Nicki and I just found out that our wedding was featured on the LDS Bride Blog. Our photographer, Emily Heizer, submitted our pictures and it was selected! Nicki provided the details to go along with the pictures. All in all, I think it turned out pretty great. Here's the link: wedding feature.
Enjoy!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Best Day Of Our LIves (Part 1)
Hello hello from Reston, Virginia. We just wanted everyone to know that we actually did it. We actually got married and that life is wonderful. We have lots of updates, but we'll start with the most important.
We are truly grateful to all of our family who was able to fly and drive out to DC to be with us. We were able to have all of our siblings there and lots of extended family. We feel truly blessed to have had the help of family and friends.
The festivities really started Thursday night when the majority of the people came in. So as you can guess there was not a lot of sleep. Jessica and Sarah stayed up with me "prepping" and running our own beauty shop plucking, painting nails, etc. And we even had the help of our expert photographer with making our own flower bouquets for the shoot Friday morning.
After getting to bed, two hours later we got up and prepped for Jessica, Emily (photographer) Shirlene (cousin and photographer assistant) and Dustin and I to head downtown to take pictures at the national monuments and Dad and Sarah would join us after seminary.
Despite none of us sleeping and all being exhausted this was absolutely so much fun. We had no stress so we pretty much went to all the sites we wanted and anytime we saw a fun tree or something pretty we'd stop to take some photos. And we were like a walking phenomenon because everywhere we went people honked their horns and shouted "Congrats!". So don't be surprised if you see candids of us on YouTube or facebook from people we've never met before. Many people took pictures of us and even the tour buses announced that there was a bride and groom as they drove past and people took pictures of us as they drove by. I guess we're just that cute!!
Then dad, Sarah and Jessica went home while Shirlene, Emily, Dustin and I trucked it to the Temple to get a few more pictures. By the time we got here we were done. So we got a few shots, the lighting was really bad because it was noon and the sun was HOT. And then we headed home. Then some more errands and we were able to have a fabulous Bar-B-Que at the Shepherd home with everyone. We even brought out the zip line and of course everyone LOVED mom's fruit tarts. It was nice to have everyone help. After we all set up, worked on flowers, went to set up the church for the luncheon, etc.
We hope you enjoyed this first installment. Below are pictures from our Friday photo shoot. The one with the police officer is him checking our permit. We are SO glad we got a permit and that Emily found out we needed one in the first place!! Shirlene was a perfect assistant and always had it ready. All photos are courtesy of Emily Heizer Photography: www.eheizerphotography.com
We are truly grateful to all of our family who was able to fly and drive out to DC to be with us. We were able to have all of our siblings there and lots of extended family. We feel truly blessed to have had the help of family and friends.
The festivities really started Thursday night when the majority of the people came in. So as you can guess there was not a lot of sleep. Jessica and Sarah stayed up with me "prepping" and running our own beauty shop plucking, painting nails, etc. And we even had the help of our expert photographer with making our own flower bouquets for the shoot Friday morning.
After getting to bed, two hours later we got up and prepped for Jessica, Emily (photographer) Shirlene (cousin and photographer assistant) and Dustin and I to head downtown to take pictures at the national monuments and Dad and Sarah would join us after seminary.
Despite none of us sleeping and all being exhausted this was absolutely so much fun. We had no stress so we pretty much went to all the sites we wanted and anytime we saw a fun tree or something pretty we'd stop to take some photos. And we were like a walking phenomenon because everywhere we went people honked their horns and shouted "Congrats!". So don't be surprised if you see candids of us on YouTube or facebook from people we've never met before. Many people took pictures of us and even the tour buses announced that there was a bride and groom as they drove past and people took pictures of us as they drove by. I guess we're just that cute!!
Then dad, Sarah and Jessica went home while Shirlene, Emily, Dustin and I trucked it to the Temple to get a few more pictures. By the time we got here we were done. So we got a few shots, the lighting was really bad because it was noon and the sun was HOT. And then we headed home. Then some more errands and we were able to have a fabulous Bar-B-Que at the Shepherd home with everyone. We even brought out the zip line and of course everyone LOVED mom's fruit tarts. It was nice to have everyone help. After we all set up, worked on flowers, went to set up the church for the luncheon, etc.
We hope you enjoyed this first installment. Below are pictures from our Friday photo shoot. The one with the police officer is him checking our permit. We are SO glad we got a permit and that Emily found out we needed one in the first place!! Shirlene was a perfect assistant and always had it ready. All photos are courtesy of Emily Heizer Photography: www.eheizerphotography.com
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Beginning Our Adventures TOGETHER!!
For Dustin's Birthday we had been planning on going out to Utah for a few days to meet his family and some more of mine and just celebrate with everyone. Luckily it was Easter and General Conference and luckily I also attend a Catholic School who gets a Spring Break and an Easter Break so we were able to go out for about 5 days. One of these years BYU will discover the wonders of Spring Break, not to mention Easter Break!!
We were able to stay that night with my Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Rick and of course they came to love Dustin almost instantly. I mean it isn't hard!! Then we were able to eat Thursday lunch with Dustin's lifetime friend Nathan and his wife Michelle and their two kids. Then we headed down to Provo where my Aunt Linda and Uncle Jerry threw us an Engagement party. It was SO nice! Once again everyone loved Dustin and it was so nice to be able to see family and friends that I haven't seen in so long and meet this wonderful man by my side. Thank you Linda and Jerry and everyone who made the trip to come down and see us!!
