How We Met/Our Dating Life/Marriage
So in March of 2013 I was hanging out at my parent's house after work and Heidi started telling me about the new raging app Tinder. Basically a new form of online dating, just much quicker, and actually more superficial, but it was in iphone app form. I was super opposed to it when she first told, but after some convincing and her telling me how she'd been on it for a day and had three dates lined up for the weekend, I figured what the heck, everyone seems to be doing it right now, what do I have to lose. I certainly can't say I signed up even with the thought of meeting a potential spouse, but I thought it might be a fun social app and way to meet some new people and expand my social horizon I guess. So that evening I just kind of lounged around and began 'swiping' away. If my memory serves me right, it was that first evening of my Tinder membership that Jared and I got 'matched' meaning we had both swiped like to each other's profile. We started messaging back and forth and set up a lunch date at Zupa's for just a couple of days later. I thought he was really cute, was getting close to graduating from the MAC program at BYU so I was stoked to see a man that was actually doing something with his life (this was my biggest complaint with the dating world prior, all sorts of nice guys that just had no motivation or drive in life. Yuck!) So Jared and I met up at Zupa's on Thursday for lunch and conversation was great, I thought he was really good looking, and again, he was doing something and going somewhere with his life, he had goals, he was motivated, it was simply amazing and so attractive to me!! Apparently I had said a few of the right things too cause he asked me out for a second date! I was very interested in Jared really quickly, I can't remember if it was after our first or second date, but I deleted Tinder from my phone within probably a week of getting it cause I was really interested in and wanted to pursue Jared and didn't feel the need to go out and meet other guys. Jared had a date lined up and went out with one other girl either Thursday evening or the next day on Friday, but I think he was kind of in the same boat and put Tinder on hold to get to know me better. Our second date was bowling and s'mores. But it wasn't any bowling and s'mores. Jared had a bowling ball and a few bowling pins, so we went to the underground parking lot at Glenwood and bowled down the little ramp leading into it. After bowling, he laid a blanket out down there in the parking garage and we roasted mini marshmallows with chocolate chips and teddy grahams over a little rubbing alcohol fire in a dish and we just talked the night away. I had a blast, which if you ask my family, they were blown away because normally I would be goobered out by such a 'zoobie style' date like this. They knew I was clearly very interested in Mr. Roho if a date like this didn't cheese me out. But I loved it! On our third or fourth date Jared invited me to be his date for the Y Awards coming up a couple weeks later. This took me by surprise, but also really excited me that he was asking me to such a big event in the future like that. It showed me how interested he really was, cause I sure felt the same way! The Y Awards are for BYU athletes and there are all sorts of individual and team awards. Jared's cross country team was up for an award which they won, it was the Men's Team of the Year. So that was fun to see him be a part of that. But even more honoring was that Jared was nominated for the Floyd Johnson Service Award. He was nominated for his role as President of the Cougar Council and for organizing the first student athlete career night. This was just another thing about Jared that I loved, always going above and beyond what is required of him. We had a really fun night there and it was exciting getting to dress up extra nice for an evening to recognizing his greatness. :) Jared and I had our first kiss on Easter. Jared had been out of town for a track meet and got home pretty late. I really wanted to see him, so I put together a little Easter basket and took it over to him (another thing that blew my family away cause it was so out of character for me). Jared came out to my car cause I was just dropping it off and in return for the gift he gave me the sweet gift of a smooch. I was ecstatic.
