Love in Periodicals

It's our one year anniversary today! Hooray! I thought it would be fun to tell the story of how we met in a he-said she-said kind of way. Here it goes!

She Said:

February 2007: I was studying in the periodicals section, as I did everyday, when a tall and handsome red head came up to me and asked, "Is your name Andrea Ovard?" I was quite surprised. Andrea is my best friend since kindergarten. We have the same birthday and everything, but she had gone to Rexburg for school (which was beyond depressing). I had been her roommate at EFY. We finally figured out he had remembered my face and her name. We talked for a minute and then he left. I called Andrea up right after and we laughed about how crazy the whole thing was and didn't think I would ever see him again.

Two days later, that same tall stranger came up to me in the periodicals again. We made small talk, "What's your major? Where are you from?" etc. In the middle of this, he randomly asked me out. FORWARD! :) I was surprised but flattered. He asked me out for Friday. I said I had plans (I had another date) but would be free on Saturday. He said he had plans (which I interpreted as him having a date), so he asked for my number. I was pretty gitty about the situation. Who doesn't want to be asked out in the library? :) To my pleasant surprise, he called me that day saying he had a change of plans and was wondering if we could go out on Saturday. I accepted and then laughed to my roommate that his date must have cancelled and I was plan b. Even still, I was excited.

Landon picked me up on time and opened my door as I got in the car which was very impressive. So many guys open one door but not both, so I was automatically a little extra interested. I said, "Graicas" as he opened my door. He asked if I spoke Spanish, and I said I was practically fluent. Stupid me; everyone in the car actually WAS fluent in Spanish. Well, it took about a second for everyone to realize I had lied. but the date was instantly fun. We went to Costa Vida for dinner and then to a comedy show. Landon didn't know it, but I had been to the same show the night before with the other guy. (I confessed that fact much later when we were serious.) There was a long line to get in the show, and there was lots of time to get to know each other. Landon was so inquisitive. I'm known for my evasive answers-they called me the vault in high school haha, but Landon didn't let me get away with it. He found out a lot about me during that wait to get in; we just connected. After the show, we went to Landon's apartment where I met his hilarious roommates. They were playing some video game that I attempted at but have no skills in that area. One of Landon's roommates suggested we got hot tubbing. We both made awkward excuses; mine were that I had early church meetings in the morning. How awkward hot tubbing with a guy you just met! Landon took me home and gave me a hug at the door.

I was pretty gitty that night. I texted him thanking him for the date. He responded, "The pleasure was all mine." It was so sweet. I remember hoping that night that I would hear from him again. The very next day I did! :)

Here's the now famous picture of Andrea, Landon, and me at EFY!

He Said:

So I guess it is my turn. After having been home from the mission for about 3 months, I was going to dive straight into this dating thing. So my roommate and I decided we were gonna have a little contest to see who could get the most phone numbers and actually turn them into dates. It was nothing serious, no bets or anything, just kind of an agreement that we would make an effort to find girls and get dates.

Well, this started about the third week of the semester in January, and neither of us were getting anywhere very fast. Then it happened, I went into the library to actually start studying, and who would have thought that studying could be so hard-so many cute girls at BYU-but there was one that caught my eye. She had shoulder length, brown, curly hair, had a white, long-sleeve shirt and a red down vest. She was cute!! But there was something else, she looked strangley familiar, but no, I didnt know anyone at BYU, except for some high school friends and she didnt go to my high school. This happened everyday for about a week, and there was no memory of where I could have met her. After doing a little research, as we college kids do, I realized that I had gone to EFY with her. It was the only year that I had gone, and I was 2 weeks shy of turning 19. I didnt remember any of the people from EFY but I still had a bunch of email addresses stashed away somewhere, and I found a name that I thought to be hers-Andrea Ovard! Sweet! After another day or two of trying to convince myself that I had the courage to walk up to some random girl, I did it-(In a hushed whisper because we were in the library) "Is your name Andrea Ovard? She said, with a puzzled look on her face, "No." Wow-I had really screwed that one up-so much for the cliched pick-up line-"Don't I know you from somewhere?" That was what I was going to say, but nope-Strike One!! She then told me that her and Andrea were best friends and I said-"You two must look a lot alike." Then she said-"No." Wow again! Two questions and two no's-Strike two-I figured it best not to ask any more questions or I might strike out looking. The conversation made clear the one fact I got right-We did know each other from EFY!-Building up that last ounce of courage I had, I asked her out for that Friday-Strike Three! I had done it-3 no's in a first conversation. She then said to me-"How about Saturday?" So where was a little hope-but I had plans. After that I figured I had blown it enough and said "I have to go so maybe I'll see ya around."

