tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85983773219718415632024-02-18T19:48:08.738-07:00The Marohn MadnessAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-6499481218747748372018-05-30T21:08:00.001-07:002018-05-30T21:08:05.740-07:00Silver Linings and Ice in the SummerLife is filled with struggles. Focusing only on the struggles - fridges that leak and stop being cold, cars that breakdown on the side of the road, or ships that never seem to come in -- we can quickly find ourselves depressed, frustrated and just plain grumpy. However, the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us hope. In fact, I think my perspective on life is best summed up by President Gordon B. Hinkley:<br />
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<i>Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. Most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey–delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. <b>The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.</b></i></blockquote>
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So that's the ticket to life - gratitude. When we are grateful then what we have is enough and we can see the silver lining around the clouds of smoke, dust, and inevitable storms. This past month has been a little stormy, but at the same time our little family has been blessed in some miraculous ways.<br />
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<h3>
The Saga of the Fridge</h3>
I've been meaning to record this ongoing saga surrounding our fridge and freezer, because it perfectly illustrates how the Lord provides all the things we stand in need and IN THE RIGHT TIME! I am learning to have faith in the Lord, and more importantly have faith in the Lord's TIMING. And the saga of the fridge has been the perfect lesson. So let me explain...<br />
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We are currently living in a cute 3 bedroom, 2 bath rental house, and have been here for just over 2 years. The house came with a washer, dish washer, new oven/stove, and a fridge. According to our lease, the property owner is not responsible for replacing any of the appliances should they break. We had to buy a dryer right away and then about 2 months after we moved in we had to by a washing machine. Our dishwasher is adequate, but the fridge was limping along from the very beginning. It was one of those awful side-by-side so the storage capacity of the freezer was absolutely pathetic. We could get one bag of Costco frozen chicken, a 10lb bag of ice, and a few bags of frozen veges in there, but that was it. It would drive us nuts, especially during the summer when we wanted to have extra ice on hand - no room.<br />
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About a year into our life here, the fridge started leaking water out of the bottom corner by the freezer. Didn't know what was going on, didn't have the money to buy a new one, so we folded up a towel and left it on the floor to soak up the water. The leaking would last for about 3-4 days, then it would stop.<br />
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At this same time we were having problems with the electricity throughout the house -- we joked that either we had a poltergeist or the wiring for the whole house was shot. I would plug in an iron in the second bedroom to do some ironing and all the lights in the house would flicker on and off each time the iron clicked on. The flickering just seemed to gradually get worse. Whenever the dry or washing machine was going all the lights would flicker and heaven forbid I blow dried my hair - it was like I was at a disco-tech. Our local property manager/maintenance man would come over and mess around with the electrical panel and tell us we had too many things plugged in, but nothing would change.<br />
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Anywho, a few months ago, we had just about had it, and I was worried that if it was an electrical problem we could be in danger of a fire (we do have renters insurance, but who really wants to deal with loosing everything in a fire). We asked the local property manager to come out again and double check. After investigating again, he said that perhaps it was a larger problem that started outside in the power actually coming into our house. After a call to SRP, the mystery was solved -- the problem actually was in the power line coming in to our house which was so old it had become corrupted. SRP came out (at 11:00pm) and spent the whole night digging out our old line and putting in a new one, while we blissfully slept through it. And sure enough that solved all of our disco-tech problems, and <b>that was silver lining #1</b>.<br />
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Now back to our leaky fridge and pathetic freezer space. About a month after our power problems were resolved, Chris was at a Cincinnati Reds spring training game (don't worry this is all connected). Chris is one of the luckiest people you will ever meet - he wins a lot of things in drawing, etc. One of the sponsors at this particular game was a fridge/freezer appliance shop. This picked Chris at random and he "won" a mini-fridge. Then they said that if the pitcher pitched a no-hitter that inning he would also win a kegerator. Sure enough the pitcher threw a no-hitter.<br />
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A few days later, Chris is at their warehouse checking out the items he won. After telling them that we couldn't use a kegerator, he asked if they had any chest freezer. We had been dreaming about getting a chest freezer to combat our pathetic freezer problems. They were more than happy to give us a small chest freezer along with our mini-fridge instead of the very expensive kegerator. Chris loaded them up and set them up with joy and gladness - <b>silver lining #2</b>.<br />
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This last silver lining #2 could only have been possible with a properly functioning power supply to our house. Could you imagine the pyrotechnics which would have happened had we plugged in a chest freezer and a mini-fridge to our already malfunctioning power supply? We would have definitely had reason to be concerned for our safety. In this the TIMING of the Lord was perfect. We could not have had the freezer & mini-fridge until our power issues were resolved!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5k9a7aIjMMqJNwQplIPWaFXqQZkEtL_rtXqBKPI840PgpTbJuiW97EtFZJpJkMfP86FOtN36Dl1aXuqtg9LzwHPPMfI6FDts_ZzCCTqWpFx9QKGWz-Di-HaHJjlT1JA6xaDtNoUEO38/s1600/Drink+Me+Fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5k9a7aIjMMqJNwQplIPWaFXqQZkEtL_rtXqBKPI840PgpTbJuiW97EtFZJpJkMfP86FOtN36Dl1aXuqtg9LzwHPPMfI6FDts_ZzCCTqWpFx9QKGWz-Di-HaHJjlT1JA6xaDtNoUEO38/s320/Drink+Me+Fridge.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
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On to the next silver-lined cloud. At the end of April, beginning of May, our piteous refrigerator called it quits! Fortunately we caught it soon after it gave up the ghost so we were able to salvage the food items from within and <b>SILVER LINING #3</b> -- we had a mini-fridge for the fridge items, and a great big chest freezer to save the meager amount of frozen goods which were still in the fridge/freezer. We were so blessed to have the small fridge and freezer in place ready to save us from this new challenge.<br />
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Can you see how the Lord's TIMING is perfect?!<br />
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With the back up system in place we were able to mitigate the loss of our food, and get a replacement fridge in place - this one had a much bigger freezer space.<br />
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My faith in the Lord and His perfect timing has helped change my perspective of the trials I currently find myself facing. I am humbly grateful for a Savior who knows what I need and when I need it. In the end, we have a new-to-us larger capacity fridge, a cute mini-fridge for our drinks, and a fabulous new chest freezer (which easily fits a 20lb bag of ice).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-56313860849462408792018-05-01T21:44:00.003-07:002018-05-01T21:44:21.911-07:00Seasons of Life - Changes we've seen lately<h3>
2018</h3>
I have felt a need to record the goings-on for our family. For entertainment purposes, if nothing else. This year has been eventful, and truthfully has just flown by. It's hard to believe that it is May already. Here are a few of the highlights of the past year and where we're at now.<br />
<h3>
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<h3>
Arizona Statue University</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_NqlNl4ncbxuxXRd_M-Cggt-mMrXgY0yKSv3r6U9lcwp4RxQKvuq-D2NItycEI8xg3P4CQY6WFweXa9NePyBanucqpEirn3yF2EiNgZe5G1IHe666jdTFp1Xis-P6e2a7O28x8Pi66Y/s1600/20160730_160839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_NqlNl4ncbxuxXRd_M-Cggt-mMrXgY0yKSv3r6U9lcwp4RxQKvuq-D2NItycEI8xg3P4CQY6WFweXa9NePyBanucqpEirn3yF2EiNgZe5G1IHe666jdTFp1Xis-P6e2a7O28x8Pi66Y/s200/20160730_160839.jpg" width="150" /></a>We are coming up on our 2 year anniversary of living in Arizona. Chris's job at ASU is what brought us over from Monterey, CA and he is still enjoying his job as Director of Continuing Legal Education for the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at ASU. I tell him it's a big title, but basically he coordinates parties that include a speaker, for lawyers. It really speaks to his talents - social engagement, coordinating events, hosting events, and schmoozing. He's developing new skills and meeting so many new people.<br />
One aspect of his job that we are both enjoying is the periodic trips to conferences around the country. This past year he has attended or conducted conferences in Washington DC, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and California. He is anxiously anticipating his first international trip in July. He is joining a team headed to Australia. His first chance to break out his new passport.<br />
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<h3>
Spiritual Life</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhGw2i_zSO_0qNSLXQe1MtzeRMkiid7lzQ5U81qCovEZpvyQgKutG-pagN1x1b9dXfAa5SiPnbLKUiQDtJPD1aR8DmA_8aF5spBtm1RlD8C2C9dx_fhlDj94ftNOd2Xfz4nNk582SBwk/s1600/20180223_113822+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhGw2i_zSO_0qNSLXQe1MtzeRMkiid7lzQ5U81qCovEZpvyQgKutG-pagN1x1b9dXfAa5SiPnbLKUiQDtJPD1aR8DmA_8aF5spBtm1RlD8C2C9dx_fhlDj94ftNOd2Xfz4nNk582SBwk/s200/20180223_113822+%25281%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #073763;">My first day as a temple <br />worker at the AZ Gilbert Temple.</span></i></td></tr>
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We were blessed to move into a wonderful ward, the Gilbert 4th Ward. We've had many opportunities to serve and be served here. I am currently serving as one of the CTR 6 co-teachers. There are 6 munchkins in my class and they certainly keep me on my toes while being thoroughly entertaining. My favorite part though is the amazing Spirit that I feel each time I teach them. I haven't taught a lesson in this class that I haven't felt the Spirit testify of the truthfulness of the Gospel principles being taught. What an awesome experience!<br />
This past February I was asked to serve in the Gilbert AZ Temple. I was thrilled and a bit nervous to accept this opportunity to serve as a temple worker. I now serve Friday mornings at the temple. While it has challenged me in many ways, it has brought so many blessings. I love serving in the Lord's house each week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9anGkql-QE3nq-SytleGWU5U5oSmQAO4AMBF350PRzKN1T2_kUlapLH_xyLQmwZZmOxHGwBcDLUBMwuQaLEd5KHBzC1CAAYeJfPml40U8teRSnhG7LfX8uQ2XQI-E0ntXManE8DATU_w/s1600/20180429_142431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9anGkql-QE3nq-SytleGWU5U5oSmQAO4AMBF350PRzKN1T2_kUlapLH_xyLQmwZZmOxHGwBcDLUBMwuQaLEd5KHBzC1CAAYeJfPml40U8teRSnhG7LfX8uQ2XQI-E0ntXManE8DATU_w/s320/20180429_142431.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #073763;">Chris on his first day as the 1st<br />counselor of the EQ.</span></i></td></tr>
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Chris has had several "growth" opportunities of his own since we've moved into the ward - I say this with a giggle and a smile. First, Chris was called to serve as an 11-year old scout leader. Might I remind you, that Chris equates camping to pretending to be homeless. Regardless, he was a much loved and very dedicated scout leader.<br />
After serving for about a year Chris was called to serve as the Elder's Quorum president of our ward. This calling helped him develop his leadership skills, moving skills, and his love for his fellow men. It was a joy to see his testimony of the Savior and testimony of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ grow and he selflessly served.<br />
And so it is on to the next adventure and next growth opportunity. With the organizational changes which were recently announced during General Conference, Chris was released as Elder's Quorum president and called to serve as 1st counselor in the newly formed Elder's Quorum. I will try to keep you updated on what new and exciting things come his way while he learns what it means to be a 1st counselor.<br />
<h3>
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<h3>
Getting Out and About</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifajLoUDG2ol8lOzVKpZBmkhvTIjxCa_Nn-4hHyql7tmAzO2YW84WbsFE_WToCf5YNnHSAb9hBPAJTQhb_Qsy3OcznOb-UyZCwK61HQfu1IVB3k9Tt-saoCROMzxIDvKW90pHNvR3cQAQ/s1600/20180414_082859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifajLoUDG2ol8lOzVKpZBmkhvTIjxCa_Nn-4hHyql7tmAzO2YW84WbsFE_WToCf5YNnHSAb9hBPAJTQhb_Qsy3OcznOb-UyZCwK61HQfu1IVB3k9Tt-saoCROMzxIDvKW90pHNvR3cQAQ/s200/20180414_082859.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #073763;">Hiking Silly <br />Mountain in March.</span></i></td></tr>
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Arizona has offered us many opportunities to get out and about. We have found a heretofore unknown interest in hiking, which may be in part due to our dog Daisy. During the non-summer months we try to get out 3-4 times a week. Some of our favorite hikes include Silly Mountain, Usery Mountain Park, and South Mountain. We've been able to explore a few others like Peralta, Horton Springs, Bushnell Tanks, Picacho Peak. Daisy absolutely loves to go hiking with us and we can usually talk one of my family members into going with us. Fortunately our most dangerous encounters on our little adventures are limited to <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhnTGXROFWbQ_y_-Z42PYN1lh-wdo8NNghIhDAe8wZ2yq6ZbI0GaTofLqcbl6u0AqL0igTLuGKFd1eqMYqcRCmN8Ptz1FyKadk_EnGwLgk_d26VrMl0x6t8UKG5PN5M7Z4R-me-If3lY/s1600/20180411_083328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhnTGXROFWbQ_y_-Z42PYN1lh-wdo8NNghIhDAe8wZ2yq6ZbI0GaTofLqcbl6u0AqL0igTLuGKFd1eqMYqcRCmN8Ptz1FyKadk_EnGwLgk_d26VrMl0x6t8UKG5PN5M7Z4R-me-If3lY/s200/20180411_083328.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy & I hiking at<br />Bushnell Tanks.</td></tr>
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jumping cactus, lizards, a horny-toad, and rabbits.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-81979627175313355472013-02-28T17:36:00.000-07:002013-02-28T17:36:48.032-07:00Seminary - Scripture Mastery Battleship!So, I should start this post with an apology. I noticed that it has been over a year since I last posted on this blog. Opps!<br />
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As you can imagine this past year has been crazy busy. Here are a few highlights in a nut shell:<br />
<ul>
<li>Chris graduated from law school.</li>
<li>Chris went through the temple for the first time at the LDS Temple in Oakland California.</li>
<li>Christ took the CA State Bar exam...AND PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!</li>
<li>We got sealed for time and all eternity in the LDS Temple in Mesa Arizona.</li>
<li>We had 2 wedding receptions, one in Mesa, AZ and one in Carmel Valley, CA (both were beautiful).</li>
<li>I quit my job and moved to Monterey.</li>
<li>We got our first apartment in Monterey, five blocks from Cannery Row.</li>
<li>We started attending a new ward (as a newly married couple).</li>
<li>I got 2 new jobs.</li>
<li>And last but definitely not least...we were called to be the early morning seminary teachers! </li>
</ul>
We are really hoping that 2013 is less "exciting". Through it all we have been extremely blessed!<br />
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The reason I have revisited our crazy blog is that I needed to 1) do a better job with family/personal record keeping and a blog is a great way to do that, while allowing my family to keep tabs on us as we are all on our own out here in CA, and 2) with our calling as seminary teachers we have come up with a bunch of cool things for teaching seminary and are anxious to share them. We have found that the world of early morning seminary is small and we have garnered so much help from others in navigating our way through this new experience that we want to give back, if we can. Or better yet, pay it forward.<br />
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Therefore, for our first seminary offering:<br />
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<h1>
Scripture Master Battleship</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuifMN7wgAZmvWmXAqBg80X-TPh8czpCo9lHuzmDNoADKJ2GPGz1VMctgVTDgt9-mgqFu3R8i0cAYbtldT9X-FcprzreeThHRhHziqI0z0HURYP_vLBFWi3jmMO55T8Mi68qFZifq9VWg/s1600/SM-battleship_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuifMN7wgAZmvWmXAqBg80X-TPh8czpCo9lHuzmDNoADKJ2GPGz1VMctgVTDgt9-mgqFu3R8i0cAYbtldT9X-FcprzreeThHRhHziqI0z0HURYP_vLBFWi3jmMO55T8Mi68qFZifq9VWg/s320/SM-battleship_8.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Battle Stations</b>: Check out the "Wall of Privacy" running down the center of the battlefield. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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We are constantly scouring the internet for <b>Scripture Mastery Games</b>. Every Friday we have Scripture Mastery Games and the students seem to really enjoy them. I found mention of the game <span style="color: #073763;"><b>Battleship </b></span>for Scripture Mastery, but was unable to find a game board anywhere. Several sites walk through the game (with some variations), but NO ONE seemed to have a game board we could use. Then it dawned on me...I am a graphic design artist, I can make my own!<br />
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Thus, the <span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Scripture Mastery Battleship Game Board</b></span></span> was born. I am including a picture of it for your reference. I would love to share the <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5_9mM_k-o_kbDd2SG9VR2VfZzQ/edit?usp=sharing">Scripture Mastery Battleship</a> game board with you so feel free to download a pdf of the the file by <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5_9mM_k-o_kbDd2SG9VR2VfZzQ/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.<br />
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The seminary students LOVED it!<br />
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In short, here's how it worked. Students each picked an opponent. I encouraged them to select someone who new the Scripture Mastery scriptures about as well as they did. Each team of two sat across from each other and ensured that their "wall of privacy" was structurally sound.<br />
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Each person was given a Battleship game board with two "game board" components (see .pdf). In the top game board component they were to place their ships. The legend on the game board explains how to do this. The game board component on the bottom was where they were to record their "hits" and "misses" as they attempted to attack their opponent.<br />
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Once they were all set up, the game began!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bro. Marohn is declaring a winner between combatants.</td></tr>
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I, or Bro. Marohn, would call out a scripture reference. (i.e. - "No man can serve two masters..."). The team would scripture chase to find the scripture reference in their scriptures. Once they had it they would hold up their hand. The first partner to correctly find the scripture reference earned the right to "fire" upon their opponent. That winner would call out their guess, in the traditional Battleship lingo..."B5!" The receipient of the firing would then identify if it was a hit or a miss. The person firing was responsible for updating the appropriate game board.<br />
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We continued playing for the whole period and when we stopped the students added up their points and decided who won.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am calling out more SM.</td></tr>
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<i><b>NOTE: </b></i>Different from the traditional game of Battleship, points have been allotted for sinking specific ship types, and for each hit/miss. This allows us to stop the game at any point and tally up the points to identify a winner.<br />
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One of the reasons that I think this game was so successful was that it allowed students to satisfy their competitive nature, but doing so against someone who is similarly prepared in scripture mastery.<br />
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Lest you think all we do is play games, we've had some great lessons too. I'll try to post information on them at another time.
