Just Because

Nicole's New Dance

Vanessa's Medley

My Side of the Story

I realize the title sounds like my story will be way different. I’m not sure that it is. I guess I’ll start my story in the last month of my mission. I had pretty much planned at that point on living in St. George with some mission buddies when I got back from my mission. One morning while I was brushing my teeth, I got a distinct impression that I needed to go to Provo. I wasn’t sure why, but decided that was what I would do. When I got home, my Mom made all the arrangements for me to go to Utah. I realize now that she probably would have liked to have me at home for a little while after my 2 year absence, but just like always, she sacrificed her own wants for mine.

When we got down here, my sister Michelle and her husband Peter were amazing in their abilities to direct me to where I needed to go. After checking some stuff out on campus, Peter told me about the housing counseling department. I went in and talked to a counselor who looked over some options with me. I had already picked a couple of places I wanted to look at, but he kept insisting that I check out a place called Roman Gardens. So, I followed up and felt like it was the place I needed to be.

Pretty much immediately, I began to peruse the ward menu (or ward directory as some call it). I saw a beautiful girl named Lisa Randolph. There was only one problem; she was from Salem. That’s right, it only said Salem. No state listed. I immediately thought she was from Salem, Utah. Before I go any further, let me state that I have visited Salem Utah since, and even caught a catfish there, and really like the place. But at the time, I did not want to marry a girl from Utah. Lisa will argue that the ward directory said Salem, Oregon, but I guess we will have to wait for the millennium to resolve that argument. Anyway, because of that, I laid off for a little while. A couple weeks later, I went to a ward dance and saw her there. She was clearly having a girl’s night out with her friends and seemed unapproachable. The next day in Sunday school, Lisa walked in about half way through the lesson. She was gorgeous, but I still felt intimidated. Then she shared an experience about following the Spirit. That was it. I was determined to ask her out after that.

After another week or so, I figured it was time to act. I found out from the Elder’s quorum president that she was single (while we were all outside staring at her apartment…I’m glad she didn’t see that). One of my mission buddies was also with us and told me he knew everyone in her apartment and suggested that we go over so he could introduce me. I readily agreed. When we got there, he walked in and said “Hey everyone, my name is Vince and this is Matt”. So much for knowing everyone! Oh well, his lie gave me the courage to go with him. Lisa was there with her roommates, who were all engaged. We started talking and this guy came in and threw snow at Lisa and ran out. I lost hope. I immediately began to think that the comment about her being single was a lie too. I kept my cool and continued talking and found out that he was just a retard and I had no reason to worry. After a while of talking, my friend Vince threw out another sweet line; “Well, we better go and make the rounds”. It sounded cool, so I agreed. The rounds involved me and him leaving the apartment, saying “see ya dude”, and going to our own apartments.

That Friday night, one of my other mission buddies came up from St. George to hang out. I was bragging to him about how fearless I was when it came to asking girls out. He had just gotten home, and hadn’t been on a date yet. When I saw the admiration in his eyes as I talked about the dates I’d been on, I felt I couldn’t let him down by not calling Lisa right then and asking her out for the next night. I really did want to ask her out on my own, but likely lacked the courage to do so without having someone there I needed to impress. Mission buddies are great for stuff like that. Anyway, I hadn’t planned anything for our date and as the time to pick her up grew closer, I began to panic. Luckily, another guy in the complex was going on a date and said we could double. I can’t complain about the awkwardness of the date because he really saved my butt. I remember feeling like I was 2 years old talking to Lisa. She seemed so much more mature than me, and for some reason, I thought she was older than me. That’s probably the only time in Lisa’s life that someone has thought that. The date started by me sitting across from Lisa, trying to eat a HUGE sandwich. It was awkward to say the least. I didn’t have anything to talk about, so that added to everything. I was failing. Then, we watched the infamous Strictly Ballroom. Weird flick even for people who haven’t just returned from a mission. After a sweet game of Compatibility, I decided that it was time to say “Thanks for planning this date, but now it’s time to take matters into my own hands”. I made up some lame excuse for Lisa and I to go downstairs and play piano. As we sat there and talked, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was, and I was amazed at all the insightful things she had to say. I wrote in my journal that it was like talking to some of my closest mission companions. Lisa thinks that’s a little weird, but it is seriously one of the best compliments I could have paid her. I walked her back to her apartment and told her how much I enjoyed talking to her. Then, the hug. There are many types of hugs: the side-ways hug, the friendship hug, the “come here dude” hug which starts with a hand shake and ends in a one-armed, pat on the back. This was like no other hug. It felt perfect in every way. Then she lingered. I was hooked!

