Our Anniversary

Charlie and I celebrated out 4th anniversary last week. We had already gone to dinner and a movie while we were in Lovell and had babysitters, but we decided to go out to Corona Village. We almost didn't get to because Charlie picked up a shift to work that night, but luckily his boss bailed him out :) After dinner, we came home and watched 24.

So here's our story: We met probably some time in high school. I think I knew about him long before he knew about me. We lived in neighboring towns, only about 7 miles apart, and we were in the same stake. Then I got called to Stake Youth Council, which Charlie was already on. He impressed my parents early in our "relationship" when I was being set apart for the calling. The leader in charge of the meeting asked who wanted to say the prayer, then he said, "and maybe someone besides Charlie for a change." After that, my parents would approve of him. My sister was friends with his sister, and one day she actually told his mom that we were going to get married someday.
Charlie left on his mission in 2003. I wrote to him a couple times, but he thought I was just one of those girls who wrote to all the missionaries, so he didn't think anything of it. Then a few days after he got home off his mission, I showed up on his doorstep, along with my sister. Charlie had the thought, "You could marry a girl like her someday." He always talks about how stunned he was. Missionaries always talk about how girls clamor at the doorsteps of RMs, but he never believed it. Then lo and behold, it's actually true.
A few months later, I went to Northwest College. Imagine my delight when Charlie not only was going to Northwest College, but we actually had the same Psychology class. I still say he didn't really notice me until one day in my dorm room, I was watching a Braves game. Charlie came in the room with my roommate to get an assignment or something from her and saw me watching the game. He had a shocked look on his face, and said, "You watch baseball?!?!" In order for this to mean anything, you would have to know how big of a baseball fan he is. He watches every single Astros game that's on TV, and listens on the internet to any not on TV. He owns multiple hats and Jerseys from his favorite players.
A few days later, he showed up at my door, saying that he needed help with the Psychology assignment. I was pretty lonely at the time, so I welcomed the company.


That's when it all started. We were practically inseparable after that. I didn't really think anything was going to come about with us. We were just really good friends. Then Charlie dropped his cell phone in the toilet. There was no way for people to get a hold of him, so they started calling me because apparently everyone knew he would be with me. I think it was a turning point for both of us. We decided maybe we were actually dating. For FHE one night, the institute was watching a movie. We were sitting together. The whole time, I couldn't concentrate on the movie because I could tell Charlie was debating holding my hand. He would move his hand close to mine, then change his mind and jerk it back. Finally, probably with about 15 minutes left in the movie, he actually got around to holding my hand. To this day, I still laugh about it. There was one Sunday where about 7 people from our stake were giving their farewell talk for their mission, and most of them were friends, so we went to all those together. After that, we went to my family's house for Family Home Evening. The FHE my family has on Sundays includes the whole family: grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins. So it was a full house. I guess Charlie got his nerve, because he kept trying to hold my hand, but I didn't want him to. That would mean my family would start talking about "us," which would mean the entire Big Horn Basin would soon know that Charlie was holding my hand :)
I remember the first time he told me he loved me, and all I could say was, "Oh." I was just stunned I guess. I think I told him the next day.
One night, we were sitting in the car listening to a tape someone had given to me a long time ago, and this song started playing. I guess it's the closest thing we have to a "song." I can't find the tape now, and it's nowhere to be found on the internet, and I've forgotten a lot of the words, but I'll write what I remember:
People say we're rushing it, say we need to take more time.
It hasn't been quite long enough for us to know it's right.
But they can keep on worrying (Then a part I can't remember)
Not enough time for them is just enough time for me.
(Another part I can't remember) And we will always be
Together when we're working, together when we play
Together when we wake up with the worst breath of the day.
I don't want to be 82 with anybody else but you.
I don't want to be old and gray unless you're with me all the way.
And when I lose my teeth and hair,
If you still love me I won't care.
No, I don't want to be 82 with anybody else but you.
(Another part I can't remember)
If I seem in a hurry it's because I just can't wait
To take you by the hand and dress you up in white,
Take you home for good and never have to say goodnight.
And we'll grow old together. Just stick to me like glue.
And even when we're old you know our love will still be true.
I don't want to be 82 with anybody else but you.
I don't want to be old and gray unless you're with me all the way.
And when I lose my teeth and hair,
If you still love me I won't care.
No, I don't want to be 82 with anybody else but you. It's one of the silliest songs I've ever heard, but we love it. And it fit us quite well. Many people were telling us we needed to take more time and make sure that we knew what we were doing.When he proposed to me, we were at our friend's house, Basically he said, "My mom said January's a good month to get married. What do you think?" So then we started planning our wedding right then. Don't blame him for not going all out. He did have something in mind that had to do with going out to eat where he worked and bringing out sentimental things throughout the dinner (we used to eat pudding together if one of us had been having a bad day and it just seemed to make the troubles go away. Our motto soon became, "Life's stressful. Eat pudding." So he was going have the waitress bring out a bunch of pudding. Things like that. But back then I was even more picky about the food I eat than I am now, so I refused to go eat at some fancy restaurant when I would have to order a grilled cheese sandwich or something.
Soon afterward, maybe even that night, I can't remember, Charlie went to ask my dad if he could marry me. My dad was going to say only if Charlie would convert from Astros to Braves, but he was afraid Charlie wouldn't want to marry me anymore :)

We got married, and we've been happy ever since.


I love you Charlie. I know you think you're the lucky one, but I still think you're wrong. You're a great husband and father, and I couldn't have gotten any luckier. And even though you slept through Psychology and still got the same grade I did, even though your speech piece about the man who fell in love with his cat scared me a little, even though freshmen girls ask you to sit on their laps, even though you threw gummy hamburgers at me when I wasn't looking, even though you had your niece and nephews wake me up by dog piling on me, I still love you and will always love you., It's been a great 4 years, and I can't wait for more to come. I love you!