Hope you give <span style="color: #073763;"><b>Scripture Mastery Battleship </b></span>a try!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com11Monterey, CA, USA36.6002378 -121.8946760999999736.498249300000005 -122.05603759999997 36.7022263 -121.73331459999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-74246748204787802222012-01-17T21:49:00.002-07:002012-01-17T22:19:26.240-07:00Will You Marry Me? ... cue the butterfliesI decided that if I don’t just skip ahead to the proposal I may never get around to writing this down. We’ve fallen behind, as with most things in life, because we’re both crazy busy right now. So for expedience sake, I’m going to just skip to the good part. For those of you who don’t know yet, Chris Marohn and I are engaged. Surprise! And I bet you’re wondering how it happened, well I’ll tell you. It all started on a little trip to the south…<br />
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So Chris joined me on an epic road trip across Arizona, through New Mexico, and straight into the heart of Texas, all to meet my family. The cliff notes version:<br />
<ul>
<li>Chris drove from California, picked me up in AZ. We drove 17 hours to Texas.</li>
<li>Helped with my cousins phenomenal wedding (Polynesian marrying a Polynesian, ‘nuf said). The entire event was a PARTY! My family fell in love with Chris, and it was mutual.</li>
<li>After the wedding we make a 5 hour drive over to New Orleans where Chris was going to surprise me with a few fun activities.</li>
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And this is where our story begins.<br />
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So Chris and I were back in his car for a 5 ½ hour drive from Houston to New Orleans late morning on Monday, December 19, 2011. Unfortunately work followed Chris to Texas and so he had several projects which became urgent while we were on vacation. I drove to New Orleans while Chris typed away on his laptop.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopping at Starbucks to use their internet on the way to New Orleans</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris at Chick-fil-A doing yet another batch of uploads for work.</td></tr>
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Because I was the driver we made a few pit stops along the way. A few hours into the trip I returned from inspecting the rest stop to find this little love note on the steering wheel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My delicious dinner</td></tr>
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Despite the pit stops, we did eventually make it to New Orleans. We were blessed to be able to stay with a wonderful couple Keyth and Tiffany who lived on the northside of Lake Ponchatrain. They were a warm couple with an adorable daughter. When we got there Monday night we took Keyth and Tiffany out to dinner. They recommend a fantastic place called Zeta and we were not disappointed. Now I’m no expert on grits, but Oh My Goodness!! Let’s just say I’d recommend the place to anyone.<br />
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When we got back to Keyth and Tiffany’s Chris fired up the laptop and Tiffany and I chatted for a while. I should probably point out at this point that Chris and I are both pretty sick. I got a bad cold the week before we left on our epic road trip to Houston and well, let’s just say that it was inevitable that Chris would catch whatever I had! So I had been shoving orange juice and cold medicine down Chris’s throat while I was guzzling it myself. We were a pair of sick puppies.<br />
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After a while, I gave us both bedtime medicine (sure to knock you out) and left Chris anxiously typing away on his laptop trying to get work done and out of the way so we could enjoy our day in New Orleans tomorrow, uninterrupted. <br />
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I know that Chris eventually crashed because I found him sacked out on the couch the next morning. But he still had a general air of distracted worry about him. I was pretty sure that he was getting pressure from the attorney he was working with. I could tell something wasn’t right and so I told him I wouldn’t mind hanging out with Tiffany and the little princess for a few hours, if he needed to get more work done. He adamantly turned me down. “We’re here for us. This is our day. No interruptions. No work!” Ok then. We were off to New Orleans.<br />
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Mid morning we took the bridge across the lake into New Orleans – super cool. It took us a bit of time, and Chris ended up driving the wrong way down one way streets, not once, not twice, but three times. However, we eventually found our way to the French Quarter where we parked our car and got out to site see on foot.<br />
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I was so excited to share New Orleans with Chris. It was where I spent one of my most favorite vacations. In 2005 my sister and I along with her two little children visited New Orleans, and our cousin Natalie and her family, during Mardi Gras. It was a totally unforgettable experience that was so much fun and I was looking forward to sharing a few of my favorite things with Chris.<br />
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Now would be a good time to also mention the weather. Yes, the weather. It was stinkin’ HOT. New Orleans was 80 degrees with 90% humidity – think greenhouse – and it was December. We were both wishing we had packed our shorts. Chris being the gallant man that he is shlepped my camera backpack the whole day for me, not fun.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6656351565/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Untitled by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6656351565_896a569b2f_m.jpg" width="180" /></a>So here we are, wandering the colorful streets of New Orleans. All you have to do is check out the pictures and you’ll see that by colorful, I’m referring to the buildings, shops, food, and people. Everything is vibrant in New Orleans. And one of my favorite parts of New Orleans, beside the food, is the music. There really are street performs on almost every corner. The jazz and blues music floating through the old rod-iron fronted buildings really does just add to the ambiance. After wandering around Jackson Square we stopped at Café Du Monde for the famous beignets.<br />
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While we were sitting there waiting for our beignets and just enjoying the shade and the breeze, I thought that Chris still looked a little distracted and I assumed he was thinking about all the work he still needed to get done. But I figured if he became worried enough, he’d say something and we could cut our site seeing short. He never did say anything, instead he patiently let me take pictures of him and the food – both yummy!<br />
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I was having a great time and enjoying every thing about the day, other than the heat which was causing me to melt into an ungraceful mess. We stepped into shops, picked up a few souvenirs, and generally enjoyed just spending time together. Several of our stops during the day included beautiful handcrafted-custom jewelry stores, because I just couldn’t resist the chance to oh-and-ah over the sparkly necklaces, earings, and rings. I have a definite weakness for jewelry of all kinds, but was able to resist purchasing anything new to add to my collection.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh the irony!</td></tr>
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Lunch that afternoon was found at Central Market the home of the Muffuletta (1906). The Muffuletta is a lovely sandwich consists of olive salad, capicola, salami , pepperoni, ham, and provolone on a round Muffuletta loaf of bread. It’s truly delicious and distinctly New Orleans.<br />
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Now originally Chris had planned to take me to a Cajun cooking class, but at the last minute the class was cancelled. He also planned to take me to the New Orleans Insectarium because they had a butterfly exhibit and I’m partial to butterflies (the real kind), having recently found an interest in photographing them. After we spent sometime walking off lunch, we made a quick bathroom stop and then headed over to the Insectarium.<br />
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Here are several photos from throughout the day...<br />
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The Audobon Insectarium shares a building with US Customs, therefore once you walk in the entrance door you are forced to go through metal detectors (just like at the airport) before you can even get to the desk to buy tickets for the museum. I walked blithely through the metal detectors, with only Kleenex in my pockets, and headed towards the ticket counter to grab our tickets. While I was standing at the counter making small talk with the employee behind the desk I was surprised to realize that Chris wasn’t right behind me. I turned around and see that he hasn’t even made it through the metal detectors yet and appeared to be talking with one of the security guards. I figured he was asking the guard about the butterfly exhibit, finding out hours it was open or something. I picked up our tickets and headed to the entrance, and Chris quickly caught up to me. <br />
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Now the insectarium was super interesting. I kept wishing that I could have shared it with my nephews because they would have LOVED all the bugs – huge giant ones, ones with horns and wings, bright color ones, and millions of tiny little ones. According to the museum diagram the butterfly exhibit was the last exhibit in the museum so we had to go through everything else to get there, and that was just fine with me. <br />
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As I stopped to read the plaques and take pictures through the plexiglass, I did notice that Chris seemed extremely distracted and almost bored. I knew that he had chosen this museum just for me, and he was probably not interested in it at all, but was putting on a good face just to be thoughtful…it’s just the kind of boyfriend he is. Our trek through the museum included a stop in the bug kitchen where they demonstrate how bugs are used in cuisine, and yes we ate a few bugs – not bad.<br />
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Eventually we did finally make it into the butterfly exhibit room. Now, the butterfly room has an air seal that you have to pass through to ensure that no butterflies escape. Inside the enclosure is a tropical environment perfectly suited for butterflies. Banks of flowers line the room and run through its center with small oasis of sugar water baths that attract the butterflies. In the back center of the room is a Japanese pagoda that is access via a small bridge over a coy fish pond.<br />
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Upon entering I immediately began snapping pictures and temporarily lost track of Chris. After a few minutes I looked up and noticed that he wasn’t around. I wandered towards the pagoda in the middle of the room and found him sitting at a bench on the other side of the bridge. Sitting down next to him I remarked on the amazing butterflies, beautiful flowers, and told him how much I appreciated his patience with me that day as I snapped picture after picture. By this point I figured he was just overly board and ready to get back on the road to Houston, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I figured I could grab a few more pictures and then I’d have my fill and be ready to go.<br />
<br />
I told Chris that he could wait on the bench while I took a few more pictures. <br />
<br />
“Wait!”<br />
<br />
With that Chris reached into his pocket while in one smooth move he dropped to one knee next to me and took my left-hand. I can honestly say, I was in utter and complete shock. My brain went blank. And I just sat there on the bench and the only thought running through my head was, “He’s…He’s….He’s…” I couldn’t form a complete thought.<br />
<br />
And then I looked into his eyes.<br />
<br />
“Megan I can’t imagine a day in my life without you. I love you so much and would like to ask, Will you marry me?”<br />
<br />
In his hand he was holding a small ring box made of wood and in the shape of a heart. The lid swivled to the side and the inside was lined in red fabric. There in the center of the box was the most beautiful sparkly ring I had every seen in my life. I reached in and picked up the ring. Through the tears falling from my eyes I could see the intricate details of the gorgeous ring. While sniffling I laid the ring back in the box. <br />
<br />
I heard Chris’s anxious voice my ears saying, “Is that your answer???” Bringing my head up, I smiled through my tears into the eyes of the man that I loved with all my heart. “No, but I’m not going to put on my own engagement ring,” I choked out. He smiled and then took the ring out of the box and slipped it on to the ring finger of the hand he was holding on to. <br />
<br />
Needless to say there was some hugging and kissing, and if I remember correctly, several “I love you’s.”<br />
<br />
It was a moment I wasn’t expecting in my wildest dreams. It was utterly perfect, not because of the butterflies, and not because of the sparkly gorgeous diamond ring. It was utterly perfect because the man who asked me to marry him was Christopher Marohn. The man whom I loved with all my heart.<br />
<br />
Fortunately Chris was in a slightly more coherent state of mind than I was…I was still pretty much shocked down to my toes. Chris says to me, while my eyes are still glued to my ring and tears are still rolling down my cheeks, “We need to get someone to take our picture.” There just happened to be a Japanese tourist on the other side of the bridge who happily captured the most momentous occasion of my life.<br />
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The rest of the day I just kind of floated. On our way out of the insectarium, the first person we told our news too was the security guard at the door. Then we headed back to the car (stopping first to grab a Diet Coke for me, cuz it was still so stinkin’ hot!) Once in the car I just kept staring at my ring, then back at Chris, and then back at my ring, and all the while I couldn’t stop smiling. While driving away from New Orleans we made phone call after phone call after phone call to share our wonderful news with our family and friends.<br />
<br />
We also stopped to have a celebratory dinner at MickyD's in Louisiana...It's how we roll. :)<br />
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<br />
<br />
So on<b> December 20, 2012</b>, Chris asked me to marry him for time and all eternity. <b>And I said yes! </b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com1New Orleans, LA, USA29.9510658 -90.071532329.5108158 -90.7032463 30.391315799999997 -89.4398183tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-85034378046910629412012-01-12T17:26:00.002-07:002012-01-12T17:26:33.522-07:00The first marriage proposal...Thought you might be interested in this first marriage proposal. The one I actually didn't get, till after the second one. :) Chris, wrote the following in his personal notes on Thanksgiving Day 2011. Now there's a part two to this, which I'll have to share next. And all of this was going on his head, while I was in Arizona fretting that Chris was really working on a "five-year plan" like he kept telling me.<br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Megan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
want you to know that I wrote this the Monday after we met for the first time </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Monterey</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> so this has been on my mind for a while... <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">
You make life wonderful and easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
I'm with you I can be just me. The real me. The relaxed me that doesn't fear
anything or want anything(except to laugh). Who only cares who I'm with and not
where I am. From the first hug in </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">the Monterey</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> airport to the first kiss 2 days later, you have put
my soul at ease. I have talked about a love like ours many times, to many people
over many years. But until I met you those words held little significance to
me. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">
So now in front of friends and family on this day of celebration I can only
think of one thing to make it better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">
Megan Schaub, I love you. You make me such a better man. I cannot think of a
day for the rest of my life that you are not in. Nor do I want to. I want you
to be my wife from now until eternity. Will you marry me?</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span></span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-83202868514026433202011-12-26T09:48:00.002-07:002011-12-27T09:22:41.212-07:00I LOVE YOU and other mush<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
We're BACK! Appologies for being away for so long. As many of you may already know A LOT has happened since we last posted. We're going to do a little back tracking so we can catch everyone up. Thank you for indulging us, as this blog is going to be more about recording everything than it is about entertaining. In fact we stayed with some friends of Chris's last week while we were on our <b>Epic Houston Road Trip 2011</b>, and Tiffany had turned all of her blogs posts into cute coffee-table books. I can definitely see this making it's way onto our coffee table in the future. That being the case, I need to be better about capturing it all.<br />
<br />
Anyways, on with our story...In this installment <i>The Three Words</i> are finally blurted out, in a not-so-graceful way, by yours-truly. Fortunately, Chris is there to take up the romantic-slack. And make sure you stay tuned, because we've got SOOOOO MUCH more to tell you about, including the very eventful <b>Epic Houston Road Trip 2011</b>. Which will include an unforgettable sparkly ending.</div>
<br />
<hr />
<br />
<h3 style="color: #b45f06;">
Chris</h3>
<br />
It has been 3 days removed from Megan's visit and her love and inspiration is still just as present as it was when she walked on to the plane. I have become a better man. In just the short time she spent with me, my outlook has changed completely. According to my friends I have been glowing. This is obvious to everyone and me, but what I have noticed most importantly is that my outlook on life has changed. <br />
I am no longer stressed when I used to be. There is a calm about me. I believe that is one of blessing that I have in my life with Megan. I have been relying more on faith and Heavenly Father and trying to control less. I work as hard as I can and I realize that now, that is enough. My burden is shared, I don’t have to carry it alone, and Heavenly Father has shown me that it really isn't a burden. It is my gift. It is my role. It’s who I am. Megan has brought that perspective to me.<br />
<br />