As I walked into my apartment, I received a very clear answer to my prayers that I had found my wife. Even though I had been seeking this answer, it still scared the crap out of me. I sat on my bed for about two hours trying to calm down so I could go to sleep. From that day until Lisa went home for the summer, we spent every day together. Because I knew from the first date that we were going to get married, it made it really easy to just enjoy that part of our dating. I am so much more grateful even today than I was then that I was able to find Lisa, and more importantly, that she decided she wanted to marry me too!

**I want to invite everyone (especially those with blogs) to rekindle the flame, or throw some gasoline on an already sweet fire, by writing your own stories and sharing them.

To My Papa

(A happy grandpa. This was the first time he met Nicole, and the first time he'd seen Vanessa since he had been gone to Afghanistan)

I had thought about doing a similar photo tribute for my dad as I did for my mom, but as I don't have access to as many pictures of him (he is more often behind the camera than in front of it, and because he is always telling stories, it seems more fitting to share a few memories I have of him. So, here is an even further trip down memory lane. Happy 60th Birthday Papa!



(Papa's usual pose)

*I, of course, have the shared memory with my brothers and sisters about the time when he read Uncle Remus to us. I loved the stories of Brer Rabbit and hearing all the accents and facial expressions he used. I didn't understand that he was healing from back surgery, but I do I remember thinking it was so cool that he would stay home and read to us.

*I remember when we lived in Georgia, I fell down our wooden stairs one time (I think I actually just slid down). I started crying and Papa came to my rescue, carrying my upstairs and cheering me up.

*When I was about 9 or 10 I had to have sugery to get my adnoids removed. Both Mama and Papa were there to comfort me, and I felt so safe. The best part of that experience was that I got to eat Push-Pops (not just the cheap popsicles), and I got to sit on Papa's lap and watch movies.

*Papa was always taking us on camping and hiking trips. We often did camping as a whole family, and it usually included a fun trip to the fish hatchery. Hiking was a rite of passage of sorts, and being the 5th of 6 kids, it was a big deal when I first got to join Papa and my older siblings. My very first hiking trip, I was still pretty small, and I'm sure very slow (big surprise, I know). All that I carried in my pack was my sleeping bag, and although I wasn't very aware of it then, I'm sure Papa carried all the rest, plus the other heavy stuff the others couldn't carry. It probably was a pretty exasperating, exhausting trip for him, but he made it fun for us.

*There were countless times that we were expected to work in the yard and garden, pulling weeds, planting seeds, and so on. While I can't say I was always super thrilled at having to do all that, it gave me a chance to chat with Papa. Sometimes he would share stories from when he was a kid, and sometimes he listen to what I was doing with school, friends, etc.

*My first "date" when I turned 16 was a daddy-daughter date. I got to choose the place to go. I felt so special going out to dinner annd hanging out just with Papa.

*One year, while I was still attending BYU, Papa sent me a package for my birthday. It was full of my favorite junk food, complete with chocolate. I think I get my "chocoholic genes" from him.

These are just a few of the memories I have with my dad. I love you, Papa!


(Here's a Vanessa drawing for you. The blue crayon is your face, and the pink is your birthday cake)

Remember when...

This past weekend marks the 5th year anniversary of our very first date (March 1st to be exact). Matt and I went back and shared our journal entries from that night (although my journaling skills were sorely lacking). It was fun to think back to that time, share our first impressions and hopes about each other, and remember all the fun memories we created during our pre-marriage dating.




