On Oct. 9th we celebrated our 12th anniversary of our first date. We went to Round Table for pizza. That might not sound too exciting, but we enjoy just being out together. It also might sound weird to celebrate our first date, but it really was a special night.
Rich and I met on my 19th birthday...to date he is the best birthday gift I've been given. We were in Utah at school and I was feeling a little homesick. My roommates made me a cake, so we invited some people over (we didn't know) from our apt. complex to join us. In this crowd of people was Rich, but I was feeling awkward with everyone staring at me that I didn't notice anyone in particular. He says he thought I was pretty and liked my hair barrettes.
After cake we went to the Fall Fling dance at BYU. On the ride there I still was feeling shy, so I didn't notice Rich until he said he was from California. This sparked my interest because it reminded me of home. At the dance my roommates kind of ditched me by going off with some of the guys in the group. Since I wasn't enjoying the dance I asked if anyone in the group wanted to go listen to some bands playing on campus. At first nobody seemed interested, so I took off by myself. Before I got too far I heard Rich say he wanted to come with me.
The two of us went to garden room where the bands were playing. We discovered we both loved music and listening to live bands. We talked quite a bit that night and I knew he was someone I wanted to get to know better. Back at the apartments Rich showed me some of his music collection and we talked a little bit more.
After this first meeting it took Rich a month to ask me out. We talked almost everyday and became friends, but I thought he wasn't interested since he wasn't asking me out. I found out later it was because my roommates and his roommates were trying to make him ask me out and he didn't want me to think that was the only reason he asked me out. He says he liked me and didn't want me to feel like he was forced to ask me out. Whatever it was, I almost gave up on him.
The night before he asked me out I gave it one more shot. I made him some chocolate chip cookies because he was studying for a big test. I left the cookies and a note of good luck for him at his apartment. I guess there is some truth to the old statement, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," because the next day Rich asked me out...Good thing I'm a good cook.
On Oct. 9, 1996, Rich took me to see "Blue" at the BYU International Theater. This is an interesting french film. During the movie I waited for Rich to hold my hand, but he didn't seem to want to and again I gave up hope. I made it obvious that I didn't mind if he held my hand and finally at the very end of the movie (a long movie) he held my hand...YEAH!! I know it sounds crazy, but we definitely felt sparks...it was amazing. I knew that there was something special about Rich and from that night on we have been together.
Rich and I dated for a little over a year before we were unofficially engaged and we were officially engaged in January 1998. Later that year on May 9th we were sealed in the Oakland Temple for time and all eternity. When Rich and I look back on our first meeting and date we often laugh about how awkward we were. At the time I was frustrated with him not asking me out, but now I think it was sweet for him to take his time.
Our first photo together. This photo is before our first date. We were at the Joseph Smith Building with some friends in Salt Lake.
This is our wedding day, May 9th, 1998.