Side note...I am pretty sure that I am going to pass the bar exam, not just because I know that I can do it. Now more than ever I am sure that it’s part of Heavenly Father’s plan. He has sent Megan to me to show me that I can do this and she will be here to love me no matter what.<br />
<br />
Yes, you read that correctly, love. I said it. YES, YES, I DID..and she does love me, and I love her. It is once again simple. Let’s not muck it up with talking about how we don't know because it is too soon or that we are jumping the gun. Honestly so what if we are. We know what we are doing and if it isn't right then it would not have been right from the get go. We have laid our cards on the table. We know what we are doing and in the end, if you doubt step away. We don't have time for you to try and cast your insecurities onto us. We love, and we will love, and we are going to keep loving.<br />
<br />
OK, so lets go back to the story. I have to keep the story going because one, Megan loves the way I’m a story teller, and two, I like to tell stories this way.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Monday, November 14th: I wake up and wonder how i got so lucky!</h3>
Monday was supposed to be stressful. I had to juggle some finances, thanks to my fantastic new tires and rims. Normally this would be a source of stress, but it wasn't. I was calm. I went to work at the public defenders and joked with all my friends there. I went to lunch at my favorite place and spent MORE money on food. I was calm. For a couple of reasons. First, my faith in the fact that I trust in Heavenly Father and I know that I am keeping my side of the bargain and so will He. Secondly, I just trusted in the fact that things would work out and third, I was still so infatuated with Megan that everything else just seemed trivial. As long as I have her nothing is too far fetched.<br />
<br />
So work came and went, but before the end of the day all my financial concerns had worked themselves out. This calm that I felt the whole day was from Heavenly Father and Megan. I’m serious. She calms me down. Along with Heavenly Father, she gets me to slow down and enjoy life, to enjoy things with her. <br />
That night I had Family Home Evening with the elders and another night with Clint and Amanda. The night ended with a discussion of how wonderful Megan is and how great life is. Megan sent off her first rough draft of the blog. As I read it, I laughed and teared up. I was excited to start writing my portion of our story. I knew that I would have to just be me in the writing and the rest would come.<br />
<br />
I went to bed Monday night, but not before talking to my love. These talks have become standard in my life and we did a recap of the weekend and eventually we went to bed, still not saying how we felt, but missing each other so much.<br />
<h3>
Tuesday, November 15th: The Spirit lives in my keyboard, and in Megan's tear ducts.</h3>
<br />
So Tuesday morning came. Now Tuesday was a busy day for me. I had to meet with several clients, new and old, to get work done and turned in. Get more work and meet with new clients, but in between that i had some Manny duty.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Sidebar: Manny (aka “Male Nanny”) - I help take care of Ben and Kari's kids. Not that I am the primary caregiver, but they work nights and during the day I have the flexibility to help out around the house and I love these girls. They are so perfect. They are just love and energy and, though at times can be challenging, they are just perfect.</i></blockquote>
<br />
So I had manny duty to take care of. After Manny I sat down. The night before Megan had sent her version of our weekend for the blog and i was about to start mine. Let it be known now that I started thinking that I would be able to just run through it in 4 or 5 pages and I would be good. I would now like to point out that the Spirit lives in my key board, and would not let me just settle on 4 or 5 pages (long story short... 13 pages later I was done).<br />
<br />
This took several loving hours to complete. However, more important than completing the tale was the process of putting it all together. I was able to digest everything that I felt about Megan. I came up with one answer. Love. I love her. That is what I figured out. This woman, as I have explained, means the world to me. I was able to reflect over 13 pages and 7.5 hours of writing my FIRST DRAFT that she is everything I’ve been explaining to you on these pages.<br />
<br />
As I wrote I cried. I smiled. I laughed, and I loved. I relived the first moments of trying to think about her not liking the fact that I am a democrat, to the first time we talked on the phone. The taking notes about her family and making her a score card on my family. The process forced me to think about her and us. It was the best experience of my life. Really was. I should have done this years ago. I think that if I reviewed all relationships and ranked them by how I felt about the person and how they made me feel I would be a lot less available for people. OK, that is not true, but I would try.<br />
<br />
The Spirit kept me going. Literally. I typed and typed, typed, typed, typed until I could not move. I didn't get weary or bored, I just fell more and more in love. By the way we still haven't said “the words” yet, that came on day 3.<br />
<br />
That night I called Megan with my story. She wanted me to read it to her. Now we know that the Spirit lives in my key board, for her the Spirit lives in her tear ducts. As I read my words she cried, and i cried, we cried. It took me almost an hour and half to get through my words, stopping to feel the Spirit, but more importantly stopping to just appreciate what I wrote and how it made her feel. Good crying. We told stories of our lives post-this-past-weekend, what has changed and what we want. We danced around the “Love” word several times and shared some every intimate things and ended with things undone. Again I didn't have the guts to say the 3 simple words though I knew both of us felt it.<br />
<br />
Later that night I went it Clint/Amanda’s house ready to talk about Megan and how much I love her. Clint/Amanda and I talked several hours about Megan and me and the blog. They added such great insight and told me how happy they are for me. They look at me and see that I am in a much better place than where I was a year ago. They are so proud of my progress and they can't wait to see how much further it goes. I talked about the blog. They are sooo excited which made me excited for everything. This was a great end to a perfect day. I went to bed playing on the iPad. Sleep came eventually.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Wednesday, November 16th: The announcement, the fallout, the love and the words that change our lives.</h3>
<br />
Wednesday morning came and it was early. I was picking up Ben for work and driving him to Salinas. Hopefully this time my car wouldn’t break down. Megan had gotten up 4 hours before me (cause she is crazy like that) and opened our blog, did the first post and went live with the blog. She also changed her Facebook status to indicate a relationship with me. So my Facebook had blown up in the early hours of the morning. This would set the tone for the rest of the day.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBehgV2oZdrDDbpm6MPMOrcXhkWi5PcamzGPMfHPXZPiGJHRQRvcDEWw4RE6ZXz3Qqlm9y8mu_B5GGXIipdXyfm9WvfenqOVtOrtN5cHFgFL7tda3jMUrGMSBOGDAiuQrWyt0Rc4b2Ok/s1600/text1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBehgV2oZdrDDbpm6MPMOrcXhkWi5PcamzGPMfHPXZPiGJHRQRvcDEWw4RE6ZXz3Qqlm9y8mu_B5GGXIipdXyfm9WvfenqOVtOrtN5cHFgFL7tda3jMUrGMSBOGDAiuQrWyt0Rc4b2Ok/s320/text1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
It all started at the first phone call around 7am. Megan was talking to me and then let it slip... I will quote her here because it's great.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Megan</b>: "Chris, no matter how much i love you, i need to sleep tonight"
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO8L4kBF4uyrknbXrufwGKVhY6wkiB7aV5c5A0Wc4GV1wXx2C_wfqwQfsstkMd4dJlXEcQ5ZVVi8TIPnTVBxS8aBme4-USuxgCPkIIIYWn1uEmeFIbAjXaHGbRHt0VpzzRlP7S1gp7Ro/s1600/text2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO8L4kBF4uyrknbXrufwGKVhY6wkiB7aV5c5A0Wc4GV1wXx2C_wfqwQfsstkMd4dJlXEcQ5ZVVi8TIPnTVBxS8aBme4-USuxgCPkIIIYWn1uEmeFIbAjXaHGbRHt0VpzzRlP7S1gp7Ro/s320/text2.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Me</b>: *did she just say love?* "OK sweetheart, i ll just catch you before class" * wait she did say love*... *SHE LOVES ME!!!!!!!!
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Phone conversation ends.
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>My next text:</b> "I would like to point out that the best way to start my day is to hear you tell me that you love me. Just warmed my heart and made me smile"
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Megan's text</b> " Get used to it :-) "
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Me</b>: "I love you to"</blockquote>
<hr />
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<h3>
Megan</h3>
</div>
<div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
I'm going to interject here, because I think it's important that you hear my take on the "I Love You" conversation. </div>
<div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
As you may remember from my earlier conversations, Chris is a night-person while I am a morning-person. And since we've been together, my schedule has taken a dramatic nose-dive. I'm staying up late every night to talk to him and still have to get up early (by 4:30am). Chris on the other has a much more relaxed morning schedule. I was getting to the point where I felt like the walking dead and my intake of Diet Coke had dramatically increased - needed it to stay awake by the end of the afternoon. So that Wednesday morning, I was <i><b>feeling</b></i> it bad. </div>
<div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
I was driving into work and talking to Chris on the phone. I knew that I had to get some decent sleep that night, no matter how much I wanted to stay up and talk to him. And so I said: </div>
<div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Megan</b>: "Chris, no matter how much i love you, i need to sleep tonight" <i>[Oh, crap, did I just say that out loud. I'm going to chalk it up to lack of sleep. I was waiting for him to say it first. Maybe he didn't notice...]</i></blockquote>
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<b>Chris</b>: <i>[did she just say love?] </i>"OK sweetheart, i ll just catch you before class" <i>[Wait she did say love...SHE LOVES ME!!!!!!!!]</i> </blockquote>
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<b>Megan</b>:<i> [Oh, well. Not like it's a surprise.]</i> </blockquote>
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I head into my office, and as I'm walking in I get a text from Chris. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Chris</b>: I would like to point out that the best way to start my day is to hear
you tell me that you love me. Just warmed my heart and made me smile.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Megan</b>: <i>[Guess he heard me and is OK with it. *big cheezy grin*] </i>Get used to it! :)<br />
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<b>Chris</b>: I love you too.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiigwsQHnOwlgUOx6gx4A0clkYT4wQWUFsG8xG5mtwjUu9rMH_TUxshlnZC3nqJff3-taAzA92R3jC7V3ZMvkk3XDRMoJxam7KnlIwE5frXHHsEY252RvhDYIXyXhA5jkq0hH8CbHveyI/s1600/text3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiigwsQHnOwlgUOx6gx4A0clkYT4wQWUFsG8xG5mtwjUu9rMH_TUxshlnZC3nqJff3-taAzA92R3jC7V3ZMvkk3XDRMoJxam7KnlIwE5frXHHsEY252RvhDYIXyXhA5jkq0hH8CbHveyI/s320/text3.jpg" width="320" /></a>Holy Cow! That's a first. I immediately get choked up. We've moved our relationship to a new level. I knew that I loved Chris, but I didn't want to jump to any conclusions about how he felt about me. Fortunately, he was making it pretty obvious. Unfortunately, he was doing it via text, while I was at work...not thrilled about that! So I fired off a response.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Megan</b>: Really not something I wanted to hear via text while I'm at work. It's something I want to hear in person. Agghh!</blockquote>
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<b>Chris</b>: You will. And everyday after that and every phone call after that and every text after that until I no longer have ability to communicate.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aTVrv53-0iLPXcs0xy5vKpp-IB9UvsWe2VNHaQfpxRDPLdBMGGTOt7-ZwUdX9zVcafeEFrjYAIYMg6x9bamyL7NCWKu3trhOXPholBs6xIr-9SvdHefngxSNpDZsPDZM_weRlGoXiFc/s1600/text4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aTVrv53-0iLPXcs0xy5vKpp-IB9UvsWe2VNHaQfpxRDPLdBMGGTOt7-ZwUdX9zVcafeEFrjYAIYMg6x9bamyL7NCWKu3trhOXPholBs6xIr-9SvdHefngxSNpDZsPDZM_weRlGoXiFc/s320/text4.jpg" width="320" /></a>Dang it, now I'm really choked up and there are tears involved. He's soooo much more romantic than I am.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Megan</b>: Agghh! Don't make me cry.</blockquote>
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<b>Chris</b>: I'll try not to but you cry easy and I feel so deep for you.</div>
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<b>Megan</b>: I love you!</div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Chris</b>: Ben loves us too. He's reading the texts sitting next to me.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qYdo5cdjj2krWGfxpK219anACwOKDHPKoKjBou6Wet9B0C2DdsPFEx622oDley0XLEG3GCj87tAk70X5n4J4_RFSD1LeX662HNr5oTTZHwC-VKcXHlJ7jNKxNJV5C_82FOnZRQITC9I/s1600/text5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qYdo5cdjj2krWGfxpK219anACwOKDHPKoKjBou6Wet9B0C2DdsPFEx622oDley0XLEG3GCj87tAk70X5n4J4_RFSD1LeX662HNr5oTTZHwC-VKcXHlJ7jNKxNJV5C_82FOnZRQITC9I/s320/text5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Ben gets in the car and flurry of texts later initiates the I love you more easily and we move forward. Ben says he loves us as well, that’s how we roll. But the words were spoken. I knew the day would be great with that off my chest. Once again the Spirit prompts and I follow through. I just keep obeying and life is getting much better. Surrender and you will be rewarded.<br />
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Well I get to Ben’s and Megan is already crying at work feeling like the most special girl in the world, which she is, and I am on Manny duties. I get the girls ready for school and nap time and boom I find myself with free time. Then I hit Facebook.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqlv0SU91si-zGiJ4-59jEJ8b83iwVbqlf4hWhr4ql16O8r5vsftskn_tpuIArgmjNYQ_vpeK929vYs5Lflg1NqxAcqq390lLwP-qVom5ypXWxSViw_PXwmQcww5NQ_Y5GiMbpLoJcVg/s1600/FB-status_Chris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqlv0SU91si-zGiJ4-59jEJ8b83iwVbqlf4hWhr4ql16O8r5vsftskn_tpuIArgmjNYQ_vpeK929vYs5Lflg1NqxAcqq390lLwP-qVom5ypXWxSViw_PXwmQcww5NQ_Y5GiMbpLoJcVg/s320/FB-status_Chris.jpg" width="175" /></a>HOLY COW FACEBOOK. I have some 35 notifications about status' that I have be mentioned in have been commented on. I am looking around Facebook and Megan posted the blog and changed her status. It was time for me to tackle the Facebook. So I approve everything to add to my profile. Little did I know this would take my world by storm.<br />
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I change my status and everyone and their brother comes out of the wood work - the texts and messages and phone calls. I realized a few things. I did not tell enough people about Megan, and I guess I offended everyone that I didn't tell because they had to find out via Facebook that I have a new girlfriend. Either way, I am just like get over it.<br />
<br />
I spent the next few hours texting Megan, chilling and answering questions. It was great. I was able to read Megan's draft of the blog and it was perfect. She decided that she would release everything in chapters for people.<br />
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BTW we will try to keep up every few days on this, but somedays we won't have as much action as these past few days..but when the road trip comes.. oh for sure their will be a lot going on there.<br />
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As of a few minutes ago The Blog has gotten over 175 hits today and we have people loving the blog, expressing joys for us and threatening my life. Which seems normal for Mormons right? Gooooood idddeeeeaaaaaaa? NEVER. OK, sorry doing bar prep and I get lost.<br />
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We have felt an outpouring of happiness for us. Both her friends and mine are talking about how great it is that we are together. I fielded phone calls throughout the day, but I felt one of the most important conversations I had that day was with Dave.<br />
<br />
Dave - we need to introduce this man now - is the John Lennon to my Paul McCarthy. He is overseas serving our country, but there is still not an inch of day light between us. Dave knows me better than most and I trust him more than most. I would never do anything without running it by him. So Megan and my relationship is something I wanted to talk about with him.<br />
<br />
Megan and I are starting the same way as Dave and his wife Kara. We met online, then text, then phone, then meeting. Dave was cautious about me getting this excited about a girl. (He has seen me hurt before and doesn't want that to ever happen again.) So I talked to Dave and was very open about everything. He agreed that I was doing this the right way and gave the blessing to continue. Though I did not need it, he is a big part of my life and i wanted his input and support. He has never pulled a punch and has always been up front with me about everything I respect him and look to him for great advice.<br />
<br />
Dave and I continued to talk, Megan even jumped in to the conversation with Dave and that made me sooo happy. She is coming into my world and yes I am world-wide, but she is holding her own. I sat and played with my nieces, cleaned the house, did my manny duties, but all the while beamed because she loves me.<br />
<br />
The day goes into night and I head off to school, we talk for a minute and finally the words are said “in person”. We ended our call as she leaves for her friends, who are sure to ask her a 1000 questions about me, with our first official "I love you" and it felt great. Her voice saying those words would give me the strength to move mountains.<br />
<br />
Her love for me will carry me for the rest of my life and as I use the word love, for me it synonymous with forever. So as this night is coming to an end, Clint and Amanda are wanting to talk rings and what I need to do. I am not opposed to this idea, but in truth we have decided that this talk, the forever talk is something that we need to talk about when we are in person. Why? Because I want to see the look in her eyes when we have this talk. I want to see the love when I say what needs to be said and I want that hug when we decide our future.<br />
<br />
For now I am in love with her, she gets me all my quarks and all my faults and still loves me. She understands what is important, she gets my stupidity and my needs, she compliments me in ways i never knew possible. I love her... once again. I am not making this difficult.<br />
<br />
Last time I ended the blog post with “She makes me happy”, now it is
“Megan makes me happy and i love her”. Still simple and still perfect.
