Date rearrangement!

For this first month of being engaged we were planning on getting married in May. Well let's just say waiting and being apart SUCKS REALLY BADLY. So this last weekend Rachel suggested that we get hitched in January. I thought that it was just a ridiculous idea. At the time I thought it meant me taking all twelve credits for being full time over the internet. I promised her that I would fast about it. So it just so happened to be fast sunday the next day. So I fasted and then I prayed about it, fully expecting to get a resounding " no way! Be patient!" But instead I got a yes! that's the right day. I literally started laughing! so I told her I would have to get family approval and that I would have to talk to my counselor about my options.
SO NOW WE ARE GETTING MARRIED THE 3RD OF JANUARY!!!!!!!!!
And we found out that God is very good. 3 1/2 weeks earlier I went in to make an appointment with my counselor, and she didn't have another appointment for 3 1/2 weeks. So on the exact day that I went in to see her I had an appointment! It was great!
She told me that I could just defer and go to her college and then just come back! So very good news, but now I have been applying for colleges and sending in transcripts and SAT and ACT scores, which has cost me almost one hundred dollars! Whoda thunk that sending ACT scores would cost 52 dollars?!
Now Rachel is going overdrive with the wedding plans and dress stuff. We are SUPER excited!
Something funny: She thought that for the first few months of marriage it would be ok to live in her apartment with her 3 other roommates! I laughed.
That's just to embarrass her! Now the poor thing is looking for an apartment for us! She is the BEST! I love her to death!

My Girl- The Engagement

So to start I went to her families' reunion 4th of july weekend. Then that next week my cousin jackie called me up and asked me if I wanted to go to the temple with her. I hadn't been in a while and I really wanted to so there I went with Jackie. I decided that the question that would be asked when I went was, "will Rachel make me happy for the rest of my life?" I went in and from the moment the session started to the moment it endedI couldn't get rachel out of my head or the smile off of my face! All I could think about was how happy I was going to be. so I decided then and there that I was going to ask her to marry me.
So I then went on the hunt for the perfect engagement ring. I must have gone to 16 to 20 jewelers before I just gave up and decided to design it myself. this whole process took about a month and a half considering all the schoolwork I had. So for that month before I popped the question I made Rachel believe that IF i popped the question. It MIGHT be in October. So she was kind of mad at me for a very long time.
I made her believe that I wasn't even looking even though we were talking about marriage. Finally one night she got fed up and told me she wasn't going to talk marriage anymore because I obviosly wasn't as interested because How hard is it to just start looking for a ring?
It was very hard to keep my little secret from her.
So I flew down to Texas(after she had flown up to utah to see me) and I guess she figured if I hadn't done it then then I was most definetly waiting for october. So that weekend I asked her parents, and her sister Jean, if I could marry Rachel. Both gave their approval and the first full day back in San Antonio I told her she and I were going out, alone; a surprise date. I told her to wear something fancy.
SHE WORE A DRESS THAT WOULD KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF! I wore my best suit and still looked like a shmuck standing next to that girl. So I took her out to a fancy Italian place. And there was sparkling conversation. (or in other words) me trying to keep my cool, but not knowing how to. I was sweating bullets under that collar!
Then we left and went to a park that has nice walking trails that lead right up to a beautiful view of the San Antonio temple (where, we had discussed, were getting married). Earlier that day I bought two dozen roses and had Moriah (my cousin) go to plant them, with the assistance of Tia (cousin) and Steven (Random dude....haha just kidding....family friend). They planted them at the top of the hill in the middle of the "grassy knoll."
On our way up I could see that the temple lights weren't on and it was PITCH BLACK. So I was freaking out, but just as we cleared the rise the temple lights turned on! By the way, the whole day it had been raining cats and dogs and as soon as we stepped out of the car it stopped!
So I took her there, we walked out to the middle of the hill to find two dozen beautiful roses sticking up out of the ground. (Rachel LOVES flowers) So she runs over to pick them up and when she turned around I was on one knee......
She then proceeded to tell me to stop talking and stand. And she planted one on me! I was SO happy. The girl of my dreams said yes!
So there now all of the sappy details are out for those who are interested.

My Girl-how we met

SO here's how Rachel and I met.
I went to a singles activity hoping to find a good looking someone. I don't know why, but I felt like I was on the prowl. So the party is at a gymastics gym with all springboard floors and trampolines. ANd the group decides to play glow-in-the-dark dodgeball. so in the back room it is pitch black and I catch a glimpse of this girl walking in....TO DODGEBALL. so already I am thinking, "HOT." Not to mention that she was Very tall and slender. Let's just say my interest was piqued.
It's a good thing that we met in the dark or she never would have given my ugly butt a chance, but I was given a chance, by the grace of God, to show how good of a guy I was. So when a ball was heading for her I would catch it or take the hit for her. So Ithink she thought, well at least chivalry isn't dead.
So when we got out she finally got a look at my face and must have thought, "Dang!" "He's tall and chivalrous. why can't he be attractive?!" I was thinking, "oh man she is good looking!"
And I knew that if I didn't ask her then I wouldn't ever see her again and I'd never have another chance. So I asked her out for a shake. She said "sure."
And off we went. (stephanie watched us leave together HAHAHAHA) anyway. we ended up talking FOREVER. I loved to talk to her. Then after a short dissappointing kiss (Iwas sick and she didn't want to catch it). I took off and I haven't been able to leave her alone since.

Starting a blog

I really never thought that this would happen. I had always imagined that I would be the guy that kept a journal, like in a book of writings, but honestly I am too lazy to go out and get one. And I am sick of feeling guilty for not writing in a journal because the prophet keeps saying we should over and over and over... soo here I am writing in a blog........weird.
Well lets give an update, shall we?
I arrived home from New York on February 6th of 2008. I then immediately proceeded to work and date and catch up with old friends. I worked construction with a family friend, and that just motivated me to get an education, because I knew I couldn't do that for the rest of my life. At the same time I started dating a girl named she who shall not be named, yes I know fast mover, I got it. She seemed very nice and what not, but No one ever told me that when I wasn't around she would be a completely different person. And then all my friends seemed to dissipate, I didn't know why at the time but now it is quite clear. Well long story short she cheated on me and I broke things off with her. Let's just say we don't talk much....
Then I started to work for a "men's clothier" or so my mother calls it. Joseph A. Bank, it was a very fun place to work laid back, but it didn't pay too well. I would say it was only worth it because I got a few suits out of that place for really cheap.
Well Around the time I started working for them I met Rachel.