Sometime in September I took a trip on the Salt Lake Express up to BYU-Idaho to visit Steven. I stayed with one of the sister missionaries from his mission for the couple of days I was there. Some of my favorite memories were just walking around with Steven, or watching a movie together on the couch, or reading a book together, getting in trouble at the pool for public displays of affection, hitting up some eateries together, and trying to dodge the sprinklers as we ran down the sidewalks of Rexburg. The part I didn't like was the end, I even missed my shuttle back by about 30 seconds and they had to circle back around the block to pick me up, because I'd been in sacrament meeting with Steven, pushing my time with him to the very last second. I really don't like goodbyes, however temporary they might be.
I ended up only being able to take the one trip to Rexburg. Steven made it to Provo several times, though looking back I can't remember the exact order. One weekend when he came I had to work Friday night, Saturday lunch, and a Sunday shift at the Cannon Center. We went to the Creamery on Ninth, took a very brief jaunt around campus (we were heading to a German festival, and I got cold feet and decided I'd rather not go), and watched some Doctor Who. I didn't get much homework done that weekend.
Another weekend was the weekend of General Conference. I was super excited, because I was fairly certain one very special event was going to happen. I knew that Steven had thought about pushing it to later, around Thanksgiving or maybe even Christmas, but I felt pretty sure General Conference would be the time for a proposal.
Steven came down Friday, and was at my apartment right after I'd gotten home and I was brushing my teeth (this actually happened almost every time he came down, he has excellent timing). So, while I got ready and had a friend curl my hair, Steven told much of our story to my roommates, and I couldn't hear much, but I could hear lots of "awwwww" sounds. I might've been sort of a lot giddy... Eventually we got out the door and we went walking around the mall to find me a dress to wear to his mission reunion and then on to his mission reunion, where I got to meet some of his mission family. Funnily enough, one of the missionaries he'd served with had been in my art class at BYU in a previous semester! I like how often that happens when you're LDS. There was lots of fun, food, and talking, and every once in awhile whenever I'd walk away to get something, when I'd turn around, Steven would have this big cheesy (and slightly suspicious) grin. I remember asking him something about the ring, and he said he didn't have it. I don't remember if he had it with him that night or not, but I knew he had it somewhere, because I'd glimpsed it on a multiple-persons group hangout on Google (or maybe Skype, whichever) with some family friends in Indiana. I think I suspected he was bluffing, but the mission reunion ran a bit late and we ended up postponing our dinner date in favor of heading to the Baros's before it was very late.
The Baroses are always so welcoming and loving. I love their family so much and have learned so many things from them. I'm so grateful Mom and Dad kept in touch with much of our extended family. :) I have such a wonderful family!
Saturday morning came a bit earlier than I'd thought it would (mornings have a way of doing that generally) and Steven and I didn't quite make it up to the Conference center with time to stroll around the temple grounds before heading to our seats for the morning session. I was pretty sure it was happening somewhere there by the temple sometime, and felt a little bad for being later than we meant, but not too bad. It was warmer outside after the session than before the session. As you probably recall, that session was the session when the announcement lowering the age for missionaries was made. Steven looked me in the eye very seriously and promised me if I wanted to go on a mission he would wait, and that meant so much to me that he would wait, but I felt certain (then and now) that my mission is on the homefront. :)
After the morning session, we found our way out of the conference center with the friends we'd come with and eventually most of us gathered to a fountain in front of the church office buildings that faced the front of the Salt Lake Temple. It was a bit chilly, but it was so beautiful there. Luckily for me, even though I'd completely to bring a jacket at all with me to the Baros', Steven had brought an extra one that he wrapped me up in to keep me warm. .
For awhile we just sat on the edge of the fountain, admiring the temple and enjoying the moment with each other while we waited for the rest of our party to find their way back to us. We people watched a little, moved out of the way for a quinceanera group to take some pictures, and when one of our party made it to us, Steven suggested we take some couple pictures... and I approved :)
And then one of us pulled out the paper link countdown chain I'd mailed with some other things to Steven to countdown to General Conference. I remember blushing because Steven had kept it all together and held on to it...
And then Steven asked for the engaged to be engaged PVC pipe ring back, and I knew what was coming next. My heart started beating faster and I tried to keep a mostly calm face instead of doing a happy dance that would be sure to attract lots and lots of attention...
Steven knelt down. My brain sort of turned into jumbled mash. It was a good thing I'd already chosen my answer because if he'd surprised me I probably would've responded in mixed up words and holy cows and the like. He did catch me off guard, though, when he told me he'd need the other ring, too. (Slight moment of panic there, didn't he know he was supposed to get the other ring? Hence the expression of puzzlement..)
Steven knew, and he's put in in the JACKET. The jacket with a hundred pockets on the inside, I'd been wearing the ring the entire morning and I hadn't noticed it one bit. Took me a couple different pockets before I found it, but my eyes got really big when I finally found it.
"Susan Elise Taylor, will you marry me?" "Yes!!"
I could hardly wait for this particular part to be over, not because I didn't love Steven putting that gorgeous ring on my finger, but because I wanted to stand him up and kiss him already!
Ah, finally.
And then Steven took the PVC pipe ring and took it for his own, until it's time for another ring exchange. :)
And as if by magic, or perhaps some people watcher in the Church Office Buildings, the fountain turned on for us. Everything was perfect.
The ring is so sparkly, Steven tried several times to capture it, but I guess my hand was too shaky from the cold or from excitement and we never quite got a shot that does it justice.
After a celebratory lunch at Chick-fil-A (because they're delicious and relatively rare in Utah) we took some more couples pictures in the City Creek mall. (That mall is so cool!)
And thus officially began the road to our eternal family.
Sorry that took so long to get up, and kudos to those who are still reading! Since that October, we've spent Thanksgiving together with the Baroses and other Hammond clans and Christmas with our families back in the Augusta, GA stake. We're apart this semester, he in Georgia and I at BYU, which is definitely hard. We're very much looking to be back together again. We've set the wedding date for June 25th, 2013 in the Salt Lake Temple. Obviously, blogging isn't our strong point, but we'll try to do a wedding post when the time comes. :) Thanks again for reading!
