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This page is home to the story of how we met and fell in love!
To read our continuing story, check out our blog, which we update often.
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Our Love Story
How We Met
I don't know about you, but I love love stories, and hearing how people met makes me happy. So here is our story, for any interested parties.
After Shaun's mission, the fates aligned to draw him to a certain apartment complex near BYU campus. While he was in Colorado the summer before returning to BYU, he made a friend who was also living at that place. He called in and requested that he could be in an apartment with him--Geoff. So they changed his room assignment.
Meanwhile, little freshman Lanette had gone through lots of tedious apartment hunting and tours, and had signed a contract at a place south of BYU campus. She hadn't worried much after that about housing. But one of her friends, (her freshman year roommate, Kris,) hadn't felt quite right after signing that housing contract. Kris prayed a lot over the matter. After sorting through everything, Lanette and her friends ended up selling the contracts they'd bought for the coming year, and signing on at the place that Shaun would sign up for, due to Kris's conviction that it felt more right. Over the summer, Lanette got a letter that the apartment that she and her future roommates were signed up for had been switched. It was weird, as they had provided all 6 people for the apartment. They were moved from one building to another.
When they came that fall, it just so happened that Shaun and Lanette were in the same BYU singles ward. Except they're convinced it was meant-to-be, so it wasn't really something that "just so happened" to happen. He was 21, and she was 19.
The first Sunday Shaun and Lanette were both in their new ward was when the two both first came to know who the other one was. It was a fast and testimony Sunday, and Shaun got up during Sacrament meeting to bear his testimony. He talked about his conversion, and his testimony stuck with Lanette. Even though she told everyone that she was so not going to date any return missionaries for a while, she definitely noticed that one, and deemed him an awesome one at that.
Later that night was ward prayer (a sort of bizarre singles ward thing). At ward prayer one apartment was asked to introduce themselves each week. The first Sunday they just so happened to ask Lanette's apartment to introduce themselves to the ward. After one of her roommates said that she was a gymnast/cheerleader and demonstrated a back flip, and another said she could hula dance well, Lanette was trying to think of a cool talent she could actually SHOW people. She was stumped. And then she remembered that she has 2 really cool, freakishly flexible and double-jointed thumbs, so she demonstrated that, and showed everyone how she could bend a thumb back, making it look grotesquely broken. That, plus the fact that she was wearing an embarrassing tie-dyed t-shirt about a hippie town in Oregon, ensured that Shaun certainly noticed her.
Shaun was called to be the ward mission leader, and Lanette was called to be the FHE grandma (or co-chair), and the 2 were both to participate in ward council. The entire first semester in that ward, something fishy was going on there...During many ward council meetings, increasingly so toward Halloween, then Thanksgiving and Christmas, Shaun would most assuredly make eye contact with Lanette unnaturally often, and would smile at her, hoping for her to smile back. He claims that the first thing he loved about her was her smile. She definitely enjoyed flashing flirtatious smiles his way, and quite possibly did indeed check out his facebook page after a few of those meetings, just out of curiosity. The one unfortunate thing is that she had trouble remembering his name, despite their facebook friend status, and often thought it was actually Brett or something that started with a B.
Shaun and his roommate Tyson were home teachers for a couple of Lanette's roommates. She definitely remembers being a little jealous that they had diligent and nice home teachers, not to mention that cute guy...Once while they were visiting, she was having dinner with her brother David and her roommate Glo. When Shaun and Tyson got up to leave, they came to meet David, and Lanette asked them if they wanted to stay for dinner. Sadly, they declined, quite possibly because the soup was almost gone, or maybe because it was loaded with broccoli. But Shaun wasn't going to get off that easily!
One night in December, Shaun's and Lanette's apartments were assigned to have a break-the-fast dinner together. Lanette double-checked to make sure this was indeed the handsome guy from ward council's apartment. It was. She got extra cute for dinner and made sure her apartment was contributing awesome food. Tragically, Shaun wasn't home that night. Lanette asked Geoff about his absence, and Geoff began teasing her about having a crush on Shaun. Lanette felt a bit scandalized. She didn't have a crush! She was just being polite. She resolved to not think about Shaun anymore.
Christmas break came and went. Both Shaun and Lanette cut their breaks short a little earlier than most BYU students. And quite literally the day that Lanette returned to Provo, just a day or two after Shaun got back as well, the magic all began...
After Shaun's mission, the fates aligned to draw him to a certain apartment complex near BYU campus. While he was in Colorado the summer before returning to BYU, he made a friend who was also living at that place. He called in and requested that he could be in an apartment with him--Geoff. So they changed his room assignment.
Meanwhile, little freshman Lanette had gone through lots of tedious apartment hunting and tours, and had signed a contract at a place south of BYU campus. She hadn't worried much after that about housing. But one of her friends, (her freshman year roommate, Kris,) hadn't felt quite right after signing that housing contract. Kris prayed a lot over the matter. After sorting through everything, Lanette and her friends ended up selling the contracts they'd bought for the coming year, and signing on at the place that Shaun would sign up for, due to Kris's conviction that it felt more right. Over the summer, Lanette got a letter that the apartment that she and her future roommates were signed up for had been switched. It was weird, as they had provided all 6 people for the apartment. They were moved from one building to another.
