love story part twelve: telling mr. jolley

I knew I was going to marry Mr. Jolley. And even though we were always texting 24-7, I wanted to tell him in person. It was the most wonderful news.

When he finally made it back to Logan again, I told him I wanted to go for a walk. There was a cemetery nearby my apartment complex that we enjoyed walking in, so we headed there. We held hands, googly eyeing each other and making small talk. I finally broke the news...

I told him I had finally prayed, I told him exactly the conversation I had with the Lord on the way home from the gym that night. I told him I couldn't live without him, and that nothing would make me happier than being his wife for forever.

He grabbed both my hands, kissed me, and told me this the best news ever. I will NEVER forget that smile on his face. We started chatting dates, which temple to get married in, and everything wedding related.

 We both smiled all night long. We were going to get MARRIED. This was really happening...

bare minerals giveaway

I'm so excited today because my wonderful sponsors are giving one of you a $35 Gift Card to BareMinerals! What girl doesn't want to splurge on nice, clean makeup for herself? Now go enter and meet some AMAZING bloggers, you know you want to!

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3 ways to complain less & enjoy today more

Lately I've been realizing how much I've been complaining. And ya know what? It's WAY too much. I used to be known as the girl who never complained and was always positive, but I'm not so sure people know me as that anymore.

So instead of wallowing in self-loathing, I've decided to do something about it. So here are three ways to complain less and enjoy today more...

1. Write it out.

Journaling is a great way to get perspective without throwing your dark cloud on someone else's day. I find when I write things in my journal I try to find the best way to write out my life without sounding like a crazy lady. It often helps me get perspective. Don't want future generations to read about it? Type it up and delete it. Write it out on paper and shred it or rip it up. But putting things into words for just you can be incredibly therapeutic. You could also make a list of things you are a grateful for!

2. Take a 10 minute time out.

Wanting to tweet about your awful day? Set your phone down and take 10 minutes to yourself. Meditate, take a 10 minute bath, crack open a can of Diet Coke, look up inspirational quotes. Do whatever it is that helps pull you out of a funk. Sometimes I need a good 45 minutes away from everyone and everything. Sometimes I tell my friends that I just need some time alone or I'll say and do things I regret. People are generally pretty respectful of that and are usually impressed that you have that kind of self-control. 

3. Serve!!

I am a huge advocate that the best way to realize how blessed you are is to give of yourself to others. I love this list of Random Acts of Kindness.  Take a bit of your time/energy to give something to someone else. Encourage someone, call your mother, write an Operation Beautiful note. Just get yourself OUT of yourself. You'll be so busy worrying about others you won't have time to complain ;)

The truth is, complaining does NOT make us feel better. It seems like an immediate relief, as humans we tend to put ourselves in the victim's chair. We want our life to look worse than others. Why? I don't really know. But long term, being a positive force in a negative world will help you enjoy today even more than complaining ever will.

What are your tips for complaining less?

date night: red mango

Date night last week was a little bit last minute, neither of us really had anything specific we wanted to do, which is fairly unusual. So instead of spending a ton of time deciding what to do, we went to our fall back... ICE CREAM!

We decided to try somewhere new and after using Siri to find different yogurt/ice cream places and we ended up at Red Mango!

I love simple dates like this every once in awhile because it allows us time to just talk and enjoy each other's company. Life gets busy, and leaving my phone on silent so I can focus totally on my husband is one of the best things I do for my relationship.

Where's your favorite place to get ice cream?

the best dating advice

This time last year I was in a somewhat unofficial relationship with a guy that I wasn't really sure I wanted to be with. But trying to protect his feelings, I dated him a few weeks longer than I should have. I realized I needed to trust God with my love life. I was only 19 after all, I didn't need to settle. I threw myself into a study of the scriptures and began to focus more on my spirituality. 2 months later I went on a blind date with the man who would become my future husband.

