The day that changed my life

Ok, so there are more than just one of these days that change the course of my life, but here is one that stuck out to me today.

I got a text from my husband today, he must have been taking his lunch at work, and it said: 

i love you so much, i miss

 you, but i remember when

 i asked you to Mary me, it

 was an awesome day

(yes, either his fingers or autocorrect inserted 'Mary' for 'marry', but I understood what he meant). 

Reading his words threw me back 8 years. Chattham Towne townhomes, the one on the corner, second row back. Plaid couch, small TV (my tv that I bought with the money my Grandma Jackie gave me when I graduated HS and started off to BYU...and in those days, the tv was HUGE, like 19 inches I think). 

Trent was tall, dashingly handsome and smelled good. He was everything I had dreamed of. Seriously---I made a list of all the qualities I wanted in my future husband. On one side I wrote "need" and on the other was "want". Trent could check off every single item off the "need" list and almost everything on the "want" list, so you can imagine what seeing him did to my heart. Racing heartbeat was just the beginning of what he did to me once I was near him. 

On this particular night, it was cold, so we were dressed warmly. He only had about 5 nice shirts to his name, so it was probably the white with black stripes button up one I thought made him out to be a living Ken doll. He told me that he was taking me out to eat at Chili's. 

(His text today said):

We ate at Chiles, I wish I

had more money to take

you out somewhere really

nice

Do you think I cared that we 'only' went to Chili's? Oh no! Just to have a night out with him was the fulfillment of a good day. (Side note: after our first date, we couldn't wait to be together again, so we decided we would have breakfast at Mimi's Cafe on University Parkway in Provo the next morning. We talk about that every time we drive by the place). 

But I didn't even remember where we ate. I had to ask him. All I remember about that day was that all my roommates were gone somewhere that night, and I couldn't wait for him to come over. It seems like the wait was forever....

And then he showed up. But he was holding a basketball. And that was exciting. We played basketball on our first date because I had promised a former mission buddy that I would play but I also didn't want to skip out on a date with this handsome guy I just met, so I asked him if he wanted to come along and play ball...and he did...which isn't the most ideal situation for a first date....sweaty, red face, unflattering clothes, etc....but it all turned out ok:) 

So, anyway, back to the basketball. I was so excited that he bought me a ball because it looked expensive and nice leather. But then he told me to read it. And I was thinking, "read it? people don't 'read' basketballs...they 'play' with them"...and in my confusion, Trent started to turn the ball in my hands and got down on one knee. Hold everything. This is the moment every girl dreams of. They picture this moment happening and sometimes play out what their response will be. That's why we all love watching the last episode of The Bachelor and Bachelorette...

He's getting down on one knee. In my apartment. I'm holding a basketball. It's not a ring. What? 

Then I come to his writing on the basketball. It says:

Will you marry me?

Yes       No

And then he hands me a sharpie marker....still no ring.....And I read the message again. I don't know why I read it and re-read it. It was a surreal moment. This was really happening. The man of my literal dreams was asking me to be with him forever. I could become his wife!! 

YES!!! Are you kidding?! Did I need a second to even consider it? (Some people would have probably said that I should have given the amount of time I knew him....but that's another story....)

So I un-capped that sharpie marker and circled the word: 

YES

about 5 times.....and that's almost all that I really remember. I don't remember how he pulled out the ring and slid it on my finger (which it fit perfectly) or anything else that night. Food, conversation, whatever...it was all a blur after the moment he gave me the basketball and I circled yes. 

(In true confession--I didn't even remember what we did that night and had to ask Trent and he said we ate at Chili's and then talked about the wedding and our future and began planning right away. Hahaha. Sounds about right.)

That day was one of those life altering moments in my life. I got a new basketball. And a ring. 

And the man of my dreams. 

Maybe we should go out to Chili's for our anniversary from now on:) And play a little one-on-one. Basketball, people! Keep it clean.