When they came that fall, it just so happened that Shaun and Lanette were in the same BYU singles ward. Except they're convinced it was meant-to-be, so it wasn't really something that "just so happened" to happen. He was 21, and she was 19.
The first Sunday Shaun and Lanette were both in their new ward was when the two both first came to know who the other one was. It was a fast and testimony Sunday, and Shaun got up during Sacrament meeting to bear his testimony. He talked about his conversion, and his testimony stuck with Lanette. Even though she told everyone that she was so not going to date any return missionaries for a while, she definitely noticed that one, and deemed him an awesome one at that.
Later that night was ward prayer (a sort of bizarre singles ward thing). At ward prayer one apartment was asked to introduce themselves each week. The first Sunday they just so happened to ask Lanette's apartment to introduce themselves to the ward. After one of her roommates said that she was a gymnast/cheerleader and demonstrated a back flip, and another said she could hula dance well, Lanette was trying to think of a cool talent she could actually SHOW people. She was stumped. And then she remembered that she has 2 really cool, freakishly flexible and double-jointed thumbs, so she demonstrated that, and showed everyone how she could bend a thumb back, making it look grotesquely broken. That, plus the fact that she was wearing an embarrassing tie-dyed t-shirt about a hippie town in Oregon, ensured that Shaun certainly noticed her.
Shaun was called to be the ward mission leader, and Lanette was called to be the FHE grandma (or co-chair), and the 2 were both to participate in ward council. The entire first semester in that ward, something fishy was going on there...During many ward council meetings, increasingly so toward Halloween, then Thanksgiving and Christmas, Shaun would most assuredly make eye contact with Lanette unnaturally often, and would smile at her, hoping for her to smile back. He claims that the first thing he loved about her was her smile. She definitely enjoyed flashing flirtatious smiles his way, and quite possibly did indeed check out his facebook page after a few of those meetings, just out of curiosity. The one unfortunate thing is that she had trouble remembering his name, despite their facebook friend status, and often thought it was actually Brett or something that started with a B.
Shaun and his roommate Tyson were home teachers for a couple of Lanette's roommates. She definitely remembers being a little jealous that they had diligent and nice home teachers, not to mention that cute guy...Once while they were visiting, she was having dinner with her brother David and her roommate Glo. When Shaun and Tyson got up to leave, they came to meet David, and Lanette asked them if they wanted to stay for dinner. Sadly, they declined, quite possibly because the soup was almost gone, or maybe because it was loaded with broccoli. But Shaun wasn't going to get off that easily!
One night in December, Shaun's and Lanette's apartments were assigned to have a break-the-fast dinner together. Lanette double-checked to make sure this was indeed the handsome guy from ward council's apartment. It was. She got extra cute for dinner and made sure her apartment was contributing awesome food. Tragically, Shaun wasn't home that night. Lanette asked Geoff about his absence, and Geoff began teasing her about having a crush on Shaun. Lanette felt a bit scandalized. She didn't have a crush! She was just being polite. She resolved to not think about Shaun anymore.
Christmas break came and went. Both Shaun and Lanette cut their breaks short a little earlier than most BYU students. And quite literally the day that Lanette returned to Provo, just a day or two after Shaun got back as well, the magic all began...
Our First Sort-of Dates
The night we first held hands!
Dating is a whole different animal these days. Seriously, it's not as cut and dry as it used to be in like, then 50s. You don't always know whether or not you're dating someone, right? And what counts as a date anyway? This section is about when we began "sort-of" dating, depending on how you define that.
The night air on January 4 was cold. Piles of fresh snow were liberally brushed over the valley. Lanette had just flown into Utah that day. When Kris asked her if she'd go sledding with her and a guy that Kris liked and some other people, Lanette said no. No way. She was tired. But the only other one of her roommates still home was Glo, and when her boyfriend called, Glo hibernated for what was assuredly a sappy and long conversation--not what Lanette wanted to hear. So she told Kris she'd changed her mind. It was a life-changing mind change. She agreed to join the sledding party.
Lanette had never really been sledding (except for one time, down a really mellow hill--totally doesn't count!), and was a bit nervous and wary of catching cold or breaking something, but she knew she should wash off her mascara, as it wasn't waterproof, and probably wear a few layers of clothes so she could adjust if she got too warm. Her layering consisted of some really embarrassing things, as she was thinking more about function than looking good. Layers included bubblegum pink leggings and fleece pajama pants with teddy bears on them. Thankfully, all the layers were able to stay, so the legging and teddy bears stayed hidden.
When she and Kris went to the hall where everyone was meeting before hitting up a popular sledding spot, she was surprised to see Shaun there. And she felt like she was in a movie or something when she saw his eyes find her and widen in a happy sort of surprise that his smiling friend was going on the sledding trip too. It was obvious that he liked her, and she wasn't sure how to react, as such open admiration had never come at her from someone so good-looking.