Will this be the case in everyone's story? Is it as simple as studying the scriptures more and you get a rockin husband? Not necessarily. But the reason I dumped that guy, was because of this quote...

Do you want capability, safety and security in dating and romance, in married life and eternity? Be a true disciple of Jesus. Be a genuine, committed, word-and-deed Latter-Day Saint. Believe that your faith has everything to do with your romance because it does. You separate dating from discipleship at your peril. Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, is the only lamp by which you can successfully see the path of love and happiness. How should I love thee? As He does, for that way 'never faileth.'"

-Jeffrey R. Holland

We can't always control our love lives, we have to turn it over to God. Your faith has EVERYTHING to do with your romance. And it continues to be true throughout my new marriage. Spirituality increases love, and love makes for better romance. Don't believe me? Try it out for yourself! 

victoria's secret giveaway!

Do you realize there's only 21 days until Valentine's Day? My second favorite holiday right behind the 4th of July! (I know, I'm a freak.) And to celebrate, how about giving one of you lovelies a $75 shopping spree to Victoria's Secret?? Yeah, I thought it was a pretty good idea too. So I've joined up with some fabulous bloggers to give one of you a Valentine's Day shopping spree. Wishing you luck! XOXO

Allena Mistral // Elle Sees // A Little Too Jolley

The Modern Tulip // Happy Is A Choice // Yellow Mango Life // Sweet Southern Sparkle

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how to stay married for 44 years

Yesterday at school I had the opportunity to cut the hair of an elderly man. After some brief small talk, he asked if I was married. I told him we had just recently hit our 5 month anniversary. He got the hugest smile on his face and said to me, "Ain't marriage wonderful?"

He proceeded to talk about his wife who had Alzheimer's. She passed away last year. This May would have been their 44th wedding anniversary. 

They got engaged just a few months after knowing each other. And married just as quickly. As an 18 year old married couple, all the odds and statistics in the world were against them. 

I asked him what his advice would be, for a newlywed like myself. What's the secret to a long-lasting and joyous marriage?

He said, to look back at wedding photos, and think of the love you felt for your husband on that day. Never let a problem go unsolved, talk things out and NEVER yell at one another. Compromise about activities you do together, you don't have to love the same things, you just have to learn to take turns doing the things you love as individuals as a couple. And to put God first. 

One of the most significant things that has been running through my mind since, is that he said once you are married, it's not husband and wife, it's a couple. You do things together, you make decisions together, and you grow together. Your marriage relationship creates oneness, and it's our responsibility to keep that oneness as close as possible. 

The old man left me one of the biggest tips I've received so far and left me eternally grateful for the priceless lessons he taught me in a 30 minute haircut.

date night: nickelcade

Last week for date night I told Mr. Jolley that it was his turn to decide what we did for date night. And let me tell you, it took him less than 30 seconds to decide what he wanted to do. And later that night, we ended up at a place from my childhood... Nickelcade!

We paid the $2.50 entrance fee per person and got $5 in nickels. Big spenders, I know! 

It was super fun. We played skeeball, air hockey, mini-basketball, and a simple version of Deal or No Deal. We played SO many other games I lost track. And let me tell you, $5 was a LOT of nickels!

The date was so fun, we both smiled pretty much the entire time and I laughed so hard playing air hockey that I was crying and lost the second game due to that handicap ;) Our 80 tickets got us a bouncy ball for our cats, and a lot of frooties for my purse. 

What date nights make you feel like a kid again? 

3 things i've learned about healthy relationships

On May 21, 2013 I got engaged to the man of my dreams. Considering he was my first ever "official" boyfriend, he's been my guinea pig in a lot of ways! So today I want to share 3 things I have learned about healthy relationships from my husband whom I refer to as Mr. Jolley. (Pretty great name to marry into right?)

