All you need is a good book

This book is heaven sent.

It's keeping me from dying of boredom and loneliness. If you haven't read The Hunger Games, repent and then start reading. Only about half way through and I have a feeling it's going to be a long night.

Finding Joy

Picture from here

So I felt like this past Sunday's sacrament meeting was just for me (Do you ever feel that way?) This RM gave the most wonderful talk about agency and I really love the way that he presented it. But the one thing that he kept repeating over and over that really touched my heart was "you can choose to be sad, but you can also choose to be happy." I know that seems really simple but at the beginning of this next year without Matt it's exactly what Heavenly Father knew I needed to hear... I can choose to be happy! So even though it will be hard, I will find joy in this journey and using the wonderful gift of agency I will choose to do everything in my power to be happy. I'm so grateful for this gospel and I know that even when it's just one simple phrase in a talk, that God will answer our prayers. He knows me and my struggles and I know that he can help me get through this so I can married in the temple of all eternity :)

:)

Isn't he handsome? I'm very sad he's leaving but he does look really good in uniform ;)

What can I say? :)

So that Friday (3/19) Matt called up Cami and asked if we wanted to go to a ward party with him. Since Cami and I are always up for meeting new people of course we agreed. But before Matt came to pick us up Cami said that I should drive in case it got boring we shouldn't be stuck there without a ride home. So we told Matt this when he came and we were just about to get into our separate cars when I saw it. His beautiful FJ Cruiser, the car i had been wanted for a long time. I couldn't help myself, i loved that car and i had to ride in it! So we ended up riding with Matt and having a great time at his ward party.

Isn't it pretty? :)

We made homemade pizza, watched the BYU basketball game and ended up getting warm and cozy on the couch :) I had definitely decided that I was going to pursue Matt and see what happened!

After the party, we ended up going to the hot springs with a bunch of people and having a crazy fun night. Somehow over the course of the night we exchanged numbers and after he dropped me off at home (at 3 am) I couldn't help but text him :) I said something about how I so wasn't tired after that awesome night and i was really only expecting for him to agree. But instead he asked if I wanted to learn how to drive stick shift, right then.

Of course i said yes! So he picked me up, we went to an empty parking lot and as soon as i get in the drivers seat a cop shines a flashlight right in my face. I guess he was worried that we were doing something illegal but after we explained he gave me a few tips and left haha. But i was totally freaked out and it was hard to concentrate on learning (especially with Matt sitting right next to me, laughing if I did anything wrong). Sparks had been flying the whole night and so when we got out of the car to switch seats, it was like magnets being drawn together. I couldn't hold myself back, we just had an instant connection and I knew that this would turn into something great.

well....

I took Matt up to Fort Douglas today, so he could take a bus and then a plane to California for more training. I know that he will be back in two weeks and I know that I need to get better with him leaving since he's leaving for a year but this sucks! :( so part one (the easy part) of the waiting begins!

Instant Attraction

I can't say that the first time I saw Matt it was love at first sight (that would be weird stealing a guy from your BFF even if she wasn't interested) but it was definitely instant attraction. We ended up convincing Matt and Bennett to see Leap Year and Cami and I got to the theater a little before the boys. When I first saw Matt, I thought he was super cute and i had no idea why Cami wasn't totally in love with him :)

Such a romantic place to meet your future husband right?

When we sat in the theater it went Matt on the aisle then me, Cami, Bennett and their friend Katrina. Im putting this small detail in there because whenever I used to go to the movies with boys and girls my mom would always asked how everyone was seated haha :) But anywho, even though I was attracted to Matt I tried to just act casually around him and not really flirt with him until i could get Cami alone and ask her if it was ok that I pursued him. Kinda wish I hadn't cause Im pretty sure he thought that i was mean and didn't like him but i guess it all worked out in the end. The movie was great, such a cute and funny love story. I would totally recommend it!

I could tell from the time we spent before and after the movie that Bennett and Matt were total goof balls in a good way, just like all my guy friends on missions and my brothers. Matt or Bennett said something to the extent that we should all hang out again and I said,

"Yeah I could use some more weird people in my life!"

I meant that in the best way, cause i truly think that everyone has their own special weirdness. But of course it made me look like an idiot and i really didn't think that Matt was that interested until...

Let's Start From the Very Beginning

So unlike every other moment in my life, I was not looking for a relationship. I know crazy right, what single girl up at BYU isn't looking for her eternal companion to sweep her off her feet. But I really, honestly, surprisingly was not.

A few months early, I had gotten out of a relationship (in hind sight such a blessing but pretty sucky at the time!) and had just given up on a very desperate try to get this boy to notice me. And by the way ladies, if he doesn't notice you the moment he sees you he's not worth your time. I was just starting to get back on my feet and enjoy my singleness, having fun and living life. So of course that was the perfect time to get swept off my feet ;)

Matt was actually very interested in my dear friend Camiel Eberline. She told me about Matt a month before I actually meet him. Friend of Bennett, took her on a "kinda" date rock climbing, always paid (classy right?) and just wasn't her type.

So when Matt called Cami on a Thursday night (March 18 if you are keeping track) and asked her to go to a dollar movie of course she had to bring her friend to make sure he didn't try to put the moves on her!

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing.....

Being newly engaged and having your fiance leave for Afghanistan for a year is definitely a challenge I wouldn't wish on my greatest enemy. So while I'm sitting at home, waiting for Matthew to come home, wishing this year would go by faster, I thought sharing our story, our wedding plans and our various life adventures would be the perfect way to pass the time. I will try not to bore you too much and maybe with a little heavenly help we can make it through this year!