Friday was Dustin's Birthday and we were privileged to go to lunch with my mom, sister and her friend with Dustin's parents at Tucanos!!! Yum!!! I've never been there, but I am proud to admit that I'm a carnivore after that experience.
We then went to pick up his sister Melanie and head off to his sister Sharla's house. I was quite nervous because I'd only met his parents before and that was before we were even dating, so I was just trying to stay calm and hope that I would handle it as well as Dustin meeting all my extended family!
I had nothing to worry about!! What an amazing family of course! We were immediately greeted when we pulled up by children running to come see us. The rest of the weekend was spent playing games and watching conference and getting to know everyone. And there were some things that I actually learned about Dustin.
First is that his sister Melanie always finds the greatest gifts.....and that Dustin likes to put things on his head. He didn't want me to put this one up, but it is too funny with Ruby laughing and sticking her hands over her face and Dustin's look at me as I just don't know what to think. Yes I Love that man!! 
Ok so I already knew Dustin Loves to play the piano and sing but it was so nice to hear his family playing and singing and how incredibly talented they are.
Dustin has ADORABLE nieces and nephews who love their Uncle Dustin and want to do whatever he does. Can you blame them??
Dustin had previously told me his love of ice cream, but I learned that this was a whole new level of love. Here is him and his delicious ice cream cake. It looks like I better learn how to make ice cream cakes or develop a special relationship with Dairy Queen.
After we got back from Utah the next weekend we decided to go Downtown to see the Cherry Blossom Festival. Unfortunately the heat killed all the blossoms so it was more of just a Festival then anything else, but we still were able to just walk around the Tidal basin and see the trees and monuments.
Dustin was really hungry!
The Cherry Blossoms were gone but there were still so many flowers in bloom and trees everywhere that it was nice just to walk around and enjoy the green and spring!
Dustin Loves Flowers :)
But most importantly....18 more days!!! Wahoo!! Not that we're totally excited or anything :)
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We were able to stay that night with my Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Rick and of course they came to love Dustin almost instantly. I mean it isn't hard!! Then we were able to eat Thursday lunch with Dustin's lifetime friend Nathan and his wife Michelle and their two kids. Then we headed down to Provo where my Aunt Linda and Uncle Jerry threw us an Engagement party. It was SO nice! Once again everyone loved Dustin and it was so nice to be able to see family and friends that I haven't seen in so long and meet this wonderful man by my side. Thank you Linda and Jerry and everyone who made the trip to come down and see us!!
Friday was Dustin's Birthday and we were privileged to go to lunch with my mom, sister and her friend with Dustin's parents at Tucanos!!! Yum!!! I've never been there, but I am proud to admit that I'm a carnivore after that experience.
We then went to pick up his sister Melanie and head off to his sister Sharla's house. I was quite nervous because I'd only met his parents before and that was before we were even dating, so I was just trying to stay calm and hope that I would handle it as well as Dustin meeting all my extended family!
I had nothing to worry about!! What an amazing family of course! We were immediately greeted when we pulled up by children running to come see us. The rest of the weekend was spent playing games and watching conference and getting to know everyone. And there were some things that I actually learned about Dustin.
First is that his sister Melanie always finds the greatest gifts.....and that Dustin likes to put things on his head. He didn't want me to put this one up, but it is too funny with Ruby laughing and sticking her hands over her face and Dustin's look at me as I just don't know what to think. Yes I Love that man!! 
Ok so I already knew Dustin Loves to play the piano and sing but it was so nice to hear his family playing and singing and how incredibly talented they are.
Dustin has ADORABLE nieces and nephews who love their Uncle Dustin and want to do whatever he does. Can you blame them?? 
Dustin had previously told me his love of ice cream, but I learned that this was a whole new level of love. Here is him and his delicious ice cream cake. It looks like I better learn how to make ice cream cakes or develop a special relationship with Dairy Queen.
After we got back from Utah the next weekend we decided to go Downtown to see the Cherry Blossom Festival. Unfortunately the heat killed all the blossoms so it was more of just a Festival then anything else, but we still were able to just walk around the Tidal basin and see the trees and monuments. 
Dustin was really hungry!
The Cherry Blossoms were gone but there were still so many flowers in bloom and trees everywhere that it was nice just to walk around and enjoy the green and spring!
Dustin Loves Flowers :)But most importantly....18 more days!!! Wahoo!! Not that we're totally excited or anything :)
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Monday, April 12, 2010
Boy and Girl Have Fun
So life has been going great and we are excited and ready to get married. In some ways we both agree that May 22nd couldn't get here fast enough. But of course we are continuing to love being together and spending this time making decisions and getting to know each other better.
One of our favorite quotes came from my youngest brother Joshua. My parents were in the kitchen hugging so Joshua decided to run to the Dinning Room for safety just to run into me and Dustin kissing in that room. So he then runs to the Living Room shouting "Isn't there a limit to the schmoopiness?!?"
We thought you would also enjoy seeing some of our engagement photos. We took them just after the big snow that hit DC so it was still cold outside and there was still snow on the ground. But we took our photos around Georgetown and right on the steps where Dustin proposed. So these pictures mean a lot to us. My sister Sarah, my dad and mom were kind enough to follow us around and take the pictures for us. We hope you enjoy as much as we do!! Even though I'm sure Dustin wished he could have been wearing his super suit. And I wasn't allowed to wear my Ohio State sweatshirt.
