....and you take me the way I am

I love that song. I can't think of one that is more perfect for the way I feel about Cole and the way I feel about how simple love is. Its about knowing someone loves you for you, and wanting to make them happy by serving them endlessly. And then they see that and love you more for who you are, and then they serve you to show you, etc, etc. The cycle continues.

And that's pretty much our story. I live to see him smile, and not a minute goes by that I'm not blown away that we made it here after 5 years of adventures, that I don't look down at my left ring finger and smile, that I don't wonder what I could do to make him smile that smile that makes my heart skip a beat. And he never stops showing me how much he loves me. MAN I love him. Sorry, I'm getting caught up in my beautiful life. What a great thing to get caught up in.

I like to think of the five-year adventure in rounds.

round 1

I first saw Cole at my seminary graduation, where he was holding his sister's baby girl and her diaper bag. I watched him immediately, as girls do when they imagine what THEIR husband will be like, and saw how adorable he and the little girl (whom I thought was his daughter) were together. My first thought was, "that is one GOOD-LOOKING husband.....(I MIGHT have used the word "hot" back in those days)" Then I saw his "wife"(sister) walk up next to him and I thought "what a beautiful family. I want one like that." Assuming he was married, I never talked to him. Ends round 1. (Cole denies this as a round due to lack of communication)

round 2

Fast forward to a year later, both of us were taking a break from our current boyfriend/girlfriend, so our bishop thought it an opportune time to set us up on a blind date. I remember hearing his name and thinking, that's the toughest (okay, okay, I thought HOTTEST) name I've ever heard. (I remember even telling my roommates his full name when they asked who I was going out with, just so I could get the same response from them). My job, according to my bishop, may or may not have been to break him and his girlfriend up for good. I didn't agree to that, but did agree to go out with him. We went out and had fun, but we both ended up getting back together with our previous dates. Ends round 2.

round 3

Approximately one year later, after much tribulation in each of our lives, we meet again at an institute Friday devotional and lunch (where that same Bishop (Bishop Cuthbertson) happened to specifically invite me) It just so happened that Cole got that same personal invitation to that specific forum. We ended up somehow doing the dishes together and dated (or hung out as friends, according to whose story you hear) for the remaining 3 weeks until I went back up to BYU-Idaho. One of our first dates was a Tristan Prettyman and G-love and the Special Sauce concert. He came to visit me once up there, but our communication was minimal due to school and work and life. We continued to be friends. Once you are a friend of Cole's you're ALWAYS a friend of Cole's. I've never met a more loyal person in my LIFE. End of round 3.

round 4

I had transferred to BYU in Provo, Utah that Fall, and ran into his best friend, Ben Criddle, and got a brief update on Cole after not hearing anything for a while. It seems to me that right when we would almost be out of each other's lives for good, there was always something drawing us back to each other. I go home after winter semester of '06 and leave on a mission to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Cole came to my farewell to support me(ahem, LOYAL FRIEND). I got a few letters from Cole throughout my mission, and was always really excited to hear how he was doing. He also sent me the CD of "Words of the Prophets", which I used my entire mission and found gave me the most comfort at the most difficult times.

Immediately upon coming home I agreed to go with my sister to the institute Halloween dance at ASU. I was naive and newly home from a mission, so although it is almost safe to say Halloween is the ONLY holiday I not only dislike, but DESPISE, I wanted to support church activities and needed to be social. This experience may have been the most traumatic experience of my life. I kept hoping to see a familiar face, and kept looking for Cole. I could think of no one else to bring a familiar peace and calm to my soul. I searched and at the end got desperate to get ahold of him, so I stumbled upon his friend and coworker and got his number. I can't express in words the feeling I had when I heard his voice. It was breathtaking. Our first date was to a runway fashion show in Scottsdale. So, after three days of being home, we became inseparable, and after separating again for a time at BYU, here we are. In love.

The first thing I saw in Cole that drew me to him was his heart. It is still what continues to amaze me every day. And its the reason we're together. Without his patience with me and his persistent love, I wouldn't be the happiest, LUCKIEST girl in the universe. I can't help but feel like I've cheated every other girl in the world out of the most amazing husband they ever could have had. I guess every girl feels that way huh?