1. Someone will always disapprove.

Someone will always think you spend too much time together or too little of time together. Someone will think you dated too long or didn't date long enough. Someone will always tell you that you are doing it all wrong. But as long as you and your partner are committed and making each other happy, no one else can really tell you how to appropriately live your life.

 2. There is a HUGE difference between wanting to be in control and the desire for stability.

Men generally don't want to tell you what to do and how to live your life. They aren't naturally controlling. What they want is someone dependable. It's not that he wants to always know where you are in case he needs you, it's because he will worry that he can't protect you if he doesn't know where to find you. I read about this in a book called "How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It." It was such a new concept to me but ever since I read it I have found it to be true over and over. So give your man a break, and just answer his questions without getting upset about why he needs to be all up in your business.

 3. True love is intentional.

Mr. Jolley and I took the love language quiz early in our relationship. And although we love each other in ALL the ways, he knows that in a crowded room, nothing means more to me that him putting his arm around me. I know that quality time is so vital to fill his love tank that I almost always leave my phone at home when we go places so I can't even have the option of pulling it out. We send each other mushy texts, I brag about him to my friends at school, and we hold hands at inconvenient times. Because we want to never stop loving each other.

 What have you learned about relationships? 

 

january 2014 ask brooklyn

It's time to do one of my favorite posts of every month, Ask Brooklyn! Ask Brooklyn is where YOU my blog readers, ask me questions on THIS Google Form. Then I go through the questions once a month, and answer them! It's a blast! So if you think of any questions you have, be sure to ask me here so I can answer them in February! 

What's your favorite thing about being married?

This is SUCH a tough question, because after only 5 months of wedded happiness, I'm a huge fan of marriage! But the first thing that came to mind was companionship. Having someone to come home to every night, someone to go out and do things with, someone to share my successes and failures with. Someone to read scriptures and pray with, someone to attend church with. Someone to go grocery shopping with, etc. Our souls crave companionship, and although getting married isn't a magic remedy that solves every problem, it does give me a sense of belonging and safety.

What do you do when you're not motivated, or you just feel really blah? Any tips on pulling out of the discouraged feeling?

I reboot myself. I journal, I read self-help books, I take a long bath and treat myself. I pray. I talk to close friends about my feelings. I go to the temple. I set goals. I pamper myself. When I lose motivation, I try to take a night to be alone and reboot myself doing whatever I feel like I'm deprived of.

Why did you choose the Salt Lake temple to get married in when you were living in Logan?

To see pictures of the different rooms inside an LDS (Mormon) temple, click here! Mr. Jolley and I talked about which temple we wanted to get married in shortly after getting engaged. I always pictured myself getting married in the Ogden temple like my parents, because when the church decided to renovate the temple, making it inoperable for a few years, I never thought I'd get married before its scheduled reopen in late 2014. But alas, I got married in 2013. And even though I loved the Logan temple, I also loved the Salt Lake temple (its great for wedding pictures!), and had actually never been inside! The Salt Lake temple was also more central for Mr. Jolley and I's families. About 1 hour from my family and 2.5 from his. Rather than 4.5 from his and 1 hour from mine. 

I did however receive my endowment at the Logan temple 3 days before my wedding. A necessary step before receiving the blessings of a temple marriage. This picture is of Mr. Jolley and I outside the Logan temple after I went through the temple.

But my sealing (marriage) was done at the Salt Lake temple. This picture is of us outside the Salt Lake temple on our wedding day.

What is your favorite thing about yourself and why?

I think my favorite thing about myself is that I try to act on my desire to change. I'm constantly setting goals, reading self-help books, and trying to improve myself. I think that's a pretty great thing!

Do you dye/pencil your eyebrows and if so could you help a sister out and show me how?

Unfortunately I know nothing about dying or penciling eyebrows. My eyebrows are naturally pretty dark, but I know that my school does eye brow dying on the cheap, so I could hook you up if you live in SLC area!

What's the best way to get inspired when you're in a spiritual rut?