One of our favorite quotes came from my youngest brother Joshua. My parents were in the kitchen hugging so Joshua decided to run to the Dinning Room for safety just to run into me and Dustin kissing in that room. So he then runs to the Living Room shouting "Isn't there a limit to the schmoopiness?!?"
We thought you would also enjoy seeing some of our engagement photos. We took them just after the big snow that hit DC so it was still cold outside and there was still snow on the ground. But we took our photos around Georgetown and right on the steps where Dustin proposed. So these pictures mean a lot to us. My sister Sarah, my dad and mom were kind enough to follow us around and take the pictures for us. We hope you enjoy as much as we do!! Even though I'm sure Dustin wished he could have been wearing his super suit. And I wasn't allowed to wear my Ohio State sweatshirt.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Boy Gets Girl
After the symphony we've continued to expand our international taste buds and laughed even more. Then the huge snow storm hit DC...on my Birthday, and the day Dustin was coming back in town. The poor guy tried everything he could to get back for my Birthday, and then even just back to DC in the first place. But alas, 12 canceled flights, and then once in Chicago 5 gate changes and 4 planes later, he finally flew in at 2am Monday morning. And then it is amazing how something that seemed a burden becomes a blessing, because Dustin got "snowed in" at my house again for 4 days, no work, no school...best Birthday present ever. Apparently getting snowed in for a few days after him being gone for awhile is the perfect recipe for ring shopping.
We decided to go shopping together because I wasn't man enough to do it alone... After looking through the options, Nicki and I finally decided on one. The ring shop told us that it would take at least 2 1/2 weeks for resizing much to Nicki's chagrin. But, I think I noticed a little wink and a nod from the sales lady. I was pretty sure I could get it sooner...
So from the moment we left the ring shop I was on a mission....I checked his pockets whenever I saw him, just in case. I wasn't about to get surprised. I knew this man all too well. And the little stinker (ok he actually smells wonderful) kept doing things to "prove" that he didn't have the ring. I kept waiting for it....and waiting for it. I mean I was ready to tell people, especially those girls, that this man was taken. So I was talking to my mom the morning of February 22, a Monday before I left for school that morning, that since he was going to be busy with work and he wouldn't have the ring until Tuesday that he was going to propose Sunday morning, to try and surprise me. Because he knew I would be expecting him to propose Saturday night.
Little did she know that I had used my ninja skills to pick up the ring the Wednesday before (this included calling the place and having them stay open a little longer for me). I would have proposed before the 22nd, but I wasn't going to be at church for the announcement. So, I decided to wait until Monday night knowing that she probably wouldn't suspect it. In order to pull off a surprise, however, I knew that I needed a plan to hide the ring from her for most of the evening. Luckily, my instinctual stealth skills didn't let me down...
So Dustin asked me what I wanted to do Monday night and we had heard that the housing district around Georgetown was particularly beautiful and fun to look at the houses, so I wanted to go walk around there. I got back from school after 8pm that evening and we set off to go walk around. As we were walking around we talked about the cute houses and things we liked and our future together, and ways we wanted to raise our children. Dustin seemed a bit nervous, but I thought at the time he was just cold since it was raining. At one point we were actually walking around Georgetown campus and he said he didn't want to go that way because it was too crowded. I thought....is he trying to propose??? But then brushed it off because I knew he didn't have the ring. I had kept too close tabs on him for that to happen, and besides I had already checked his pockets. As we were walking back to the car because by this time we were pretty wet, as romantic as walking and kissing in the rain (I know I said it...we kiss every now and then), we are whimps when it comes to the cold. We did stop to talk and admire this stoop with this winding staircase and ivy hanging everywhere when he mentioned we could have something like that in our home. Being the schmoop I am I just told the truth, I only wanted him. Then he pulled me over and got down on his knee and I immediately thought he was kidding and gave this look wondering if he was serious. Then he started saying the most wonderful things and pulled this little box out of his pant leg. Then lots of yeses, tears and more kissing in the rain later there was this beautiful ring on my left hand that symbolized the future I was going to spend with the man I loved more then I thought possible.
Couldn't have said it better. It was exactly how I wanted it to be. I don't think I could have planned it better...definitely serendipitous! I have never been happier thanks to this amazing girl....and then we lived happily ever after!
We decided to go shopping together because I wasn't man enough to do it alone... After looking through the options, Nicki and I finally decided on one. The ring shop told us that it would take at least 2 1/2 weeks for resizing much to Nicki's chagrin. But, I think I noticed a little wink and a nod from the sales lady. I was pretty sure I could get it sooner...
So from the moment we left the ring shop I was on a mission....I checked his pockets whenever I saw him, just in case. I wasn't about to get surprised. I knew this man all too well. And the little stinker (ok he actually smells wonderful) kept doing things to "prove" that he didn't have the ring. I kept waiting for it....and waiting for it. I mean I was ready to tell people, especially those girls, that this man was taken. So I was talking to my mom the morning of February 22, a Monday before I left for school that morning, that since he was going to be busy with work and he wouldn't have the ring until Tuesday that he was going to propose Sunday morning, to try and surprise me. Because he knew I would be expecting him to propose Saturday night.
Little did she know that I had used my ninja skills to pick up the ring the Wednesday before (this included calling the place and having them stay open a little longer for me). I would have proposed before the 22nd, but I wasn't going to be at church for the announcement. So, I decided to wait until Monday night knowing that she probably wouldn't suspect it. In order to pull off a surprise, however, I knew that I needed a plan to hide the ring from her for most of the evening. Luckily, my instinctual stealth skills didn't let me down...
