Yesterday was our 2nd anniversary. On Saturday, we were able to go out for dinner and a movie to celebrate! It's been a long time since we have been out by ourselves. And even longer since we have seen a movie. I refuse to (and always have) take Ella with to see movies because I don't want to be one of "those" people with the noisy and crying baby. Now that she's VERY vocal, it would be impossible now anyway.
We were able to feel like newlyweds again. Craig has always been such the gentleman. Before Ella, he would open the car door, and all other doors for me. He made me feel like royalty. When I had Ella, it just was not practical anymore for him to do that. I let myself in and out of the car because it's easier, and whomever doesn't have the baby, opens the doors. And I'm fine with that. Anyway, it was nice for him to do that for me again.
We have only known each other for 2 years and 8 months, but it seems like I've known Craig for ten years. I wish I've known him for ten years. He is the most wonderful husband and father anybody could ever have. I know he loves me with all his heart, and he definitely loves Ella with all his heart. No wonder she's such a daddy's girl!
Like I said, we've known each other for about 2 years and 8 months, although he knew who I was WAY before I ever knew he existed! I was the chorister in our singles ward, so he saw me every other week. He told me that he wanted to ask me out then, but he thought I was only 19. I was actually 22. He ended up asking one of his friends to find out how old I was.
When I met him, we were at FHE, and he came up to me and started talking to me. I felt really bad afterward because I was trying to look for a friend and wasn't really interested in talking to him. Thankfully he didn't notice. The only thing I remember from that conversation was that he was about to turn 29 in the next week and that his mom was a music teacher.
The next Sunday was Break the Fast. I sat down by two girls, both named Lindsay (at one point there were five Lindsays in the ward, and three or four of us hung out in the same group). Guess who showed up and sat by me? Craig! I still wasn't that interested in him, but I thought he was very nice. The only thing I remember out of that conversation was that he was moving back into his parents' house. At this point, I didn't know why. After we ate, there was a fireside. I never have liked those, but I was going to go with some other people. Then I bumped into Craig again (carrying a bowl of veggies) and he invited me to go to a friends' house to watch a movie. I can't even believe I actually debated going to the fireside after that. Thankfully, I chose to go to the friends' house. That was the night I became interested in Craig.
I must have given him my phone number, or he got it from our friend. I don't remember. Hmm... I'll have to ask him about that one. He called a few days later and invited me to go with our group of friends to take the mayor of Gilbert's daughter out. Apparently, she didn't have any friends or something like that. Anyway, I was secretly hoping I would get to be in the same car as Craig, and he was thinking the same thing! The best part, nobody else rode with us! That night, as he took me back to my car, we sat and talked for a little bit. Then he asked me on our first date. We hiked up Camelback Mountain with a friend and his date. I actually made it all the way up. However, that was the last time I have hiked up a mountain!
And the rest is history. We had our struggles while dating, stemming from my shyness. I had to work really hard at talking to him at first. I didn't want to lose him. There were a couple of times he almost broke up with me because of that. I just kept telling him to have patience and give me some time. It will happen. And it did. Now sometimes he can't shut me up.
We got engaged on April 28, 2007 and married on July 12, 2007. Our engagement was pretty stressful. We couldn't set a date because he had already been married in the temple and then divorced. We were waiting on a sealing clearance form The First Presidency. We were waiting for this before we even got engaged. And to top things off, his parents were leaving on a mission that July. On June 30th, 2007, we got the letter giving us permission to be sealed in the temple. At times, we thought we might have to just get married civilly. I didn't want that, but we didn't want to wait too long. Anyway, we actually got the letter the same day I went through the temple for the first time. We were so overjoyed!
But then we started to stress out even more. His parents were leaving for their mission that week and of course we wanted them to be there too. We were able to work it out that they would come back home for the sealing and then go back to theMTC. We had our reception two weeks later. I wish they could have been there for that, but at least they were able to be with us on our wedding day.
I love Craig with all my heart. I have so much fun with him, and we compliment each other perfectly. From very early on in our relationship, I knew that we were meant to be together. And we are. For time and all eternity.
