next week!), we were married in the Seattle temple, on December 28th. The same day and place that my mom and dad were married 20 something years earlier.

And there ya go, congrats if you read the whole thing.