My Story, Part One: Anne Girl Meets Simon

I suppose I should first start by describing myself. I am a hopeless romantic. My childhood was filled with a love for musicals, plays, books, drama and an obsession for Anne of Green Gables. I simply adored her. She was fiery and determined and theatrical and that silly schoolboy, Gilbert Blythe, just adored her. 

That's something I always wanted: to be adored, sought after, dreamed of, pursued, loved. I wanted my own Gil. 

But dating was oh so awkward for me! I just didn't like it. There were quite a few boys who wanted to date me, and I pretty much just ran from them. Or hid from them. Like literally hid. There was really only one boy I ever really liked, and I likes him for years. Then I turned 16 and suddenly I became his girlfriend and I freaked out!! I couldn't handle it. Holding hands at lunch was just way too much pressure for me. I'm serious. I didn't like it. 

So honestly, I just didn't date guys. Sure, I went on dates for fun but I never felt comfortable and they never really went anywhere. Honestly, I really just wanted to find "the one." That's all I wanted. I wanted my Gilbert Blythe. I wasn't interested in anybody but that perfect guy for me. 

Flash forward to BYU-Idaho. I was a sophomore and thinking about serving a mission. I really wanted to go and secretly hoped I'd be sent to Prince Edward Island. It would be a dream come true!

One evening, as I sat with my roommates, the phone rang. It was for me. And it was a boy named Simon. Simon? Who's Simon? I thought. I answered the phone, I small talked, all the while pretending I knew who he was, because he obviously knew me! And he asked me out on a date. I was so flattered and it was all so mysterious and romantic. I said yes without even knowing who this guy was and what he looked like. 

When I hung up, I ran to look through our ward menu (aka photo directory) and found Simon. And he was dang good-looking! I was beaming. 

He picked me up a few nights later and we walked to campus to go country dancing ( later Simon told me he absolutely hates country music and dancing but thought it was a good way to break the touch barrier and dissolve the awkwardness of a first date. Sly little fella.) I was in awe of him. I loved how he dressed, how he talked, how he smiled. I loved the curls in his hair and the freckles on his skin. He was so kind and gentle and fun and gentlemanly. And I felt comfortable. 

We danced and held hands and laughed and talked. I still remember dancing close to him, following our instructors, and breathing in the scent of his cologne. With every moment that passed I was more and more enamored with him. 

I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. We saw each other every. single. day. after that. I had finally found my Gilbert! Being in love was magical and new and he treated me like a queen. I loved him and adored him and couldn't wait to marry him. I felt complete. 

We dated for about 5 months-mostly long distance over the phone. I traveled to meet his family back east and he came to meet mine in California. Simon proposed to me, I said yes!, and five months later we were married for time and all eternity in the Los Angeles Temple. It was the happiest day of my life.