SAFE TIL ST PATRICKS DAY

 Our "Story"

During my first year in the UVU Dental Hygiene program I joined an Institute choir called LDC.
Phil was a tenor in that choir. I sang alto.

This was a picture we took at the LDC choir Halloween party.

The caption I wrote on facebook was "I'm totally in love with this kid" 

Figures.
Right after Halloween I starting dating a guy in my ward.
Then a couple weeks later our choir went on an overnight retreat at Aspen Grove.
Left the boyfriend at home to chill for the weekend.

Someone else caught this shot.

And this one.

Oops.

I was a bad girlfriend.

Boyfriend was a U fan. Took me to the BYU/Utah game.

Utah won.

We broke up that night.
The next week was Thanksgiving Break.
Went home to Carlsbad to play with the fam.

Was texting/talking to Phil the whole time.

Came back Sunday, took Phil on a date Tuesday.

Thursday our choir had a show on Temple Square.

We held hands for the first time, on stage.
Another date Friday night. Held hands again.

Giddy.
Saturday I made him a CD of all my favorite John Mayer songs.
That Sunday he took me up to a lookout and he asked me to pick the most romantic song on the CD.
#7.
St. Patrick's Day.

Got out of the car, he wrapped me in a blanket, and we danced.
Then he asked me to be his girlfriend and then I kissed him.
YES. I. KISSED. HIM.

Twice.

The next day we had a friend of ours take pictures of us as a joke for something.

Everyone thought they were engagements. They didn't even know we were DATING.

Utah.

That Friday, we went to Prestwich Farms in Spanish Fork.
He said "Emily Packard, I think I love you."
I said "I think you're nuts."

But that night he asked me what I was thinking, and for some reason I said "I think you need to come to California and meet my family"

Why I said that? I don't know.
But we went.

And I fell in love in California.

And on Christmas Eve I told him I was in love.

A day or two later, he decides to be smart and say he wants to start talking about getting married.

Like "What Ifs" kind of "talk".

Ugh.

He couldn't just leave it at I Love You.

I resisted. Obviously.

A few weeks after getting back from California he said he had gotten his answer.

He knew he wanted to marry me.

Said he wanted me to start asking.

Ugh.

He couldn't just leave it at What Ifs.

I fought for a while.

Then the week before Valentine's Day I figured it out.

I realized it wasn't a matter of IF, just WHEN.

So I dealt with my "when" issues, and then on Valentine's Day, after a dance, we were talking at his house really late, and I told him that I was ready.

Then he asked me if I would marry him.

But it wasn't technically "official."

We had joked about how funny it would be to get engaged on St Patrick's Day, since that was Our Song.

The song's about starting a relationship at the start of winter, and staying with them through the holidays: Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day, and then being "safe til St Patricks Day."

Pretty much our whole relationship.

But we still didn't have a ring, and on the night before March 17th we were talking on the phone and he said he was sad that we weren't going to be able to make the cool St Patrick's Day thing work out.
Next day I was in class, and at the end of clinic I heard some bustle, and turned to see Phil with a huge grin and guitar in his hands.

Then he played a long, beautiful song that he wrote, knelt down, and asked me to marry him.

On St Patrick's Day.

The next day we announced it at my cousin's wedding.

Actually my brother did.

The same brother who didn't even announce his OWN engagement.

Oh well.

We took engagements.

Planned a wedding.

This was right before going in to get married.

And right after!! (Look at those shoes!!)
We were late to our own reception (sorry Mom!!)

Honeymoon in San Diego.

And we've been crazy ever since.