So Dustin asked me what I wanted to do Monday night and we had heard that the housing district around Georgetown was particularly beautiful and fun to look at the houses, so I wanted to go walk around there. I got back from school after 8pm that evening and we set off to go walk around. As we were walking around we talked about the cute houses and things we liked and our future together, and ways we wanted to raise our children. Dustin seemed a bit nervous, but I thought at the time he was just cold since it was raining. At one point we were actually walking around Georgetown campus and he said he didn't want to go that way because it was too crowded. I thought....is he trying to propose??? But then brushed it off because I knew he didn't have the ring. I had kept too close tabs on him for that to happen, and besides I had already checked his pockets. As we were walking back to the car because by this time we were pretty wet, as romantic as walking and kissing in the rain (I know I said it...we kiss every now and then), we are whimps when it comes to the cold. We did stop to talk and admire this stoop with this winding staircase and ivy hanging everywhere when he mentioned we could have something like that in our home. Being the schmoop I am I just told the truth, I only wanted him. Then he pulled me over and got down on his knee and I immediately thought he was kidding and gave this look wondering if he was serious. Then he started saying the most wonderful things and pulled this little box out of his pant leg. Then lots of yeses, tears and more kissing in the rain later there was this beautiful ring on my left hand that symbolized the future I was going to spend with the man I loved more then I thought possible.
Couldn't have said it better. It was exactly how I wanted it to be. I don't think I could have planned it better...definitely serendipitous! I have never been happier thanks to this amazing girl....and then we lived happily ever after!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Boy Falls for Girl
So we are going to try and update everyone on our exciting adventure, thus far at least.
First, we wanted to explain the Peter Parker and Mary Jane which we chose as the title of our last blog. Dustin is a superhero. He always has been. If anyone can tell you whose who in the Marvel world, Dustin is your man. But of all his superheros and superpowers, Spiderman is THE man. I mean you can crawl on walls, make spiderwebs and swing between buildings, but to top the cake, who can beat the "Spider sense"??? If there is anything a man needs, it is the gift of the spider sense. Dustin has a Spiderman keychain and one hanging from his rear-view mirror, and a spiderman ringtone. Hot I know :) So I like to call him my Peter Parker because he has such great senses and saves me, and so of course I'm his Mary Jane. But just as an FYI, we don't recommend kissing upside down, the movies make it look so romantic, but right side up is MUCH better.
The weekend following our first kiss, DC was hit by a semi-big snow storm. I had planned on going to Nicki's Saturday morning, but the snow was a little much for my Vibe. I called her to tell her I wasn't going to make it, but during the conversation her parents insisted they would come get me in their SUV. I was quite taken back by their willingness to do this, but I was definitely happy. Because of this, I was happily snowed in at her family's place for the weekend! It was much better than being snowed in with my roommates (they're great, but Nicki's better). Church was canceled and I got to hang out with her fam, listen to stories about her, have a testimony meeting, and just had an all around amazing time.
I worked on Monday and luckily had lunch with this wonderful girl before I flew home for Christmas. While home, we texted back and forth and I realized how much I missed talking with her and making her cheeks hurt. As much as I loved being with my family, I was really excited to get back to DC. I was worried her cheeks were starting to atrophy.
So Dustin has made my life so easy and likes to land mark our big events on the same dates as members of my families birthdays. Joshua's was the 11th when he really knew he was in and ready to dive in. Then on the 29th, my little brother David's Birthday, I made him lunch and went to his house again since I was working that night. And while hugging good bye he looked at me and told me loved me. I had to smile and tell him that I knew he did :) And of course I had to tell him I loved him too!!! The best part is my family has continuously made "guesses" on when he was going to tell me this, just like we all did for when we thought he was going to hold my hand and kiss me, and once again, Dustin surprised us all. Maybe he's not as slow moving as I thought. This boy is smart and catches on. :)
On 5 January Nicki's family and I went to see Wicked in New York. I highly recommend it. It was one of the most amazing musical experiences both Nicki and I have ever had. Nicki wore this amazing dress and while at the performance a guy told her she that she looked absolutely beautiful. When I heard him say this, I thought, "Dang straight she is and she's with me!"
For Christmas, I decided to get Nicki tickets to the symphony along with a nice dinner. Making this decision was very stressful because I don't consider myself very good at that kinda thing. But, I waded through my trepidation and went out on a limb deciding to just get her it even though she would have to wait for it.
Oh and it was well worth the wait!! What a night to just dress up nicely, then he took me to Ethiopian food and listened to me talk all about Ethiopia like the wonderful boyfriend he is. And he even tried injera and all sorts of crazy wats. But I was nice and didn't order the raw kidneys. Ok, maybe I never wanted to taste those again. But then to go to the Kennedy Center and spend the evening listening to this amazing music and a piano concerto. Dustin even took the advice of my sister and got floor seats stage left so that we could watch the pianist go at it. I can't say how amazing that was!! Just another night to help us spend time together and draw even closer.
To be continued....
Tune in next time. Same bat time, same bat channel...
First, we wanted to explain the Peter Parker and Mary Jane which we chose as the title of our last blog. Dustin is a superhero. He always has been. If anyone can tell you whose who in the Marvel world, Dustin is your man. But of all his superheros and superpowers, Spiderman is THE man. I mean you can crawl on walls, make spiderwebs and swing between buildings, but to top the cake, who can beat the "Spider sense"??? If there is anything a man needs, it is the gift of the spider sense. Dustin has a Spiderman keychain and one hanging from his rear-view mirror, and a spiderman ringtone. Hot I know :) So I like to call him my Peter Parker because he has such great senses and saves me, and so of course I'm his Mary Jane. But just as an FYI, we don't recommend kissing upside down, the movies make it look so romantic, but right side up is MUCH better.
