Lessons Learned and Hopefully More to Learn!

Well, the last week or so has been a humbling experience for sure.

I've been doing a lot of thinking in my moments where I wonder why David would feel like things weren't right, and I can't really come to any good conclusions at the moment, but at least I have been learning a lot about myself and relationships.

For one, I have been thinking how I am 25..almost.. ;) and so far my life is definitely not where I have planned it to be. I mean, I am not going to grad school like I planned, I am working as a custodian lol, I am still living in Provo as a single girl....I honestly thought that it was just the right time for me to move on with my life and that David was that blessing for me.

Well, the Lord always has different things in mind for us I suppose than we have for ourselves, I can say that I believe David was sent into my life for a purpose. I had gotten to a point spiritually where I wasn't really trying anymore--I had become complaicent and I wasn't really pushing myself to become better. I was losing hope and my faith was slipping in me one day having someone in my life. I was sitting around wishing....actually I had stopped wishing...and I had given up on actually doing.

David is one of those people who gets an idea in his head and he goes for it. He inspired me to push myself to become better. He isn't someone that just lets life pass him by, but he is always working hard for something, and is willing to sacrifice a great deal for things that he feels are important. He keeps the Lord first in his life. He doesn't fall into the world's ways of just always going with the flow--but he is always aware of the choices he is making and he is very careful to choose the best.

Relationship-wise, he taught me to see what a guy SHOULD have to make a relationship work. For example, David was GREAT at communicating. I never questioned where he stood I am horrible at it, so I realized that I need someone who is willing to take the initiative in that. David is also great at putting his girl as a priority. I have never been treated with so much care--I felt like a princess! He even used to come by my apartment early in the morning and scrape all the snow and ice off my windows. Then he would leave a little note! How thoughtful. That is something I HATE to do in the winter--scrape off the ice and snow. :) Not only that, but he always keeps the Lord first, and that is definitely one of the most important things that we can do in relationships!

Another blessing he was to me was to remind me that I am worth being treated well and that I am worth being loved. I think I had come to a point where I had given up on dating and was perfectly happy living my little life and doing whatever I wanted to do whenever I wanted to do it. The Lord was reminding me that there is something much sweeter--caring for another person, and being cared about by another person. Now I am thinking how much I miss that--being cared about. I am not used to someone loving me so much--someone outside of my family of course. :) He really would have done anything for me. And he wasn't going to go anywhere no matter how stubborn I was--which is pretty hard to find a guy who is willing to do that haha.....I guess I had started to believe that all the other girls around were more special or more cute or that I had some serious lessons to learn before I could be loved.....he also made me realize I could just be me and not have to hide myself because if I was truly my whole self then I would "scare the boys away!" David always wanted me to open up and to just be who I was. I must say I didn't quite accomplish that, letting go of my walls completely, but at least I saw more of how being myself is good, but we are still friends and I hope we can stay that way. I really am so grateful that he was following what the Lord wanted him to do. So grateful!

So, regardless of this week being one of those downers, it isn't truly a downer because I feel like I've been more humbled and teachable, I have felt like the Lord is giving me comfort and peace, and I am truly grateful for the things that I learned and the friend I gained, and he taught me so much! :) I hope I can change the things about myself that need refining. I hope I can keep on learning ! :) And I hope that I can always have a good friend from this experience! :)

Something Funny Happened on the Way to Aspen Grove....

Hahaha......
so, it snows a lot in the mountains. Just in case you didn't know. And I work in the mountains, so sometimes this requires some careful driving.

Well, this morning, I left my happy, cozy little apartment to begin a fresh new day at Aspen Grove. There were some slight flurries, so I figured there might be a little bit of snow in the canyon. As I am going down the road towards the canyon, the roads get a little slick, but nothing I can't handle. I am blaring my Prince of Egypt soundtrack, and going happilly, and safely, down the canyon.

As I pass Bridal Veil falls, the roads by this point were definitely getting slick, but nothing to worry about. I look to my left and see a cop car with its lights on, but no other cars in sight. I look again, closer, to see what is going on because that is kind of weird, and I see a pickup truck....flipped over on the side of the road! Alright....so I am thinking that I better drive carefully.

So I get even closer, and by this time there are not really anymore tire marks in the snow, so I am driving on pretty solid stuff. So I text a coworker and say "roads are pretty bad in canyon--how are they up there?" and he says "I don't think they have plowed yet, but do what you need to do."

So I tell him I am probably going to turn around, but because I wanted to at least see if it was possible, I decided to keep going. I felt okay about continuing. So I did...maybe it was my stubbornness, but either way, I felt pretty under control of the situation.

I made the left turn into the Sundance road that goes up towards Aspen Grove. The roads were prettymuch solid snow, but it was packed enough to where I could at least get traction and move up the hill. Usually, we have snow plows that come through up to Sundance, but after Sundance, for some reason they never plow. I made it up to Sundance, and I saw the plow coming down the road, so I thought to myself, "Yes!!! I came up just at the right time!" I got right where the plow had been and made my way up the hill. I was pretty close to Aspen Grove, at least about a mile and a half down the hill, and then, all of a sudden, I came to a huge pile of snow--I was totally wrong. The plow had NOT come through like I thought, it stopped plowing right where I stopped driving....so I decided it was time to turn around, there was no way I was going to make it to work. I pull forward a little and start to turn around.

As I begin to turn, my car is perpendicular to the road. Then, the wheels kept spinning and I was completely stuck in the snow! I tried putting my car in neutral and pushing it a couple of times, but I am not exactly strong enough to push a car out of the snow.