What kind of idiot was I-we had just had a nice little conversation-I had been stalkin her for a week, as was customary at BYU, and I didn't even get a phone number-so much for that contest-I can walk up to a girl start a good conversation, and not even get a number!

So a little background on why I couldn't Saturday. My friends were all planning a group date for that night and I was going skiing during the day with my cousin, James, so I was booked. My friend Brad, was setting me up with his sister for the date, so yeah according to Julie-I already had a date-but that's the great thing about friends setting up-Brad had told his sister that he was going out with one of his friends, he didn't say who. So, I convinced my other friend Matt to go with Brad's sister. He said he would on one condition-I would pay for his date! What a friend! Sorry Matt-I still owe you!!

A few days later I saw Julie in the library again and figured I better set things straight. I walked up again-without any sign that my pride had been permanently damaged-and asked if she was still available for Saturday. The answer-YES!- Ha! I knew I could one out of her. I got her number and told her I would call her with more details when they became available. One number for me! ZERO for my roommate! And the truth is-that is the number I ended the semester with, I never got another number!

So the first date-after spending the day at Snowbird with James I knew it was going to be a good date! A wonderful day skiing could only lead to better things!! I called her on the way back to Provo and reality hit! She was a freshman living in the dorms! Truth be known that was my first semester, so technically she was ahead of me in school-but still-that meant I had to pick her up with about 50 other guys picking up their dates-little did I know how true that would be. So it was all ready! My friend Cody drove, and we went all the way to Pleasant Grove to pick up a Chilean girl that he had been set up with. Now a little pre-date info! Cody had gone to New York Spanish speaking, this girl hadn't been in the states for very long, and she spoke very little English, and as you know, I went to Chile, so I spoke Spanish as well. We finally arrived at Hinckley Hall and as we came out to the car and I opened the door, she said, "Gracias." I replied, "De nada." Which translated means you're welcome. I got in the other door, and turned to her and asked, "Oh do you speak Spanish too?" Boy did she walk into that one-her reply, "I'm practically fluent!" "Sweet, so are all of us!" Then the truth came forward as it always does-the extent of her Spanish was: Hola, Gracias, Chao, and Cha Cha Cha. We laughed-and then all started speaking Spanish!

Dinner wasn't anything great other than I learned that she was always willing to share a plate! Then off to the activity for the date-Divine Comedy-if you have been you'll understand this-if not then just skip ahead, and don't every go.-And no offense to you, if you have ever been in it. Divine Comedy is a series of skits put on by a bunch of Mormon college kids trying to make their way into the comedy industry. It was a lot like a Cub Scout pack meeting without lights and lots of glow sticks. So-not all that funny! What happened after was the funny part. We went back to my apartment after as is customary for anyone who has been on a date with a BYU student, and just kind of hung out. My roommate (I guess I can say his name-Austin) with whom I was having the contest took a girl he had known for a while-figures- and they decided they were going to her place to go hot-tubbing. Obviously he invited me and Julie to go, and no lie-It took about 30 min for us to finally flat out say no! The night ended with me dropping her off at Helaman Halls with-wait for it-the 50 other couples outside the door saying their good-byes!

Sweet Bliss! One date down-and little did either us know-the rest of eternity ahead of us!