My One and Only

I know that a lot has happened since I have really updated my blog.  And when I say a lot…I mean A LOT! 

I like to think that God has a sense of humor, like He lets me go and plan my life just for fun.  So if you think that it is sacrilegious to blame God for my year…then you might not want to read on. 

Just when I thought I had my life figured out, resigned from my job, made concrete plans to move and stay in Mesa, found roommates, applied for jobs, had my full time school schedule planned out until the end of my Graduate program, etc…just when I had it all planned out…God laughed.  And my plans…they were altered. 

So just when my “concrete” plans were working out and I was feeling good about the change in my life, to finally walk out of Thatcher for good…I can’t.  I swear to you, the Gila Valley wants me to stay in it, or this is where I am supposed to be because every time I try to leave, something is thrown in my path to bring me back or make me stay.  This road bump that God put in my path this time was none other than Ryan.

Now, to be open and fair, I have had my fair share of “bumps” or stalls in my road when it comes to the male gender the past couple years.  Ryan is by no mean a “bump” or obstacle in my road (thank goodness.  One more not so decent choices in relationships would have sent me fleeing Thatcher for Antarctica and away from my bad judgment in guys as fast as I could).  He was just an unexpected extra…and a handsome one at that I might add. 

So here begins our “Once Upon A Time”…

Let’s just say that I have known who Ryan is for a few years, just because some of my friends have dated him and I have seen him around.  However, just because I knew who he was doesn’t mean I knew him…or had ever talked to him.  And in the tradition of a true man, he doesn’t remember me at all until we “formally” met.  I think we were definitely supposed to meet though because there are too many factors in our lives to bring us to together to just be coincidence.

One day in our single’s ward I saw Ryan sitting by himself on the back row.  I kept thinking that I should introduce myself and invite him to sit with my roommate and I.  I mentioned this to my roommate, who knew who Ryan was so she started telling me about him.  Before I knew it church started and I never got the chance to talk to Ryan.

Luckily, just a few days following this almost encounter, I happened to be at Doug’s house.  Now I had been friends with Doug’s extended family for years, but had only just begun a close friendship with Doug’s immediate family.  Doug teaches at EAC, where he taught Ryan and used to work with Ryan during the summers doing construction.  Coincidence…probably not.  Anyway, I was at Doug’s house and he mentions a guy named Ryan who he thinks I should be friends with.  He tells me that Ryan’s friends are all married and that Ryan needs some single friends to start hanging out with.  At this point I had no idea that Doug was talking about the same Ryan I had seen at church just a few days before.

Doug continues telling me about Ryan and finally he tells me that Ryan wants me to have his number so that we could hang out.  Doug then gives Ryan the story that there is a girl in Ryan’s singles ward that wanted to hang out.  Then he said that I wanted Ryan to have my number.  Tricky Tricky Doug!

One of us (neither of us can agree on who) made initial contact through texting just to get to know each other a bit.  Ryan asked me out to lunch on one of the only sick days I took the entire year.  Of course I had to decline since I was sick.  So in true Ryan generosity, he asked if he could bring me lunch, such as soup.  Well, since it was lunch time and I had yet to shower or even brush my hair by that time, I declined again.  I think I scared him off because I didn’t hear from Ryan for a month even when I would text him to invite him to do things.  At this point I hadn’t even really met him yet so it didn’t bother me, no big loss.

During that month I resigned from my job and prepared to move to Mesa to attend Graduate school.  I had just returned from visiting Rex and Amber in Utah when Ryan all of a sudden made an appearance again.  He texted me so I invited him to come hang out with some friends of mine.  We all went to play racquetball…Ryan left really fast after our game.

I told Erin that I thought he was nice but that I doubted I would ever hear from again because he left so fast!  However, Ryan apparently had other plans.  Randomly over the next few weeks he would show up and he texted me constantly.

The week he finally asked me out, I had a date with someone else.  I was actually really excited for my other date.  However, when it was all said and done, on the night of the date I couldn’t wait for the date to be over so I could talk to Ryan.  Poor guy didn’t stand a chance.  In fact, (and this might be really bad to admit) Ryan came over after the date with the other guy and that night is the first night we kissed.  Oops.

I told Ryan we could only date until May because I was moving.  Well…by the time I moved we knew things weren’t even close to being over for us.  I still moved.  In June we got engaged.  I did major Grad. school courses until the middle of October, then I moved back to Pima.  I was lucky to make my schedule at school work to where I only had to go to classes on the weekend in Phoenix and online.

Ryan and I were married on November 5, 2010 (I had so much help in preparing for my wedding! 

I can’t even express how grateful I am for my family’s help, Erin, Kayla, Kasi, and Cassie’s help…or my photographers Katie and Dalene…there aren’t words) in the Gila Valley Temple.

I love him so much and he has been the BEST thing in my life. 

Anyway, that is the short synopsis of us. 

Oh, and I finished Graduate school only 3 weeks ago!  Life could not be better.

Well…it could be.  I need a job.  Then it will be complete…for now.