Before the happily ever after....

I thought that I should write two events down, before time makes them even more cloudy in my head. The first event being when Colin and I met, and the second being when Finnigan was born.

This post will be the former, and then I will write of the latter, on a latter day. =)

I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in November of 2007. My baptism was the first encounter Colin and I had. I was a little overwhelmed that day, and met a lot of people, but    I do vaguely remember meeting him. We made small talk about academics. The months that followed my baptism I was encouraged strongly by my bishop to attend young singles events. However, as I was in nursing school and worked full time as a CNA on a cardiac step down unit, I really didn't have any extracurricular time. To say the least. Also, the idea of YSA made me really uncomfortable. I went on maybe three separate occasions over the next couple of years, with either my brother or my friend Vila. I never really hardly spoke to anyone at any of those events because I was way too shy and nervous. I do remember one of the occasions I did go to the Newman's house there was this boy there in a black trench coat who ranted (slightly) about religious tolerance. When we sat down for soup, he pulled out my chair, and took my coat, and then took off shortly after that. That was Colin, though he doesn't remember that day at all, and doesn't think that sounds like anything he would do (the pulling out my chair, and taking my coat - not the ranting), but I DO remember because that was the first time I remember thinking that maybe these Mormon guys weren't too bad. I remember thinking, who does that?

Somehow we became Facebook friends.  I think I probably added him, since I remember meeting him and he made an impression on me that day, and he didn't remember meeting me at all. However, we never really spoke at all, Facebook or otherwise until November 2010. We both had just graduated from College that year. I had just returned from Africa and was working like a dog at a nursing home short-term until I could find a hospital job. Colin posted on his Facebook account that he was looking for volunteers to pass out flowers to strangers down town. That instantly sounded like something I would love to do, so I immediately volunteered. Here is a video of that event that Colin set up with help from a grant from the Ripples Project, which was created by his friend Paul.

I was only able to stay for half of the time, because I had to be at work. I think by the time I left that event, I think I already had a crush on Colin, but thought he was miles out of my league. Way too sweet and cute and intelligent to ever remotely be interested in me, but I do remember awkwardly saying something to the effect of, if you ever need any one to help in any event of this nature, let me know because this was fun. When I got to work, I handed out both of the flowers that Colin had given me to nurses I work with. I explained to them what I had just done, and I remember my friend and co-worker saying, "Oh, girl, you are going to marry that boy one day." I literally laughed in her face and told her that I barely knew that boy, and would likely never see him again, but she still insisted.

The next time I remember interacting with Colin was online via Facebook around christmas time of 2010. Colin sent me a message wishing me Merry Christmas and we conversed a few times back and forth about our families and such. I didn't think anything of it, but I remember my friend Vila getting excited, because she thought that was "how nice guys flirt," and that Colin liked me. I didn't really take any of it seriously, but when Colin asked me to join him and Paul Wesselman for diner (that fellow that gave Colin the grant making it possible for us to pass out flowers downtown), I was confused as to whether or not It was a date. I decided it certainly wasn't since Colin ended up bringing his parents. I remember feeling awkward, and shy, and not saying hardly anything at all that evening, but I was listening intently to the intense philosophy flying out of Colin's mouth, and I couldn't find much that I disagreed with.

Colin, Paul and I (Colin's parents not pictured).

That started a trend where Colin then asked me out on a series of maybe-dates, where he did not act like any man I have ever dated. He showed no romantic interest or intent. He just seemed interested in getting to know me as a person. Which I guess is sweet. But at the time I just found it frustrating and confusing. I never knew where I stood with him, but I almost instantly knew that I liked him. Which was also weird and frustrating, because I have never liked a boy. (I am completely discounting high school dramatics). I had never thought that I would end up in any sort of relationship. I thought it wasn't in the cards, I even thought myself incapable of romantic attachment or interest since I had been immune to it up until this point in my life. However, I felt the spirit strongly reassure me that Colin and I are supposed to be together.

So after a few months of hanging out on a regular basis, I got impatient with his seeming romantic apathy. I told him that I like him. Like any other nerd girl, I told him in an online message. Where I could think it out, edit it, and stay somewhat cool, and collected. He responded back that he liked me as a person, but was not attracted to me. He said that I reminded him of someone he had dated, who tragically ended her own life just months into their relationship. 

Ouch, right? Well yes, but actually I was mostly relieved. Whew!! Near miss!! I could go on with my single life without the complications a boy could bring. Unattached! Travel! Volunteer! More missionary trips! I would submit my peace corps application, finally! Adopt special needs babies. Whatever. Anything I wanted to do without the messiness of having to be permanently attached to another being.

But besides feeling relieved, I was also confused. I must have misunderstood the spirt? Maybe Heavenly Father only intended Colin and I to be close friends. So, I made an effort to grow our friendship and attempted to firmly plant him in the "friends zone". Whenever either of us made plans, I made sure to bring a long a friend, or a couple of friends. I started saying no occasionally if he asked me to go somewhere at the last minute. I began seeing other guys. But this quiet feeling of knowledge that this is the guy for you, never went away. I remember kneeling down and praying to God one night that if Colin and I were meant to be together that the spirit would testify of that to him, that I would be on his mind and in his thoughts like he was in mine, so that he would know like I did that were supposed to be together. I also prayed that if Heavenly Father did not mean for us be together and that the Spirit would testify of that to me.

I think days within saying that prayer, Colin sent me a message that said, "So, I think I like you more than I usually like to admit. Just thought I should admit it." That was on March 28th. We officially started dating on April 26th. Colin had to coax me into dating since it was so soon after telling me he wasn't attracted to me, but things moved very fast after that, and we were married September of that year.

Outside of my friend Vila's house, where I lived when we started dating

We both love to dance!

Colin won tickets to an Andy Grammer studio show

80/35 2011

As you can tell, I was fairly pregnant by the day we were wed. Things moved very fast. But they never felt rushed, to either one of us. Even before our first kiss, I think Colin and I both knew that this was it. We knew we wanted to be married to each other, although neither of us verbalized it right away. It just felt right, natural. Call it what you want, Colin will say he made an intelligent choice devoid of emotion when he chose of his own volition to marry me, but I'd like to think my prayer, the Holy Spirit, the entire universe had something to do with it. I always just knew Colin was the guy for me. I believe it was his fate. He just took 8 months or so longer than I did to accept it. ;)