So, going back to how Steven had originally thought he'd be leaving around August 10th. August 10th was coming fast, and I don't know all of the conversations between the different involved parties, but the YSA Conference down in Savannah, GA was coming up at the end of the next week. And, we reasoned, because Steven was the Augusta, GA Stake YSA Liaison, it was part of his calling to be at the conference. Because Steven and his parents would be driving out to St. Louis, where Steven would fly on September 6th, they did have some wiggle room. So, Steven was going to be able to come to the YSA Conference! My birthday was only a week beyond that, and eventually the date of departure just got pushed back another week for that, too. (I don't know that that was the sole cause, I don't think it was, but I'm so glad things worked out the way they did!)
I was really excited. I'd bought shoes to dance in back in July when we were planning the YSA dance. (They were the same shoes I ended up wearing to the temple and the zoo that one Saturday. I guess it's just as well I didn't dance in them.) That dance fell through to make way for the conference, but there was going to be a dance there. I was pretty excited about that, and sort of nervous. Despite what Steven might tell you, I'm not actually a incredibly gifted dancer. Don't get me wrong, I'm not half bad, but I need a lot of practice. Lots and lots and lots and lots.
So, it's getting really difficult to keep the timeline in order for all these days in the middle of the week. Steven and I were together somewhere doing something pretty much everyday. I think only a couple of days passed when we didn't spend time together. I recorded our text messages in my journal to try to help keep the timeline straight, but we talked so much in person about plans that the texts are more lovey-dovey flirting than the details about date plans. A lot of the dates were spontaneous, anyway.
Monday, August 6th might have been one of those days I didn't see Steven. It depends on if I stayed home to do FHE with my family or went with Steven and his parents to Fort Gordon. I switched it up to try to do one week with my family and one week with Steven.... I think this Monday I went with Steven. We made date plans with people there for Wednesday, I think.
Wednesday night Steven and I went on a triple date with Kevin, Vanessa, and a couple from the Fort Gordon branch to a delicious pizza place, whose name now escapes me. The pizza was excellent, the company delightful, the conversations amusing, and the whole time Steven kept picking up my left hand to try to measure my left ring finger. I can't remember exactly when it happened, but by this point Steven had already asked me to marry him. Several times. You know, for practice, and just checking to see if I'd give the right answer. The first time he asked me, we were riding in a car, he was driving, I'm pretty sure it was a Sunday... and I said yes. And he asked me if I'd prayed about it. Yep. Definitely. It's only one of the most important decisions I'll ever make, if not the most important decision I'll ever make, you better believe I prayed about it, long and hard. I guess maybe he was a little taken aback. So we practiced a couple more times to work on the inflection of my answer. Hah, I love that goofball. :)
He asked me again outside YSA FHE one night, and another time when we were just sitting together, and another, and another... and he still does it, every once in awhile. I think it's because he likes hearing the same answer every time. ^_^
After the pizza date (going back again) Steven, Kevin, Vanessa, and I headed back to the Farrar place, and while Vanessa and Kevin headed off again pretty quickly, Steven and I started to watch the first part of Moulin Rouge. I'd never seen it before, and it's (I think) Steven's favorite musical-movie. We only got through the first 10 minutes or so, and then it was really late and I had to go home.
When I got home... well, it might not have been this night, but one of these nights somewhere in this week, I told Dad that Steven was going to come talk to him soon, and to play nice. Dad, being the completely wonderful Dad that he is, said okay, and that we shouldn't worry about that. :)
Thursday I don't think I saw Steven. Wow. That kind of sounds really clingy. But we knew we were going to spend the semester apart, so I guess we were just enjoying being together every moment we could.
Friday, instead of going to the Fort Gordon Institute, I think I was really late getting to Steven's house, and Steven and I finished Moulin Rouge, instead. It is such a sad movie! I curled up tight under Steven's arm and shed a couple tears. Steven sang to me ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBxh3gjIrpY ) and held me close. Perfection.
That Friday night was also the night I met Steven's brother John, John's wife Karen, and their two sons. When I first got there, I was caught a little off guard because I didn't know they were coming so soon (but I'm pretty sure I knew they were coming), and I think John was the one who opened the door for me. Oh. Hey there. UHMMMM... I think I'm going to marry your brother, can I come in? ...Yeah, I was definitely caught off guard.
Saturday.... I think this was the first night Steven spent at our house. There wasn't a YSA activity because of the conference next week, and I had persuaded Steven to come to come to our ward again and then I'd go with him again. If I remember correctly, my argument was that I'd go pick up Steven Saturday night, bring him back, we'd go to our ward, then drive the Prius to the Fort Gordon ward, stick around for YSA FHE, and then I could drive the Prius back to Aiken so Dad didn't have to come get me again. AND it worked out because there was an extra bed in Quinn and Ammon's room upstairs that Steven could stay on. So, Saturday was spent cleaning up their room, and then I took off to go over to Augusta.
I stopped and met Audrey at Waffle House for a bit before I went to get Steven. We had a pretty good time, I think. :) I'm so glad she was our middleman to get us going! Without Audrey, I probably never would've asked Steven for his number. I might never have even really talked to him. And I remember that moment I asked her to ask Steven if I could have her number, because I could feel sort of a turning point. It's like... a Sternstunde. In my German class Winter 2012 semester, we read Momo, by Michael Ende. It's a story about time, and Meister Hora (Master Hour) has a Sternstunde clock, that tells when these very special moments of great potential happen. It was just like that. A moment that was noticeably different, but not recognized for its true momentum except in retrospect.
Eventually I did get to Steven and picked him up. :) He's amazing, the way he just fit right into our family. Mom later said it was like deja vu. I definitely agree! Quinn and Ammon especially had a blast having him sleep over, too. He did eventually sleep, and I don't think it was too late. I went fell asleep relatively early, I think. Then I woke up early that next morning and tip-toed upstairs to ask if he preferred pancakes or waffles, and when I peeked in, he was sleeping so peacefully. So I tiptoed over to the bed and sat on the edge, and gently said his name while I shook his shoulder a little, and he shot straight up like he was being attacked. Ha! I yelped a little at his sudden response. We somehow managed not to wake up Quinn or Ammon, though. They're Taylors, what can you say. We can sleep through an awful lot. :)
Anyway, we ended up making waffles together. It's so much fun making delicious food together!
This week in Priesthood, Dad announced I was keeping company with Steven, and everybody looked around at him. (I think it was this week, not the previous week. Pretty sure, we weren't at the Aiken ward for 3rd hour the previous week.) People definitely knew about us as a couple after that!
That night, after both wards and YSA FHE and everything, I was back at the Farrar house with Steven, and it was time for me to go (again), and we paused in the downstairs living room to look at the piano John said looked like a coffin. The coffin was against the wall, and there was a couch facing away from it just in front of it, offering a very tempting seat. I thought that thought out loud, and Steven encouraged me to do it, just for fun, and so I did, and then he did to, and the couch suddenly tipped backwards, and Steven kicked off the piano to right the couch, sending us both over the back of it in one entangled heap. Just after having done this, John walked into the room. IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE I PROMISE! Steven and I started laughing a little, and John went and got a picture of Christ and put it on the mantel right in front of us. Thanks, that's a really good place for it... No, really, it is a good place, I'm not being facetious. ...Anyway, Steven and I untangled ourselves and made our way out to the car again without much delay.
The next week passed much the same, but this Monday I stayed home with my family. :) I have the best family ever. Wednesday and Thursday I spent just with family, too.
Friday, the plan was that when I came home from work, Steven would come pick me up and we would drive down together to Savannah for the YSA conference. Stay tuned for the story of what happened instead! :)
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