miss emma.

i suppose i fell in love on february 5th, 2008 at approximately 4am. 

4am is an obscure time to fall in love, i know, but love doesn't care what time of the day it is or where you are in your life or if it's convenient for you to fall, it just comes and sweeps you off your feet. 

on the night of february 4th, 2008, i received a message in my facebook mailbox from a boy who i had never met, but knew of. i had seen him before and thought he was beautiful but he had a grip of facial hair and i estimated he was about 23 years old, so i was intimidated and gave up the thought of introducing myself. so i randomly got this message and he introduced himself and we chatted about where we are going to school and how we know of each other. we finished the conversation with him saying, and this is a direct quote, "by the way you're way cute. we should hang out sometime." and i was not impressed with his lack of originality and i thought he was a little bit too bold for my taste, but nonetheless i replied and gave him my number and didn't really think anything about it because 1. i was happily dating someone else, who just happened to be on vacation in hawaii at the time and 2. a lot of boys work up the nerve to facebook message, but it takes a whole different breed to actually call or text.

on february 5th, 2008, at approximately 6am, i got a text from this boy. 6am. yes, what is a nineteen year old college kid doing up at 6am? shoveling snow for money. sounds like my worst nightmare, but i was a little flattered that this boy was so excited over me that he texted me first thing. even while he was shoveling snow. i tend to overanalyze things, but i envisioned his gloved fingers getting his cell phone out of his pocket and putting down his shovel and texting to me. it takes quite a bit of effort, and i was flattered. he texted me through the entire day and by the time i got home from class, at around 8pm, i was exhausted and not wanting to go out. i remember being in bed and watching "10 things i hate about you" on my laptop and in my cal sweat shirt and target shorts and my hair in a party pony and i was on the verge of falling asleep but this boy would not let me. he was persistent to a fault and was determined to meet me in person. i kept telling him i was tired and in my jammies, but he would not take no for an answer. i tried to dissuade him for 2 hours, seriously, but around 11pm, i gave up. he showed up outside of my apartment and i was a little bitter about leaving my cozy bed and heath ledger. i stayed in my pajamas and slipped on my ugg boots and walked outside and got in the passenger seat of his car. 

now, i don't want to sound corny or cheesy or like a stupid giddy girl, but i kid you not, love at first sight exists. and i know it exists because when i got into that car and i looked at this stunningly beautiful boy, it hit me. and it hit me hard. 

he had the new jack johnson cd on and he wore glasses and it was so snowy outside but it was warm in the car and i felt snuggly inside my soul and 10 minutes after i got in, he was holding my hand. i don't want all you readers to think i'm easy because i gave into hand holding after ten minutes. i really am not, but i have held a lot of hands in my day, and i know how to judge a person off of how they do it. this boy, did it the exact right way. he drove into the parking lot of a local elementary school and we talked about music and our families and football and everything and anything and where we want to be and what we want to do. we sat in that parking lot for a total of 6 hours that night/morning, and somehow, he managed to crawl inside my heart and make me forget that i was currently unavailable. he made me want to know more, to do more, to be better. he made me want to grow and progress and to be the best person i could be. he fascinated me with his insight and his wisdom. and all within the first 6 hours of knowing him. there was never a dull moment, never a lull in the conversation, not an ounce of tiredness in my body. i didn't want to go back to my apartment and i didn't care that i was going to exhausted the next day. all i wanted was to be with this intriguing boy and to know more about him and be with him and have him hold my hand. i will probably never be able to explain in words what i felt in that car, on february 5th, 2008, but i know that i fell in love with the most gorgeous man i have ever seen in my life.  

over the next four months, this boy changed my life. he challenged me to be better, he pushed me to maximize my potential, he got us stuck in the snow, he wasn't scared to tell me i was acting like a crazy person, he taught me how to prioritize by his example, he lost his inhaler under my bed, he said his "final goodbye" to me four times, and he most importantly taught me that the Gospel can heal people.

on december 1st, 2008, i went out to check the mail and was walking up our driveway when i realized i had received my first missionary letter from this very special boy that i was still very much in love with. i probably frightened my neighbors a little bit because when i saw this letter, i screamed and my heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. i ran inside my house and screamed again and my poor family probably thought i was dying and i kind of felt like i might because my heart just was pounding like crazy.

it's been 7 months since i got that first letter and it's been over a year since we first met and my heart still skips a beat or two when i get those letters in the mail. i still get giddy when i talk about him and i still think about him and can't help but smile because feelings like this, don't happen everyday. 

and for this, i'm willing to wait 14 more months for.