She rode up with Kris and Kris's crush, and gathered with everyone at the top of a steep hill coated in fresh, powdery snow. Shaun somehow ended up standing next to her, and she decided to be open about her fears of sledding by telling the group that this was her first time and she was nervous. Shaun immediately volunteered to be her "sledding buddy," and of course she had no qualms in accepting his offer. They buddied up on a plastic sled and took off, and Lanette acted just a tad more frightened than she really was so Shaun would hold her tight. Once she was clearly no longer scared of sledding, Shaun still didn't want to ditch her. He only left for a few minutes to bring his friend Jordan to join the group. During the break a bunch of the girls teased Lanette about the pair of them, but of course she didn't mind, and as soon as he was back the two of them continued flirting and sledding together. They kept sledding until well after midnight, but Shaun and Lanette didn't want the night to end yet. Neither did most of the group, so they headed over to IHOP, where Lanette sat next to Shaun and ordered a strawberry milkshake. He had pigs in a blanket. It was after 2 AM when they got home. Shaun immediately sent Lanette a facebook message, just to tell her he had a lot of fun, how awesome he found her to be, and that if she was going to the 80s dance the next night they should go together.
The 80s dance wasn't really all that appealing to either of them, but Lanette decided she'd go if Shaun was going. She walked over to his apartment and asked if he was going. He said sure, but Lanette figured out that he didn't really want to. Assuring him that was okay, and she didn't really want to either, she turned to go, but he stopped her. "Do you want to do something else with me instead?" he asked. "We can hang out..." So they did. They decided to make chocolate chip cookies, and drove to WalMart to get the ingredients. On the drive they had a great conversation. Shaun asked some pretty intense questions that really should've told Lanette that this guy meant business, but she was blissfully unaware that he was asking her things (how many children she wanted someday and how she would feel about having a husband who hunted and whether she liked the name Gage) for any particular reason. They decided to make colorful cookies that were marbled with 3-4 colors in each cookie, and had a wonderful night.
The next night they hung out for a little while, and the next night they did too. Lanette was organizing new FHE groups for the ward, and when she finished it just so happened that the last apartments to group together were hers and Shaun's. They hung out every night, and then Shaun began driving her to work Sunday-Thursday nights around 10 PM. They even started doing more date-ish dates--going to dinner together, where Shaun would pay. Things got really exciting when they went to the ward ice skating activity after a dinner date, and Shaun held her hand for te first time--perhaps because Lanette was a clumsy skater though. But no--after skating they watched a movie at his house and held hands again. Things were going ridiculously well.
The night air on January 4 was cold. Piles of fresh snow were liberally brushed over the valley. Lanette had just flown into Utah that day. When Kris asked her if she'd go sledding with her and a guy that Kris liked and some other people, Lanette said no. No way. She was tired. But the only other one of her roommates still home was Glo, and when her boyfriend called, Glo hibernated for what was assuredly a sappy and long conversation--not what Lanette wanted to hear. So she told Kris she'd changed her mind. It was a life-changing mind change. She agreed to join the sledding party.
Lanette had never really been sledding (except for one time, down a really mellow hill--totally doesn't count!), and was a bit nervous and wary of catching cold or breaking something, but she knew she should wash off her mascara, as it wasn't waterproof, and probably wear a few layers of clothes so she could adjust if she got too warm. Her layering consisted of some really embarrassing things, as she was thinking more about function than looking good. Layers included bubblegum pink leggings and fleece pajama pants with teddy bears on them. Thankfully, all the layers were able to stay, so the legging and teddy bears stayed hidden.
When she and Kris went to the hall where everyone was meeting before hitting up a popular sledding spot, she was surprised to see Shaun there. And she felt like she was in a movie or something when she saw his eyes find her and widen in a happy sort of surprise that his smiling friend was going on the sledding trip too. It was obvious that he liked her, and she wasn't sure how to react, as such open admiration had never come at her from someone so good-looking.
She rode up with Kris and Kris's crush, and gathered with everyone at the top of a steep hill coated in fresh, powdery snow. Shaun somehow ended up standing next to her, and she decided to be open about her fears of sledding by telling the group that this was her first time and she was nervous. Shaun immediately volunteered to be her "sledding buddy," and of course she had no qualms in accepting his offer. They buddied up on a plastic sled and took off, and Lanette acted just a tad more frightened than she really was so Shaun would hold her tight. Once she was clearly no longer scared of sledding, Shaun still didn't want to ditch her. He only left for a few minutes to bring his friend Jordan to join the group. During the break a bunch of the girls teased Lanette about the pair of them, but of course she didn't mind, and as soon as he was back the two of them continued flirting and sledding together. They kept sledding until well after midnight, but Shaun and Lanette didn't want the night to end yet. Neither did most of the group, so they headed over to IHOP, where Lanette sat next to Shaun and ordered a strawberry milkshake. He had pigs in a blanket. It was after 2 AM when they got home. Shaun immediately sent Lanette a facebook message, just to tell her he had a lot of fun, how awesome he found her to be, and that if she was going to the 80s dance the next night they should go together.