She is the one for me. As for the next steps only the Lord knows and
time will tell. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-29127893068452353472011-11-27T21:32:00.001-07:002011-11-27T22:05:12.113-07:00About Ding-Dang TimeSorry about the hiatus, holidays descended and all I had time to think about were killer roasted garlic mashed potatoes, adorable babies that needed huggin' and kissin', and black Friday sales at craft stores. Chris on the other hand was generally focused on his fantastic mother, Chico friends, and a hussy cat. :) Anyways, we're back and with the final chapter...of this particular adventure. There is actually more to be shared, so make sure you keep coming back to visit us.<br />
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<div style="color: #b45f06;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Chris</span></div>
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<b>Day 3: Time to man-up and kiss the girl... </b> <br />
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The final morning came. Megan was still in her PJs, and no makeup, when I got my first glimpse of her that morning. It was awesome. She has shown me every side of her, even things she didn't want to show, like being unkept, but whatever I was digging it. <br />
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I knew that this was my last day. Amanda had given me a pep talk the night before, I shouldn't hesitate. If I like her and she makes me happy, I need to act now or forever hold my peace. So I woke up Sunday with resolve to show her how I feel before she left. So I did.<br />
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We walked down to the cliff face and sat on the bench. We cuddled and talked about everything...what we each wanted with our lives, where we stood after the weekend, what my fears are, what her fears are, what we think of each other etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUWI9z4h7ABoYtwWQ7NFnvvJU8P6M4PvD8k8dwTnyzUub3KnrqaVczqsT0X7DhLx46Dv95_cQ-4qaS5wo8NVmT90Y11X4Ao3Y3HRYZAbFlZYCm_E9mKjkOMUPswROLVFhhprUnromKks/s1600/Chris_Megan_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUWI9z4h7ABoYtwWQ7NFnvvJU8P6M4PvD8k8dwTnyzUub3KnrqaVczqsT0X7DhLx46Dv95_cQ-4qaS5wo8NVmT90Y11X4Ao3Y3HRYZAbFlZYCm_E9mKjkOMUPswROLVFhhprUnromKks/s320/Chris_Megan_2.jpg" width="195" /></a>But I sat their mainly wanting to kiss her. Yes I know. Chris Marohn, not acting on impulse and kissing a girl. This is a different Chris than most of us know. [Dave stop laughing you know it’s true.] But I was reserved. There were a couple of times where I had the opportunity to kiss her, and i didn't. Each time the opportunity passed me by I kicked myself. As our conversation came to an end she asked me, "OK, are we done?" I knew this was my last chance and said, "Not Yet." Then I kissed her. <br />
<br />
It was perfect. Now stop I know what you are thinking, that this is the mushy stuff that we don't like to read about, but suck it up, you are reading about it. The sun was shining over head, the wind off the water made it nice for a sweat shirt and she was cuddled up in my arms and I kissed her. And it was great. It was just everything I always wanted. It just sealed the perfect weekend in a kiss.<br />
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After that the rest of the day was a blur. We went to church everyone asked about her. I had to take her to the airport and as she left. I just held on. Knowing that the time we would see each other would be noly 4 weeks away, and these feeling, these memories and my feelings for her would only grow stronger.<br />
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The weekend ended and we talked so much more when she got home. My friends wanted to know all the details and I gave everyone the debrief. They are happy for me. But in the end I am just happy.<br />
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As I said in the beginning. Megan makes me happy. That simple and that great. This weekend changed my life and I look forward to every text, every call, every email and every moment that I can spend thinking, holding, talking and missing her. She makes me happy...... the rest only the Lord knows and the time will tell.<br />
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<i><b>Random Photos: </b> we took some photos just before heading off to church. Here's Chris with Amanda and her super cute munchkin.
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<span style="font-size: large;">Megan</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 3 – And the otters played while we kissed</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So the next morning, bright, and fairly early we decide to sit out in the backyard of the Big Yellow House and on the little bench over looking the bay. The weather was unbelievably picture perfect, while I was NOT! Chris dragged me out of the house without makeup, wearing glasses, with nappy hair, and I was still in a sweatshirt and my flannel pj pants; however, I did get to brush my teeth. Agghh!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We cuddled up on the bench (remember, we’ve now broken the PDA barrier, yahoo!) and started to talk. For more than two hours we pretty much poured our hearts out to each other – fears, desires, concerns, joys, it was all out there. I don’t want to go into to much more detail, because it really was a private moment between the two of us. It was a moment we had been building up to for more than 2 months. Never at anytime did Chris show me anything other than love, concern, and respect, no matter what I dumped on him. It was amazing. Add to that the view we were looking at - the beautiful bay, the three otters that were swimming and diving, the birds coasting inshore, the cool breeze that was blowing in from the ocean and the sparkling sunshine. I was just waiting for Julie Andrews to bust in with “The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music”. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was that perfect, just being there, with Chris, in his arms, talking about things that mattered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was getting close to the time we had to get ready for church, so I knew we needed to wrap up. I remember turning in his arms and saying:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ok, are we good then?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*that mischievous smile* “Not yet”</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then he leaned in and kissed me, and kissed me, and….ahhh</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*another mischievous smile*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ok, now we’re good.”</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A PERFECT ending to a life changing morning and I’m really starting to like that mischievous smile.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After getting ready for church, with a perma-grin on my face, we packed my bags up, put them into Chris’s car and headed off to church, holding hands. On the drive over Chris looks over at me:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“So, you’re going to have to give me the etiquette for this in church?” holding up our intertwined hands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Do you mean PDA at church?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yeah, it’s totally new to me, so what are we allowed to do?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*I give him mischievous smile*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well we can’t make out on the back bench, but we’re OK holding hands.” Giggle. Giggle.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Church was another very polite dog-and-pony-show…”Chris, who’s your friend?” “Chris, who is this?” I didn’t mind at all because Chris always looked so happy to “show me off”. And all the people I met in his ward just loved him!! We stayed for sacrament meeting and Sunday School and then I had to head out to the airport to catch my flight back to Phoenix.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnlSh-xdYcYa5rdWE5JH9cV6qvBQrF0uNhHqXQv2ybDqw2UNSdvF5vrdR4ozEemFw4-DQgwNn2Dd11LpzePXO4Q5dTSWGWikQ59G8ctiXvjWjBm35iJpZgt3xoRfTAwt-v1lA71jMEF8/s1600/Chris_Megan_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnlSh-xdYcYa5rdWE5JH9cV6qvBQrF0uNhHqXQv2ybDqw2UNSdvF5vrdR4ozEemFw4-DQgwNn2Dd11LpzePXO4Q5dTSWGWikQ59G8ctiXvjWjBm35iJpZgt3xoRfTAwt-v1lA71jMEF8/s400/Chris_Megan_3.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because the Monterey airport is so tiny, there wasn’t any need to get there hours before my flight took off. Chris pulled up to the airport (with the obligatory, “do you like my rims?” as we exited the car – not kidding) and walked me in. It was time to head to the gate. And just so you know I’m getting tears in my eyes right now just thinking about this moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I set my purse and camera bag down. And once again Chris opened his arms to me at the airport. I find it interesting that my trip began and ended in Chris’s arms. We hug, kiss and say goodbye. And as the old saying goes, I left my heart in Monterey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The plane ride home was good, got an empty seat next to me. I called Chris as soon as I landed, already missing his voice, missing him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don’t know that there is a way to end this story…a life changing weekend. And perhaps I don’t have to end it because my and Chris’s story sure didn’t end there. But you’ll be able to see for yourself… </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-75512476785231015792011-11-24T08:12:00.001-07:002011-11-24T08:55:21.802-07:00Family, Friends, and a little PDA<i>Happy Thanksgiving! As you can imagine, pretty high up on my "things I'm thankful for" is Christopher Marohn. My life is rich with blessings - the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my family, my friends, health, a job, and most recently Chris. In the spirit of giving....here's another chapter.</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Chris </span></span></b><br />
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<b>Day 2: 3 hours later.</b><br />
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I wake up. Look at the clock... curse it and get into the shower. I am up and ready to go and at Pebble Beach by 0550. That is O’dark thirty where I am from. I get to the house and Megan is the only thing I needed. I was wide awake and ready to face the day! She was there still she hadn't snuck out in the night and she wasn't hiding somewhere from me. I still had a chance with her. This was going to be a great day. A fabulous day for us. She was STILL HERE!!!!! *did the happy dance in my head* I would like to point out now that I am in my nicer clothes. I have a blazer and sweater on. Not worrying about the smell and ready to spend the day with her. <br />
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We joke about lack of sleep and trying to get caffeine in the form of Diet Coke (and yes, to dispel rumors of my friends, Mormons can drink caffeine. That is a myth get over it.) We go to Safeway. We are cooking breakfast and by we I mean Megan is cooking for Ben and Kari since they both got off work at like 7 am. We get to Safeway, buy what is needed and forget the Diet Coke and bacon. So we stopped at another Safeway on the way before pulling into Ben/Kari's house. We find Kari cleaning and Ben hasn't got off work. <br />
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Kari and Megan hit it off..which makes my heart smile. ALOT. They talked about everything as I sat on the couch. I read the NY times on my iPad and listened to them talk, and knew life was good and all was right in my world. <br />
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There needs to be some discussion of me being a 16-year old girl here. Yes I know this is random, but it plays a part in the rest of the weekend. My obsession with my rims, my choice of TV shows (that is a long story for another time) the way Ben, Dave, Clint and I act all remind people of a group of 16-year old girls. So from here on out Megan refers (as do a lot of other people) to my issues and peck-a-doodles as me acting like a 16-year old girl. Which I totally embrace.<br />
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Well Megan cooked this amazing breakfast, waffles, bacon and eggs, all done at 8 am. Problem is that Ben showed up at about 10 am for breakfast. His car was still broke down and it was not looking good. But Ben showed up and we had a wonderful breakfast. We joked and laughed and played and quoted movies and sang songs for the next two hours. Megan just smiled and I just keep being me. I wanted to show her all of me and all my friends and she got that all day. After Ben and Kari finally crashed out, Megan and I headed to Rancho Cielo for a quick stop, then we headed wherever the road took us.<br />
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That is not totally true, during our drive Megan told me about her Masters and things she loved to do with graphic design, and I knew exactly where to take her, San Jaun Bastia Mission. I knew she would love the history and would like to take pictures of the textures there so she could do her graphic design thing with them (once again gentlemen listen and follow through, key to a woman's heart)<br />
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Men I can not stress this enough. You need to listen. Everything else is side bar BS, if you don't listen. Even if she tells the story 1000 times you still need to listen. Megan did not do that this weekend, but I am just saying that if I had just smiled and nodded I would have missed out on so many great things about Megan. I am blessed I payed attention, so men DO IT!.<br />
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We got to the mission, and Megan started looking around and loving the area. We parked at the Mission and started walking around. Again I wanted to hold her hand but was unsure. I kept remembering Clinton telling me that he didn't even kiss Amanda from one point in their relationship until they got married. So I was like.... well hand-holding might be a bit much. I have never been this reserved about physical contact before and honestly it made the time when I actually did grab her hand that much better. I felt more resolved when I did it. <br />
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Anyways I digress again. But we walked around the Mission looked at all the fun stuff. Megan took pictures we talked religion and flowers and colors, stuff like that. We went downtown SJB which is the same as uptown SJB and around town SJB. So we walked the town and Megan was in love with me or the town, I couldn't quite figure it out. I don't know which one she likeed/wanted more. but we continued through the town and I am sure she got a bunch of great pictures. <br />
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We walked the town and talked family, which is a scary topic for me. We talked about my father. Most of you don't know, nor will ever know my father. I know who he is, my friends know of him, but he is not a huge factor in my life, except for the fact that he is my father. I explained that part of my life to Megan. How sad I am about it. How I wished it was different and how I used to fear that I would be like him. Megan again, working her magic, made me feel safe and at ease.<br />
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Now I don't want everyone to think that I am leaning on Megan. I just feel like I don't have to puff in front of her. I don't have to be the strongest of the strong. I can be open and honest with her. I don't have to carry the weight of the relationship. We are equal partners and that is a feeling I really haven't felt before. <br />
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As we left SJB we were making plans for dinner and gathering that night with the rest of my friends here in Monterey. We made some calls. Yes I know that i made the call, but I like talking in the “we” or “us”, because from that point Megan and I are a unit. We do things together. I no longer act alone, or until I am told otherwise I will refer to us as “we”. We left and ended up back at fisherman's wharf , only after a bit of misplanning and trying to figure out where we would all meet up, we ended up at the wharf and waiting on phone calls. In the mean time we had such a wonderful talk about life and the Gospel and what we wanted from life, where we saw each other in 5 years, career goals and just normal BS. <br />
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I want you guys to know that I remember the substance of those conversations, but mostly I don't go into it because those are special to me. Our time, our one-on-one time, is just that. If i wanted everyone to know every perfect detail of our weekend, I would write it down, trust me. I am on page 10 here so I could keep going forever, if i wanted to. But these talks are so special to me that I want you to know that we talked and we are happy with what we talked about.<br />
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We walked the wharf and took a ton of pictures, I know Megan wanted more, but it is what it is. We found Megan's charms and randomly ran into one of my law professors. I told her that watching the salt water taffy being made is something that is so relaxing to me. I need to point out here that Megan, like my self, says hi to everyone as they walk by. It is those little things, like giving money to the homeless guy with the sign or saying hi to people or making an effort with my friends, that make my soul smile. Those are the things that I love about her. They are little but those parts of her personality just sucked me in.<br />
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At the wharf we decided that we would do dinner with Amanda and have game night at her place. We go to Nob Hill and buy food for dinner that night and head back to Amanda's.<br />
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Now I could go into the Amanda's 100 question, 2.5 hour interview of Megan, but i really want Amanda to do that, so I’ll leave it at that. Megan answered everything perfectly and really showed how much she cared for me. From that point forward I had no problem holding her hand and showing more affection to her. She put it out there. She held her self out and that act of pure vulnerability showed me that she is right for me. <br />
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That night we played games, and even our sometimes crude humor didn’t seem to bother her as she laughed. We had political conversations about teacher unions and she held her own. Even though her opinion is not parallel with mine, she held her own and we were able to agree to disagree. What needs to be said about our politics is that we have the same basic agreement about issues, we just seek to solve those issues by different means. But that is it. The rest of the night was playing games and laughing very hard. I would like to point out that I won both games, but more importantly I won her heart.<br />
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Amanda left and gave us some alone time so we talked for the rest of the night before sleepiness made it to hard to continue. We had the biggest DTR of our short time together and this is when Megan put the question out. Where are we? I made it perfectly clear that i am only dating her and she is the object of my affection. Though I was incredibility tired I could see the smile on her face and the glitter in her eyes. I knew that I answered the question right.<br />