I find praying to be the best way. I pray to know where I can improve and what I can do to increase my desire to worship. I try to set challenges, like my Book of Mormon challenge. Something to stretch me and get me back in the mindset!

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I hope you are all out enjoying your weekend. You deserve to!

if i were...

When I saw this post by Amberly, I knew I wanted to do it as well.

If I were a month, I'd be July.
If I were a day of the week, I'd be Sunday.
If I were a time of day, I'd be 4 PM.
If I were a direction, I'd be West.
If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be a nightstand.
If I were a liquid, I'd be Coca-Cola.
If I were a flower, I'd be a peony.
If I were a kind of weather, I'd be a sunshiney summer day.
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be a piano.
If I were a color, I'd be pink.
If I was an emotion, I'd be contentment.
If I were food, I'd be a chocolate shake.
If I were a place, I'd be Disneyland.
If I were a scent, I'd be vanilla cupcake.
If I were a song, I'd be Roar by Katy Perry.
If I were an item of clothing, I'd be a pair of thick cozy leggings.

What would you be?

2014 goal: scripture reading

I have always loved the scriptures. From the Bible to the Book of Mormon, I've learned to find peace and encouragement in God's word. When I got married, I began reading the scriptures with my husband, which has been an amazing blessing to our relationship. But it also took the time right before bed when I used to immerse myself in God's word individually.

Many of you know in December I read The Book of Mormon cover to cover. It took me less than 30 days, and let me tell you, it wasn't easy. And although I find an occasional challenge refreshing and renewing, I decided I wanted a different kind of scripture reading goal for 2014.

After re-reading THIS TALK, "How Do I Love Thee? I was inspired. The talk was given by Jeffery R. Holland, a general authority in my church. The video below shows the highlights of the talk. 

So I decided I wanted to study the scriptures looking for all the ways that God and Jesus Christ express love. I want to emulate the Savior, and become more like him. I want to learn to assume the good, and doubt the bad in those I associate with. I want to see the ways that Christ loves us, and the ways that he has ALWAYS loved his people, by studying His word, the scriptures.

I am going to put a Post-It flag in my scriptures next to each reference that shows us HOW Christ and God love. I think of the Primary song, I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus.

"I'm trying to be like Jesus,

I'm following in His ways.

I'm trying to love as He did,

In all that I do and say.

At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice

But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,

Love one another as Jesus loves you,

Try to show kindness in all that you do,

Be gentle and loving in deed and thought,

For these are the things Jesus taught."

Each Post-It flag will be a constant reminder of how I am trying to love as Jesus does, in perfect, unconditional love.

What scripture reading goals are you setting this year?

3 fictional characters to date

Hello lovelies! Happy Tuesday! I'm SO excited for today because I get to share my Jolliest of All blog sponsor. She is so fun! She blogs about college, fashion, and even a little about the bachelor. ;) Read her HILARIOUS post, and then go get to know her HERE. Take it away!

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Ever wish you could be in a relationship with a TV or movie character? And I'm not talking about the actor himself, I mean the actual character he's playing. I have, and yeah that's probably weird but I'm the weird little girl from SoCal Mermaid, hi! I'm Carolina, in case you were wondering. But come on, don't lie, you know when you're watching your favorite romcom you kind of sit there and stare at the main guy and wish he was yours. So, putting all spouses and boyfriends aside. I'm daring you to pick 3 characters - I repeat character not actor, if you could fall in love with him, which would you choose? I know who I'd chose, it was actually a lot easier than I thought, but there's still so many to chose from!

 

Danny Zuko// How can you not love that cigarette holding smile? I'd wear that jacket and let him court me any day. I definitely can't sing as well as Sandra Dee but I'll let you tell me about, Stud all day every day. He's got great dance moves, a killer smile, and a good head of hair. Plus the bit of bad boy image turned jock for the girl he loves isn't bad either! I won't lie, Danny Zuko is a bit more of a looks kind of love. He's good lookin' - there's no denying that, but the nice cars, funny friends, bad boy style, and his serenadable voice are just to die for!