The weekend following our first kiss, DC was hit by a semi-big snow storm. I had planned on going to Nicki's Saturday morning, but the snow was a little much for my Vibe. I called her to tell her I wasn't going to make it, but during the conversation her parents insisted they would come get me in their SUV. I was quite taken back by their willingness to do this, but I was definitely happy. Because of this, I was happily snowed in at her family's place for the weekend! It was much better than being snowed in with my roommates (they're great, but Nicki's better). Church was canceled and I got to hang out with her fam, listen to stories about her, have a testimony meeting, and just had an all around amazing time.
I worked on Monday and luckily had lunch with this wonderful girl before I flew home for Christmas. While home, we texted back and forth and I realized how much I missed talking with her and making her cheeks hurt. As much as I loved being with my family, I was really excited to get back to DC. I was worried her cheeks were starting to atrophy.
So Dustin has made my life so easy and likes to land mark our big events on the same dates as members of my families birthdays. Joshua's was the 11th when he really knew he was in and ready to dive in. Then on the 29th, my little brother David's Birthday, I made him lunch and went to his house again since I was working that night. And while hugging good bye he looked at me and told me loved me. I had to smile and tell him that I knew he did :) And of course I had to tell him I loved him too!!! The best part is my family has continuously made "guesses" on when he was going to tell me this, just like we all did for when we thought he was going to hold my hand and kiss me, and once again, Dustin surprised us all. Maybe he's not as slow moving as I thought. This boy is smart and catches on. :)
On 5 January Nicki's family and I went to see Wicked in New York. I highly recommend it. It was one of the most amazing musical experiences both Nicki and I have ever had. Nicki wore this amazing dress and while at the performance a guy told her she that she looked absolutely beautiful. When I heard him say this, I thought, "Dang straight she is and she's with me!"
For Christmas, I decided to get Nicki tickets to the symphony along with a nice dinner. Making this decision was very stressful because I don't consider myself very good at that kinda thing. But, I waded through my trepidation and went out on a limb deciding to just get her it even though she would have to wait for it.
Oh and it was well worth the wait!! What a night to just dress up nicely, then he took me to Ethiopian food and listened to me talk all about Ethiopia like the wonderful boyfriend he is. And he even tried injera and all sorts of crazy wats. But I was nice and didn't order the raw kidneys. Ok, maybe I never wanted to taste those again. But then to go to the Kennedy Center and spend the evening listening to this amazing music and a piano concerto. Dustin even took the advice of my sister and got floor seats stage left so that we could watch the pianist go at it. I can't say how amazing that was!! Just another night to help us spend time together and draw even closer.
To be continued....
Tune in next time. Same bat time, same bat channel...
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Real Peter Parker and Mary Jane
So by popular demand, Dustin and I will be recording our story for your reading delight. We thought it might be more fun for both of us to tell our sides of the story. So sorry if this is a little long. Just a few warnings before you embark upon this journey. First, Dustin will be talking in italics just to make it easier to distinguish who is talking. Second, we're schmoopy, aka sappy. So if your stomach can't take the mush, don't even bother.
So there I was, cleaning the church meticulously setting up the primary room chairs when a girl with this beautiful smile peaked in and said, "Hi, I'm Nicki." and then we were dating.
That is what I get for asking him to help. I deserved that one. But we met in August cleaning the church and then saw each other a week later on the way to choir.
Following the choir encounter, I saw Nicki and her sister Jessica at one of the thirty birthday parties held in September. We engaged in conversation about pickle juice, electrolytes, and shin splints which was interrupted by a phone conversation with my sister.
After he disappeared I was sure I had blown it and should have kept my mouth shut about the tibialis anterior separating from the periostium. I mean this guy was cute, and I have no filtering system.
So on a fine evening in October, several business trips later, Nicki held this great party. Not quite sure of the details, I called her up and said, "Hey!" She said, "Cool," and then I came over. Upon arrival, while Nicki was entertaining hundreds of guests (almost literally), I fearlessly embarked upon the dangerous activity of ziplinning. After looking awesome, I ate some grub, played a couple games with Nicki, then skedaddled.
Keep in mind that at this time my sights were set in a different direction, and Dustin had been out of a relationship for 2 days at this point. The next thing we remember was Dustin finding me on facebook and we started talking a bit more. We had found some mutual friends and enjoyed making connections. Then I left for M*ch*g*n for my friends wedding and ran into one of those connections and was excited to tell him that Dustin was in my ward.
When she got back, we talked on the phone about our mutual friend during which I mentioned that my parents, in a couple of days, were coming in town for a week. So, for the next week and a half, I was predisposed.
I was pretty sure he was telling me this to explain why on earth he wasn't asking me out yet. I thought we got along pretty well and was interested in getting to know him better. So at church that Sunday when these two "adults" sat in front of me at church I was sure they were Dustin's parents and I thought it had to be some sort of a hint. I said hi and introduced myself. Then I watched them during sacrament meeting and was really impressed. They just seemed like good people. So during Sunday School my friend Stephanie had been bugging me about going on a double date with her and her boyfriend Dave and Dave asked who I wanted to be set up with. So I said Dustin. Afterwards I taught the Relief Society Lesson and was for some odd reason really nervous that Sister Hinton was in the audience. I thought for sure that from some of my stories she would think I was not good enough for her son.