The 80s dance wasn't really all that appealing to either of them, but Lanette decided she'd go if Shaun was going. She walked over to his apartment and asked if he was going. He said sure, but Lanette figured out that he didn't really want to. Assuring him that was okay, and she didn't really want to either, she turned to go, but he stopped her. "Do you want to do something else with me instead?" he asked. "We can hang out..." So they did. They decided to make chocolate chip cookies, and drove to WalMart to get the ingredients. On the drive they had a great conversation. Shaun asked some pretty intense questions that really should've told Lanette that this guy meant business, but she was blissfully unaware that he was asking her things (how many children she wanted someday and how she would feel about having a husband who hunted and whether she liked the name Gage) for any particular reason. They decided to make colorful cookies that were marbled with 3-4 colors in each cookie, and had a wonderful night.
The next night they hung out for a little while, and the next night they did too. Lanette was organizing new FHE groups for the ward, and when she finished it just so happened that the last apartments to group together were hers and Shaun's. They hung out every night, and then Shaun began driving her to work Sunday-Thursday nights around 10 PM. They even started doing more date-ish dates--going to dinner together, where Shaun would pay. Things got really exciting when they went to the ward ice skating activity after a dinner date, and Shaun held her hand for te first time--perhaps because Lanette was a clumsy skater though. But no--after skating they watched a movie at his house and held hands again. Things were going ridiculously well.
Defining Being Official
It really can be tricky knowing when someone is *officially* dating someone. Shaun and Lanette spent time together every day after that first sledding trip, and were holding hands now, even in front of other people. So were they official? Lanette decided probably not, but then one night after work she checked facebook to see that screen shot to the side. "Shaun is no longer single" it said. When she saw that her brain screamed "Eek!" She wasn't sure what that meant. After mulling it over and asking her girlfriends, she decided not to worry about it, but took it "single" off of her facebook profile too, and wondered if he'd notice.
They still hadn't kissed, and Glo assured Lanette that she and Shaun wouldn't be official until they kissed. But then one night Lanette got a phone call from a guy. "It's not Shaun!" her roommate hissed when she handed her the receiver. Totally bewildered, she answered. It was definitely not Shaun, it was another guy in their ward. And he wanted to go on a date. Lanette had no idea what to say. Shaun and she weren't official. But they probably would be soon. Should she go out with another guy? Probably not, but then maybe if she did it would make Shaun more decisive, and maybe he'd finally kiss her? She decided not to play games, and just told the guy the truth--that she was kinda dating someone else--maybe. And she wasn't really sure. He asked who. And he hasn't spoken to Shaun since.
That night, or really soon after, when Shaun was driving her to work, Lanette decided she just *had* to ask him. The conversation went something like this:
Lanette, in a small,squeaky, already-mortified voice: "Hey Shaun, can I ask you a question?"
Shaun, looking adorably concerned, grabs Lanette's hand and squeezes it reassuringly: "Of course! What is it?"
Lanette, trying to think about the seemingly critical but really petty issue at hand and not about how hott Shaun is and how crazy she is about him: "Ummmm...."
Shaun looks increasingly concerned.
Lanette, very tentatively: "...Are we...official?"
Awkward pause.
Shaun: "Um, yes? I think?"
Lanette was so relieved that she proceeded to pour out the whole awkward phone call story and then said something about not meaning to be awkward. The two arrived to her work and she happily jumped out of the car, leaving Shaun to wonder what he was getting himself in to.
They still hadn't kissed, and Glo assured Lanette that she and Shaun wouldn't be official until they kissed. But then one night Lanette got a phone call from a guy. "It's not Shaun!" her roommate hissed when she handed her the receiver. Totally bewildered, she answered. It was definitely not Shaun, it was another guy in their ward. And he wanted to go on a date. Lanette had no idea what to say. Shaun and she weren't official. But they probably would be soon. Should she go out with another guy? Probably not, but then maybe if she did it would make Shaun more decisive, and maybe he'd finally kiss her? She decided not to play games, and just told the guy the truth--that she was kinda dating someone else--maybe. And she wasn't really sure. He asked who. And he hasn't spoken to Shaun since.
That night, or really soon after, when Shaun was driving her to work, Lanette decided she just *had* to ask him. The conversation went something like this:
Lanette, in a small,squeaky, already-mortified voice: "Hey Shaun, can I ask you a question?"
Shaun, looking adorably concerned, grabs Lanette's hand and squeezes it reassuringly: "Of course! What is it?"
Lanette, trying to think about the seemingly critical but really petty issue at hand and not about how hott Shaun is and how crazy she is about him: "Ummmm...."
Shaun looks increasingly concerned.
Lanette, very tentatively: "...Are we...official?"
Awkward pause.
Shaun: "Um, yes? I think?"
Lanette was so relieved that she proceeded to pour out the whole awkward phone call story and then said something about not meaning to be awkward. The two arrived to her work and she happily jumped out of the car, leaving Shaun to wonder what he was getting himself in to.
First Kiss!
Right before our first kiss!
