This is Us.

Spencer 24, Ashley 18

So these pictures were taken of us shortly before we met.  We had no knowledge of the other's existence, yet...  Spencer was losing hope of ever finding someone, and I was getting ready to serve a mission.  I was living in Austin, TX going to the University of Texas and working as a massage therapist.  I met Spencer in late June, he was home from BYU for the summer, but I had a boyfriend at the time so nothing happened with us then...  Well, that boyfriend and I broke up shortly thereafter, and Spencer asked me out on our first date three days later.

The Sunday after we got engaged.

I remember the night he asked me out.  I had come home early from somewhere and was going to skip Institute (a bible study class) and just go to bed early.  I woke up at 7 pm on the dot and could NOT get back to sleep.  Since Institute had already started I decided to just go and sit in the back, I don't know what possessed me to give up my battle with trying to get back to sleep, I like to think Alice and Norah had something to do with it....  Well, the Bishop so happened to be there that night so I approached him about wanting to go on a mission, and he was able to start getting the paperwork ready that night.  Well, after Institute let out I started talking to a group of my friends and Spencer was among them...  they all invited us to Pluckers and I didn't have to try very hard to get Spencer to go...  remember I was officially single at the time so flirting was part of the game....  Spencer was not a night person by any means...  but he came, and I knew he came because I asked him.  I even conveniently didn't understand the directions to Pluckers so he ended up taking me.  I thought he was cute, but he went to BYU and would be gone in less than two months so I thought it was harmless.  Anyway, that night he asked me on a date.  It was either him or the Singles activity, so I picked him.  That night I went in to talk to my roommate Tressa about my day, the impossible early bedtime, my mission, and Spencer.  I made a resolve to not go on any other dates after the one with Spencer since I was going to put full focus on my mission.  One more date, I thought to myself, then no more boys.  How real that came to be... just not exactly how I'd planned...

The Monday after we got engaged.

Spencer and I had a marvelous first date.  I ended the night by showing him my mission papers just in case he got the courage to push any further dates.  The fact that we had held hands, though, didn't help that much...  Then came the worst 5 days of our lives.  Saturday came and he texted me and I took all day to respond...  Sunday came and I had a run in with the ex boyfriend and was a wreck so I never texted or called Spencer back after our last correspondence, but at that point the ball was in my court...  I was supposed to call him when I had time.  I didn't want him to be a rebound, I already really liked him...  I couldn't get him out of my head.  Then finally Wednesday came, I was on my way home from my new job stopped at 15th and I35, and I was still lamenting over the things my ex had told me he really didn't like about me....  my randomness, my ditziness, how I can sometimes be two conversations behind, how I don't always get jokes, etc.  And then the strongest feeling came over me and the thought, "But Spencer already loves those things about me."  I was overwhelmed.  I had to call him.  I went home told my roommate that I needed to call him and she had just seen him the night before and told me he seemed uninterested, or at least he thought I was, so he was going to move on.  I couldn't take that...  so I called him, I apologized, and we talked.... a lot... I had plans that night, but I cut them a little short.  He was sick so I saw him early the next afternoon...  And then the next day, and the next and just about every day until he went back to school.

The cover to our wedding announcement! 

The week after we started talking again I knew I was in for it.  He was so funny and respectful, nice and sweet, he laughed at my quirks and adored me, and I absolutely adored him. Still do.  We kissed on Aug. 1st and that was the beginning of our steady relationship.  That weekend he met my family as my friend and they all like him right off the bat...  the words marriage prospect even left my mom's mouth, and my dad liked how honorable he seemed to be.  Funny side note, we were holding hands in my parent's ward that Sunday and the Sunday School teacher caught us off guard and basically told him to put a ring on my finger ASAP...  haha, my mom laughed when the story got back to her, and that teacher was not surprised when I showed up a couple months later with just that!

Yes, you read that right...  a couple months...

The last weekend he was in town before he had to leave for school, I was in San Antonio and he was in Austin.  I knew if I had asked him to come he would have, but I wanted to see if I could handle myself.  haha.  I fell in love with him that weekend.  That was when I knew he really was that one person I would spend the rest of eternity with.  I even told my bishop that.  My bishop even told me I shouldn't turn down a proposal if it came, he had known Spencer over the years and deemed him a very honorable young man.

Wedding Day!!  12-27-2007

Well, Spencer left on August 30th, and I couldn't take it...  so we made plans for him to come the first weekend in October.

We talked all the time, and we found skype such a reliable tool!  I was still preparing for a mission since I was not going to stay behind for a boyfriend.  Sooo...  that fateful weekend arrived and Spencer not only asked my dad if he could take my hand, he asked me to be his wife.  I said yes of course! We were married just two and a half months later.  Looking back, I know we jumped into things, but I wouldn't change it for the world!  So many blessing have come from our marriage, and it is only getting better.  I guess you could say we are crazy, but at least it is about each other!

And they lived happily ever after