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That night sleep came to me nicely and I welcomed the rest, but dreaded the fact that when I awoke it would be Megan's last day here.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;">Megan </span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 2: O’dark-thirty and a little PDA</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sleep depravation seems to be the norm since I hooked up with Chris, and Saturday, Nov. 12th drove that point home. We had committed to going over to Ben and Kari’s house to make them breakfast after they got off their shift. Actually, what happened is several weeks earlier I had made my family breakfast and sent the picture to Chris. He shares it with Ben and next thing I know I get a text, “Ben wants you to make us breakfast.” And that’s how I ended up crawling out of my bed after 4 hours of sleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chris picked me up at 5:45am so that we could go to the store, shop for food, get to Ben & Kari’s house and have the meal cooked by 7:30am, that way Ben and Kari could chow down before crashing after an all-night shift. That was the plan anyways.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, you’re probably asking, what was on the menu – waffles from scratch, homemade pear syrup, scrambled eggs, and bacon. I have to say that when those waffles were coming off the waffle maker they smelled amazing…but let’s get back to the important part of the breakfast, meeting Ben and Kari.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m sure that during the very first conversation that I ever had with Chris, I’m talking back in September, the name Ben came up. In fact, I don’t know that we’ve had a conversation since then that hasn’t included the name Ben at some point. I don’t know if it would be an exaggeration to say that Ben is the other half of Chris. As Chris told me “I looked over in my crib and there was Ben,” or something to that effect. This breakfast was ALL about being vetted by the family. I was on stage and my performance had better count if I was thinking of sticking around.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I first met Kari, the truly better-half of Ben. She was home first (also does a night shift in dispatch) and we hit it off right from the start. Our conversation flowed easily, and I appreciated her openness and ready smile. She takes Chris’s teasing and dishes it right back. And on top of that she has the MOST awesome oven that I totally covet and some pans I was going to slip into my purse if it wouldn’t be so obvious (Kari, I still want that purple pan!). Kari let me invade her kitchen and I made myself right at home. So breakfast was beautiful and ready to be consumed (with enough for at least 12 people – cuz that’s how I roll) by 8:00am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But we waited for Ben………and waited……and waited. And wouldn’t you know it, that morning would be the morning that he had car problems at work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">About 10:00am Ben and the tow truck finally get home. And my breakfast has died a horrible death waiting. Now Chris will tell you that it was great, but his opinion is biased towards me. I was kind of sad cuz I really, really wanted to make a good impression and instead I was serving floppy waffles, brown eggs (don’t normally cook/keep warm on a gas stove) and soggy bacon. However, I can say that everyone seemed to dig in with no problem.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ILayTXp731l6B7ojt0t-ICBw_0hW7wpRjnMP0jmHaq6cMx0fk7fa7l8eAF1eICwEX_vaIVYtOz9u98rZ-NPcoBnh4yFoRqI8oarVjlGC44S7tUQmHnN4cdjTO2uvhpZ-KBB5hs13R9c/s1600/Chris_Kari_Ben_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ILayTXp731l6B7ojt0t-ICBw_0hW7wpRjnMP0jmHaq6cMx0fk7fa7l8eAF1eICwEX_vaIVYtOz9u98rZ-NPcoBnh4yFoRqI8oarVjlGC44S7tUQmHnN4cdjTO2uvhpZ-KBB5hs13R9c/s400/Chris_Kari_Ben_2.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is where I got to really met Ben for the first time, with my eyes open. He makes me smile. It’s hard to describe the relationship he and Chris have, you pretty much just have to sit back in awe. They’re a stand-up comedy team. They’re like Captain & Tennille, Sonny & Cher, and Abbott & Costello. They sing, they dance, they tell jokes, they recite movies, and they finish each others sentences. Really it’s that bad. After we set the table with all the food, Kari and I spent the next 2 hours being entertained by the “Chris & Ben Show”. By the time we left, my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much. I’d like to think I made a good impression that morning (and it wasn’t because of the food), because Ben and Kari sure made a good impression upon me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After leaving Ben & Kari’s we went driving, you know, the old fashion “driving,” where Chris literally just picked some random roads in the Monterrey hillside to meander through. The views were incredible – passing vineyards, old battered barns, strawberry fields, and rolling hills – and it gave us more time just to talk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eventually Chris drove up to a little old town called San Juan Batista. The town is centered around an old Spanish mission. Perfectly picturesque, quant, historical, and dare I say slightly romantic, it was perfect! Chris had been listening to all my ramblings during the day about my love of history, archaeology in particular, and picked up on my compulsion to take pictures so San Juan Batista was an ideal place to indulge both. We wandered around the town, me taking pictures and Chris schlepping my camera bag. And I finally got the gumption to ask him to take a picture with me – wasn’t sure if it was too “cutesy coupley” for him. At this point I didn’t care, I was worried that I’d have the most amazing weekend of my life and no pictures of the two of us to show for it. He of course smiled and indulged me. After walking through the mission, we strolled down the old town streets, stopping to check out a few antique shops, all the while talking, but never holding hands. Yes…it’s true he still hadn’t held my hand by this point. Granted this is only like our second day we’ve ever been together, but at this point I was thinking that I was going to have to be the one to make the first move.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After leaving San Juan Batista we did a bunch more driving around, just sightseeing. I’d see an interesting road, and Chris would take it. Remember our trip motto – sit back and enjoy the ride – well we certainly did that Saturday afternoon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Later that afternoon we made a quick stop to say hi to Chris’s friends Shannon & Greg. And then we were off to visit Fisherman’s Warf in Monterey, a great little boardwalk packed with restaurants, shops, and people. It was the quintessential boardwalk. I was able to pick up my souvenirs for this trip – two silver charms for my travel bracelet, a lighthouse and the San Francisco Bridge, to remind me of this unforgettable weekend. More picture taking from the pier and then it was time to grab some groceries and head back to the Yellow House where we were having dinner with some of Chris’s family and friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back at the Yellow House I finally got to meet Amanda (of the Amanda & Clinton duo). I had heard soooo much about Amanda, and she was particularly instrumental in this whole “thing” that Chris and I had going on at this point. In fact, Amanda and Clinton would fall into the “family” category. That meant I was going to be vetted again, and by a pro.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I will admit from the get-go that I liked Amanda, probably because 1) she takes such good care of Chris, 2) she and her husband introduced Chris to the gospel, 3) she takes such good care of her husband (which does have implications for me because I’m related to her husband), 4) even prior to meeting her we had FB messaged a few times and she’s been championing me from a far. So I was more than happy to submit to her Spanish-inquisition-style questioning. While Amanda made a taco ring for dinner, the three us crowded into their tiny galley style kitchen and talked. Actually, mostly Amanda asked questions, I answered and chopped veges and Chris just smiled and mashed avacados.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We had a great dinner and a chance to talk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After dinner, two of their friends Jeff & Sarah came over to play games. Super fun couple! We piled into Clinton & Amanda’s converted garage/game room/spare bedroom/family room and proceeded to spend 2 hours laughing and teasing over a game of Apples to Apples. You really learn a lot about people playing that game – probably more than I wanted. Eventually Sarah & Jeff had to go home to relieve the babysitter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is where I will tell you that IT finally happened.Yes, Chris actually busted out with the PDA – for those of you who are unfamiliar with that acronym it would be Public Displays of Affection. During the game Chris started to put his arm around me, an occasional hand on the knee, and eventually *drum roll please* the hand hold! Yahoo!!! Once he saw that I wasn’t gonna give him the stink-eye or jerk away, we were ALL GOOD!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once Sarah & Jeff left, Amanda, Chris and I stayed up another hour to play Ticket to Ride (one of my all time favorite games). I’m sooo relieved that Chris likes to play games. He’ll fit into my family much better that way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After wrapping up the game, Chris and I were able to grab some time (not much cuz I was fading fast) to do some more talking (like we hadn’t gotten enough of it that day). My thoughts had been swirling around and around the question of what happens once I go home? What did this weekend really mean to our relationship? I guess I was just looking for clarify on what I meant to him? In past relationships, I was too chicken to say anything, not wanting to put undue pressure on anyone. But, forget that, I was just going to be upfront and honest with Chris so I asked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“So what happens now? Once I go back to AZ? Do we just go back to talking on the phone, occasionally meeting each other and dating other people?” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“No!”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“No?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yeah, no dating other people. I’m not interested in seeing anyone else. And I don’t want you dating anyone.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“OK then. We’re exclusive. Got it. Then the rest...we’ll just see what happens?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yeah, for now.”</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That ladies and gentlemen was our first DTR talk – that would be Define the Relationship. And I thought it went pretty well. I can tell you that I went to sleep that night with another big smile on my face.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-16582396994969974252011-11-22T21:01:00.001-07:002011-11-22T21:27:26.040-07:00I left my heart in San FranciscoDoes San Francisco really need an introduction? Let's just say that Chris changed my mind about the City by the Bay.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chris </span></div>
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We hit San Francisco. Now SF is my home. I love that city. I love everything about it. I have so much fun there but I could never live there again. I have put it on a pedestal and if that image every fell I don't know what I would do. But I still love to visit. I took Megan there because I wanted to show her what I have described to her over many many phone calls.<br />
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We went to Twin Peaks and I showed her one of my favorite views of the city. From this sidewalk you can see all of SF and at night it is a beautiful sight to be seen. Megan with her camera caught a lot of the beauty, but pictures could not show how I felt about being in one of my favorite places with a person I felt so much for and respected so deeply.<br />
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We kept talking - me living in SF and what I did there, why I love the city and where my favorite places are, what brought me to SF and just all the fun things about that city. I took her to another one of my favorite places, the Legion of Honor. Now I know that this story seems to be running along the same pattern, me showing her places and us talking, but you need to understand how wonderful this is for me. I have no clue what this girl is thinking about me, but she must like me cause she flew out here. I have no clue how to act because I want to treat her with respect and not be the guy I once was. She makes me be a better man. Her smile is what pushes me to have that as a desire. I know that the blessings that Heavenly Father has in store for me are true because he has brought me her. So this is an amazing trip to my favorite places in SF, simply because it is her first time and it is me sharing something important with someone important. <br />
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Now we spent the rest of the night eating at great places and driving around the city with me acting as an expert tour guide. We went all over and saw so many things and I think she really loved it. It was special for me because she was there with me. No one else. The phone didn't ring. The texts didn't interfere it was just us, in my city. I was calm and at home and...what is that smell again!!!!! <br />
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We leave SF to meet up with Clinton in Palo Alto for yogurt. Clint has met Megan before but since we have been talking he wants to talk to her some more. I won't forget the look on Clinton’s face when I see him in Palo. He was sporting the “WTF are you wearing” look, and what is that smell? We sit down to talk and at this point Megan is tuckered out. She is beat! It is about 11pm and waaaayyy past her bed time. I am thriving on this beautiful woman, great friends, yogurt and a long drive home.<br />
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Long story short (tooo late I know). Clinton reminds us to “keep your honor” and “don’t forget who you are” as he leaves and we had back to Monterey. Megan slept the entire time on and off..and i sang.... so off key, but she smiled nevertheless. I kept singing and I think she pretended to be asleep so I might stop singing, but she was wrong...<br />
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We get back to Monterey and hit up the police department to give Ben the left overs from dinner. Yeah that's right, we drove and delivered food from 2 hours away. That is how we roll!!<br />
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Megan met Ben and she was on her game as usual. She made a great impression being half asleep and ready to rock at like 2 am her time. We finished with Ben and went back to Pebble Beach. I dropped her off and thanked her for a great night. I went home and realized that I had to be back up and at Pebble in 3 hrs. This was only the beginning to a long, but wonderful weekend with her.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Megan</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cbI8CDOVcBpjmOI-imeJDGQdS1Djmua-t3hhX09xZErNQLA3eSmU-bW0TzybdPViBK7OyaL_hlwFq2zShf_FROrBz4hFpZbeJHJKZfBWRapv-XOLiorAydWS9SbP7L-f6BMgO3DIwng/s1600/Brandy_ho_menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cbI8CDOVcBpjmOI-imeJDGQdS1Djmua-t3hhX09xZErNQLA3eSmU-bW0TzybdPViBK7OyaL_hlwFq2zShf_FROrBz4hFpZbeJHJKZfBWRapv-XOLiorAydWS9SbP7L-f6BMgO3DIwng/s200/Brandy_ho_menu.jpg" width="150" /></a> The drive to San Francisco went by so quickly. Before I knew it the sun had set, and I could see the City set out in lights before me. Because Chris had actually lived in San Francisco he easily navigated through the city, taking us to Twin Peaks to a great spot where we could look out over the city. We parked, climbed out of the car, and stood looking out over the sparkling lights of San Francisco. Amazing and breath taking, and I was sharing it with Chris. He patiently pointed out all of the notable landmarks and I tried valiantly to capture them with my camera.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwVtTSx01rIaqYp0LRbp4ShvoDwrkg30kYb9i4NMLRBUcjV9LC9foOMLnHb7pHZtyZICmyDouFjxTy8wdHXzVLFYM8xL_CU7dN6OD9fwBprQjVSLoLRFkkYwRqAVHpA6enFcRSzwwPik/s1600/dinner_plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwVtTSx01rIaqYp0LRbp4ShvoDwrkg30kYb9i4NMLRBUcjV9LC9foOMLnHb7pHZtyZICmyDouFjxTy8wdHXzVLFYM8xL_CU7dN6OD9fwBprQjVSLoLRFkkYwRqAVHpA6enFcRSzwwPik/s320/dinner_plate.jpg" width="320" /></a>Next stop was Chris’s favorite Chinese food/Hunan restaurant on the outskirts of Chinatown – Brandy Ho’s. Smells, sounds, and atmosphere contributed to the very authentic experience – a romantic dinner (in a very crowded dinning room) with a cacophony of foreign noise from the open kitchen, scrumptious and spicy dishes, and Chris sitting across from me, smiling. I couldn’t have asked for more.<br />
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After an unforgettable meal Chris had one more stop for us, the Legion of Honor. It’s a beautiful building reminiscent of a Pantheon type structure. Again, the view was amazing. Chris seemed determined to show me the best of San Francisco. The only thing missing was a little chocolate…he told me Ghirardelli’s was closed but he promised me another trip.<br />
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Unfortunately, my internal clock (with my blasted schedule) was telling me that it was very very late, way past my bedtime. I think Chris recognized that and decided it was time for us to make the two hour trip back to Pebble Beach. I’m probably a pretty lousy date, but I think I started nodding off before we got out of San Francisco. I did wake up long enough to hear him talking on the phone to Clinton and the two of them made plans to meet up for frozen yogurt, after that I was out until Chris pulled off the freeway.<br />
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Quick recap of that little excursion – yogurt by the ounce, visit with Clinton, really cold outside, lots of laughs, good-byes with Clinton, climbing back into the car with the heater on and crashing again. I do remember Chris telling me that he was going to stop at the Monterey Police Station to deliver our copious amounts of leftovers to his best friend. We eventually did stop. I barely had my eyes cracked open and I’m sure I left a great first impression. Nevertheless, I did meet Ben for the first time at the station along with a few of his coworkers.<br />
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By the time Chris dropped me off at the Yellow House I could barely see straight I was so tired. I remember a hug and then I was crawling into bed with a smile on my face after seeing that it was almost 1:00 am. It had been one of the most fantastic days of my life.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-82294859027951244112011-11-21T21:07:00.001-07:002011-11-22T07:40:34.451-07:00Lighthouse Vistas & An Unexpected Surprise<i>There's really no need for another introduction, but I do want to say thank you for all of the well wishes, squeals of joy, messages of love and support, and oddles of giggles and smiles that everyone has been sending our way. We are having SOOO MUCH FUN! And hope you are too!</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Chris</span></b></div>
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Now lets start Friday. I picked up Megan after the stressful morning (As Clint would say the adversary did not want us to meet, but me, my friends I will endure to the end. I was not missing my time to meet her).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsjZVpdraCQpSm0V927dYghrpVAUsb0TIJILJuJh-VTwjbrxRzjp3Ar-uk3Yl5y1N-TOfvYF5YrHqMIh28spq4NY20lxJ1Nt0vRpGWeJ-BycHv0M4hPXGilej38jU-s32Nro3dR9H6RA/s1600/Chris+Rims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsjZVpdraCQpSm0V927dYghrpVAUsb0TIJILJuJh-VTwjbrxRzjp3Ar-uk3Yl5y1N-TOfvYF5YrHqMIh28spq4NY20lxJ1Nt0vRpGWeJ-BycHv0M4hPXGilej38jU-s32Nro3dR9H6RA/s200/Chris+Rims.jpg" style="float: left; padding: 15px;" width="200" /></a></div>
I picked her up and got my hug. I took her to the parking lot for to my car and asked her for the first of a million times, "Do you like my rims?" (PS-in case you were wondering about his rims...and I know there are some of you who are. Chris so kindly took this picture today and posted it.)<br />
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Megan is a great sport. She understood right away that I was in rare from being in my jeans and hoodie. I looked at her all unkept and told her this is not me. I am a suit and tie guy. I wear blazers everyday this was just a bad day (and I proved it later with my properly showered attire). <br />
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ButI pick her up looking like scrub and proceed to take her to the Pebble Beach house for her sleeping <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356342865/" title="IMGP1213 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="Pebble Beach House - view" height="161" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6048/6356342865_260b9ba3a4_m.jpg" style="float: right; padding-left: 25px;" width="240" /></a>accommodations. Now we have to understand the Pebble house. This house is on the 18th green of Pebble Beach – 17 mile Drive. I know, I know it is a horrible place but someone has to live there.<br />