Shaun and Lanette had been pretty much inseparable for almost a month. But he still had not kissed her! Lanette was definitely going crazy, because she knew it was coming soon. What's more, she'd never really kissed anyone, and definitely liked Shaun more than anyone she'd ever met. She knew it was coming, and waiting was started to irk her.
It was a chilly night about 4 weeks after they went sledding together. Shaun asked Lanette if she'd like to go on a double date with a couple of their friends up to Salt Lake to see the Joseph Smith movie. The group headed up and went straight to the movie. Lanette noticed that Shaun kept looking at her during sad parts to catch her crying, and whenever someone was kissing onstage he'd squeeze her hand. She snuggled closer to him, oblivious that this was foreshadowing.
After the movie the group walked around Temple Square, visited with some missionaries Shaun had taught at the MTC, and tok pictures. A few minutes after a mini-photo shoot, their friends went to find bathrooms, and Shaun and Lanette were left standing on the ledge of the reflection pool in front of the Salt Lake Temple. Lanette was quite content snuggling into Shaun's chest, and was a bit annoyed when he pulled away to look at her. She smiled up at him and then tried to snuggle back, but he held her away a bit and said, "Can I kiss you?" Lanette was so caught off-guard that she was quite literally speechless. She stared up at Shaun, mouth gaping open, until he began to move in, apparently taking her silence as a yes. She dodged the first attempt, trying to think, and began to babble about having no idea what she was doing. Ignoring her rambles, Shaun persistently tried again. She was frozen still that time, and tried to engrave the kiss in her memory somewhere where it would stay forever.
Lanette was in a sort of daze for the rest of the night, from when the group sat for a bit in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to when they went to IHOP (yes, IHOP again, bizarrely enough). Shaun walked her home and kissed her goodnight, and Lanette floated into her apartment and ran to send some emails to her mom, sisters, and some of her best girlfriends.
It was a chilly night about 4 weeks after they went sledding together. Shaun asked Lanette if she'd like to go on a double date with a couple of their friends up to Salt Lake to see the Joseph Smith movie. The group headed up and went straight to the movie. Lanette noticed that Shaun kept looking at her during sad parts to catch her crying, and whenever someone was kissing onstage he'd squeeze her hand. She snuggled closer to him, oblivious that this was foreshadowing.
After the movie the group walked around Temple Square, visited with some missionaries Shaun had taught at the MTC, and tok pictures. A few minutes after a mini-photo shoot, their friends went to find bathrooms, and Shaun and Lanette were left standing on the ledge of the reflection pool in front of the Salt Lake Temple. Lanette was quite content snuggling into Shaun's chest, and was a bit annoyed when he pulled away to look at her. She smiled up at him and then tried to snuggle back, but he held her away a bit and said, "Can I kiss you?" Lanette was so caught off-guard that she was quite literally speechless. She stared up at Shaun, mouth gaping open, until he began to move in, apparently taking her silence as a yes. She dodged the first attempt, trying to think, and began to babble about having no idea what she was doing. Ignoring her rambles, Shaun persistently tried again. She was frozen still that time, and tried to engrave the kiss in her memory somewhere where it would stay forever.
Lanette was in a sort of daze for the rest of the night, from when the group sat for a bit in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to when they went to IHOP (yes, IHOP again, bizarrely enough). Shaun walked her home and kissed her goodnight, and Lanette floated into her apartment and ran to send some emails to her mom, sisters, and some of her best girlfriends.
Courtship Continued
So it was *really* official now. Not long after their first kiss, Shaun and Lanette celebrated Valentine's Day. This involved Lanette hunting Shaun's car down (no easy feat--he was at work), stuffing it with little gifts and balloons and Hershey's hugs and kisses, and then snow-flaking the exterior of Shaun's car with colorful snowflakes (as heart-attacking seemed a little too mushy). This also involved Shaun leaving Lanette a dozen roses and a sweet card to come home to first thing Valentine's Day morning (around 1 AM). Things were going wonderfully, and the two were very happy, not really paying attention to their grades, just walking on sunshine and loving being in love.
There were lots of sweet notes left on each others doors after that, and the two found time to be together every day.
For a long weekend holiday, the two decided spontaneously to go on a road trip to Colorado to see Shaun's family. The road trip ended up involving a blizzard, being stranded in the Rockies, and proved to be a good bonding experience for the two as they handled a very stressful situation together for the first time. They did eventually make it to Denver and had a lovely trip, and got back without any blizzard troubles.
One March morning the two were walking to campus, holding hands and chattering about fun ideas of dates for the weekend, when they ran into a friend who was going to see him grandparents over the weekend. Lanette suddenly had an epiphany. Just hours later, the two were packing up Shaun's car and getting ready to drive to southern Utah to visit Lanette's grandparents, and visit ZIon's National Park for some beautiful hiking. The weekend trip was a beautiful and relaxing one, and the two made a lot of memories. Lanette's sweet grandparents were very hospitable. The only awkward moments were when they banned Shaun to the upstair bedroom for the night before it was even 9 PM, and made sure Lanette was staying in her sofa bed by their bedroom for good, and when they asked what kind of family business Shaun's father ran. (After telling them it was a liquor store, Shaun hastily explained his conversion story, but before it had all sunk in the looks on their faces were pretty priceless.) It was really fun for Shaun to begin meeting Lanette's family, and seeing the red rocks of Zion's Park was a really romantic.
