Attempting to Navigate: How I stalked my husband into submission: a love story

The story of how Adam and I met, dated and eventually married is kinda long so sit tight. It's a bit of ride.

We technically met for the first time was at a church event call youth conference, which that year was at Nauvoo, Il. I was 15 or 16 and Adam was 16 or 17.

The BYU ballroom dancers were there and they were trying to teach us the cha cha. Adam had asked me to dance. Well we were both not really getting it, so I apologized trying to be nice to which he replied, "You'll get it eventually" which I thought was pretty rude. To his credit he realized he sounded rude but couldn't find me to apologize afterward.

This white girl can dance, I however can not

The second time we technically met was at a young single adult dance a couple of years later. Adam went because a friend of his from Milwaukee was going to be there and I went because I was part of the planning committee. Well I had thought this was costume dance, so I wore yukata I got from a friend. Which it wasn't and I was the only person dressed up. Yeah I felt like an idiot.
I thought Adam was being a snob because he just stood in the corner with his friend and talked and he thought I was a weirdo because why was some white chick wearing a yukata and no one else dressed up.

See she looks great in a yukata, I do not

Fast forward a couple months and my dad who was branch president of our singles' branch (A branch president is kinda like an unpaid pastor) asked if I would call this Adam guy and see if I could get him to come to our branch instead of his home branch. ( a branch or ward is like congregation) So I decided to call him up.
The first words out of my mouth were "I'm stalking you"

I didn't really stalk him, but he told his whole family about it, and they only knew me as 'stalker girl'

Yeah, not the best choice of words. Sarcasm does not do well over the phone. Adam almost hung up on me, but allowed me to explain myself. I told him who I was and asked him to come to church next Sunday, he told me he couldn't because his mom was giving a talk at his branch. I told him great, hoped his mom did well and I called back the next week.

This time his friend was blessing his daughter. (kinda like baptizing or a name blessing) I told him that was great, congrats to his friend and I called him the next week.

This time he couldn't come and he couldn't tell me why.
I thought he was blowing me off.
To his credit he really couldn't come and couldn't tell me why, I just didn't know that.

Well for some reason I was really persistent. I kept texting him during this time and we flirted a lot through text. I also kept inviting him to young single adult activities, which of course the first time he could come I wasn't there. On top of that my younger sister gave him a ride and he bought her ice cream. So of course my thoughts were "Great he likes my younger sister"

How I looked after finding out Adam bought my sister ice cream

But again I was usually persistent. We texted and flirted and one day after I got out of work I asked what he was up to. He was at home and I asked if I could come over. He said I could and I we went inside and watched a movie.

Now when we started the movie I was kinda annoyed that he wasn't sitting right next to me. But soon after his little sister and younger cousin came and plopped down beside us. No most guys I knew would tell their younger siblings to scram, but not Adam. He had his little sister in his lap and I was doing secret handshakes with his younger cousins by the end of the movie. Him being nice to his little sister and younger cousins really impressed me. And after the movie was done, one of his younger cousins turned to me and said,

"I like you"

"Thanks" I said

"You and Adam should date"

I had this face on, but inside I was all, HECK YEA WE SHOULD DATE

Needless to say I was thinking the same thing but I was WAY to embarrassed to say so.

When I was leaving Adam said we should get together again sometime. I agreed.

So we started hanging out. A lot.

But I told myself not to get too attached, he was planning to return to BYU in the fall and I was getting ready to go on a mission.

But then one evening while we were hanging out Adam said something that changed our lives

"I'm thinking of not going back this fall"
"Oh really?" I said
"Yeah, I think I'll work for a bit and transfer to another school that has the major I want. What do you think?" he said
"I'm okay with that."

So our summer fling suddenly had much more potential.

Then there was the next conversation that changed our lives.

Probably my favorite movie of all time, if you haven't seen it, SEE IT, SEE IT NOW!

We were watching My Neighbor Totoro when I remarked that he was lucky because he would have adorable children. To which Adam replied that I was the closest one to make that happen. Kinda unsure what he meant, I stayed quiet.

Adam- "Well what do you think?"
me-"Of what?"
Adam-"Of getting married"

Now at this point we had been dating about two weeks. No rush right?

me-" Uh.... Well, there's a lot you don't know about me yet."
Adam- *yes go on look*

So after telling him about all my issues, and history he simply said okay.
This kinda blew my mind a little. I was fully expecting him to make up an excuse to leave and never speak to me again.
But he took all my baggage with a grain of salt and said okay.

So after that we dated and semi joked proposed to each other, knowing that we were going to get married. And at just the right moment, he did