Our Story: Together At Last

This post is a continuation on the story of how we met. Click here to see the first post! 

Nate and I first began hanging out together because we both spent quite a bit of time at a mutual friend's house. Our relationship got off to a rocky start because I was currently preoccupied with another person who was serving a mission. Nate was very sneaky in our courtship; he was always willing to listen whenever I talked about my missionary and was sensitive to my feelings. We maintained our friendship and our relationship began to grow. 

I suddenly found myself watching the door at our friend's house, waiting for Nate to get off of work so we could spend some time together. I'd also try to find any excuse to go to Costco to visit Nate at work. I didn't realize that I had feelings for Nate until one fateful night. I was watching the door again, waiting for Nate to come to our friend's house after his shift had ended. I remember Nate walking through the door and my heart skipping a beat. It was at that moment that I realized that I had feelings for Nate and something had to be done about it. 

First Date

December of 2010 rolled around, and Nate asked me out to dinner to celebrate my birthday. We had been on "dates" before his mission, but we call this our official first date because it's a particularly special memory for us. Nate picked me up after his shift and took me to his favorite sushi place. I had never had sushi before but opted to try it because I was on a date and it was the polite thing to do. Long story short, my half-chewed sushi ended up in my napkin and we laughed and laughed about it. After my mishap with the sushi I admitted to Nate that I was still hungry so he took me to our favorite restaurant, The Spaghetti Factory, and enjoyed a delicious dinner together.

Nate and I then went on a drive and spent the next few hours parked on the street next to the Bountiful LDS Temple talking about our lives.  When it was time to head home, I began arguing with myself in my head whether or not I should tell him about my feelings. Suddenly, an adrenaline rush forced it out of me and I told Nate that I thought I had feelings for him. I expected him to be excited and tell me what I had already known for so long, but instead he surprised me by saying, "I'll have to think about it." The rest of the car ride home was quiet, and I yelled at myself in my head, regretting that I had ever mentioned my feelings to Nate. His reply made sense, though, considering all the years I had spent turning him down. He was probably simply giving me some time to ensure that this was real and that I meant what I was saying. 

He must have believed me, because we continued to see each other every day after our first date!

First Kiss

After one of many evenings spent together, Nate and I drove through the hills and found a spot where we could see the whole city below. Nate pulled to the side of the road and together we gazed at the view. I knew it was coming, but I was nervous so I wouldn't look at Nate. Finally he gently pulled my face toward his and planted one right on me! I remember feeling a bit underwhelmed by our first kiss because I guess I was expecting fireworks or angels singing or something, but it was a perfect memory all the same.  

First "I Love You"

On Nate's birthday in 2011, we celebrated by going on a date. I had wanted to tell Nate how strong my feelings were for him for quite a while. In fact, I was kind of expecting him to tell me on Valentine's Day, but it never happened. Finally, when Nate dropped me off at home after his birthday date, he walked me to my door and bid me farewell. As he was walking toward his car I got another adrenaline rush and blurted out, "Nate! I love your guts!" Nate smiled at me as if he was expecting what I had said and replied, "I love you too." I smiled, went inside my house, and fell to the floor, feeling completely weightless. It was an incredible feeling knowing that the person I loved felt the same way about me. 

As our relationship progressed, I felt like it was finally time to introduce Nate to my favorite people: my niece and nephews! Any guy I've ever dated had to go through "The Test" to make sure that my niece and nephews approved of my selection. Nate passed the test with flying colors and we had so much fun playing with my favorite little people many different times. Nate fit right in with the family and the kids loved him!

As the months went on our relationship grew stronger. We laughed together and shared our dreams, many of which were similar. We were inseparable and could never get enough of each other! Saying goodbye at night was always the hardest thing to do, but we knew that we were committed to each other and would see each other again the next day. It was only a matter of time before Nate popped the question...

...But more on that later!