It was around this time that people began to tease the two about getting married soon. Both Shaun and Lanette would brush off these comments, saying, "If we were to get married, theoretically, it would be at least a year from now!" (They didn't quite make it that long--it was more like 9 months after they first began dating.) Lanette and one of Shaun's good friends, Brian, had many classes together. One day Brian asked Lanette if she and Shaun had talked about marriage. Totally caught off guard, she said no. "You probably should, you know, to get on the same page and all," he said. So this pressed on her mind until an opportune moment came one evening, while the two were at Shaun's apartment doing homework and snuggling on the couch. She gathered her courage and gutsily tried to work it into the conversation. Shaun was quite accommodating. The conversation went something like this:
Shaun: "What are you thinking about, honey?"
Lanette: "Oh, history class. What are you thinking about?"
Shaun, with an adorable hurt look on his beautiful face: "I was thinking about you. Why are you thinking about history?"
Lanette: "Well, Brian and I had an interesting conversation in history........He said we need to talk. And get on the same page.....about.....you know, marriage stuff. So, what page are you on?"
*Shaun sits quietly for an excruciatingly long time. Lanette just waits. She is used to making life awkward. Finally, Shaun speaks up.*
Shaun: "Well, I am definitely thinking about it." *And the conversation continues, a sweet and awkward chat, and suddenly a date is tentatively set for the very end of summer, and the couple is dazed out of their minds.*
There was definitely some ring shopping after that, and some unofficial telling the family phone calls, and a chat with their bishop to talk about being engaged and preparing for marriage. Shaun thought about proposing when the two went on a weekend trip to Vegas with Jordan and Brian (it was a fun trip!), but he changed his mind, and instead, he decided to wait until their upcoming trip to Oregon. Lanette's parents were flying the two in for a visit, and flying Lanette's brother David home for the summer.
There were lots of sweet notes left on each others doors after that, and the two found time to be together every day.
For a long weekend holiday, the two decided spontaneously to go on a road trip to Colorado to see Shaun's family. The road trip ended up involving a blizzard, being stranded in the Rockies, and proved to be a good bonding experience for the two as they handled a very stressful situation together for the first time. They did eventually make it to Denver and had a lovely trip, and got back without any blizzard troubles.
One March morning the two were walking to campus, holding hands and chattering about fun ideas of dates for the weekend, when they ran into a friend who was going to see him grandparents over the weekend. Lanette suddenly had an epiphany. Just hours later, the two were packing up Shaun's car and getting ready to drive to southern Utah to visit Lanette's grandparents, and visit ZIon's National Park for some beautiful hiking. The weekend trip was a beautiful and relaxing one, and the two made a lot of memories. Lanette's sweet grandparents were very hospitable. The only awkward moments were when they banned Shaun to the upstair bedroom for the night before it was even 9 PM, and made sure Lanette was staying in her sofa bed by their bedroom for good, and when they asked what kind of family business Shaun's father ran. (After telling them it was a liquor store, Shaun hastily explained his conversion story, but before it had all sunk in the looks on their faces were pretty priceless.) It was really fun for Shaun to begin meeting Lanette's family, and seeing the red rocks of Zion's Park was a really romantic.
It was around this time that people began to tease the two about getting married soon. Both Shaun and Lanette would brush off these comments, saying, "If we were to get married, theoretically, it would be at least a year from now!" (They didn't quite make it that long--it was more like 9 months after they first began dating.) Lanette and one of Shaun's good friends, Brian, had many classes together. One day Brian asked Lanette if she and Shaun had talked about marriage. Totally caught off guard, she said no. "You probably should, you know, to get on the same page and all," he said. So this pressed on her mind until an opportune moment came one evening, while the two were at Shaun's apartment doing homework and snuggling on the couch. She gathered her courage and gutsily tried to work it into the conversation. Shaun was quite accommodating. The conversation went something like this:
Shaun: "What are you thinking about, honey?"
Lanette: "Oh, history class. What are you thinking about?"
Shaun, with an adorable hurt look on his beautiful face: "I was thinking about you. Why are you thinking about history?"
Lanette: "Well, Brian and I had an interesting conversation in history........He said we need to talk. And get on the same page.....about.....you know, marriage stuff. So, what page are you on?"
*Shaun sits quietly for an excruciatingly long time. Lanette just waits. She is used to making life awkward. Finally, Shaun speaks up.*
Shaun: "Well, I am definitely thinking about it." *And the conversation continues, a sweet and awkward chat, and suddenly a date is tentatively set for the very end of summer, and the couple is dazed out of their minds.*
There was definitely some ring shopping after that, and some unofficial telling the family phone calls, and a chat with their bishop to talk about being engaged and preparing for marriage. Shaun thought about proposing when the two went on a weekend trip to Vegas with Jordan and Brian (it was a fun trip!), but he changed his mind, and instead, he decided to wait until their upcoming trip to Oregon. Lanette's parents were flying the two in for a visit, and flying Lanette's brother David home for the summer.