Soon, cars start piling up waiting for me to get out of the way. I turn to a guy in a 4-wheel drive and come up to his window to tell him I am stuck. He rolls down the window--and lo and behold it is the cook at Aspen Grove!! Hallelujah!! He came JUST in time!

Thankfully, he had a chain in the back of his truck, so he chained the back of my car and started to pull it. He wasn't getting too far, so the guy behind him got out of his car and helped us to push it. Still no luck. Soon a third driver ends up in the line of cars, and he gets out of his car as well, and guess what?? It was Scott!! Another one of my managers at Aspen Grove!! Not only that, but he is the fire chief up in the mountains! So he does this kind of stuff ALL the time!!!!
Within about 20 minutes, and after several attempts and a very scary moment where my car almost got pulled right into the back of Greg's truck (which would have plowed both his car and my car down the mountain....ok maybe a LITTLE bit of an exaggeration..but still I was terrified!...especially when after that they told me to get in my car and steer it while they yanked it with the chain! haha) AAAH!!!

All I can say is I am so grateful that Greg showed up just at that moment, and that Scott showed up shortly after. I cannot be more grateful for the both of them and all they did to help me! Scott sent me right back down the mountain and back home after that. haha. ;) What an exciting day!!

Then I got to apply for and interview for an English teaching position at a local private school for troubled kids, and then spend the rest of the day with David, who has been really sick, so I got to do what I could to help him feel better. Right now he is sleeping on my couch..aawww poor David! :(
What a great day!

Valentine's Day on Friday the 13th

So I must take a moment to say I have the greatest, most down to earth coworkers EVER!

OK on to Valentine's day story.....

So for Valentine's day, David had this whole thing planned out. He wanted to make me dinner, and we were going to dress up all formal and make it extra fun.

Well, Valentine's day arrived, and he shows up at my apartment 20 minutes early. NOT a good thing when you are getting ready for a formal occassion, because ya know....girls have to dress up and it takes awhile.

He tells me that he has had the most horrible day and that he burnt the dinner! OH NO! I am like, oh its no big deal, we can just get a pizza. Honestly, I think that would be such a cute thing haha.

But he says, "no, no, no. I made reservations for the Skyroom restaraunt at 6:00." Wait, that's in like, 20 minutes, and I JUST got out of the shower. There is no way. Especially being formal!
So I blowdry my hair as quickly as possible, yet at the same time frusterated at no forwarning so I'm not moving QUITE as quickly as possible.....but I decide to nix the formal and just throw on some slacks and a nice shirt.

So in the car, he tells me he also has to pick up a calculator he had left in the Physics lab, which is in the same building as the restaraunt...the only glitch is that it is already 6:07. David says that they save the table for 15 minutes, so we have time....so we are running around campus, we run up the stairs of the Eyring, we are running down the hallway, and suddenly we stop. What?

Before me is a table with candles (er...at least the look-alike candles since you cant have open flames on campus), a vase of roses, a tablecloth, and settings for a meal.

"Welcome to the Eyring, madam. Tonight this will be our skyroom restaraunt......OK so I lied....."

Oh...my. Totally caught me off guard. haha. So he acts like a waiter, dishes out some salad and later some food. He made this delicious chicken parmesian--I am surprised a boy can cook so well.

As we are finishing up our food.....and he says, hold on one second.

He walks over to me, and pulls out a ring box out of his pocket.

"I know it is a little early and everything, but I was wondering if you would be my..."

(AAAH!!!! WHAT DOES HE THINK HE IS DOING?????? WHERE AM I GOING TO RUN TO??? I AM TRAPPED!!!)

.....box slowly opens.............

"Valentine?" and inside this ring box is a beautiful necklace.

Oh, my...again. Relief swept over me. hahahaha!

What a sly boy....I am so glad it wasn't what I thought it was. I definitely commend him for his trickery.....all night, full of all kinds of surprises ;) He even had the whole nervous thing down to a "T". He said he had been practicing doing nervous things, like wringing his hands and stuff....I didn't even notice because his acting was so natural.

Oh, boy, that is all I have to say, definitely the most surprising almost Valentine's day ever. (It was on Friday the 13th too! hahaha)

So I must take a moment to say how grateful I am for David and how well he treats me! I think I am always expecting it to turn for the worst but every day he makes me feel like a princess, no matter how much guff I give him. I knew I would need a persistent guy.......and this one definitely doesn't give up. But I am grateful for that.
I'm not sure what will happen down the road, I mean, it has only been about a month, but for what it is now I am grateful for it. I can only hope that over time we can continue to build things and really get to know each other through and through and be the best of friends. :)
Like yesterday, he came all the way down from Aspen Grove so that he could make it to the 8:40 session at the temple where I work, even though we couldn't even talk to each other, haha. Then, after he got out of his session, he waited around for me til 11 so that he could see me afterwords, and then he took me out for lunch. I am always taken aback by all the little things he does, like putting notes on my rearview mirror, leaving roses in my car, coming all the way down from Aspen Grove just to see me for half an hour since he knew I was making smoothies for us (haha--and he was even supposed to be at work haha...so funny :) ), leaving me "hello beautiful" messages every morning in my email, carrying me across the snow so I don't have to walk through it haha..... I could go on and on, he really does things every day. I wonder where on earth this boy came from. I don't feel like I deserve to be treated so well so I am definitely having to adjust! :)