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We decide to grab food, and from that point on the conversations begin to just roll - the tires story, the day story, the plans for the weekend all of it just rolls out. I am taken back most of this time. It’s all kind of blurred. Going through my head is, 1) wow she is soo pretty, 2) she is taller than I thought, 3) man I look like a scrub and, 4) i hope i don't smell....<br />
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But I know we talked and had a good time. People called me to make sure she got in and then we were left to our own devices. We ended up eating our sandwich and the rain started coming in. So my plans were not plausible. We hop in the car, and I decide to drive to one of my most special places... this is my happy place and I wanted to share it with the person who makes me happy. <br />
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We go north on Hwy 1 and kept driving. We talked about everything under the sun from family to school to work to friends to the kitchen sink. I am still sitting in my car going... What’s that smell? Is it me? I hope not. Wow, she is pretty. There’ss that smell again...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356356245/" title="IMGP1258 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="Pigeon Point Lighthouse" height="161" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6102/6356356245_11e6f028f0_m.jpg" style="float: left; padding-right: 10px;" width="240" /></a>Seriously though. I was enamored with her. I wanted to soak in as much as I could. I wanted to share all that I am and just be with her. I let the Spirit guide our journey and we went nowhere, but we were where we were supposed to be. We eventually got to my special place...Pigeon Point Lighthouse just north of Davenport on Hwy 1 (check the pictures from Megan's post and see that the place is beautiful even when it is stormy and windy.) <br />
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I talked about how I love the analogy of the light house. I love how light houses operated and how when I retire how i’d like to own/maintain a light house. We kept talking about futures, never really saying us.... but that was always at the back of my mind. <br />
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This is a good point to interject something I find to be very important about the "us" factor. I have been a convert to the Mormon church for less than 6 months. I lived 29 years on this earth doing things my way. They didn't work, part of the reason I was drawn to the Gospel. But where this is going, which I am sure you are wondering, is that I have interacted with women a certain way my entire life. I know how to deal with those types of women, crazy that is.... but when it came to Megan I didn't know how to act in the physical sense. She sat there across from me and I wanted to hold her hand, but resisted. She looked at me like I was the one for her and I wanted to kiss her, but I resisted thinking this isn't the proper way to act as a strong priesthood holder honoring my covenants with Heavenly Father. I am so new I didn't know what to do. Well I knew what I wanted to do, but I wanted to respect the faith. Hoping for insight I had read the law of chastity and that give me very little direction of what to do and I was for sure not going to tip my hand to Megan with Amanda's words echoing in my head "WOW HER!! you have to WOW her!" So that first night I was just trying to read her body language and show her some of the best of me that not a lot of people know about.<br />
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Now back to the weekend. We got in the car after leaving the lighthouse and I was about to turn to go back to Monterey and Megan asked if we were headed home. I said this was my happy place, but I did have other plans... she said she was enjoying what we where doing, so I turned the car and headed further north.<br />
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Another good stopping point. I love San Francisco by the way. I knew that this path on Hwy 1 ended in SF. Now I don't know if Megan knew that, but that is where we were headed. <br />
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So North on Hwy1 we go. This is where Megan asks for the conversion story. I love this story, but I will not repeat it here. Eventually I will get to that blog and update that one. We talked about my conversion and took roads I have never taken before and drove our happy way up to SF. We hit Half Moon Bay and Clinton called... he let the cat out of the bag about going to SF and I could see the excitement in her face. That made my heart go pitter-patter because I wanted to show her everything. I was excited to see her excited and I just kept smiling.<br />
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Now we have been driving for about 2 hours all over Hwy 1 and surrounding areas. Megan kept reminding (and still does) about the importance of drinking water. So in HMB we stopped for water and restroom. While we were stopped I was texting furiously to my friends, telling them that she is super awesome and we are going to SF. We left the gas station but not before I asked again if she liked my rims.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Megan </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From the airport we headed quickly to his place to pick up keys to the yellow cottage (total guy digs – enough said) and I said hi to his roommate. The road to the yellow cottage in Pebble Beach was amazing. I’ve never been to Monterey and I was floored by the beauty. It’s absolutely gorgeous with the verdant rolling hills, moss covered trees, and butting up against it all the sandy beaches and rocky shores of the Pacific Ocean. Just beautiful.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356343745/" title="IMGP1215 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="View from the backyard" height="161" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6036/6356343745_7f0b8462eb_m.jpg" style="float: left; padding-right: 10px;" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was going to be staying with Amanda and Clinton. They live in a yellow cottage that is part of a series of houses (think mini-cute-yellow-housed-compound) in Pebble Beach (they actually charge you $10 just to drive through the area if you’re not a resident). Their house sits on a rocky escarpment overlooking a sandy beach right next door to the 18th green of the Pebble Beach golf course. It is absolutely fantastic!!! The pictures hardly do it justice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We dropped off my stuff. This entire time the conversation was so easy. It was just like all the time we had spent on the phone, only better because I was able to look at him. To see his face and is expression. And best of all to see his smile. I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By now it was after 1pm (2pm my time) and I was hungry so he took me to a favorite sandwich shop of his called Companos. The adorable owner Bennett, was a wonderful man who insisted on coming out from behind the counter to give Chris a hug and then of course he had to hug me. This was the first of many indicators that Chris is a very well loved man throughout his community. We couldn’t go anywhere without Chris meeting someone. And everyone we met just raves about all that Chris has done for them with an occasional anecdote about a party or fun time they had with him. It always made me smile. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is also were I’ll interject with reason #108 why I love Chris…he always introduces me to everyone immediately. He’s very conscious of this. Usually within about the first 10 seconds of meeting someone, Chris will pause the conversation and say something like, “I’d like to introduce my friend Megan. Megan this is…” He would do it every time, without fail! I never felt like a third wheel. I felt like I was important to him, even when he was having a conversation with someone else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyways, back to the story…we took our GINORMOUS sandwiches back to the yellow cottage to eat while Chris talked on the phone to his mother for a bit, taking care of business. Reason #109…Chris loves his mother. Ladies, how can you not like a man who loves his mother. They have a very, very strong relationship. From what he’s told me she is a remarkable woman who has single-handedly raised a strong, caring, intelligent, and loving man. Enough said!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After lunch Chris says he’s going to take me for a drive to a special place. And truthfully, just being able to talk with him face-to-face, to just be with him, was all I was concerned about, didn’t really matter what we were doing. Besides, pretty sure there wasn’t a bad view to be had along the coastal highway. We just started meandering through the hills of Pebble Beach, driving along the coast. The views were breath taking, and we talked, and talked, and talked. Chris seems to be under the impression that I remember everything we talked about, but (I hate to burst your bubble, hon) I don’t remember the details just that it was wonderful!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Along the road I saw a picturesque old light house along one precipice. I pointed it out to Chris and watched a smile spread across his mouth as he quickly pulled his car off into the light house parking lot, turns out that this is one of his very favorite spots, Pigeon Point Lighthouse. By this point there’s a drizzle on-and-off and the ocean is frothing up along the rock faces below the light house. A chilly breeze, ok nix that - make that a down right cold breeze, is blowing in from the ocean. I’ve got my camera out and I’m trying to bury it under my coat while I’m burrowing under it. At some point I find myself tucked behind Chris trying to hide from the wind. At this point I’m thinking…man it would be easier to stay warm and a whole lot more romantic if he had his arm around me. Heck, I’d settle for a warm hand hold. But I wasn’t about to make the first move.</span><br />
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Please excuse all the photos...but there were so many great things to photograph.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356346439/" title="IMGP1226 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="IMGP1226" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6059/6356346439_f14e4ca976.jpg" style="padding: 10px;" width="334" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356347467/" title="IMGP1228 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="Pigeon Lighthouse" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6059/6356347467_de2aa8c12e.jpg" style="padding: 10px;" width="334" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356348265/" title="IMGP1233 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="Pigeon Lighthouse Rockyshore" height="334" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6219/6356348265_c3f092dbb9.jpg" style="padding: 10px;" width="500" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356351461/" title="IMGP1242 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="IMGP1242" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6112/6356351461_c42d20132b.jpg" style="padding: 10px;" width="334" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356349255/" title="IMGP1237 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="Lighthouse Texture" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6052/6356349255_e74d010404.jpg" style="padding: 10px;" width="334" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356353233/" title="IMGP1250 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="Cabbage plant" height="334" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/6356353233_d135597692.jpg" style="padding: 10px;" width="500" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25723291@N06/6356354179/" title="IMGP1254 by megan_schaub, on Flickr"><img alt="IMGP1254" height="334" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6223/6356354179_2e02d700da.jpg" style="padding: 10px;" width="500" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We walked around the light house. And Chris got the first glimpse of my interest in photography. I warned him before I arrived that I “like to take pictures”. Pretty sure he underestimated me and my interest. Most people do. When you say you like to take pictures they assume you mean you’ll bring your camera and snap a few pictures. Not me. My camera is almost attached to me, and I’m usually up in someone’s face, leaning over a wall or ledge to get up close and personal with the vegetation, or wandering around the backsides of buildings or down alleys where all the really interesting things are. He was wonderful. Patiently waiting for me while I snapped away, and even offering up smiles when I turned the camera on him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I would like to also point out that by this point, my appearance was going down hill rapidly. It had been drizzling and raining on and off and the wind on around the light house had whipped my hair into a ragged frenzy. We’re heading back to the car and I catch a glimpse of myself in the car window – AGHHH…it’s Belaxtrix LeStrange, for real! And there’s no way to repair the damage so I just shrug it off and figure it’s a good sign he hasn’t said anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We climb back into Chris’s car (after the obligatory, “so do you think the rims look ok?). As we’re pulling out of the parking lot, Chris looks to be turning down the road back to the yellow house. I ask if we’re all done, kind of disappointed because I was really enjoying the sightseeing and LOVING the time to just have Chris to myself, face-to-face, to talk with. He looks across the counsel and smiles his mischievous smile and says, “No problem”, and turns the car north along Highway 1.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I did try to ask him where we were headed next. His response, “It’s a surprise.” We just kept driving and talking, and talking, and talking. It was amazing, because we really never ran out of things to talk about. It was during this drive that Chris shared with me his conversion story, about how he first heard about the Gospel, and the roll that Clinton and Amanda played in his conversion. I am so glad that I waited to hear him tell me about it in person. They love that this man has for God and the Savior is tangible. He takes his covenants and his testimony of the Gospel very seriously, and it was moving to hear how his life has changed. The good things that he had in his life prior to converting to Mormonism, were strengthened – his love for his mother, his love for his friends/brothers, his desire for his own family, his compassion for others – all of these things were given an eternal perspective. And then all the “other” stuff, not inline with the Gospel teachings fell away. I admire the personal strength and integrity of this man. Pretty sure I was falling head over heals in love with him at this point – and we still hadn’t held hands, and it wasn’t because I wasn’t throwin’ out the signals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">About 45 minutes into our drive, Chris gets a phone call from Clinton, who was checking up on us. Clinton asks where we are headed. Chris looks over at me and gives me that smile again and says, “I’m taking her to dinner in San Francisco.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*big ol’ cheesy grin from ear to ear*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was going to San Francisco to have dinner with Chris…girls, have you ever heard of anything more romantic! I had never been to San Francisco, but it was definitely on my list of “Places to See”. Leave it to Chris to decide dinner in San Francisco would be the perfect way to cap this amazing evening.</span><br />
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<i><b style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Come back tomorrow for our whirl-wind trip through San Francisco </span></b></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-89358190638362430272011-11-20T09:21:00.001-07:002011-11-20T09:33:50.940-07:00The Airport & "Do You Like My Rims?"We're back...sorry about the short break. Yesterday was a little busy and truth be told, I'm a little behind on writing this. Chris sat down and wrote up his memories of our trip in one day (a very long day). I, on the other hand, have been trying to write a little each day, so I'm slowly catching up. One other caveat, we read our stories to each other before we post them here - figure Chris should hear how I was feeling and thinking from me before he reads it on a blog. :)<br />
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So back to our story. This post is all me! Chris got his turn last time and so this time you'll hear what I thought of the airport and the pick-up. Hope you enjoy because we sure did.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Megan </span></b><br />
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It was decided that November 11-13th would be the perfect weekend and I booked my flight the next day...</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m going to jump out of the story line right this very minute to share with you another one of the things that I love about Chris. He gives me confidence in myself. Not the “you can do it” kind of confidence, pretty sure I’ve got that in spades. It’s the “you-are-wonderful-just-the-way-you-are-and-you-are-everything-I-need-kind-of-way”. I didn’t realize how when you start a serious relationship, one in which you recognize that you are going to be opening yourself up emotionally and spiritually to a person, how much personal insecurities can rise to the surface. I thought I was a pretty confident person, but as soon as I committed to actually seeing Chris for the first time the worries started rising. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think Chris sensed that and that night as we were talking about my upcoming trip in 2 ½ weeks time he says, “I can tell something’s up with you. What’s going on?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I’m just worried that when I get off the plane, you’ll see me and say ‘whoa, she’s so not what I was expecting?’” (And in my head I’m running through all of the insecurities that I have about my physical appearance).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“WHOA! Stop right there. I’ve seen pictures of you. In fact I saw your picture from the food fair last night…I-Know-Exactly-What-I’m-Getting!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is where I tell you that this entire time I’ve been very conscious of posting pictures of myself on Facebook. By conscious I mean I made sure to post a bunch of CURRENT photos, none of this 10-years-ago-when-I-was-younger-and-thinner. Nope, I had friends and family take pictures of me today and yesterday and I posted them (even if a few made me cringe) just so that Chris would not have any surprises. I’m glad that I did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">His simple declaration, “I-Know-Exactly-What-I’m-Getting!” said so emphatically, really settled things for me. He’s good that way! Making me feel like I’m exactly what he needs and wants. It’s hard to put into words how much that means to me. I don’t’ have to try with him, try to be thinner, prettier, funnier, wittier, younger, or any other “er”. Chris loves me. Just plain old Megan Schaub. I’m more than enough for him. He tells me I’m perfect for him just the way I am. And the crazy part is, I believe him.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 1: Monterrey, CA – Last First Date</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So November 11, 2011, is a day that I’ll never ever forget. I started by putting a few hours in at work. Not easy to do cuz all I could think about was my pending trip and meeting Chris. It was interesting because everyone kept asking me if I was nervous. And truthfully I wasn’t. At this point Chris and I have been talking for almost 2 solid months. Talking nightly, for hours, so I really felt like I knew him and this trip was more about finding out if we had physical chemistry to go with the mental and emotional chemistry. If the entire thing tanked I knew that at least I’d get a really good friend out of this, because we had already grown so close.