Buy me a rose...

It's official, I have the world's most romantic husband. I feel the need to say this every once-in-a-while because one time I screwed up. Bad. Real bad in fact.

After we'd been in our current ward for a few months the bishop called and asked us to speak in Sacrament Meeting. Since we are the ward missionaries they wanted us to speak about missionary work. Hard for me, not so hard for Josh. Since it was our introductory talk, I was excited to tell all about us. The more I thought about it though, the less there was to tell. We aren't anything that special. We just have this incredibly normal average life. Because we're so average, I figured I didn't need to tell any major stories about us.

I am not comfortable speaking in that kind of situation, so I was awkward anyway, and when I stood up I started to introduce us, I knew I would say something about how we met. I also knew that I am the kind of person that likes to make people laugh at the beginning of my talk.

One time, I had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting and asked for the input of my family members who are all very eloquent speaker. Katy (my older sister) told me that you always have to tell a joke. So we started telling jokes. She told me the one about 3 guys stranded on an island.

These 3 guys are stranded, and it turns out the island they are on is full of cannibals. The cannibals tell the guys that they each have one last request before they're killed, eaten and their skin is used to line the cannibal canoes. The first guy asks for one last meal - his favorite. His last wish is granted, the cannibals eat him and skin him for their canoe. The second guy wishes to see his wife one last time. His wish is granted, the cannibals eat him and skin him for their canoe. The last guy wishes for a fork. The puzzled cannibals comply with his last request. He takes the fork and stabs himself all over with it screaming the whole time "you're not gonna make a canoe out of me!!!"

We thought it was a funny joke and prided ourselves on being able to tie any 2 topics together (it's a debate thing). How do you link this funny joke to a talk in Sacrament meeting on commandments? We tried and tried, and finally, somebody (I'm pretty sure it was Katy) came up with the brilliant idea. You see, this joke can be used at the beginning of any religious talk. Any time any place. The link is beautifully simple. Just add "and thus we see the importance of being holy." to the end of it and you have the perfect attention getting device

After a lot of discussion, we decided that the joke would be OK to tell over the pulpit in our ward even though it was a little inappropriate. I told the joke in sacrament meeting and everybody laughed and from that moment on, I decided that I would always say something funny in my talks no matter what. It can ALWAYS be done.

This introductory talk would be no different.

I started "When I was a little girl I couldn't wait for the day I got to introduce my cute family to our new ward. I really wanted to tell my incredibly romantic story of how I met my incredibly romantic husband. Instead I just married Josh." Laughter of course. I glanced back and winked at Josh because I know he knows I'm kidding. I continue saying that we met at EFY and fell madly in love 3 years later and got married and are just doing life right now and went on with my talk. When I sat down with Josh I nudged him and told him that I love him. He laughed at my joke and loved me back.

That afternoon after church he said that he had been teased in Priesthood about not being romantic. He had started feeling bad about the whole thing and I had really hurt his feelings. This was NOT my intent and I felt really bad. Since then he's been on a quest to prove that he is romantic. And I've been on a quest to appreciate the romantic things he does.

In my defense what I meant was that we have a very normal life. We're average. We met, and fell in love and got married and are living happily ever after. I didn't have a fairy godmother come and give me a beautiful ball gown. I didn't live and sing with the woodland creatures about the evil witch who wanted me to be miserable. We didn't emerge triumphant from the dragon-guarded castle. We just met and fell in love and got married. Very un-disney like in fact. Now, that doesn't mean that my husband isn't romantic, because he is. Unfortunately, that isn't what I said.

Every once in a while I get flowers for no good reason. Yesterday was a particularly stressful day at work and I was just kinda grumpy. Josh came to pick me up and take me home, and when we walked in the door there is this beautiful bouquet of roses in a vase on the counter. I mean BEAUTIFUL. I asked whose they were and he got this crookedy smile on his face and shrugged. He loves me and I know it. If that isn't romantic, I don't know what is.

Amazingly enough even after a beautiful evening and looking my roses from my husband who loves me this morning, I still woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My cute mother-in-law must have known because she sent me this in an e-mail.