DATING
We really had so many fun dates! We were able to go to sports games, trips to utah, ice skating, bowling, star gazing and so much more. We always made spending time together a huge priority, and know that if we were going to together, we needed to be filling our time with something fun and worthwhile. Of course, we enjoyed many lazy movie nights and simple lunch dates, but I feel like we did a really good job of making sure we made dating fun and exciting.
The memories that stick with me most from dating Alex mostly include laughing til I cry, eating amazing tacos, singing Ke$ha songs in the car, picnics and taking lots of silly pictures. Since I didn't have a smart phone back then, I always carried around my small point and shoot camera. And boy, did we take lots of pictures.
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| on our first date!! |
I think my all time favorite date was a small day trip we planned up to Payson. Alex packed a picnic, and picked me up at my house early in the morning. We drove up north, singing songs and talking and holding hands. It was August, and we were excited to escape the heat of the valley. We found a gorgeous little park with a big pond and laid out our blanket. We ate snacks, watched some hilarious old people practicing Tai Chi, played frisbee, and fed the ducks. We also talked a lot about the future, and Alex says that this was the day that he distinctly remembers deciding that he was going to ask me to marry him (granted, that didn't happen for a few more months...) We walked around town, and moseyed through some little thrift shops. It was such a laid back day, something we excel at, and we made so many fun memories and we still reference some inside jokes from that day.
We obviously loved picnics, because some of my other favorite dates also include eating dinner on a blanket at the park! We loved driving out to Fountain Hills and grabbing something yummy to eat, and bringing cards or a laptop and a movie and just camping out on the side of the lake and watching the fountain go off a couple of times. We always took too many silly pictures, and I just remember it being so fun and innocent and easy!
Dating, if you let it, can be some of the best years of your life. It's easy to get discouraged, and feel like there is no one out there who gets you. But I think that one of the best things I learned from dating is to keep an open mind. When I met Alex I was in no mood to date. I had just gotten out of a relationship, and my heart was still hurting. I told myself that I needed a break from dating and from boys in general. But then Alex came along and I decided that I could just let my guard down for one date, and see what happened... and it's a good thing I did.
I think it's important to not put all boys under the same umbrella. Yes, some boys are rude, but not all. Some boys are immature, but not all. Some boys will break your heart, but not all. You may have to kiss a lot of frogs until you find your prince. And that's okay. Because in the end it will all be worth it. And even though you won't end up marrying every person that you date, you can still learn a lot from every situation that you are in.
I'm glad that Alex met me when he did. I had been humbled, and beaten down, and broken hearted and I had also realized that I was not defined by the boys who liked me, and I had more confidence in who I was and what I stood for. I was sure of what I wanted. I was a better person for Alex because of everything I had gone through, and I'm grateful for that.
We still make dating a priority today! Dates are so important to help us reconnect with each other after a long busy week. Some nights we just go out for dinner so we can talk, and other nights we go shopping because even though it's date night, we still need milk and so we make a trip to Fry's. And sometimes we stay in and have a romantic Spa Night or we make homemade pretzels.
I fell in love with Alex while dating him, and I continue to fall in love with him now while dating him.
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