When I was 15 years old I was sent to spend the summer in Oregon with my oldest sister. I was wild and my mom hoped that my sisters example and time away from friends would change my life. I came to Oregon as a "punk" as Shane puts it. Typical teenager, only interested in boys and fun. Shanes family was in my sisters ward. Shanes mom was one of the young womens leaders and a huge influence to me through the summer. It wasnt until alot later that I really go to know Shane. I knew who he was, but he to me was the quiet homeschooled boy in the back that only spoke to add something profound to the lesson. I was impressed with him but had my eye on the more popular boys.
Throught the summer, I morphed into a different person. My sister was a good conversationalist and able to get me to search my soul. Her family read scriptures every night and prayed at meals. I took the challenge in YW/YM to read the Book of Mormon during the summer and by the end...according to Shane...I was different. The end of the summer came and my mom and sister asked me if I wanted to stay a year for school. The first semester I went to the public school and then the second semester I did not.
I was reading my scriptures and I had the thought that I needed to pray about going to PHA - the "homeschool" Shane went to. I did and got an answer to go there. I felt so strongly that I cried all night when my sister refused and even moved in with a family in the ward in order to go there. I loved the public school and there was no reason that I did not want to go back. All my friends were there and I knew noone at PHA, except the ackward boy in the back of Sunday school.
When I was crying, Shane called me on the phone and we had our first conversation. He or his mom picked me up everyday for school, evethough Shane had allready graduated. We became good friends. The next summer I came to visit Oregon, and since my sister had other family in town, I stayed with Shanes family. Josh even called me his sister.
The summer Shane left on his mission he flew me up for the week before he left. Gave no hint of liking me. I knew that he was a good boy and did not want to write someone on his mission, so I figured I was either a "sister" or a prospect for the future. I spent the first year of college thinking that he was just 2 hours south of where I lived in Arizona. He taught my cousins missionary lessons in Tucson. All of my boyfriends knew that "Shane" was coming home from his mission soon.
I knew the general time he was coming home from his mission and waited and schemed how I could contact him. Instead he called me. He wanted me to come visit Oregon. I said I was working and going to start Nursing school soon and broke. He said he had a little money and would come down to Arizona to visit. I said, "Great we can tour your mission", unsure of the real reason he would come all that way just for me.
He went to Lake Powell for a few weeks on a family vacation and then came to visit. While he was on vacation I called his house and his aunt Donna answered. She said that Shane was really excited to come and visit. YIKES!!! I got all of these visions in my head of being swept off my feet, and began picking out colors for our wedding.
Shane came and we drove to Tucson. I thought he was everything that I dreamed. I wanted to be close to him and kiss him, but... whenever I got even slightly close he moved away. To top it off, on the way to Tucson he explained that on vacation he kind of started dating a mutual friend that went also. I died inside. Okay, why the heck did he come.
I made the most of the weekend. We enjoyed and had a blast. The last night as we played cards, he said something about how charming he is. I said that I had not seen that side of him. He said that I probably would not. That opened up the conversation and that night I went to bed heart broken.
The next day on the way to the airport we stopped and watched airplanes at the top of a mountain near ASU. He held me, and said that he did not expect to like me so much, and that I ruined eveerything. Then he left. He said he would call me the next day. I was a wreck until he called. What if he said yes? What if he said no?
He finally called and said that he wanted to have a relationship with me. I said, "Oh say it again". He flew down a few weeks later, and we drove to Oregon in my packed car, where he had a roomate and apartment waiting. I spent the next few months in Oregon ackwardly beginning dating while everyone around us treated us like we were engaged.
The time came for me to stay in Oregon or go back to Arizona and start Nursing school. He sent me home. I died again. But a week later he had quit his job and moved to Arizona to be with me.
A few months later we were married. The rest is happily ever after.