The month of May was approaching and I was a little nervous cause I was leaving town for almost the whole month for a trip to Europe. I was really liking Jared and knew he was liking me, but this early in a relationship I was worried his interest in me would fade while I was gone for so long. It was right before I headed out of town that I came home from another great date with Jared and realized I was in love. I remember being in my room weirded out and giddy and almost emotional realizing how crazy about this guy I was and how badly I hoped these weeks away wouldn't affect our relationship negatively. I ended up making a little card with a treat or something simple for Jared to open each day I was gone. Fortunately, we were able to FaceTime a fair amount and Jared was so busy studying for the CPA exams and cranking those out at a ridiculous rate, that I think it probably worked out for the best. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, ya know. And Jared was able to focus and cruise through those dreaded exams like a champ! So it was the very end of April that I realized I was in love with Jared, but that was not something I was ready to be the first to say. Jared came with my family on our Lake Powell trip in June, and it was there that he finally came to the realization that he loved me. So we had a super romantic evening up on the houseboat under the beautiful starlit sky when he told me he loved me and I finally got to confess that I loved him! Pretty sure he already knew I loved him, I finally got to say it out loud. We had a great summer together. Took a trip out to San Diego where his sister lives, did a lot of fun things around town, and then took another trip to Lake Powell in August with my family.
The night I knew I was in love with Jared
The day Jared told me he loved me down in Lake Powell
Loving on my cowboy
Just one of our amazing dates together. This is after he danced with me, which is a really big deal to get Jerry out on the dance floor! I was thrilled!!!
So I always thought I would date a guy for a year before marrying him cause I still believe that people get stuck in a visionary phase and it takes a while to see through clear eyes rather than twitterpated eyes to see a person's true character. But I think with the years of dating and being slightly older, for the Mormon world that is, I just really knew that Jared was the man for me and that I wanted to spend forever with him. So I have this idea in mind that we're both done with school, we're 25/26 years old, we've experienced enough to see what we truly want in life and from a partner, so what are we waiting around for. And I totally thought Jared was right there with me and the topic of marriage was bound to be coming up soon. Well, we're down at Lake Powell and me, Jared, my mom, and Raelyn Woolley are chatting and Jared starts talking all excited about this housing contract that he signed and what a great deal it is and that spring/summer was so cheap. That's spring/summer of the next year! My mom and Raelyn instantly look at each other thinking, whoa, he's talking about his housing contract with his bros a year from know and Angie's thinking marriage. I too was completely blown away and instantly flipped into biotch mode! Poor Jerry was clueless as to what was happening and why I was so ornery! Later that day or the next day, my mom and I were chatting on the boat when Jared was out tubing and she threw out the idea of me going through the temple with my brother Cameron that had just got his mission call. I really hadn't even thought about going through the temple prior to this until I got married but when she suggested it, it soaked in and I set up an interview with my bishop the day we got home. I met with my bishop and he was stoked on the idea. I realized I probably should share my plans with Jared. So the day after my interview, I was over helping Jared move out of his apartment- he was moving home for a week or two before moving into the house with all his bros. So I told him my plan and that I had talked to the bishop and he was all for it. Jared's initial response was a bit confusing to me. It was like he was trying to fake a smile and be excited for me. But he quickly explained that he was just confused and had imagined himself being the one to take me through the temple for the first time when we got married. What a relief, he actually had been thinking about marrying me!! So we of course then started talking about when we would possibly get married and it turns out he never actually had plans of staying in the house through the following spring/summer, he was just excited about the great deal for...I guess I still don't know why he was so excited about a deal he never planned on actually using. Whatever. Long story short, Cameron was heading on mission October 9th, April was coming home from her mission mid December so there was no way I was going to get married while they were both gone, can't have two siblings missing from my wedding! Well neither Jerry nor I wanted a winter wedding and I had no interest to wait till the following spring, so that meant it had to be before October 9th, less than two months away! So crazy as it was, we did it! Jared officially proposed to me on