once upon a time...

those who know me, know i'm a writer. i have a need to write things down. for one, it's therapeutic. two, my memory is terrible. i also feel like i'm a character in a very special, surreal love story, and for my own personal desire to keep an illustrated journal/scrapbook of this adventure, i'm beginning this blog. i can count the number of people who will probably follow this on two hands (max) so i know it's mostly for me. i'd like to one day when i'm old and gray have this collection of memories from this very special time in my life. but in order to give the future any justice at all, i must begin with the past. so here goes: 

once upon a time there was a fourteen-year-old girl that developed a massive crush on the pitcher for the baseball team. he was extremely handsome and athletic. what more could a pre-high school girl want?! this was the beginning to a relationship. 

 

well, the next four years of my high school was... four years of "high school." there was laughs, rebellion, exciting "firsts," fights, tears, regrets, but mostly love. silly and young as we were, we both agreed: this was awesome, and neither of us wanted it to end. there is simply too much to try to recollect, but a few things are important. our first "date" ever. homecoming 2007. this was in so many ways our New Beginning. from this day forward, we dated steadily never being separated from each other if we could help it. 

 

it didn't take long for us to talk seriously about a future. drake really is quite the romantic. extremely attractive, athletic, and romantic... how does it ever even get any better? yet it does. still today it does. anyway, i remember distinctly this one wintry night during our Christmas break 2007, when we had spent the day together, alone. we exchanged gifts, gone to lunch, and successfully wasted an entire afternoon in each others company. this was the first time we spoke seriously about the future. i just remember thinking how much i loved being with him. i had the greatest time doing nothing at all. he made every mundane activity amazing. he made me smile. he made me laugh. and he looked at me in a way that convinced me i was special to him. to say i was a giddy sixteen-year-old with butterflies is an understatement. bottom line: i hoped this would never, ever end. so i just asked him "this is real, right?" he looked at me and considered what this really meant. he squeezed me tightly in his arms and simply said, "yes, it is." then, without hesitating much at all he asked me if he went on a mission what might happen while he was gone. would i wait for him? a mission seemed SO far in the future, but i figured if we lasted through high school, then nothing would get in our way. of course, i'd wait! i never, ever wanted this to end!! i was on cloud nine and had no intentions of ever giving up my spot. 

the rest of high school quickly came and went. we had many fun memories. 

 

our first prom.

several more high school dances. 

prom 2009

trips to the lake.

and of course, frosting wars.

we always had fun. the boy makes me laugh hysterically. but all too quickly, high school ended. drake graduated and all of a sudden i was in my senior year, adjusting to the change. it sucked. but it was good practice for the next year. because all of a sudden in january 2010, he was opening his mission call. called to serve in the Chile Concepcion South Mission. leaving on March 24, 2010. i was so proud and really excited, but that selfish side of me dreaded the day when he'd leave. two years sounds like a really, really long time. it feels like it too. but, i kept 100% faith that there was blessings at the end of the "trial" as i viewed the mission then. boy has that concept changed. so drake left on his mission and i was officially "waiting" for my missionary. 

 

i started attending BYU in June of 2010, less than a month after graduating high school. best decision ever. i honestly can say it has been the best experience of my life (even without my drake). i have grown and strengthened more than i could have ever planned for myself. i've learned so much about my testimony, my beliefs, what is really important to me, and how i want to conduct my life. i was blessed with super amazing roommates my freshman year. thank you Kendall Anne, Sarah, and Terra!! these girls are all seriously amazing. i was surrounded by spiritual giants and bright examples. words can't express how much each of them did for me as i struggled through the first year of "waiting." and yes, it's not so easy. there is a lot of frustrations, sadness, loneliness, and confusion in the two years of waiting for a missionary. these girls were there for me through countless breakdowns and tears, hours of girl-talk, and the many ups and downs. but, finally, the year mark came.

 i didn't think another year was possible. the first one was so hard!! thankfully, what they say about the second year going faster is indeed true. and currently the countdown is 8 weeks. that's incredible to me. drake updates me every week on his mission and he's doing amazing. he loves it. he loves the people and he loves the work. he might be getting a little trunky at this point, but hey, that's normal for all missionaries i think, and overall i'm extremely proud of what he's been able to accomplish. 

still extremely attractive, still athletic, definitely still romantic... but best of all, and absolutely most important: this man is strong in the faith. his testimony is solid and we're finally understanding how the mission has also been preparing us for the next step:

those who know me, know i'm a writer. but those people also know i'm a planner. and i've been keeping myself busy with the next plans. the past 6 years has only been the beginning. the prologue to the real love story. starting in 8 weeks will be the "real story."

the real purpose for this blog is to record those times. the reunion, the newlyweds, the college life, the babies. those are the real adventures i want to remember. when i was sixteen and i asked drake if this was the real deal, i had no idea that it really was this real. but it truly is a dream come true.

"yes, it is." it is so real.