how the garden began...

Five years, 10 months ago, I was at my parents house in Florida on a short break from my studies at Brigham Young University . It was my 20th birthday and I was winding down from a wild night of partying (okay it wasn't wild- it was dinner out with my mom and my sister). I sat down at the computer to check my email before bed. Across the country Steve was enjoying the novelty of AOL by doing a profile search for Florida & BYU. I'm not sure what he was looking for or hoping to find, but he found me. We IMed for a few minutes with that sweet romantic "bliiing!" sound when a new IM would come in. It was merely small talk. He asked me about my job and I explained I was looking for a new one. He told me about the company where he worked and told me I should apply when I returned to Provo. He was sure to point out that I should tell them who had referred me and told me that his sister worked as the receptionist for the company. What he failed to point out was that he got a referral bonus if I was hired. He certainly had interesting ways of getting a bonus.

I returned to Provo and applied. His sister called him and told him and the following Saturday when he saw me online, I heard "Bliiing!" It was Him! We decided that we should meet that evening. Were we crazy!? He could have been an axe murderer! I was a nanny at the time and invited him to the house I was working (Yes, I was brilliant---not only put myself in danger, but three small defenseless children in danger as well.) He showed up and I invited him in. We talked for a few minutes and all of a sudden, I noticed that I had my hand on his leg! Whoa Sister---Slow Down! It didn't feel wierd, though. About ten minutes later he kissed me. I slapped him and made him leave. I mean, the nerve of this guy thinking that I would just let some stranger kiss me! I'm not that kind of girl. Alright. I am that kind of girl. I kissed him back and enjoyed every spine tingling, heart thumping moment of it. That evening turned into hours of smooching and talking in a parking lot up the canyon. He dropped me off at my apartment later and asked when he could see me again. He practically had to hold me up to keep me from melting into a puddle at his feet while I answered "as soon as possible!" Of course, I beat myself up for that one for the next 8 hours until he called me. So much for playing hard to get.

We were inseparable after that. Three days later, I opened my big mouth and said "I love you" totally confident he'd say it back. Pretty presumptuous of me, don't you think? Luckily, I was right. Less than a week after meeting for the fisrt time, we went on an impromtu road trip to Las Vegas. Yes, I went to Vegas with a stranger. I will lock my daughter in her room until she's married, I tell you that much. We gazed lovingly into each other's eyes and at engagement rings. Just a few weeks after we met, I accompanied him to California for his sister's wedding. I guess he thought I was a keeper introducing me to the family so soon! There was some sillyness on his part about having to meet my family before he proposed though, so that didn't happen until a little over a month later. Pshaw. I guess he was the only one using his brain.

He proposed to me on the beach in Cocoa Beach, Florida just as the sun was rising above the water early in the morning. It was beautiful and I said YES!

Exactly ten months after our initial IM moment, we tied the eternal knot. We married in Orlando, Florida at the LDS Orlando Temple. That was five years ago and we are still inseparable. The love we felt for each other five years ago pales in comparison to what we have now. He is my soul mate and my life is better and more beautiful because he is in it.

Happy Annivesary, baby. This is just the beginning!

P.S. He got the bonus.

P.P.S. He took me out to dinner with it. Ya, I'm that good.