My Wedding Day

Oh, I love it that I have time to reminisce...and also post something new so Dave R. and Chellie can stop bugging me.

Where did you meet your husband? We met on the first day of school our second year at Dixie College in September of 1993. I was friends with his sister Chelie our first year while Dave was on the mish in Argentina. She brought him over to my dorm but DID NOT want us to really hook up. That became a problem later. Anyway, Dave was cute, but a little nerdy. He kept mixing up Spanish and English and seemed like he was starting over with everything social. (The sign of a good missionary, I'm sure.) I have to say though, very early on, I told my roommates that I had met the man I was going to marry.

Where was your first date? I am getting a little confused....I can't remember if it was country dancing or miniature golf or both, but then I remember going to Domino's and Dave buying a pizza. I still had a weird complex about eating on dates, so I refused to eat, saying, "I'm really not hungry." I found out later he was annoyed (Dave has never liked a girly-girl, which is also why I hid the fact that I was a Rebelette for a LONG time), and he was pissed (Dave would have never spent MONEY on something if it wasn't going to be used!) Anyway, we went to a park and I watched him eat, and it was fun. We laughed and never ran out of things to talk about. He was a nice boy, and I spent my first year in college around a lot of boys, but none were very nice!!!!!

First kiss? Okay, I'm a loser. I know the first kiss happened at the doorstep of my dorm, and I know we bumped teeth. BUT, what I really remember is Valentine's Day 2004. That was the first time we said "I love you." I was Relief Society President, and was totally stressed about a talk I was giving. Dave planned this amazing night. We went hiking up to the red rocks and when we got there, he had a whole picnic in the back of his car which was up toward the top. He gave me a teddy bear (I still have it) and flowers and we ate. (I dared eat by this point.) When we went back home, I told him I loved him, and he reciprocated. I found out later that he was mad I said it first because he was going to. The next day he left a rose on my car at work wishing me luck on my talk at ward conference.

Did you have a long or short courtship/engagement? Are you kidding me? As compared to Utah standards (and many others' as well), it was an eternity!!!! We met in 1993. We were engaged in May of 1995 and were married in August of 1996. Let's just say, Dave is a planner. We both needed to have our degrees under the belt, and then it was okay!

Where did you get engaged? My favorite cousin Dan was just getting home from his mission. We drove down to Parowan for his homecoming and then headed south to St. George. By this time we had lived in SLC for almost two years, but St. George was where we fell in love. I took him to my Stout grandparents' house, where he was introduced. BTW, Grandma Sue didn't welcome him with open arms. I remember very vividly that she said, "David, I am Mrs. Stout and this is Dr. Stout." Anyway, we cruised up to the other grandparents' house where no one was home and we changed and grabbed our bikes off the car bike rack. Dave seemed pretty adamant that we go on a mountain bike trail. We biked the ten or so miles into St. George's base of the red cliffs and then biked up the red cliffs to the same spot of that Valentine's day almost two years before. He got down on one knee, and pulled the ring out of his sweaty pocket. The first words out of my mouth were, "Holy Sh%&!!!" followed by, "YES!!!!" I don't even remember the bike ride home. I was so happy. There were at least ten occasions before this point where I KNEW he was going to pop the question, but never did...and then he does it on a sweaty, Memorial weekend at my cousin's mission homecoming!

Where did you get married? We were married in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a perfect day. I was so worried that it would rain, and it ended up being the hottest day on record for the summer. I hated the fact that my mom and dad sat outside, but my mom's three sisters were there and all of Dave's family. My Uncle Jim sat in for my dad at the temple, and my Bishop from the years before where I served as RS President showed up as a surprise. I felt loved and happy, but was sad that every member of my immediate family wasn't there. My dear cousins seemed to know that I needed them though, because every one of them traveled to be there and to make sure I wasn't alone!

How did the reception go? (I think I could just copy and paste all of Jessi's answer on this one)...After our sealing in the temple we had a wedding breakfast at the Lion House. My friend Jennie played the piano, and my BFF Dave (not MY Dave, but my high school Dave, who would have been my Maid of Honor if that was allowed), and my other BFF Jayme and so many others were there. All of my cousins and aunts and uncles were there (from mom's side), along with all of Dave's family. Our reception was on the tenth floor of the Joseph Smith Building. It was beautiful and peaceful, but to be honest, I wish it would have been a little more rowdy. Why in the world did we not dance????

How was the honeymoon? FABULOUS! We went to Vegas, Baby. It was during the 1996 Olympics, and we went to shows and gambled a little and hung out by the pool. My best memory is when Dave was standing naked at the window twenty or so floors above the pool, INSISTING that no one could see him. Then, to his surprise, everyone down there starts pointing and laughing. We realized later that he had been quite the exhibitionist! They all had a perfect view into our room.

As for the ring, I want to say a few words on this. Dave is truly the most frugal man I have ever met. It must have KILLED him to fork over the money for something so frivolous as an adornment on a hand. However, he did the math and used his three month"s salary (he was working as a telemarketer about 15 hours a week) during his last undergrad year, and bought me my ring. He picked it out himself. I had shown him other rings that I wanted, and this one was not one that I showed him. BUT, I love it. Eleven years later? I love it. I look at my friends' blinding rocks and hear them talk about them, and I flash mine proudly. We were young and poor, and so in love, and when I look at my ring, I remember we are older, and not as poor, but still so in love, and I will never trade it or want anything more. (Now a big rock for my right hand is okay, but I will never replace THIS ring.) :)

And, I think that's about it...eleven years later, and I wake up every day knowing that I married the man that I was meant to be with. He is my soul mate and my best friend. There is no one else on earth that I would rather be with...and he puts up with me very nicely.