Love Story

**Warning: Ridiculously long post!**

This month Dale and I will celebrate our 3rd Anniversary! 3 years of eternal bliss and happiness.....okay, so this may be a SLIGHT exaggeration, we all know there's bound to be bumps along the way, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

We've talked a little about our anniversary this month, but haven't planned much since it's pretty close to my due date. But, I've dug up a bunch of pictures from when we were dating, and apparently now is the perfect time to compile them...

So, without further adieu, here's a blast from our past...our "Love Story" :)

The Summer of '07...this was one of my all-time favorite summers. But I guess I should start from the beginning. In December of '06 I started feeing antsy about where I was at. I was living with my sweet grandparents in Murray while teaching out in Herriman, but it didn't feel right anymore. I knew it was time to move. So, I started going to a Singles Ward out in Herriman, found some roomates, and moved to Riverton at the beginning of February.

Little did I know that Dale was feeling the exact same way at the exact same time. Dale was living on the other side of Murray, and also decided it was time to move. So he packed his bags and moved home to his parents house in Riverton.

Fun Fact: We moved on the EXACT SAME DAY! :)

I loved living with my new roomies...we had lots of fun together. And, it was through them that Dale and I first met. My roommates had met Dale at a wedding reception, and were convinced that he and I needed to date. So we schemed and decided to invite our friend Brett over to teach country swing dancing lessons for FHE. Dale and Brett "just happened" to be good friends, and they both were good dancers :). So Dale came to help. The plan worked :). We met and Dale stayed and talked for a while. A bunch of us went to Dale's house a few nights later and roasted marshmallows and played games, but nothing really came of it.

A couple of weeks later a group of us went dancing at Studio 600. Dale was there too, and he flirted with me all night...but then he asked all of my friends to dance, but not ME! At least not until the very end, right before we left. What was with this guy? :) He told me later he did this to "keep me wondering if he was interested". Gotta play the game I guess :). He came with us to a fireside the next night at our Bishop's house, and we talked for quite a while afterwards. He also got my number that night. Sounds promising, right? That's what I thought :).

A couple of weeks after THAT, I hadn't heard from him at all. Then he randomly called one night while I was at the dunes with my friends. I didn't have any service, and I got his message the next day on our way back to town. He wanted me to go get ice cream with him and some friends. I remember feeling a little disappointed I didn't get to talk to him, but I was glad he called!

Getting ready to ride the 4-wheelers!

2 of my roomies...Jessi and Ellie

More 4-wheeler fun!

A couple of MORE weeks went by without hearing anything from him. I was dating on and off, and didn't really expect to hear from him again. Then Dale came to our ward and did a musical fireside. As it turned out he had moved down to Provo during the past few weeks. He also brought 3 or 4 girls with him that night to his fireside. I decided right then that I was done being interested :). That resolution lasted until the end of the night when the girls left and Dale stayed behind and talked with me for hours. I invited him to our FHE the next night, and he came, and we talked for hours afterwards again. Things seemed to be SLOWLY progressing.

In the next couple of weeks Dale came to a Stake BBQ with me. He made a little wager with me that whoever lost the game of "PIG" we played together had to make the other cookies. Amazingly enough, Dale lost :). He brought me cookies later that week and he stayed pretty late just talking and goofing off.

The next weekend we went to the Manti Pagaent together. I had fun with him, but wasn't really sure if he was really that interested. I decided I wasn't going to invite him to anything else, and just see what happened.

Being goofs at the Manti Pageant :)

Apparently he was more interested than I thought, because he called the following Monday and asked me out on our first official "date". Good thing he called early too, because 2 other guys asked me out the same day...I like to tease Dale about it :).

Our first date was somewhat of a marathon date. He picked me up at 2:30, and the adventures began! Our date consisted of:

- tandem bike riding
- skipping rocks
- eating a picnic lunch/blowing bubbles/making chin videos (a very Dale thing to do :)
- going to a rodeo
- eating ice cream at Sub Zero

First date...after the bike ride

He drove me home around 11:30 that night. It was the longest date of my life...but not in a bad way :). To complete the evening, Dale DTR'd with me on the way home. He pretty much just laid everything out...he was interested...he was pretty sure I was, and let's see where things go.

So there you have it...it took us awhile to get there, but we finally did! Things were still a little touch and go at times. Dale still wasn't completely 100% "IN" until after the 4th of July. We had done an all night hike up MT. Timp. the night before the 4th and I was super quiet on the way down (I was super TIRED on the way down!) and Dale wasn't convinced I was the girl for him.

Roomates!

Didn't quite know what I was getting myself into!

But luckily the next night we pulled ANOTHER all-nighter with his ward at the BYU parade and things turned around. Apparently I had a little more to say :). This is where everything changed for Dale. He was "IN".

The 4th of July! Sparks flew :)

That summer was the best. My roommates were all dating too, and we did a TON! Here's the pics from our incredible summer :).

Going to see the play, Mama Mia for Lesser's B-day!

At Lagoon for my Birthday :)

My birthday...the big 23!

Dale's KILLER fish

Ward Campout

The Zoo

The Zoo Crew

Gone Fishin'!

Dale's Birthday...the BIG 25!

Utah State Fair

The Fort Date!

The 24th of July...our first kiss :)

Prank War! The sticky-noted car...

This is the Place Park

Hanging out...usually playing Guitar Hero!

And, while I'm at it, I might as well post the pics from the rest of our dating :). We dated for a year- and were married almost exactly 1 year later from our first date.

Halloween

Valentine's Day...gotta love the full body PJ's! I was nervous to give them to him, but they were a huge hit! He still wears them sometimes :)

Bowling

Road Trip to Cove Fort

St. George Trip!

Milking cows at Thanksgiving Point

Watching "Wicked" in California

California Trip...

The Beach!

Disneyland