(Not the clearest or smiliest picture, but here we are at good ole "Romance Gardens")

To "commemorate the occasion," I thought I would share the story of our first meeting and a few of our dating pictures. Matt moved into my apartment complex (Roman Gardens) shortly after he returned from his mission. I had very recently felt inspired that I shouldn't go on a mission, although I didn't yet know the reason why. I remember hearing quite a bit about this new, hot guy that just moved in. I figured I didn't have much chance with someone that good-looking, so I didn't pay much attention at first. However, one evening, I got a visit from this new guy and his friend. I say I because I had two engaged roommates...my odds were pretty good.

He seemed really cool and down-to-earth as we chatted, and by the end of the visit I was hooked. I would have been bugged by their comment to "make the rounds" (aka visit the other girls in the complex), except they just went back home. I kept thinking about Matt over the next couple of days and trying to think how I could hang out with him more. That night I got a call from him asking me out for the next night (Saturday, March 1st...yep, that's right, the days were the same as this year. Pretty cool, huh?). I tried hard not to scream into the phone as I said yes and confirmed the time he'd come get me. After I hung up, I was so excited I was jumping up and down and I rushed to tell my roommates and other close friends about it (okay, okay, I know I'm a nerd).

By the time Saturday night rolled around, I was so nervous and excited I couldn't hold still. After trying on I don't know how many shirts, I was finally ready. I remember he looked very handsome that night, but he also seemed a little nervous. That made me feel a little better.

To be honest, the first part of the date (or maybe longer) was a bit awkward. We went to Gandolfo's Deli (The one on University and Center-ish for you Provo-ites). All I remember from that was a huge sandwich and Matt being so shy he hardly said a thing (granted the guy in the "couple" we doubled with did most of the talking). As Matt helped me back into the car, I bonked my head. I tried to play it cool and I thought he didn't notice, but later I found out he was just too kind to call me on it (I was not very graceful, even when we were only dating).

Next we went back to complex (the other couple lived in RG, too) to watch "Strictly Ballroom." For those of you who have ever watched a movie on a first date with someone you hardly know, you will understand how awkward that feels. You don't know each other well enough to be cuddly, and it's not cool to talk a lot during the movie. So, I just sat with my hands in my lap, thinking it was a very weird movie, and hoping we'd get a better chance to talk before the night was over.

Afterwards, we played compatibility. That was much more fun. We won, but I think it was more because I just assumed Matt would pick things related to religion (mission) and Mexico (where he served his mission). I don't know what tactics he used, but we won. And hey, we actually started to flirt a bit. Perhaps he was hoping to chat more, too, because after the game was done he asked if I could show him how to play piano (I don't know much, but I know enough to show someone who knows nothing), and we ditched the other couple to go to the activity room (a room with a very old pool table, foosball table, piano, and couches inside our complex).

Although we briefly goofed around on the piano, we really just sat a talked for a long while. I don't recall what we talked about, but I felt so much more comfortable with him, and felt like I knew him a bit better. I knew for sure then that I wanted to date this guy. Our talk ended when curfew came (BYU rules) and someone came to lock the room up (I think it was more to keep people out late at night than they were worried about the stuff inside). We talked as he walked me back to my apartment (a lengthy one flight of stairs and one door down). We agreed that we had fun and wanted to go out again, and then he hugged me. In that brief moment, I remembered the discussion in one of my classes about expressing that you liked the other person by kissing them on the cheek. Well, I was too chicken to do that (I have never been very bold in dating), but I liked Matt too much not to do anything, so I just gave him an extra long hug. I could tell he got the message. I went inside and couldn't fall asleep for hours...I was crazy about him! And well, the rest is history!



I didn't find out until after we got engaged, but when Matt went home that night, he got a distinct impression that I was the one he was going to marry. Perhaps he'll post his version soon(or at least his interjections in my version). It's good he waited to tell me that though, because I think I would have freaked out. I did not think I was going to get married that year! Still, I think about that first date all the time, because it was the start of something truly wonderful...I can't believe it's already been 5 years!


(Ah, beautiful Seattle...we've had so much fun every time we go)