August 27th and it was magical. We had planned to hike up past the Y so we headed out on that venture. When we started the hike it was beautiful, but as we were making our way up the mountain some gnarly storm clouds were rolling in quickly. Soon after we passed the Y to keep going to our destination, it started raining. Well, I love a warm rainy day! So we kept on going and the rain drops kept getting bigger and bigger and it was turning out to be quite the downpour! I was still absolutely loving it though! We could see the big boulder/look out where we were headed and there were a couple people there. With the rain and everything I couldn't really make them out, but I also wasn't really trying to. At one point I remember hearing the guy laugh and it reminded me of Cameron's laugh, but I didn't think much of it. When we were turning a corner to approach it, suddenly Devin comes bolting at us, basically running into us, sees us and runs back. I obviously knew something was up then. So then I look up to where we're going and Cameron, Adam, and Devin are standing there drenched and laughing like a bunch of buffoons. Jared took me up there and got down on his knee and proposed. Cameron snapped a few pics and the three of them were out of there running back down the mountain to get out of the rain! Jared and I staid up there for a while and he showed me what it was supposed to look like, the boys had used the cloth that should have been laid out as shelter to the rain, the flower petals were drenched, the bouquet of my favorite flowers was off to the side, music should have been playing, and the boys were supposed to be hiding and secretly taking pics. I would not have changed how it turned out for anything! I absolutely love that it was a ridiculous downpour and we were soaking wet! I love that my goofy brothers had used the display as shelter. And I love that Jared still found a way to make it so romantic and perfect! So, we got a wedding all planned and six weeks later we were husband and wife! It's totally crazy, but I wouldn't change it! Plus the fact that I had very little interest in being involved in the wedding planning made it much easier. I told the wedding planner what colors I like and kind of the feel I was looking for, picked a location, and turned it all over to her! Dress shopping was easy, I just wanted to rent a dress, so we headed over to Pamela's, I tried on my dress and liked it and would have walked out right then, but my mom told me I should try a couple more, so I tried on two more and said nope, let's do the first one, and I was out of there! Jared was a good planner, a few years prior in one of his singles ward they had done an auction. A member in his bishopric was a goldsmith and auctioned an engagement ring at cost. So Jared auctioned on that and paid about $300 to get any custom made engagement ring completely at cost. I actually never thought I would get a diamond ring, I just wanted to spend a minimal amount and get a pretty sapphire or something, but I figured if I was getting it at cost, I may as well go with a diamond. I sure do love my ring! Due to the short engagement, I had a loaner ring for several weeks and then got my ring about 2 weeks prior to the marriage. Our wedding day went wonderfully. We were lucky enough to be able to have all of our family (except April who was in Russia on a mission) there even on such short notice. It meant a lot to us cause I know it wasn't easy for everyone to get work off to come out.
The proposal and the downpour that made it extra spectacular to me.
The night I received my endowments.
My 'white trash bridal bash' my coworkers threw.
We were sealed in the Provo Temple on a nice Tuesday morning, random right. This is cause the weekend before Cameron leaving on a mission was General Conference so the temples were closed and I just couldn't do it any earlier! So we did Tuesday October 8, 2013. The day before Cam left on his mission. So the sealing was that morning. Random note about that, the temple had a bit of a moth infestation so the temple curtains were seriously filled with moths and when we were taking pictures outside afterward, I found a moth trapped under the lace of my dress. So random, but Jerry and I loved it, such a unique and bizarre memory. We had our luncheon at La Jolla Groves in the Riverwoods and it was delicious. Then that evening our reception was at Coleman Studios in Provo. It was a busy day, but it was magical. My only regret was that I didn't try any of the food we had at the reception. People had even given me the advice to pack some up to take with us for after the reception, but with the business, I didn't even think about it. Oh well.
Bridals
First pic after we got sealed!
Jared and his groomsmen.
Me and my bridesmaids.
That night we stayed up at Johnson Mill Bed and Breakfast in Midway. It was such a beautiful place. Then we came back the next day, went with my family to drop Cam off at the MTC, and then flew out to Aruba that afternoon. We had a great time in Aruba. I had made Jared get scuba certified, so we did a couple days of diving and a whole lot of beach time while we were there. I think it was the perfect place for a honeymoon.
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