Engagement
When Shaun and Lanette finally decided to make a trip to Oregon to see Lanette's family (or rather, to meet them, in Shaun's case, as he'd only met Lanette's brother, who was a freshman at BYU), Lanette knew a proposal was coming eventually. They'd already picked a date, after all, and talked to their Bishop and made tons of plans. The wedding was in 4 months, so of course Shaun would propose sooner than later. But when her sisters told Lanette that Shaun would totally propose to her while they visited the Oregon Coast, she brushed them off saying, "You guys are in high school, you totally don't know what you're talking about."
It was a mild, sunny and pleasant Thursday in Oregon when Shaun and Lanette made a trip to the Oregon Coast. First they went to the dentist for Lanette's 6 month check up. While she was getting her teeth cleaned and gushing about how amazing her boyfriend was to the dental assistant, Shaun was writing in his journal:
"...This semester went okay, but I must admit that it was a lot harder to concentrate being in the relationship that I have. But as I see it, Lanette is much more important in the long run. I love her so much! Well, this is somewhat weird writing before it actually happens, but I am going to ask her to marry me today. After we leave the dentist's office we are going to go to the coast and I am going to do it there. I've had the ring for about two weeks and I've wanted to do it so bad. I thought about doing it last week when we were in Las Vegas but decided not to. We had a great time there but I wanted it to be just the two of us, and Vegas is a very dirty city. Anyway, I got the ring that she really liked. I don't think she knows I'm going to do it today. I hope she is surprised. On the 21st I called and spoke with her her father and asked for his approval. He was very sweet and caring and with a glad heart gave us his blessing [but he said I'd have to get the permission from Lanette!]."
The trip to the coast was incredibly romantic. Lanette's mom packed a delicious picnic for the couple to share and they hunted for seashells for a long time. Shaun eventually sent Lanette to look for some in one area while he scouted out another place. She was a little pouty that he didn't want to hunt together. Little did she know that he had found what he was looking for--a muscle shell that opened and closed, that he could put the engagement ring in. He waved Lanette back to see "something really cool" that he "found." Lanette came over, and he knelt down on one knee, held out the muscle shell, opened it, and said, "Will you marry me?" Lanette stared in shock for a moment, and then happily shouted "YES!" and began hugging and kissing him like crazy. Shaun was worried that the expensive ring was aout to fall into the ocean, so he stopped her long enough to put the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit, and glistened and sparkled beautifully in the sun and off the ocean water. It was an utterly perfect and romantic day. Shaun and Lanette were engaged! Life was perfect and blissful.
The couple spent much of their free time hiking during the summer they were engaged. They hiked all over Utah, and had lots of fun little dates, like building a tent in Shaun's living room for Cinco de Mayo and eating pizza in the tent while watching a movie. Wedding planning was really stressful for Lanette, but Shaun was still sweet and loving even when she got irritable. He is still the sweetest and most patient man!
The two went on more road trips--to Colorado, to Oregon again, to see family. Lanette went through the temple (Portland) to take out her endowments on the same June day that her youngest brother was baptized. They had 3 bridal showers, one in Colorado, one in Oregon, and one in Utah, and received so much love and support as they prepared for the wedding. The engagement was blissfully short and sweet. The two made the mistake of signing up for summer term classes, and it was a tricky term as they worked hard on trying to do well in their classes while still planning a wedding and spending every waking hour together. But they made it through! The day after finals they flew to Portland. And then came the wedding! Hoorah!
It was a mild, sunny and pleasant Thursday in Oregon when Shaun and Lanette made a trip to the Oregon Coast. First they went to the dentist for Lanette's 6 month check up. While she was getting her teeth cleaned and gushing about how amazing her boyfriend was to the dental assistant, Shaun was writing in his journal:
"...This semester went okay, but I must admit that it was a lot harder to concentrate being in the relationship that I have. But as I see it, Lanette is much more important in the long run. I love her so much! Well, this is somewhat weird writing before it actually happens, but I am going to ask her to marry me today. After we leave the dentist's office we are going to go to the coast and I am going to do it there. I've had the ring for about two weeks and I've wanted to do it so bad. I thought about doing it last week when we were in Las Vegas but decided not to. We had a great time there but I wanted it to be just the two of us, and Vegas is a very dirty city. Anyway, I got the ring that she really liked. I don't think she knows I'm going to do it today. I hope she is surprised. On the 21st I called and spoke with her her father and asked for his approval. He was very sweet and caring and with a glad heart gave us his blessing [but he said I'd have to get the permission from Lanette!]."
