From Engagement to Married!! . . .FLASHBACK

When you are engaged and planning a wedding over the holidays, a lot of craziness goes on. We were engaged during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. Add on top of those Holidays all the showers and family parties, we just partied for two whole months.
We spent Thanksgiving, the year we were engaged, with Matt's family. This is when I meet most of the extended family on his mom's side. They are party animals. They had so many things planned, it was a riot. The best part about thanksgiving is shoving shaving cream into Matt's face. In the picture, you can see Matt's head and those are my hands. It was a lot of fun.



Shortly before Christmas, Matt's sister Kim came home from her mission in Valencia, Venezuela. We went to the airport to pick her up. This would be the first time that I had met Kim. Matt has four siblings. Kim, whom I met a two weeks before we were married, Jordan, who left 1 month before I met Matt, and then Tony and Braden. Kim and I became good friends fast, and love getting together at family functions.



The weekend that Kim came home from her mission, Matt's extended family on his dad's side got together for their annual Christmas party. We went and this would be were I met the other half of Matt's family. For the entertainment that night, they set Jason and I in the middle (Jason was marrying Matt's cousin the week before we got married) and told us all the BAD things about becoming a CLINGER. It applied more to me since my last name was changing and Justin's wouldn't, but it was quite the welcome to the family.



I was given about 4 or 5 showers. One was by Matt's aunts and cousins. They had a great time dressing me up. After this shower, I took Matt outside to the car to show him all things we were given. While I was doing so I looked up to see a cow on Matt's front lawn. I immediately grabbed the camera and started taking pictures.

Matt just stared at me and asked what I was doing. Apparently, in Idaho if a cow wonders into your yard, it is just an everyday occurrence. For me, I don't really see that sort of thing happen in downtown Salt Lake. Guess that is how you can tell that I am a city girl.



This shower was given by the ladies in the ward that I grew up in. It was very nice of them to through us a shower.



The day before we got married, my brother Cameron and his family flew in for the wedding. This was the first time that Matt had met him. We went and ate at the Red Iguana and just spent the day playing around.

We're engaged . . What?!!! FLASHBACK!!!

So Matt and I had been officially dating (i.e. boyfriend/girlfriend) for a about a week, when we went up to Idaho for his cousin's mission farewell. This is an event that you would think is quite harmless. I had been to Matt's house 2 times before this so I didn't think much about it. We went up and after church went over to his Aunt Tina's house. While there I was introduced to Matt's Grandma Ila and other family members that I hadn't yet met. We had been hanging out for about 30 minutes when Matt and I separated. I went to get a drink refill and upon making my way back to Matt, I ran into Matt's dad, Dallas, and his uncle. Dallas introduced me as Matt's fiance. I about freaked, I had just decided that I was ok with the title Girlfriend, were did fiance come from. Dallas was obviously joking around, but I don't know if he realizes what he started. After that event and Matt and I were driving home I brought up his dad's joke. The response I got was also odd. Matt didn't freak out, he didn't propose but he didn't freak out.

Over the next week the wheels began to turn in our heads, and we started looking at whether or not marriage was possible. We talked, I went to the temple a few times, we had many late night conversations, and spent a day or two apart to gain perspective. Our answer came a lot quicker than I think that we had anticipated. One night after Matt had gone to the temple he came back to my house and took me out to dinner. We went out to eat at Robintinos in Salt Lake. I was as sick as a dog, but was anxious to know what he was thinking. He was silent most of the meal. But that could easily be because I couldn't stop coughing and sneezing. Matt took me back to my house, and while we were sitting around, Matt simply said, "Why don't we get married?" That was all I needed. I was excited and we called our parents that night.

Matt let me come and pick out the ring, and about a month before we were to get married, he came over to my house to give it to me. Matt had continually been telling me that there was a problem and that it would be another few weeks until the ring came. So when he came to my house that night I didn't quite expect to get it. I was laying down getting ready to take a nap, before I went to work the graveyard shift at the University Neuropsychiatric Institute. Matt showed up to see me before I left and sat next to me to chat about me day at work. I was telling him a story about a boy that I worked with that was about 8 years old. Earlier that day, the little boy announced to all of his friends that I was his new girlfriend, Brittany Spears, and that we were getting married. I told the little boy that I was already engaged to someone else. The little boy asked were my ring was. Matt took this as an opportunity since we were on the marriage subject (kind of) to propose. He asked how disappointed this little boy would be if I showed up the next day wearing a ring. At that point he pulled it out and gave it to me. I remember that I was so excited, that I just kept staring at it all night long at work. If I ever felt drowsy around 2 or 3 in the morning I would just hold the ring up to my face and get all flustered with excitement again.

"Oh, the dating months. . ." FLASHBACK

I can say dating months because that is what it was. From when Matt and I first started to "hang out" till when we got engaged, it was just about 2 months long. That may seem really quick to a lot of people, but to others, that would be a full courtship. Here are a couple of our firsts. . .