  

Jesse// Pitch Perfect could not have been such a great movie without Jesse. I mean he thinks organized nerd signing is great - he's just great. He has the perfect comebacks to pretty much every cynical and witty thing Becca says, and I can't help but love that about him.

Plus his favorite movie is Breakfast Club, my favorite movie is Breakfast Club, we're clearly meant to be. Oh and he has juice pouches and Rockie! How is there anything better then that?! I clearly like guys that can sing - fictionally speaking that is. Singing isn't a priority in my future boyfriend.

 

Graham// Need I say much? He's just so handsome - to bad he died in Season 1. If you don't know who this is, let me introduce you to Graham from Once Upon a Time, isn't he a beauty? The rugged look works so well for him, plus he's got shaggy hair and a leather jacket. He plays the perfect cop type of character solely because of how rugged he looks *insert heart eyed emoji here*

If you haven't watched Once Upon a Time, then what are you waiting for?! It's first two seasons are on Netflix, and it's soooo good! I would know, I watched both seasons in four days, yeah four days. 

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But if you want to know about the guys in my real life, not characters or actors, real life guys - you can come check them out on my blog. Guys aren't all I blog about though! I blog about college, fashion, and other nonsense on my baby blog. Yes, baby blog because it still hasn't reached her one year mark!

Want to hear more about my little corner of the internet?

Visit my blog, Instgram, Pinterest, or Twitter!

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if i had written wedding vows

Last week I wrote a post about the reason why my wedding did not include wedding vows. And ever since, I've been wondering, what if I HAD written wedding vows? What would I have said to convey my love and devotion to my almost-husband? How could I condense my feelings for my sweetheart into something short enough to read at a ceremony? So here is what I wrote up...

Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed about my wedding day. What it would be like, who I'd be marrying, and when it would be. I dreamed of a summer wedding, a beautiful sunny day, much like today. I dreamed of a tall handsome prince, wearing a pink tie and a perfect smile. I pictured myself as Cinderella, marrying my Prince Charming and living happily ever after. I dreamed of my fairy tale. 

Who would've guessed that my love story would actually be one for the storybooks. 8 short weeks after meeting you, we decided on forever. You got down on one knee and spoke to me the sweetest words I've ever heard, you always knew my answer, I couldn't imagine life without you. 

You were sent to me from God. You became the greatest blessing in my life and our relationship was not a coincidence. You are my protector, my provider, and my hero. You listen to my problems, and remind me how much my Heavenly Father loves me. You see things in me that sometimes I don't see in myself. You support me in all my crazy ideas, and can make me laugh harder than anyone else. 

 When I'm with you, I feel a little bit closer to heaven, because life with you is heaven on earth. And I can't imagine doing life with anyone else. So here's to a lifetime with you, my Prince Charming. Now and forever darling, I love you. And I'll ALWAYS be yours. 

happy sunday

How should we love others? The way the Savior loves us. Happy Sunday everyone <3

love story part eleven: my decision

I began to pray. I didn't ask whether or not I should marry him, because I wanted to make my own decision, and then ask God if it was right. So I did.

I pictured myself marrying Colten. Would I be able to share holidays with his family? Would I be able to handle his flaws? Could HE handle all of mine?

The only thing that brought my controlling mind peace was the idea of marrying him. The idea of breaking things off was so painful I would cry big alligator tears just thinking about it.

I told my parents I was pretty sure we were going to get married. And that it wasn't "for sure" yet, but it seemed to be right.

I finally got the courage to pray out loud and ask God on my way home from the gym one evening. It went like this,

"Heavenly Father. I love this man. I love him with all my heart. He's everything I have ever wanted in a husband."