The trip to the coast was incredibly romantic. Lanette's mom packed a delicious picnic for the couple to share and they hunted for seashells for a long time. Shaun eventually sent Lanette to look for some in one area while he scouted out another place. She was a little pouty that he didn't want to hunt together. Little did she know that he had found what he was looking for--a muscle shell that opened and closed, that he could put the engagement ring in. He waved Lanette back to see "something really cool" that he "found." Lanette came over, and he knelt down on one knee, held out the muscle shell, opened it, and said, "Will you marry me?" Lanette stared in shock for a moment, and then happily shouted "YES!" and began hugging and kissing him like crazy. Shaun was worried that the expensive ring was aout to fall into the ocean, so he stopped her long enough to put the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit, and glistened and sparkled beautifully in the sun and off the ocean water. It was an utterly perfect and romantic day. Shaun and Lanette were engaged! Life was perfect and blissful.
The couple spent much of their free time hiking during the summer they were engaged. They hiked all over Utah, and had lots of fun little dates, like building a tent in Shaun's living room for Cinco de Mayo and eating pizza in the tent while watching a movie. Wedding planning was really stressful for Lanette, but Shaun was still sweet and loving even when she got irritable. He is still the sweetest and most patient man!
The two went on more road trips--to Colorado, to Oregon again, to see family. Lanette went through the temple (Portland) to take out her endowments on the same June day that her youngest brother was baptized. They had 3 bridal showers, one in Colorado, one in Oregon, and one in Utah, and received so much love and support as they prepared for the wedding. The engagement was blissfully short and sweet. The two made the mistake of signing up for summer term classes, and it was a tricky term as they worked hard on trying to do well in their classes while still planning a wedding and spending every waking hour together. But they made it through! The day after finals they flew to Portland. And then came the wedding! Hoorah!
Married Forever
Shaun and Lanette's wedding day was incredibly special. Lanette was tired after a sleepless night and being sick the day before, but miraculously, she had a great day, and doesn't remember feeling tired at all. Shaun and Lanette were married for time and all eternity in the Portland Temple, in Oregon. Many family and friends came to support them, many from quite far away, and they were overwhelmed by the love they felt. Even the weather supported them, by keeping the rain at bay until the photographer finished taking pictures. It was a mild, warm and slightly overcast August day, and it was the best day imaginable. After the wedding everyone drove 2 hours south to the town Lanette grew up in, where a reception was held in the couple's honor. After many hugs and a lot of fun Shaun and Lanette began their honeymoon at the local Marriott's Bridal Suite, which Lanette's dear friend Sarah decorated beautifully for them. The next day the two traveled to Shaun's parents' cabin in the Rockies, where they honeymooned for a week before a second reception was held in Denver. The wedding, the honeymoon, and the receptions were beautiful, and a great way for the couple to begin their happily ever after.
Happily ever after is supposed to be a fairy tale myth that deceives children into thinking that once you're married, you'll be happy forever after that. The truth is that happiness is a choice, and when you're married to your soul mate for time and all eternity, if you choose to be happy, even among trials and tribulations, some of which will be unbearably tough, you will be able to choose happiness even in the tough times. Not to mention that being with your best friend and forever love for eternity is definitely something to be happy about.
Shaun and Lanette love being married, and it truly does keep getting better. They can't wait to grow their eternal family with sweet children, and are so grateful for the sealing powers of the temple that can bind families together, and for their happily ever after.
The Road to Adoption
When they were engaged, Shaun and Lanette agreed that they probably didn't want to start trying to have children for a couple of years. Of course that all changed very quickly. 3 months after the wedding Shaun was convinced that it was time to start trying. Lanette, however, held her ground that she wanted to wait until she was close enough to graduating that she'd definitely be able to finish school. When that time came, just a few months shy of the couple's first wedding anniversary, she got rid of her birth control method and they tried to get pregnant for a year.
Toward the end of that year, they felt that something was wrong, so they began taking Lanette's temperature each morning and tracking it. They went to see a specialist and went through a few months of testing. It was discovered that the probability of the two conceiving children naturally was nearly impossible. They began doing IUIs every month, or artificial insemination procedures.
After over a year of doing these procedures monthly with no luck, the two felt prompted to look into LDS Family Services, specifically into adoption. Shaun and Lanette both know that there are children waiting to join their family, and they feel strongly that adoption is the means by which they need to expand their family.
About nine months after they decided to adopt, a beautiful baby girl joined their family! They named her Iris Madeline. To read Iris's adoption story, click here.
Shaun, Lanette and Iris feel like it's again time to adopt, and they are anxious to meet their new little bundle (or bundles) of joy!
Toward the end of that year, they felt that something was wrong, so they began taking Lanette's temperature each morning and tracking it. They went to see a specialist and went through a few months of testing. It was discovered that the probability of the two conceiving children naturally was nearly impossible. They began doing IUIs every month, or artificial insemination procedures.
After over a year of doing these procedures monthly with no luck, the two felt prompted to look into LDS Family Services, specifically into adoption. Shaun and Lanette both know that there are children waiting to join their family, and they feel strongly that adoption is the means by which they need to expand their family.
About nine months after they decided to adopt, a beautiful baby girl joined their family! They named her Iris Madeline. To read Iris's adoption story, click here.
Shaun, Lanette and Iris feel like it's again time to adopt, and they are anxious to meet their new little bundle (or bundles) of joy!