Scene change -- driving home in my car. Mom: So, the relief society lesson was great today. Me: Really? What was it about. Mom: It was about child and parent relationships. Me: Interesting. Mom: Do you know a Nicki Shepherd in your ward. Me: Yes mom. Mom: She seems like a really great girl. Me: I'm sure she is. But I'm not sure I'm ready for a relationship yet. Mom: Why not? Dad: Okay...
Dave approached me around this time and asked if I would double with Nicki and them. I was originally going paragliding that weekend, but the weather looked like I would not be able to go. So, I said, "Sure." However, the weather did clear up, so I asked for a rain check.
When Stephanie called me to let me know Dustin had canceled I said I was done. But I wanted to let him know I wasn't upset that he couldn't go, because it really was a good reason. However, I had convinced myself he wasn't interested and that I should turn my focus elsewhere. And yet we ended up talking on the phone for about an hour that night.
The next night, the night that was supposed to be our date, I met up with Stephanie and Dave at a huge house party. But when I walked in the door I ran into Dustin, who said he was sorry, but they ended up not going anyways, and then I didn't see him for the rest of the night (he later said he was playing ping pong in the basement). I was slightly flustered, so Stephanie told me to come to dinner with her and Dave. At dinner Dave gave a needed pep talk, and told me that he had recently gotten out of a relationship and to just be patient. So I was patient....
We talked on the phone a couple of times and then by a stoke of luck Nicki became part of my groups talent show act -- Harry Potter Puppet Pals -- as Hermione (I was Snape wearing a mullet wig sideways). So, between rehearsals and the performance, we spent some good time getting to know each other. This lead to flirting at FHE, and then I finally got my act together and asked her out the day before Thanksgiving.
This night was one of the more stressful nights of my dating career. A friend in the ward had asked me out for dinner, and another guy in the ward asked me over for games, and then Dustin randomly texted me to see if I wanted to get ice cream or hot chocolate that night. My dinner friend was at work until 8pm and wouldn't be able to talk, but I wanted to go out with Dustin. So I texted this friend to let him know that my sister Jessica and Dustin would be joining us for dinner. Dustin was worried about overstepping his bounds by cramping his style, but I reassured him that he and I were just friends.
My experience was quite different. I went out with this great girl, laughed, talked about great things, and just all around enjoyed myself, completely unaware of the stress she was/went through. I told her I could probably come by in the evening on Thanksgiving, but wasn't sure when I would get there. I believe that day was even more stressful for Nicki because a guy in the ward asked if he could come over for the day. When I got there, I could tell the guy liked her, and I didn't know what she thought, so I stayed for a while then left quickly so that I wouldn't bother the two of them. Needless to say, this frustrated her a great deal!
Watching Dustin walk away with this other guy standing next to me might have made me freak out a little bit. Maybe. Then I worked that Friday night, and Saturday was the BYU vs. Utah game, and I was going to have people over for the game, but ended up going over to a mutual friend's house. I knew I had to do something that night to let Dustin know that it was him I was interested in, and not the 5 other guys that were asking me out at the time. :) Translation: I looked hot. And we ended up talking after the game for about an hour, just enjoying getting to know each other. However, he left in a rush, to go pick up a friend from the airport. Again, making me think that I'd been a bit too much.
The next day at church I was really busy and didn't have much time to talk. This made Nicki think that she had blown it again. Luckily, through a complex turn of events, we were able to enjoy the evening playing games with Dave and Stephanie.
Then, after an evening at FHE on Monday, Dustin discovered that I was having computer troubles and offered to fix it the next day at his place. That night Dustin wooed me with his masterful technical skills. We laughed for 3 hours. My cheeks hurt by the time I got home.
Nicki worked for the next couple of days, but she was able to get Friday off and I took her on our first real date. We went to a Thai place, got mango sticky rice, then went to a friends place to play games. I think Nicki's cheeks were hurting at the end of the night...again. I had thoroughly enjoyed myself and went home happy.
The next morning a friend drove me to the airport so I could join my family in M*ch*g*n for my niece Isabelle's baby blessing. We kept in touch until we saw each other at FHE the next night, setting another computer fixing date for that Tuesday. This was the night that he really decided he wanted me....because I made him Orange Chicken. And it was good.
Heck yeah! It was succulently delicious!!! So, I was lucky enough to receive an invite to Nicki's brother's birthday party (Josh) scheduled for Friday (Dec. 11). I came over and joined in the festivities which included watching Harry Potter 6. I once again thoroughly enjoyed myself. Nicki however was worried because her parents were making out on the couch next to us. I didn't really notice this however. In contrast, I felt really comfortable that night and decided that I wanted to date this girl.
I know I freaked out a lot. But I had my mom telling me the whole time to just enjoy being with him and be patient. So the next morning (Saturday) we went to a Birthday breakfast for a friend and then he picked me up again so we could attend the ward Christmas Party that night. This was when all the freaking out paid off. After enjoying an evening chatting with ward friends, we went on our way to a friend's birthday party. Walking to the car....are you ready for it?? Yes, Dustin held my hand. Oh baby.