I started to tell him everything I loved about Mr. Jolley. The way he kissed my forehead, the way he handled my emotional breakdowns, even from 150 miles away. The way my little brothers loved him, and the hard worker he truly was. I loved his smile, his muscles, and the way he made me feel safe. I loved the way he wrote me sappy love notes, and often spoke of our future. I loved the way he would watch Disney movies, and the way he loved the Lord.

In a moment of pure revelation, the Lord told me that his job is to fulfill my desires as I live righteously. And He let me catch a glimpse of His love and plans for Mr. Jolley.

He told me yes. After bursting into sobbing happy tears, I knew. It was my turn to say yes.

the boring stuff

If you haven't seen the movie UP by Disney, you're truly missing out. In the movie, the little wilderness scout boy says, 

"It's the boring stuff I remember the most." 

I've been pondering this thought a lot lately. On my honeymoon to Disneyland, one of my fondest memories is watching endless episodes of Pawn Stars from our hotel room. Growing up my mom used to pay us to help her do her work from home, we had electric staplers, and we would staple papers for what seemed like hours at a time. And from our family vacation to South Dakota, I think most of those nights we spent in our tiny, muggy motorhome, doing nothing but playing cards and watching movies.

Necklace: Gift from little brothers, purchased from MintMarbles on Etsy

What if life isn't just about the grand adventures we get to go on, and the amazing people we meet. What if it's about praying daily as a family? And going grocery shopping with your husband? Maybe it's really about cuddling your cats more, and taking long walks for no reason at all. What if life is really all about the "boring stuff"?

why i didn't write wedding vows

You might be surprised to know that when I got married, I didn't walk down an aisle. I never wrote or spoke vows to wed myself to my husband. I didn't wear my dress until AFTER I was married. And the actual marriage ceremony was short, and intimate.

I was sealed in an LDS temple. The Salt Lake City Temple to be specific.

A sealing is defined as an ordinance performed in a temple eternally uniting a husband and wife, or parents and their children.

WeddingLDS.com explained the ceremony as such...

"After some words of personal counsel from the temple sealer, the couple kneels across the altar from each other. The words of the ceremony are brief, so couples want to listen hard for the promises they are making and for the blessings promised them. Both bride and groom have the opportunity to say “yes” (not “I do”) when asked if they accept the terms of a temple sealing. After the sealing is over, the bride and groom may exchange rings and a kiss, although this is not part of the temple sealing ceremony."

In the temple I chose to wear my temple dress. Much like ones you will find HERE. Why? Because I didn't want the fluffy, beautiful, flashy dress to distract from the sacredness of the sealing. Although temples DO allow brides to wear their own dresses if they meet the standards of temple modesty, my personal decision was to wait until after the sealing.

We knelt across in altar in a room specifically for sealings, listened to a sealer give us advice and explain the sacredness of our marriage, and then we both said yes to forever. A love without end. How? The sealing ordinance allows family relationships to extend beyond death. I will be with my wonderful husband forever.

After the sealing I went into a beautiful bride's room with my mother, where she helped me into my dress and I fixed my hair and put my veil in. Then I was escorted by a temple worker to my new groom. After a hug, a quick kiss, and a few exchanged words, we exited the temple together, with all our friends and family waiting outside and cheering for us.

I don't regret that my father didn't get to walk me down an aisle and give me away. He got to witness the most important event in my life, and quite possibly throughout all eternity. I don't regret not wearing my dress because the dress I WAS wearing signified something much more important to me.  And I don't regret that I didn't get to write wedding vows, because the words of the sealing ordinance couldn't be any more amazing.

 My wedding day was perfect. And because of the power of a temple sealing, my husband and I get to be together forever.

P.S. If you have any questions about my wedding, LDS temples, or anything about my religion, please feel free to leave your questions in the comments, or email me at brooklynburton@hotmail.com !

pm platinum blonde shampoo review

A few months ago, I had this crazy idea to go Platinum Blonde. PLATINUM. I wanted to be as blonde as possible without totally frying my hair off. So I did. And shortly after realized, platinum blonde takes a lot of upkeep, it doesn't just stay platinum, it likes to fade to a Barbie yellow.

