missions :)

Even though this is old news, I thought I would give some of the details anyway.

Kevin and I dated for about eight months after that first date. It was a great time but we knew that it was going to be hard to have to be apart. What I forgot to mention in the other part was that during this time Kevin was 18 and I was 20.

From the first date I knew Kevin was going to serve a mission which meant two years away from home. Our dating was really only supposed to be something "casual" and I thought I would move on quickly. Little did I know. . . the time for Kevin to turn in his papers came quickly and before I knew it, I was getting ready to say goodbye to him.

On the bright side, for many years I had dreamed of going on a mission when it became a reality that it could come true. A little bit after Kevin turned in his papers, I turned in mine. Then he opened his call to Mexico Monterrey East Mission and me to the Brazil Porto Alegre South Mission. Same purpose and plan, just miles apart.

With the occasional letters sent back and forth (mail does not work between Mexico and Brazil very well), it was a great time to be out serving and doing the same type of work thousands of miles apart.

While I know that Kevin would go back in a heartbeat, it was a great time learning more and growing up (just a little maybe).

Our letters brought us closer together from miles apart just knowing that he was having the same experience that I was, it was all worth it!

In an interview with my mission president we were talking about which date I should go home. The Elders were claiming that May should be good and the mission president was claiming June as even better when I was really hoping for July. He then made the comment, "You have to go home to get things ready for that boyfriend of yours for when he returns." So in the middle we picked June. I think he knew something that I didn't.

Summer was fun with lots of vacations and seeing everyone again but the real day was in August when Kevin came home. I was so nervous and wasn't sure what was going to happen but he came through the door and everything came back. I knew after that night it was fully meant to be!

Kevin's family had a different idea of what he wanted to do when he came home. They hurried and whisked him off to Brian Head in St. George for a week. It drove me crazy! Luckily, I was starting a new job and it went by (slow but not sooo slow).

Literally the next day after he came home I went to go see him and we had "the talk." That night we became "unofficially engaged." One week, not bad. :)

We didn't really let the word out until late August and weren't "official" until October. But that's a whole other story in which will be coming soon!!!