Our unofficial announcement to the ward came the next day when we held hands at church. Needless to say, I was happy about it. That night we went to the temple visitor's center with Dave and Stephanie to watch Jessica (sister) perform. The performance was great as were the temple lights, but Nicki started to not feel well. We came back to her place, but didn't stay long because she was feeling worse. I didn't want to kiss her when she wasn't feeling well so instead I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead as I left.
Monday night I went over to Dustin's house after FHE and we read together "The Fourth Wiseman". Then we ended up talking. I asked him what he thought about our relationship and how on earth it came about, because looking back I wasn't sure what happened exactly. It was here that I learned about the conversation with him mom in the car and we talked about our thought processes. Then Dustin explained why he hadn't kissed me yet, and I told him to take as long as he needed. This alone shows how much I liked this guy, because I am NOT a patient person!! This is one of those nights that I'll always treasure because I feel that we opened up a lot, and was another crucial step in building a trusting relationship.
The next night Dustin had an institute performance that I couldn't attend because I was visiting teaching. But he came over after the performance. I could tell he was tired, but I was working the next three days, so I had to get my fill. And on comes the schmoopiness. I walked him to his car, feeling rather silly in my Grandma's long coat with fur around the hood, but it was the first thing I could find and I wasn't going to make him wait while I found something else. And so of course he decided to kiss me. And silly girl that I am...I thanked him!! But besides the coat and me thanking him...it was perfect.
I didn't know at the time, but her family had bets on when I was going to kiss her. They all thought it would be another week before I did it. When Nicki said "thank you," it seemed like she was saying, "Finally!" But, we are both happy with how things went.
Anyway, now we are just enjoying getting to know each other better and just having fun by making gingerbread houses, going to Wicked and many other things. Living the dream...as always...
This is us at the hotel before going to Wicked.
This is my smart boyfriend who is wearing his Christmas present for when we watched the Rose Bowl.
So there I was, cleaning the church meticulously setting up the primary room chairs when a girl with this beautiful smile peaked in and said, "Hi, I'm Nicki." and then we were dating.
That is what I get for asking him to help. I deserved that one. But we met in August cleaning the church and then saw each other a week later on the way to choir.
Following the choir encounter, I saw Nicki and her sister Jessica at one of the thirty birthday parties held in September. We engaged in conversation about pickle juice, electrolytes, and shin splints which was interrupted by a phone conversation with my sister.
After he disappeared I was sure I had blown it and should have kept my mouth shut about the tibialis anterior separating from the periostium. I mean this guy was cute, and I have no filtering system.
So on a fine evening in October, several business trips later, Nicki held this great party. Not quite sure of the details, I called her up and said, "Hey!" She said, "Cool," and then I came over. Upon arrival, while Nicki was entertaining hundreds of guests (almost literally), I fearlessly embarked upon the dangerous activity of ziplinning. After looking awesome, I ate some grub, played a couple games with Nicki, then skedaddled.
Keep in mind that at this time my sights were set in a different direction, and Dustin had been out of a relationship for 2 days at this point. The next thing we remember was Dustin finding me on facebook and we started talking a bit more. We had found some mutual friends and enjoyed making connections. Then I left for M*ch*g*n for my friends wedding and ran into one of those connections and was excited to tell him that Dustin was in my ward.
When she got back, we talked on the phone about our mutual friend during which I mentioned that my parents, in a couple of days, were coming in town for a week. So, for the next week and a half, I was predisposed.
I was pretty sure he was telling me this to explain why on earth he wasn't asking me out yet. I thought we got along pretty well and was interested in getting to know him better. So at church that Sunday when these two "adults" sat in front of me at church I was sure they were Dustin's parents and I thought it had to be some sort of a hint. I said hi and introduced myself. Then I watched them during sacrament meeting and was really impressed. They just seemed like good people. So during Sunday School my friend Stephanie had been bugging me about going on a double date with her and her boyfriend Dave and Dave asked who I wanted to be set up with. So I said Dustin. Afterwards I taught the Relief Society Lesson and was for some odd reason really nervous that Sister Hinton was in the audience. I thought for sure that from some of my stories she would think I was not good enough for her son.
Scene change -- driving home in my car. Mom: So, the relief society lesson was great today. Me: Really? What was it about. Mom: It was about child and parent relationships. Me: Interesting. Mom: Do you know a Nicki Shepherd in your ward. Me: Yes mom. Mom: She seems like a really great girl. Me: I'm sure she is. But I'm not sure I'm ready for a relationship yet. Mom: Why not? Dad: Okay...
Dave approached me around this time and asked if I would double with Nicki and them. I was originally going paragliding that weekend, but the weather looked like I would not be able to go. So, I said, "Sure." However, the weather did clear up, so I asked for a rain check.
When Stephanie called me to let me know Dustin had canceled I said I was done. But I wanted to let him know I wasn't upset that he couldn't go, because it really was a good reason. However, I had convinced myself he wasn't interested and that I should turn my focus elsewhere. And yet we ended up talking on the phone for about an hour that night.
The next night, the night that was supposed to be our date, I met up with Stephanie and Dave at a huge house party. But when I walked in the door I ran into Dustin, who said he was sorry, but they ended up not going anyways, and then I didn't see him for the rest of the night (he later said he was playing ping pong in the basement). I was slightly flustered, so Stephanie told me to come to dinner with her and Dave. At dinner Dave gave a needed pep talk, and told me that he had recently gotten out of a relationship and to just be patient. So I was patient....