Platinum Blonde Shampoo from the Paul Mitchell blonde line. It comes out a SUPER dark purple color. And it looks like it will turn your purple hair, but SURPRISE, it doesn't. What does purple shampoo do? It neutralizes yellow tones. How? Because purple and yellow are opposite on the color wheel. Aka, complementary colors.

You just leave the purple shampoo on for about 5 minutes and it does the trick. You shampoo as often as possible which for me was 2-3x a week. 

The only con to this shampoo is that it's not moisturizing at all. I found my hair was extra extra dry while using it. Using a little extra conditioner helped quite a bit, and deep conditioning my hair twice a week kept it from getting TOO dry.

Overall I'd recommend this product to ANY platinum blonde. It keeps you at the blonde you want to be at with very little work.

Do you have any blonde products you can't live without?

my 2014 marriage goal

My biggest marriage goal for 2014 is to step in and help more. My husband is wonderful and often makes dinner at night while I shower or get ready for whatever plans we have. He never complains about changing the litter box and is the first to do the dishes every time!

His love language is Acts of Service, so I'm going to spend 2014 trying to implement that into the way I express love to him more. I want to make the bed more often and put the toothpaste in the same drawer every time. I want to surprise him with dinners on my days off, and be more willing to take care of our cats. I want him to consider me the most helpful wife he could've imagined!

What marriage goals are you setting for 2014??

<center> <a href="http://www.lifewithamberlyandjoe.com/search/label/marriage%20and%20relationship%20goals" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" Marriage & Relationship Goals "; title=" Marriage & Relationship Goals" height="200px" width="200px" src="http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q721/Amberly_Lambertsen/Blogging/marriageamprelationship_zps00f8ba54.png"/></a></center>

New to the Marriage & Relationship Goals Link-up? Goals help our relationships grow stronger and get better with time as well as help us move forward and avoid the "ruts" of life. This link-up was created in hopes of inspiring your relationship with your significant other no matter your chapter in life and love. We would love for you to join us in making the things we do in our relationships intentional.  If you would like more information, click here. If you would like to sign up for the newsletter, click here. If you are interested in cohosting, click here.

love story part ten: talking by the temple

During our date night that following week, we decided to go sit outside the temple to start talking about potentially getting married. I've always found peace and solace on temple grounds, so I felt like I could handle it if we were in the presence of such a beautiful building and house of God.

After some quick small talk, it started. I started throwing out everything that was in my head. How stressed I was about registering for Fall semester, and why would I be so stressed out if I was supposed to marry him and leave Logan for Salt Lake? What if we were just acting on a whim because we are both romantics? What if we didn't know each other well enough to get married? Would we ever know each other well enough to get married? And what did he think about all this?

In his clear quiet confidence, Mr. Jolley told me he wanted to marry me, he wanted me to pray about it. "But for now, let's just make a decision that doesn't totally ruin your schooling, but allows our relationship the opportunity to grow."

We decided to have me sign up for online school and move home for the next semester. This meant I needed to sell my apartment contract that I had already signed up for with my roommates. I notified them that evening that I wouldn't be living with them after the summer and that I was going to sell my contract if possible. They were shocked, they wondered if I was losing my mind. I wondered that myself, but the ONLY thing that brought my mind peace  and comfort, was the idea of moving home and doing online school while we decided what to do about our quickly evolving relationship.

Within 24 hours my apartment contract was sold, a near impossible feat in a college town and I was enrolled in the specific courses I needed for Fall semester. I decided it was my turn to start working on a decision, I owed it to this wonderful man who brought me flowers, held my hand, and spoiled me rotten with compliments. He had won over my entire family, and wanted to marry me. So I started to pray...