Thursday, February 14, 2013

My Own Love Story

I've read some other posts about how two lovebirds met, so I thought I'd join in. It's not as exciting as some stories might be, but it's obviously one of my favorites.

It was Monday, April 28, 2008, and I had just returned to a still-too-cold-for-flip-flops Rexburg, Idaho. It was the first Monday of the first week of the summer semester, and you know what that means. Ward Family Home Evening Get-To-Know-You Social!
*Cue confetti, streamers, and balloon release.*

All kidding aside, I always did look forward to the beginning of a new semester, if for no other petty reason than to scope out the new guys coming through.

On my life I swear I did not go to BYU-Idaho to find a mister (but that's another story for another blog post)!

But, should the opportunity present itself, I wasn't going to turn it down. Well, April 28th rolls around. For reasons I can't remember, I was running late, and I was still dressed in work clothes (i.e. skirt and nice blouse). The activity was in the Kirkham Building in one of the dance rooms. As you arrived, you were sorted into groups to play a round robin style game tournament. I can't remember what group I was sorted into, I can't remember the games played, but I remember the boy in the baby blue shirt.
  
Oh. Baby.

But before I go into too much detail, I must tell you that I already knew who he was, and I definitely had my eye on him. A couple of days prior to this social event of the semester, I received an email from my bishop (ecclesiastical leader) that contained the newest ward roster. Of course the first thing I did was scan through the guy's section. The first thing I looked for was FROM. If there was any guy from the south, we would be instant friends.

"Hmm. Eric Mitchell. Ringgold, Georgia? Never heard of it. BUT GEORGIA! YESSSS!"

I knew who Eric was the instant I saw him. I kid you not, there was something...different...about him. There was a light. It could simply have been he was in a bright blue shirt and everyone else was dressed in darker colors. It could simply have been the bulb he was standing under was brighter. I don't know. But he clearly stood out from the crowd. At one point, I saw he was talking to one of my friends. This was my chance. I hastily casually walked up to this friend just as Eric was walking away, but there must have been something about me to catch his eye because he turned around. His words, "So, Joseph, are you going to introduce us to your friends?"

SCORE! We chatted, we laughed, we talked football (of course), but then we said goodbye. I had to wait a whole week. A WHOLE WEEK! We saw each other at church that Sunday. Nothing. Not a phone number. Not even an I-hope-I-see-you-soon kind of thing. Zip. I thought all was lost.

The following Tuesday, my life changed. He sent a facebook message asking if he could come over the next night and "hang out." I was so elated! Wednesday night couldn't come fast enough! But when it did, he never came. The minutes passed. The hours passed. Around 10:30, I started to head for bed. Those who know me know I am not a night owl by any means. Just as I was leaving the living room, a knock sounded. He walked all the way to my apartment, in the rain, carrying his guitar. He wished to serenade me! Which he did, and I swooned, and it was magical. Where was Eric before coming to my place, you wonder? At another girl's house. Sheesh.

Anyway, long story even longer, Wednesday night was fantastic! So fantastic that he asked me out for that coming Friday. I said no, but not because I wanted to turn him down. I already had a prior engagement that I couldn't get out of. So we went out Saturday instead.

The rest is history. December 27, 2008, Eric got down on one knee to ask me to marry him. May 22, 2010 was the day I promised him forever.

Forever's been good so far.






A great gift for the day of love would be THE ACQUISITION. I hear the author is pretty cool.

2 comments:

  1. I know what you mean about the brighter light bulb thingy. My husband had one of those over his head the first time I saw him too. We were in the dorm lounge of Kerr Hall in Rexburg,June of 2000 and he looked sooo good. I swear his face was glowing. I saw him every day after that and by Feb 16 we were married. We just celebrated 12 years together last weekend.

    Also as a girl that grew up with a bunch of the girls younger than me that had crushes on your husband waaaaay back in the day this story was HILARIOUS to read. Don't bother asking who they were. I'm not saying a word. Nope. Nuh-uh.

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  2. Hey! You got engaged the day we got married! It was definitely a good day :)

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