We talked on the phone a couple of times and then by a stoke of luck Nicki became part of my groups talent show act -- Harry Potter Puppet Pals -- as Hermione (I was Snape wearing a mullet wig sideways). So, between rehearsals and the performance, we spent some good time getting to know each other. This lead to flirting at FHE, and then I finally got my act together and asked her out the day before Thanksgiving.
This night was one of the more stressful nights of my dating career. A friend in the ward had asked me out for dinner, and another guy in the ward asked me over for games, and then Dustin randomly texted me to see if I wanted to get ice cream or hot chocolate that night. My dinner friend was at work until 8pm and wouldn't be able to talk, but I wanted to go out with Dustin. So I texted this friend to let him know that my sister Jessica and Dustin would be joining us for dinner. Dustin was worried about overstepping his bounds by cramping his style, but I reassured him that he and I were just friends.
My experience was quite different. I went out with this great girl, laughed, talked about great things, and just all around enjoyed myself, completely unaware of the stress she was/went through. I told her I could probably come by in the evening on Thanksgiving, but wasn't sure when I would get there. I believe that day was even more stressful for Nicki because a guy in the ward asked if he could come over for the day. When I got there, I could tell the guy liked her, and I didn't know what she thought, so I stayed for a while then left quickly so that I wouldn't bother the two of them. Needless to say, this frustrated her a great deal!
Watching Dustin walk away with this other guy standing next to me might have made me freak out a little bit. Maybe. Then I worked that Friday night, and Saturday was the BYU vs. Utah game, and I was going to have people over for the game, but ended up going over to a mutual friend's house. I knew I had to do something that night to let Dustin know that it was him I was interested in, and not the 5 other guys that were asking me out at the time. :) Translation: I looked hot. And we ended up talking after the game for about an hour, just enjoying getting to know each other. However, he left in a rush, to go pick up a friend from the airport. Again, making me think that I'd been a bit too much.
The next day at church I was really busy and didn't have much time to talk. This made Nicki think that she had blown it again. Luckily, through a complex turn of events, we were able to enjoy the evening playing games with Dave and Stephanie.
Then, after an evening at FHE on Monday, Dustin discovered that I was having computer troubles and offered to fix it the next day at his place. That night Dustin wooed me with his masterful technical skills. We laughed for 3 hours. My cheeks hurt by the time I got home.
Nicki worked for the next couple of days, but she was able to get Friday off and I took her on our first real date. We went to a Thai place, got mango sticky rice, then went to a friends place to play games. I think Nicki's cheeks were hurting at the end of the night...again. I had thoroughly enjoyed myself and went home happy.
The next morning a friend drove me to the airport so I could join my family in M*ch*g*n for my niece Isabelle's baby blessing. We kept in touch until we saw each other at FHE the next night, setting another computer fixing date for that Tuesday. This was the night that he really decided he wanted me....because I made him Orange Chicken. And it was good.
Heck yeah! It was succulently delicious!!! So, I was lucky enough to receive an invite to Nicki's brother's birthday party (Josh) scheduled for Friday (Dec. 11). I came over and joined in the festivities which included watching Harry Potter 6. I once again thoroughly enjoyed myself. Nicki however was worried because her parents were making out on the couch next to us. I didn't really notice this however. In contrast, I felt really comfortable that night and decided that I wanted to date this girl.
I know I freaked out a lot. But I had my mom telling me the whole time to just enjoy being with him and be patient. So the next morning (Saturday) we went to a Birthday breakfast for a friend and then he picked me up again so we could attend the ward Christmas Party that night. This was when all the freaking out paid off. After enjoying an evening chatting with ward friends, we went on our way to a friend's birthday party. Walking to the car....are you ready for it?? Yes, Dustin held my hand. Oh baby.
Our unofficial announcement to the ward came the next day when we held hands at church. Needless to say, I was happy about it. That night we went to the temple visitor's center with Dave and Stephanie to watch Jessica (sister) perform. The performance was great as were the temple lights, but Nicki started to not feel well. We came back to her place, but didn't stay long because she was feeling worse. I didn't want to kiss her when she wasn't feeling well so instead I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead as I left.
Monday night I went over to Dustin's house after FHE and we read together "The Fourth Wiseman". Then we ended up talking. I asked him what he thought about our relationship and how on earth it came about, because looking back I wasn't sure what happened exactly. It was here that I learned about the conversation with him mom in the car and we talked about our thought processes. Then Dustin explained why he hadn't kissed me yet, and I told him to take as long as he needed. This alone shows how much I liked this guy, because I am NOT a patient person!! This is one of those nights that I'll always treasure because I feel that we opened up a lot, and was another crucial step in building a trusting relationship.
The next night Dustin had an institute performance that I couldn't attend because I was visiting teaching. But he came over after the performance. I could tell he was tired, but I was working the next three days, so I had to get my fill. And on comes the schmoopiness. I walked him to his car, feeling rather silly in my Grandma's long coat with fur around the hood, but it was the first thing I could find and I wasn't going to make him wait while I found something else. And so of course he decided to kiss me. And silly girl that I am...I thanked him!! But besides the coat and me thanking him...it was perfect.
I didn't know at the time, but her family had bets on when I was going to kiss her. They all thought it would be another week before I did it. When Nicki said "thank you," it seemed like she was saying, "Finally!" But, we are both happy with how things went.
Anyway, now we are just enjoying getting to know each other better and just having fun by making gingerbread houses, going to Wicked and many other things. Living the dream...as always...
This is us at the hotel before going to Wicked.This is my smart boyfriend who is wearing his Christmas present for when we watched the Rose Bowl.
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