The first kiss was after we had been out about 4 times. Prior to Matt, I had only kissed 5 guys in my short 4 years of kissing. I had my first kiss during my Sophomore year of college. I guess I am sentimental when it comes to that which is why my kissing numbers were on one hand. Matt and I had gone out and returned home to my house and were watching a movie downstairs. Sometime during the movie Matt leaned in and kissed me. He claims that it was a blind kiss. Apparently, I have learned, that a girl gives a clue to the guy that it is OK to be kissed. This clue is given by looking into the guys eyes and then making glances down at his lips, thus giving the approval of said kiss. I did not give said approval. This was not because I didn't want Matt to kiss me, but more so because I wanted to play a little hard to get. Matt said he went in blind and hadn't a clue how it would turn out. It was great and we had a lot of fun (good clean fun Nana). Matt then told me he really kissed me so that I would have to use 2 hands to count the boys I have kissed (he was kidding). Upon leaving my house that night he went in to give me another kiss on the doorstep. When we were just about to kiss, Matt turned around and walked away to his car and went home. I didn't know what to do. My blood was boiling that was for sure, and that had never happened to me before. Matt claims that he wanted to leave me wanting more, well, it worked. Matt and I still pull that trick out every once in a while for fun.



I remember the first time that the words, "I LOVE YOU" were said. It was October 11th. I know that because the picture below shows the date. Matt and I had gone on a double date with my brother, Dallin, and his wife. We went to see a movie and split up afterwards. Matt and I went back to his place. We were sitting on the couch talking about the movie and cuddling when Matt started a conversation. He began by saying, "I heard a rumor . ." I replied back by saying what. He continued on to say, "I heard a rumor that I LIKE YOU." I don't remember my reply to that statement, but it must have been encouraging because he said again, "I heard another rumor" and once I again I said what. He replied back with "I heard that I LOVE YOU." Now let me just pause and express that I have some moments in my life that I am not particularly proud of and this would definitely be one of them. My response, to Matt saying "I LOVE YOU", sounded like so, "Oh, and how's that working out for you?" Matt said, "I don't know I'll tell you when I find out." I don't think Matt had planned that response into his declaration of love. An obvious reply might have been, "okay," " thanks," "I love you too," but not my response. I did return the declaration a few days later, but to this day, Matt doesn't like it when I use that phrase in casual conversation. The picture below was actually taken a little before Matt told me he loved me that night. Don't I like hot?



Matt and I always joke around that we had commitment issues. If someone really wanted to get technical, we officially were boyfriend/girlfriend for about 1 1/2 weeks. We always just said that we were "hanging out". This drove my family nuts, but Matt and I were happy to keep it that way. Matt every once in a while would ask if I wanted to talk about what was going on with us, and I would always reply back with, "No, I'm good." He would agree and we would carry on with whatever we were doing. I think that it must have been strange to him to have a girl who avoided a DTR. Finally over dinner one night, we decided that we were dating, and that felt good. Dating only lasted 1 1/2 weeks because that is when we started talking marriage. But we will save that for next time.

"How I met your mother" FLASHBACK

I realized that having a blog is great. It keeps a great journal of everything going on now, but isn't so great for the 4 1/2 years from now back until I met Matt. I have nothing written down from how we met, dating, engaged, and early marriage (pre-kids). And that just stinks, so I have decided to make it a goal to try to once a week write about one thing and document it that way. I am starting today because, really, how often can you post on February 29th. Oh and some pictures may be seen more than others. We were having to much fun together dating that we only have a few pictures of us.


Matt and I met at our University of Utah singles ward (I think it was the 15th ward) at the end of the 2003 summer. I was sitting in the back of church with my roommates and our friend Levi doing what me and my girls did best. We were checking out the guys in the ward and Levi was giving us the scoop. I had a guy that I was already interested in and so decided to sit this round out and actually listen to the meeting. While they were pointing out guys I was glancing around to see who was new in the ward and trying to come up with my own way to pass the time (short attention span). I glanced over and saw this guy sitting with a few other girls and had no clue who he was. So I decided to ask Levi. He was stumped, said he didn't know and asked if I liked him. In a sarcastic response I said, "Of course Levi, I'm going to marry that guy." (Who knew I could tell the future) That made Levi even more interested to find out who that guy was.

Later that I night I saw Matt at ward prayer and introduced myself, he talked to me for a while and then I decided to leave so I could play a little hard to get. Over the course of a couple weeks I would invite Matt to go to a bunch of things in a group and I always was told, "I can't, I have school, maybe some other time." I'm sorry, but a girl can only take so much rejection. I figured that I had my other guy option still available and didn't need to waste my time on Matt. The day after I came to that resolution was Sunday, when I walked into Sacrament meeting Matt waved for me to come over and sit by him. I was shocked. This guy never seemed interested, and now when I decide to forget him he shows a little interest back? So weird. I sat down by him and after a lot of playful bantering, I asked him what he would be making me for dinner that night. I basically just invited myself over for dinner with no hint on his part. He said that I would have to find out but showing up at 5. Once again shocked. Who knew you could invite yourself over and a guy would say okay. I should have used that idea in college. Matt made me steak and potatoes and we went to a fireside. From there we just started hanging out almost every night for some reason or another (it was never planned.)

Matt and Brynn saga to be continued . . . . . next week.