Ryan and I met while serving our missions in Brazil. Well, we actually met in the Chicago airport on our way to Brazil. Although, we don't remember talking to each other we have a picture of all the missionaries in the airport and we are both in it! :) We were in the same group in the Missionary Training Center and became good friends.
After 2 months in the MTC we left and went to our mission area in Santa Maria. We didn't see each other again until the last 6 weeks of my mission. We got reacquainted and then 6 weeks later I went home to Utah.
Pic #1: Our group in the MTC (we are both on the far left of each row)
Pic #2: This at the end of my mission (dinner at a members house)
This is my last week in the mission...
I honestly thought I would never see him again. Ryan and I are very competitive people and in the MTC we had a contest to see who could get the most letters from home. We just about tied so we made a deal that when I got home I would write and tell him how many letters I got and he would count how many letter he had received up until then and who ever won the other person would have to send them a package. Well, we did write to see about the letters but no packages were exchanged. Since boys serve 6 months longer than girls do in the mission field Ryan returned to Indiana 6 months after I went home. He got home on Christmas Eve that year!
In March I wrote a mass email to friends, family, and people from my mission and Ryan was on the list. He wrote back and that was the beginning of us being pen pals via email. This went on for about a month and then he came out to Utah with his little brother for Spring Break. We hung out for a couple of days since they were very busy with trying to cram in a ton of things in a short period of time. But, it was a GREAT couple of days. The second day we watched a movie and like teenagers we help hands but kept it a secret from those around us. They left the next day. 24 hours later Ryan called and we decided to see if "this" could go anywhere...SPOILER ALERT...It Did (we end up together)!:) A month later I went out to Indiana for what was supposed to be a week but we hit it off so well I postponed my flight THREE times and ended up staying for 14 days!
In March I wrote a mass email to friends, family, and people from my mission and Ryan was on the list. He wrote back and that was the beginning of us being pen pals via email. This went on for about a month and then he came out to Utah with his little brother for Spring Break. We hung out for a couple of days since they were very busy with trying to cram in a ton of things in a short period of time. But, it was a GREAT couple of days. The second day we watched a movie and like teenagers we help hands but kept it a secret from those around us. They left the next day. 24 hours later Ryan called and we decided to see if "this" could go anywhere...SPOILER ALERT...It Did (we end up together)!:) A month later I went out to Indiana for what was supposed to be a week but we hit it off so well I postponed my flight THREE times and ended up staying for 14 days!
My time in Indiana:
My mom finally called and told me to Get Home! A few weeks later Ryan came to Utah and actually only stayed a week.
Ryans time in Utah:
A couple of months later he moved to Utah. We dated for a month and then he popped the BIG question and I said, "YES!"
We were married 5 months later in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple on a FREEZING January morning.
So, there you have it...this is where the story begins!
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