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wore the obligatory “new outfit” so I figured “this is as good as it gets” for me and I felt pretty good about myself. But that confidence came more from Chris than myself. We had both talked previously about how we were huggers. So I was expecting a smiling Chris waiting for me at the end of airport walk way, with a big giant hug, maybe flowers, maybe a kiss…something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And what I got was nothing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He wasn’t there. If you’ve been to the Monterey airport, you know there’s no way I could miss him. Their airport is teeny-tiny. And Chris wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I was a little surprised and disappointed. BUT I knew that there was a reason. I already knew that Chris was SOOOO not the type of guy to leave a girl “hangin”. I figured something had to be up. I hadn’t walked any further than the luggage carousel and I get a phone call.</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Tell me your plane hasn’t landed.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Can’t. I’m here.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Dang. I’m so sorry.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“No worries. I’m fine.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I have had the craziest morning and I’ll tell you all about it. I’m less than 5 minutes away. I’ll be right there.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“No problem. I’ll be right here waiting for my luggage.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We hung up. Truthfully, I was neither worried nor upset, just plain excited. I stood there for a while craning my neck around looking for that face, his face. Before my luggage even came out of the carousel, I saw Chris walking through the exterior airport doors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He’s here. And it’s him. That’s all I was thinking. But what truthfully came over me was an overwhelming feeling of peace. You’re probably asking yourself what about all the “love tingles”, butterflies, and giddiness that come with falling in love. For me at that moment it was an overwhelming feeling of peace and coming home when he took me into his arms the first time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don’t think we even said hi. He just walked in straight to me and I walked into his arms. We hugged and he held me like that for a while. We just stood there holding each other. At last.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eventually I leaned back and smiled up into his beautiful blue eyes and said, “Hi.” He smiled and started to apologize for being late. No worries. We’re good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And just that simple, things settled into place. Not a worry anywhere. No concerns. I wasn’t self-conscious. I was with Chris and he would take care of everything. This man exudes confidence, care and concern. It’s just part of his make-up. I don’t ever have to worry about a thing when I’m with him. I also don’t have to be in charge. This is HUGE for me. I’ve been single for so long and have had to do everything for myself. I’ve been involved in relationships where I still felt like I was “in charge” or “responsible” for most every aspect of the relationship. I know I can trust myself to do “it”. It’s giving that trust up to someone else that I struggle with. But with Chris, there wasn’t even a bit of doubt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Probably the biggest indicator of this trust I have in him is the fact that I can truly “go along” for the ride. I trust him with all the details. And this flowed over into the trip – no plans, no worries. Chris will take care of me. And more importantly this is now part of our relationship. I don’t feel like I have to be in charge of planning and executing every aspect of our relationship. This isn’t to say I’m no longer the strong independent woman I’ve always been. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m stronger with Chris than without him. He gives me confidence in myself. His strength, the confidence I have in him, allows me to give up the need I have to “be in charge” and sit back and enjoy the ride.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I guess that was the theme for the rest of our amazing weekend – sit back and enjoy the ride. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back to the trip…We grab my bags and head out to his car. Just before we get in, and as he’s telling me about his epic morning, apologizing profusely for his “scruffy dress”, he says, “So do you like my tires and rims?” Truthfully, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say so I just smile and nod and say “sure.” Little did I know that would be the first of like 3000 times he would ask me that question. And ladies let me tell you, and Chris would be the first to agree with me, inside every man is a 16 year old girl! I’m not kidding. A 16 year old girl, and instead of asking, “does this top make my eyes pop?” or “Do these jeans make my butt look too big?” and looking at themselves in every mirror they pass. Men ask things like, “Do you like my tires and rims?” and stop to admire them EVERY SINGLE TIME they get out of the car and then talk to every single guy they meet about their tires and rims. Chris, I love you man, but you have a serious case of 16-year-old-girl-itis when it comes to your car. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">So come back tomorrow for more...Next time we should actually be getting into some photos, finally!</span></b><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-30057506258019724982011-11-17T20:59:00.001-07:002011-11-17T22:25:49.650-07:00My life changed forever in one hugI realized tonight that I'm going to have to step this up, if ya'll are going to stick around till the end, cuz we've got so much more to tell. In fact, Chris is having so much fun writing everything down that he's still writing about what's happened in the days since I returned back to Arizona (4 days ago). We've hit a few more milestones in our relationship the past few days.<br />
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Today's memorable/milestone moment came when I accidentally texted Ben, one of Chris's best friends, instead of Chris and let's just say that I took Ben and I's relationship to a whole different level *sheepish grin* [thanks, BEN!]. So life is still crazy, squeezing time in for each other, while trying to live in the "real world". No one every told me what a challenge this aspect of this type of relationship would be. I'd love to just bag it all and sit down and talk to Chris all day, but alas that's not possible. So we'll settle for constant contact via text, FB and cell phone -- I have NO idea how you people courted before the advent of modern technology.<br />
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So back to our story...tonight it's all about Chris. I'll save my version for tomorrow. <br />
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Chris</h2>
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We set the date as Veterans Day weekend and by the end of our next 2 conversations we were 3 weeks away from a life changing weekend. The talks soon turned to Monterey and what we are going to do. Megan's inner-planner was freaking out because I was closed lipped about what I had planned. In truth I had nothing planned. I wanted to let the Spirit guide me. He hasn't let me down so far. We talk about schooling and life and Halloween parties (I was excited to see her pictures from the Halloween party at her place and I was not let down. It looked like soooo much fun.) As the days approached everything got very surreal I was excited to see her. I would now like to reserve a few paragraphs on how excited I was... starting now.<br />
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I was job interviewing in LA a week before Megan was scheduled to come out to see me. I was interviewing for a job in Orange County and spending the weekend with my friends in the LA area. The job offer was given to me but LA is not the place for me so I am not going to take it. But the real story is that AT&T cell service is not available in LA so I couldn't really text or talk to Megan. Normally this would not have bothered me but I have grown into wanting to here her voice. She is my drug. I am addicted to the calm she brings to my life. I feed off her positivity and honestly I value everything she says to me because it comes from such a pure heart.<br />
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So I went around LA not feeling the Spirit, missing talking to Megan, missing my friends, but still having a fabulous time with those I was with, but it wasn't home. I felt secluded and I didn't like it. Which is why I am not taking the job because I feel I will be so far from the ones I love even if they live right near me. I don't like the feel of that city so I am not going, but more than that I didn't like not having Megan in my life, even for 3 days. I didn't like the no contact. I didn't like foing to sleep at night not feeling relaxed, and not telling her about my day. It wasn't right. I guess that is why I have such an appreciation and want for her. Because my nights don't end right, if they don't end with her voice.<br />
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Ok, so LA was a bust, but then I got home and had 4 days to plan for her arrival. Amanda (who should tell you this story better than me) told me I needed to WOW her. That this is possibly the last first date I will ever have and I needed to give her all of me with both barrels. Amanda has been a constant in my life, has helped me find myself and she loves me like her brother, so I trust her with sooo much in my life. I agreed that I needed to do something great. <br />
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Now I will not tell of the plans I had originally, for several reasons: 1) we did not do them, and 2) I want to eventually use them so I don't want to ruin the surprise when the do happen. Just know that they were awesome.<br />
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But then life hit when I was making plans. I had everything going that Thursday i took care of the last plan and ready to go. I went to bed Thursday night ready for Friday and the day I get to see her and get my first hug. You need to remember that I am a hugger so if we ever meet.. there will be a hug, or a very frim hand shake.<br />
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This ends Thursday and Friday is about to begin.<br />
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Day 1: Sure I have time. Megan doesn't get into until noon.</h4>
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So Friday morning, my best friend since I was like 5 (I have several best friends, if you haven't figured that out yet, but this one is my oldest friend and honestly is more of a brother than anything else. But I digress, back to the story) Ben, the friend, called me several times at 7am to get me to pick him up from work (he works for Monterey police and works graveyard). I pick him up and my car start making a noise...you know this isn't going to end well. We got to Salinas (about 25 miles away) and I have a flat tire and a low tire. By the way my car at this point had 20 in rims (aka Dubs) and low profile tires. So I get the spare on, get Ben home and get to the tire shop. The first tire shop. I say first because there was 2 shops in this situation. <br />
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The first tire shop pretty much says that I am screwed. The second one agreed and I had to dump almost $2000 into new tires for the car. Now lets really set the stage.<br />
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Just to recap :<br />
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<b>7:00 am </b>– I’ve been awaken by Ben's call for a ride because he has car problems. Megan flies in at noon. I figured I have 5 hours I can take care of Ben. I’ll have plenty of time to come back and shower and get ready for the day.<br />
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<b>7:45 am</b> - Two flats. It’s ok. I can get this changed and I am out the door home by 10. I’ll be fine.<br />
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<b>9:30 am</b> - I am at the second tire shop and they have to order the tire. It will be there in the afternoon, all is welll. Great, I can get back, shower and pick up Megan then come back and get my tires fixed. I hope she understands.<br />
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<b>10:15 am</b>:<br />
Mike (the tire guy): "Chris come out here"<br />
Me (Chris): "oh crap"<br />
Mike: "You see this [points to the rim]. It’s bent. You need a new rim.”<br />
Me: "Great..cost?"<br />
Mike: "Well, one rim is about $400."<br />
Me: "One? How many do I need?"<br />
Mike: "2 rims are bent and you need new sensors."<br />
Me: *facepalm* "So what are my options?"<br />
Mike: "Let’s talk new tires and rims."<br />
Me: *shaking my head* "Well there goes my shower."<br />
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<b>11:30 am</b> - Car is fixed. Megan's flight lands in 30 minutes and I am a lot lighter in the wallet. So I drive to Monterey airport to pick her up.<br />
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<b>12:05 pm</b>: My life changed forever in one hug.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-45265321323233224412011-11-16T22:32:00.001-07:002011-11-17T05:50:18.007-07:00A weddingThe response that we have had from our family and friends has been <i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>overwhelming</b></span></i> - we are loved. Thank you! So without further adieu here's the next installment of <b style="color: #073763;">Our Story</b>...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #0b5394;">Megan </b></span><br />
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That was the start of a flurry of FB messages, back and forth, for days.</div>
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I think it was about the 24th of September when we switched to texting and soon followed with phone calls. At this point I need to tell you a little more about me personally. I’m not a phone talker, never have been. It’s so bad that I when I was a teenager I preferred to drive to a pizza place and pick up a pizza then to call in an order. I have never been one to spend time on the phone chatting – you call, have your conversation, say good-bye. In fact I can probably count on one had the number of people I’ve held a conversation longer than 30 minutes with on the phone. I MUCH prefer talking in person. I don’t know why that is.</div>
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Apparently Chris didn’t know this about me, and I failed to tell him, and now, well it just isn’t an issue. Our first phone conversation probably lasted for 45 minutes. And for about a week we talked every other day or so, then it quickly changed to a nightly occurrence, which then stretched from 45 minutes a night to 2-3 hours a night. I loved listening to him tell me “stories” and he would ask me questions about myself and encourage me to tell him stories about myself – none were half as entertaining as his. He is a fantastic story teller, has a memory for details, and has lived a very interesting and colorful life.</div>
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One of the first things that struck me during our nightly conversation is that Chris really, truly listened. In fact the first time I gave him a run down on my family members he tells me, “Wait a minute, I’m going to take some notes.” And he actually took notes on everything I said! It was amazing to me that he paid attention and remembered everything I said. He often says even now, “Oh, I remember when you told me about…” Talk about impressive.</div>
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So back to our stories…We talked and talked and talked about everything under the sun. Chris is a fantastic story teller, and boy does he have stories to tell. This is probably where I should interject with a bit about my schedule. Anyone who knows me knows that I am without question or equivocation not a night person, my life runs by a very particular schedule. I’m a planner! I go to bed by 9:30pm so that I can get up at 4:00am. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are at about the same time every day. Chris has sooooo messed with my schedule. This man does not sleep more than 3-4 hours a night I quickly learned. This means he is going, going, going all day long. Right now he’s finishing law school and so that means he ends his day with night class that doesn’t get out till 9:00pm or 9:30pm – that’s my bedtime! The first few times we talked on the phone he was really considerate of my schedule, often saying, “Well I better let you go cuz I know it’s getting late for you.” At first I thought, wow that‘s so thoughtful. </div>
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It didn’t last long. I didn’t want to get off the phone. I would have been happy just sitting there listening to his voice all night long. I didn’t have to say anything, just listen. I was happy just listening. Pretty soon our nightly talks lasted longer and longer and eventually my bedtime fell by the wayside in favor of more time with Chris. I just couldn’t get enough of him. Our conversations were all over the board – family, friends, pet peeves, memories, life’s curve balls, everything was open except for 2 topics, politics and his conversion story.</div>
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I really felt like these were two things that needed to be discussed face-to-face. I guess that I felt that they were important enough to him, to both of us, that I needed to look into his eyes, to see his face when we discussed 1) something that could potentially be a source of conflict for the two of us, and 2) something that so profoundly changed the course of Chris’s life, the very same thing that was the bedrock of my life…the Gospel.</div>
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I told Chris very early in our relationship that the Gospel was the single most important thing in my life. It shapes who I am as a person, what I believe about the world around, and my daily decisions. And then I made sure to tell him that the Spirit resides in my tear ducts and that’s why I cry all the time when I talk about the Gospel. Despite the fact that he is so new to the Gospel his testimony shines through every aspect of his life. I LOVE the fact that he does not hesitate to bring the Gospel up in every conversation that he has with his friends and family – no hesitation whatsoever. I really can’t tell you how much I love this about him. His fire and enthusiasm for the Gospel humbles me. I want to be more like him. (PS – remember the Spirit in the tear ducts, well I’m crying all over the place right now). Anyways *deep breath*, back to the screwed up schedule.</div>
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Late night conversations with Chris became the norm, so my schedule is changing. I’m learning to do more on less sleep, and wouldn’t you know I’m surviving just fine. It was during one of these late night conversations, mid October, that I mentioned that I had my cousin’s wedding reception to go to in Texas December.</div>
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Now here’s one of the things that Chris and I have very different opinions about. I do not like wedding receptions, and it may not be so much that I don’t like them…it’s more that they’ve never been fun for me. Probably because of my years of singleness, bad receptions, awkward questions about “when’s it going to be your turn?” or “are you dating anyone now?” mediocre food, and expensive gifts and I’m just not a big fan. So, one night I’m talking to Chris about the upcoming wedding of my cousin Jessie who lives in Texas. I was planning on driving out for her wedding, by myself. Chris breaks in with, “I love weddings. I’ll go with you.” – are you kidding??? At least that was what I was thinking. First, who loves weddings? Second, you would do that for me? I really think that this was the first time that I actually, seriously considered that this, whatever “this” was, could be something more than just talking on the phone and getting to know this amazing man. I took him up on the offer, and that night we planned to meet for the first time, in two months time.</div>
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That would mean that our first “date” would be a 17 hour car ride after which he would be subjected to my entire family and by entire I mean like 50+ people. Wow! All I could say was Wow!</div>
