I finally broke down and did it

After living in Nebraska for four full fall seasons, I broke down and went to a Husker game. When I moved to Nebraska and saw what a phenomenon the so called "Husker Nation" is here, I vowed I would never attend a Husker game in person. Well, I went and fell in love with an avid Husker fan, who happens to purchase season tickets every year, and my vow to stave off the Huskers was doomed. I've been teasing James for months that he'd never get me to a game, but my resolve melted and I attended my first Huskers Football game two weeks ago. And to top things off, he even got me to wear a red shirt.


I'd never admit it, but I had a pretty good time at the game. There was an energy at Memorial Stadium that can only be achieved by that many people being excited by an event. I did think it interesting that there were people from all walks of life there, from Justice Clarence Thomas, to small time corn farmers, to Larry the Cable Guy. It was a great time to people watch.


The best part of the game was to see James so excited. He was horse by the second half and even though he was totally into the game, he would take the time to explain things to me if I missed a play or didn't understand something. I think that shows the boy really loves me. I haven't met many men who will take time to explain football to the women in their lives.

Nauvoo

James and I went to Nauvoo, Illinois on Saturday the 6th. We got up super early (no easy task the day after James proposed) and drove strait to Nauvoo and Carthage. I have to admit that I was a little worried about the drive. The radio in the car was out and I was a little worried about how that long car ride would go, but we ended up talking for the whole six hour drive. It was great to be able to sit and talk, just be together, for that long.

We went to Carthage first and got there around 1:00 pm. We were the only ones on our tour with the Sister and we got to spend some time in jail. The tour guide Sister left us alone in the room where Joseph Smith was martyred. It was so powerful to sit in that room and feel the Spirit. It was incredible and was such a testimony builder.

Nauvoo itself was amazing. We didn't have a lot of time to visit but we were able to do a few of the living historical sites. I enjoyed the printing press one the best. After walking around to the restored homes, we went on a horse drawn carriage (or long trailer) ride. That was really neat because the tour guide told a few stories about the pioneers that settled the area.

We also go to see the Nauvoo Temple. It was so great to see it rebuilt. The early Saints of the Church sacrificed so much to build it only to have it destroyed a short time later. I think it's such a tribute to their sacrifice to see it standing again.

The temple itself is a beautiful building. I am so impressed with the construction. To think that the pioneers were able to do the same thing is absolutely amazing. James and I did take some pictures and we took some practice shots in front of the temple and around the grounds. We figured some practice could be be good.

After only a few hours in Nauvoo we had to drive all the way home. That drive got a little long and by about midnight, we were both making animal sounds to entertain ourselves. I have to admit that James makes a much better cow moo than I do. That in and of itself is one reason to marry the boy.

Engagement

On Friday James proposed. We've been dating for four months and I've fallen madly in love with the boy. He's the most wonderful person to come into my life and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for James.

The proposal went off great. He took me to Flemmings for dinner. If you haven't been there, it's a great restaurant. We took our time and ate and talked for almost two hours. We had planned a walk for after dinner, but it was pretty chilly so he asked me to come back to his place to "watch a movie or something."

I had been suspicious when he took me to dinner, but those suspicions were solidified when we got to James's place. We drove back to his place and as he was walking in the door, he kind of blocked my view. When he opened the door fully, I saw that he'd decorated the living room. He walked over and turned on some music and had me sit down. We cuddled through about 40 minutes of love songs. The whole time, I could hear his heart beating so fast.

Once there were about three songs left, James asked if I wanted to dance. So we got up and danced with my head on his shoulder. The last song was Chris LeDoux's "Look at You Girl" (our song). I almost cried when I heard it. The song ended, James looked me in the eye and got down on one knee. He slipped the most beautiful ring on my finger and one syllable at a time asked for me to be his wife and to marry him for time and all eternity. I said yes even before he was finished. He took a long pause after the word wife and I just thought he was done. I was so happy that I could barely breath. I'm still so happy that I can barely breath.