How did we meet?

Well, I'm really glad you asked because this happens to be one of my very favorite stories of all time. Also I like to talk about how much my husband loves me.  oh yeah. and how much I love him.

Way back in the day, the summer before my senior year in high school, I had a friend who lived across the street named Platt. Actually we're still friends, but we no longer live across the street from each other, or attend the same school, and we're not in the same ward...so really I rarely see her, but I still think we're friends (wanna come play Platt?). I digress.


Her mom and my mom decided we were going to EFY in Idaho together. So we did.

One of our first activities in our group was where you all stand in a circle (this is outside on a grassy hill in Idaho, in the middle of summer) and close your eyes (I bet you were supposed to be blindfolded because I remember not being able to see, and normally I cheat at "close your eyes" games. I hate them.) Anyway, the leaders came around and whispered in our ears what animal we were, then we were supposed to make our animal sound and find all of the other people who matched us, and that would be our small group for our first activity.

I got assigned the oh-so-graceful pig. Stuff like this is why I hate games that start with "close your eyes". You should know that I can make a mean pig-snort-sound. And I did. And then I found other people who were pigs who were daintily walking around saying the words "snort snort" or "oink oink" while I was really snorting and oinking not just saying the words. And then I felt stupid. I was way out of my league. I don't think I've made that pig sound since then.  Ever. I was mortified.

Josh was the snake. Yes. That's right. THE snake. The one and only. After letting him wander around being the only one hissing somebody finally took pity on him and told him to just pick a group. He claims that he saw me and immediately decided to be in my group. I think he's making it up. Mostly because I don't remember him being in that group.

Anyway, I snorted, he hissed, and we wound up hanging out with some friends for the rest of the week.

It was EFY and he was who everybody wanted (and I do mean WANTED) because he was handsome and old and mature and had a car. It was EFY and there were twice as many girls as boys. It was EFY 2002 which is really just code for "flirtfest 2002" and Josh was the object of most people's affection.

Still, we were friends, but I tried my hardest not to throw myself at him (like all of the other incredibly immature people there) so I was really subtle. I sat by him as often as possible. I attended all of the same classes he did. I made him sign my gum wrapper and stuck it in my scriptures next to the scripture in 2 Ne. about being a "True Friend" (it's still there) and I stole his Seminary pen, and made him chase me for it. See what I mean? I'm much more mature than those other girls.

Later that year he mailed me the Seminary Pen. :) That's when I knew he loved me. (I'm rolling my eyes right now because what really happened was I freaked out and didn't know what to think. What does this MEAN?) That Seminary pen was analyzed by yours truly and I agonized over what he was trying to say for weeks. Years even. To be honest I still don't know what he was trying to do when he sent it to me.

The rest of the story gets juicy, sappy, and makes both of us look bad, so I won't tell it. Besides, the question is really "how did you meet" not "tell me all about your entire dating experience."

So, I'll leave you with that and my favorite picture of the week we met.