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It’s here that I’ll jump forward to October 23. I was at church talking to a friend about Chris. At this point I haven’t really told too many friends about Chris, just my best friend and very few others I think this was more out of self preservation than anything. I didn’t know where this whole “relationship” thing with Chris was going and I didn’t want to jinx myself. It was kind of like I was keep this amazing treasure all to myself, but I was dying to shout it to everyone. One of the friends I did tell was my friend Charlotte from church. When I told her Chris and I were planning on meeting for the first time when he drove me to Texas her response was not what I was expecting. “Are you nuts? Why in the world are you waiting that long? You so do not want your first date to be a 17 hour car ride and then what are you going to tell everyone at the wedding when they ask how long have you been dating. ‘Our first date was the car ride over.’ Megan, you have got to meet him before the wedding.” With her remonstration ringing in my ears (BTW, thank you Charlotte!) I dialed Chris’s number on my way out to the car. </div>
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“Hey, how was church?”<br />
“Good, I was just talking to my friend Charlotte and she said something interesting.”<br />
“Oh, well I’m over here talking to Clinton and Amanda and they had an interesting idea to.”<br />
“OK, well Charlotte told me that we really should meet before December, before we go on a 17 hour car ride together and you know what, I think she’s right.”<br />
“Interesting. I’m sitting here with Amanda and the calendar is opened and we’re trying to decided when would be a good weekend for you to come out and visit.”<br />
“Oh……OK. So when?”</blockquote>
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We decided that night that we couldn’t wait till December, for so many reasons, and fortunately we’ve got amazing friends who are supporting us along the way. It was decided that November 11-13th would be the perfect weekend and I booked my flight the next day.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Chris </span></b></span></span><br />
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Megan sent me a FB message and I responded. I actually had to go back to that first message to see what I actually wrote. I know that I am not an average member of the church. My back ground is much more liberal then a lot of my friends in the church, and my politics are sometimes contrary to that of most members of the church, not better or worse just different. I am very involved in politics and believe in my politics, so i am forth coming when meeting potential mates so they know who I am up front so we don't waste each others time. With that being said I think I put the word democrat as the 2nd adjective about me. Even before convert. Not that order has anything to do with it, but yeah. </div>
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So I sent off the message chalked full of Chris charm and jokes and things about me that I feel people need to know up front. I did snoop around her FB and I was soo happy to see her surrounded by friends and family ALL the time, especially the kids. I love my nieces/nephews so much so the fact that her Facebook shows that she has the same love makes me happy. And did I mention that she is beautiful herself? no? Well she is. </div>
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I am not going to say that I waited by my FB for her to respond. I have/had so much going on that I sent the message and went back to my busy life. I figured I put myself out there and if she likes me GREAT, if not, that is part of life. At this point my Bishop has reminded me that I need to date, and only date LDS girls. Also my member friends have been pushing me towards singles ward and singles activities (Amanda feel free to enter in story) but I was resistant. I have SOOOOOOO much on my plate I would not be able give a girl the right attention. So I put the message out there and if she responded I would go forward.</div>
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And then some forever later..literally is seemed like forever..ok that is not true it was 6 days and she wrote back and told me that she was interested in talking, but the democrat thing wasn't her favorite. and honestly that is the only thing we really don't fully agree on. So we have kept the politics out of the mainstream conversation.</div>
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Well we kept in contact... one Facebook message every few days... then upped the ante and 2 messages every fews days until the messages came by the hour, day, minute.. to where we can't go about 5 minutes without communicating some how. So the blog was the next evolution to share with all of you the beauty that is us.</div>
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Our conversations evolved from Facebook to phone. I need to start another tangent before I move on to the next level of our story and that is what little I know about women. All I really know is that you need to listen and be able to talk about what is important to them. Since I have actually never done that before I would try that with Megan. and guess what men.. IT WORKS. Not only has she told me that it made her feel special, but I know a lot about her and her family, not everything, but a lot and I am still learning. Megan is super family orientated which makes me happy, but more so I love learning about her family.</div>
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So the phone calls keep coming. we talk several times a day, texted and just got to know each other. Then I heard of a wedding in Texas... once again we all know how much i love weddings, so i invited myself to go as her date. This would be the "first meeting." She was nervous, as was I. I am going to drive ½, literally, across the country to go to a wedding with her and her family. None of which I know. But again I LOVE WEDDINGS. Plus I started to get a good feeling about Megan. </div>
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I want everyone to know that I really liked megan while we talked, but it wasn’t until I saw her standing next to the baggage claim did she become real to me. So us talking on the phone brought her closer, but until we actually met it was just closer, not there.</div>
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So the planning began. We started talking about driving cross country, and how great it is going to be with us having so much time together. We decided that we are only going to talk about certain things in person. Politics was one of those subjects. The other subject was conversion. But we have moved forward and talked about most of those things when she came out to see me. </div>
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Now I am going to default to Megan on a lot of those conversations though I am a great listener I can not remember what was said at each different phone call or honestly how/why we started calling all I know is that her voice and insight made me calm and gave me faith to move forward. I wasn't moving back but she was that little push to endure. I don't know why someoneI had never met gave me that last bit of needed confidence, but it is not my duty to question, but to obey. </div>
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<i><b style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[stay tuned tomorrow...the adventure continues] </span></b></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8598377321971841563.post-81568306976965566122011-11-16T05:57:00.001-07:002011-11-16T06:52:04.344-07:00Our Story from the very beginning<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Today Chris and I decided that we needed to evaluate our <b>mass media communication strategy</b> – the marketing manager in me is calling out – because we seem to have garnered a bit of interest in the “goings-on” between us. I told Chris it’s because he’s just so darn popular.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And so in the interest of giving everyone the scoop, we’re writing it all down…from the beginning. It’ll be here for your reading pleasure, whether you want to indulge or not. And more importantly it's here for us. There are also some selfish reasons for doing this as well…I want a record of this and let’s just say that my record with journaling is abysmal. Being the thoughtful and intelligent man that he is, Chris suggested this as a way to reduce the volume of emails/texts/status updates all the while helping me to capture our new relationship *<i>big cheesy grin</i>*.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We’re expecting this to be a fully interactive experience, so join in the conversation if you want. We’ll probably be inviting some of you to give your version of events as well, just to spice things up a bit. Chris and I will also be telling the adventure from our own perspective – when I mentioned this to Chris his response was, “Great, I love talking about myself in third person.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Pull up a comfortable chair, grab your favorite drink (this will largely depend upon which one of us sent you here), and enjoy. But before we get too far we’d like to preface this entire adventure with one caveat, we provide no guarantee as to where or how this tale will end. Chris and I have just started this journey, and right now there’s no pressure. We are simply reveling in every minute of the journey.</span></div>
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Introduction of Us</h2>
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<b><span style="color: #17698a;">Megan Schaub</span></b><br />
<b>Age:</b> older than Chris ;)<br />
<b>Location:</b> Mesa, Arizona<br />
<b>Occupation:</b> Marketing coordinator for an education services company<br />
<b>Education:</b> BA in Anthropology/Archaeology, BYU & MA in Anthropology/Archaeology, BYU<br />
<b>Interests:</b> photography, scrapbooking, traveling, cooking, spending time with family & friends, reading, camping, ATV riding, web design, graphic design<br />
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<b><span style="color: #eb5821;">Christopher G. Marohn</span></b> <i>(christofer is an alternate spelling that needs to be explained at a later time)</i><br />
<b>Age:</b> Same years apart from Megan, as my grandfather was from my grandmother<br />
<b>Location:</b> Seaside, CA (Monterey Peninsula)<br />
<b>Occupation:</b> Independent Contractor/Self Employed; Working as an independent Legal associate; Freelance Paralegal or whatever you need i can do it.<br />
<b>Education:</b> Bachelors of Arts California State University, Chico: Political Science focusing in Legal Studies with a concentration in Paralegal Operations; California Certified Paralegal, California Status University, Chico Monterey College Of Law Candidate for Juris Doctrine (JD) Dec 2011<br />
<b>Interests:</b> Chess, politics, reading, speech and debate, speech writing, writing in general, poetry, watching movies, playing with my nieces/nephews, road trips, LAUGHING, and making sure all my friends and family are well taken care of..if you need anything..i got you.. :)<br />
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Megan had a great introduction to the blog so i am going to rest my case on that. On yeah, by the way I am a classically trained lawyer (almost done woot woot) who interjects all sorts of legal jargon into my speech and daily life. Just watch "a few good men" with me and you will learn this very clearly.<br />
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so Megan said it best, and i will go into my side of our story.... <br />
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Where it all started - My side: Chris</h2>
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Let me start with the end. In law school they teach you that you need to find out how the court decided and then go back through an opinion and find out why they decided that way. So I will take the allure out of it (as if there is any left, everyone reading this knows that Megan and I are dating. This is just an account of how our life is going.). <br />
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The end is this. Megan makes me happy. For me it is that simple. For years I have been the person who has carried the weight for all the people in my care, friends often make references to Shakespeare’s King Lear in telling me that “heavy is the head the wears the crown.” I am always taking care of other people from dating to living. I am the one who carries the weight. But with Megan... Megan puts my soul at rest. She is not a burden to bear, but a love to share. I can't sit here and type about her without smiling and having some tears in my eyes because I feel so at home with her. The Spirit consumes me when I think about her. From the first hug, to the goodbye kiss, I have been consumed with Megan and the few days she was here have had the best days of my life. So it is simple. Megan makes me happy, and that is all I can ask for.<br />
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Now that you know the end........ the beginning starts long before I knew Megan existed. It started at a wedding last October, before I converted to the Church, and before I knew that she was waiting for me. Well, I have to go into a side story here because you need to understand my love of weddings (which totally plays into Megan and I's future plans...not that way...yet.)<br />
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I love weddings, always have always will. I am a 7 time best man. I have performed several civil ceremonies, as I am certified with the state of California to marry people. I have been groomsman, usher, MC and guest to several dozen weddings in my short time on earth. But most importantly at this wedding in October I was the presiding authority of the ceremony. I was performing the ceremony for the short lived marriage of Kristen, Jared & Clinton Weichers's younger sister (Jared is Megan's brother-in-law). At the wedding I met Jared and his wife Kiki.<br />
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So that is the real start, because those two crazy love birds thought that Megan should meet me. At this point I am not a member. I am pretty sure I single handedly drank the bar dry at least once and carried Clinton (Jared's brother, one of my best friends and guide to the gospel) like a child, talking about how cute he is. So when Megan expressed her resveration with Jared setting her up, her fears might be well founded. But that isn't even the start of Megan and I story, that was the seed that was planted. But it was in that moment that Jared and Kiki saw in me what I haven't even seen in myself yet.<br />
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Fast forward 9 months and I am converting to the Church... now this is where I will ask Clint/Amanda to step in and tell the Jared story or even Jared and Kiki to step up, because I was too busy converting to even think about a future wife. <br />
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Now let us fast forward to a Facebook message from Jared, which is the logical starting point because this is where I first read the name that would be such a blessing in my life. He sent an email about Megan, asking if I would want to talk to her and get to know her. (I would like to point out that I am not a letter of the law definition sort of guy unless it is for the court room. I am more of the paraphrase and summarize sort of guy, which is great cause Megan posted the emails verbatim on her "our story" page. I am going to to summarize.) I told him sure and gave my contact info. Now I was expecting anything honestly because I am finishing up law school, with my recent conversion and trying to live the right way I have a ton on my plate..oh and remember I am helping out with weddings, prepping for the bar, helping my best friend move into a new house, spending time with my family and so on /so forth... needless to say if Megan hadn't Facebooked me I would still be busy, but just stressed and not smiling as I do. I give her full credit on getting us started, but we both keep it going. </div>
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Where it all started - My side: Megan</h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I’m going to have to give credit where credit is due, it all started with Jared Weichers, at least for me anyways. My brother-in-law and sister have been actively seeking a solution to my singleness. In fact, they’ve made several valid attempts in the past at rectifying the situation, some of them more successful than others. The last attempt, a year ago, was an abysmal failure that went on for far too long, but I won’t go into detail. Nevertheless, Jared & Kiki never gave up hope.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In September (September 3, 2011, to be exact) Jared sent me a message via Facebook:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">megan, below is the contact info of a really cool guy. Any questions ask kiki.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Love ya, </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">jared</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Christofer G. Marohn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Yeah I'm always game. Give her my Facebook or contact info. xxx-xxx-xxxx</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">xxxxemailxxxx.com</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Conversation History</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jared Weichers 10:26pm Sep 2</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hey chris, </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I want to introduce you to my sister in law. Are you game? Her name is Megan Schaub . She is a wonderful person and i think you would be good friends.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jared</span></blockquote>
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</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now after the last “hook up” that Jared sent my way, I learned my lesson…check with Kiki first! Something I failed to do last time, much to my consternation. A few days after getting Jared’s message I asked Kiki if she knew Chris, her response “Oh, you’ll like Chris! He’s super smart and fun.” That was enough of an endorsement for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On September 14th I finally reached out to Chris:</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, I should probably introduce myself...I'm Jared Weicher's sister-in-law - megan. You're welcome to snoop around my FB profile to learn more about me. Jared and Kiki have told me next to nothing about you. In fact all Jared has said was, "You'll like him. He's smart." I don't know if that says more about you or me.</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Again, I wasn’t expecting anything spectacular but was at least banking on getting a new friend out of this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was pleasantly surprised when that very night Chris responded to my message. I’m only going to share the most important parts with you…Chris can share the rest if he wants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">hahaha... i am a 4th year law student, <span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">democrat</span>, law clerk for the public defenders (criminal defense), recent convert to the church, who has the weight of the world on his shoulders..</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Did you notice what stuck out to me first and foremost? I am not exaggerating when I say that I stopped and stared at that word for like 3-4 minutes. A DEMOCRAT?!?!? What in the world do I do with a Democrat?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For those of you who may not be aware, I am a died-in-the-wool-converservative-card-carrying-member-of-the-Republican-Party. I had to process the implications of this. After a few minutes of pondering, I came to one conclusion…the Lord is not going to ask your political party affiliation at the gates of heaven. There are things eternal and all else is negotiable, so I moved on and boy am I glad I did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It did, however take me almost a week to come up with a good response back.</span><br />
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<i style="color: #0b5394;"><b>[That's all for now. I've got to get to work. Come back tomorrow for another chapter in the Marohn Madness Saga]</b></i><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09209111659607563342noreply@blogger.com4