7 Years Ago.....

7 Years ago today Jared and I were married in the Manti Temple. I can't believe we have now been married for 7 years, it seems like Jared and I just met. Last year I wrote about how we met and this year I want to share about we got engaged. We knew pretty much knew from the beginning of our relationship that we wanted to be married. We met and started dating dating in February 2001. By December of that year we knew when we wanted to get married, in March or April. We were planning on spending Christmas with my family and I wanted to be officially engaged by the time we went to California so my parents would take this seriously and we could start to plan a wedding. Jared and I both went to pick out my ring. He wanted to get down on one knee and propose so I had to wait to wear my ring. I didn't know when he would ask (he didn't either), I just knew he had to ask before we left for California. So on one snowy blizzardy day in December Jared came up with a cute and clever way on how to ask me. Some of you may not know it but Jared is a poet (well I think this is the last poem he wrote me). He decided to send me on a wild goose chase. When I got home from work there was a note on my door and it read:

This is a note, to let you know
It's time for fun, and time to go
You're on a quest, a treasure to find
No time to rest, no time to unwind.
So change your clothes, something warm will do
Don't want you to freeze and turn SMURF blue
Here's the first hint you'll need to read
To solve the puzzle, you will need to speed.
Race to the place where we first met,
and ask the man playing Everquest.
He will give you, what you need to know
So you can determine where you should go.

I knew this was it....he was going to propose so I got into my car and off I went to where we first met which was at our friends house. There Joe (the man playing Everquest) gave me the next clue:

You're on the next leg of this Amazing Race
You've got the next clue, so let's continue the chase.
The next route marker, you'll need to spot
is up in Orem, with something I bought.
You'll know the place at first sight,
It's where we first kissed, one February night.
Go to the front door, to find what you need.
It's there for the finding, your next lead.

So with having read that I got into my little red sports car and headed through the blizzard to where I used live in Orem. I lived in a basement apartment with friends (which was soon to be the place where Jared and I first lived). I still was very close with the family who lived upstairs and when I got there I knocked on the door and Katy answered, handed me a dozen roses and the next clue, which read:

You are so close, to finishing this game,
I promise the ending won't be lame.
You'll find what it is your heart desires
Now jump in your car and spin those tires.
Hurry on down, to where you work
There's something there, a special perk

So back into my car I went and drove through the blizzardy snow. I was working at Great Clips (I still work there) so that's where I went. When I walked inside my manager, Liz (who was the person who introduced us to each other), gave me the last clue:

This is the last clue, there are no more
But I think you might know what i have in store
So brace yourself, tears might fly,
As I.........................

then I turned around and Jared was there on one knee

He asked me to marry him and of course I cried. It was so sweet and very special to me. I love that Jared went to all that trouble to make the proposal such a memorable experience for me. Jared is such a wonderful husband and father. We may have our differences now and again but we love each other and are in it for the long haul. Thanks for loving me Jared!!!