Our Story - Exclusive Dating to Pre-Engagement

"Whoah, whoah there speed racer!" Josie would call out as I began picking up speed on my crutches. I didn't like the way lortab made me feel so I opted to go with ibuprofen which, thankfully helped a lot more than I anticipated! It still took me forever to shower, get dressed and ready for a date, but we made it a priority to go. This date was to Macey's Grocer where we would purchase towering soft serve cones. I loved Josie's compassion, like when she super-glued a gaping wound on my nose shut after tripping through a newly replaced screen in our doorway,unable to manage my falling weight on a useless leg let a lone my clumsily crashing crutches. I probably needed stitches, but superglue she said would work just as well. She was always near me, but not so overbearingly compassionate that she couldn't joke lovingly at my expense. "Sir Hobbles-a-lot," "Turbo" "Gimp". In Josie's family, teasing was an expression of acceptance and love. "If they don't make fun of you, then you KNOW they don't like you." It's was an adjustment for me. I had to learn sarcasm and will admit I may never get good at it. But I found her wit enchanting as her love for me was obvious.

Her first trip away to Vegas, I went with her to meet her dad and brother in Provo. We had only been dating about a week and I was already meeting her family, oh boy! She prefaced that her dad was a little intimidating and looked like a biker, shaved head, goatee, and could squat me, bench me, and if I ever hurt her, kill me. I laughed but came to learn it was an excellent description. In fact, after seeing him, I thought, oh man, what am I getting myself into! Already I could tell her brother was the cool kid in orchestra that didn't fit the orchestra mold, and her dad, oh man, her dad! =| I was glad to be in Santaquin with my comfortable family!

Even when Josie and I were apart for a week the second time she left on a trip to Vegas about a month before our getting engaged. We skyped (video called,) and attempt scripture study every night. We even fit in a virtual date, pressing "play" at the same time to "Princess and the Frog" one of our favorite Disney movies. (Gag!) She bought me a little plush giraffe "Jepsen" and sprayed it with "Nolie" one of her favorite perfumes/body sprays. She had me! It was silly, but I kept that plush giraffe nearby and smelled it often. My thoughts never wandered far from her... it's like she knew!  We flirted constantly via text. It was like she was trained in the art of catching and keeping a man! Haha. Whatever it was, it worked, and I was hooked. I had my sights on only her. Beautiful, endearing Josie. *Sigh

She returned from Vegas and expressed, before arriving, that she'd felt so physically distant while she was away that she could think of nothing more rewarding than to be in my arms. I could walk limp without a cane now so I thought this would make for a good opportunity to kick up the sexy, I opened the door with a rose between my teeth, closed the door behind her, and lifter her up against the door to kiss her. only to be immediately seen by a trailing roommate approaching the see through glass pained door! Hahaha! We both felt SO embarrassed but ever grateful, for my pesky roommate, Bobert! With those judging eyes and random sneak surprise visits to the living room nearly every time Josie and I tried to make out!! He inadvertently helped keep us in check as we grew in maturity and respect for each other over the next 5 months before our wedding.

Since I didn't live far from the Logan Temple, we'd sometimes have scripture study on the grass near the temple, or walk its grounds. On one such walk Josie expressed that she felt ready and wanted me to propose. She would tease me "now would be a good time to propose to me." Or "that was really cute, you look really nice, are you going to propose?" The teasing was incessant! She wasn't aware that my trip to the "dentist" that weekend was actually a planned trip to ask her father for her hand in marriage. So I confessed that I too felt like we were headed toward marriage, but didn't know when the right time was. "It doesn't matter," she teased again, "now is a really perfect time." =)

Now was NOT a perfect time! I was a traditional, old fashion kind of man, and there would be no proposing before I met with her dad in person and there would be a meaningful and planned proposal! The trip down to Vegas would be one day down, and one day up and I was nervous. I called and planned a visit. I later learned that Jo Anne (Josie's Mom) insisted she knew the purpose for my visit, but Marty (Josie's Dad) kept shrugging it off, perhaps not wanting acknowledge that he's be losing his little girl already and to soon to a tall skinny punk that didn't even follow football!

The night I arrived, they prepared a family staple, tater-tot casserole. So delicious. We shot the breeze for a while, and then when Weston (Josie's Brother) perceptively and probably knowingly left the room, I eased into my purpose for coming to visit. "So... I imagine you've figured the main reason of coming to visit with you by now..." I started off awkwardly. "I acknowledge, x, y, and z... but I've come to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage." I can't remember whether he laughed or cried or what, but I do remember him saying he'd never done this before and feeling overwhelmed because this would be the first and only chance he'd have to do it. He expressed deep love for Josie, provided some cautions, and said yes! And then, through tears he gave me probably the best advice marriage advice I've ever received to date. "When she comes home, drop what you're doing, take time to really listen to her when she talks. It doesn't have to be big, or important and more often than not the most important times will be just about her day. Listen to what she says, and don't let anything else get in the way of spending that kind of to observe."

To this day, I cannot express what that man now means to me. He is a second father, the most loving, kind and serviceable man I know. We have our personality differences, likes and dislikes, but I've never felt so close or trusted by anyone, including choir director, mission president, stake president's etc. He is my rock and holds my full admiration.

I returned. Only a week or two left before I'd join Josie's family for a trip to Disneyland, where I had it all planned out to propose. She'd think that it was my first time meeting her mom. And probably even an engagement, but what day? In what part of the park? How would I go about it, or would I propose at all. I can't imagine what those 2 weeks must have been like. She must have asked me to propose 3 or 4 times before we left. One time in fact I placed a plastic Halloween bat ring on her finger and promise that I would propose someday soon and that my heart was hers. The anticipation was enough for both of us and we both got sick the night before we drove to California!