Our Love Story (her version)

It was August 20, 2004, my sisters birthday and her master plan was finally coming together. For almost two years she had been trying to set me up with her husband’s friend. And for almost two years I’d declined her offer. I’d met almost all of her husband’s friends and was certain I did not want to meet another. She just knew I was going to fall head over heels and marry him and I just knew she was absolutely crazy.

She invited me and this single guy Joe along with 20 others. I showed up a few minutes late to ensure I would not have to sit next to him. After all I’d met all the single guys she knew and I was already not interested in this mystery man. I take my seat and notice “him” down the table from me. He’s cute, he seems normal, he has the prettiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen…I decide I better give him a chance, what could it hurt? After dinner we head to my sister’s house. I start talking with him and we instantly hit it off. Conversation is effortless. He is so nice. He is so funny. He is so cute.

As the hours pass people start leaving the party. I am lost in conversation with the most genuine person. I feel like we are the only two people in the universe at that moment. We are in our own little world. Our conversation continues until well past midnight. I can’t wipe the smile off of my face, this guy is great… I wonder why I ever doubted my sister and wish I would have agreed to meet him sooner. The final guests of the evening are leaving and we say our goodbyes and nice to meet you’s and head off in different directions.

I call my sister the moment I get into my car. She already knows what I’m about to tell her. He is nice. He is cute. He is tall. He is great. He is funny. He is charming. He is perfect. BUT…….. he did not get my phone number!! How on earth could this be?! I felt a connection. I felt happy. I liked him.. already! Did he feel the same connection I did? I start to second question myself.

Over the next two months my sister would text me every time he came over. I’d drop by because I was “in the area”… or at least that was my story. I wanted to see him. I wanted to know more about him. I had a major crush on this guy who did not get my phone number. I find out that he is a member of the Utah National Guard and that he is going to be leaving in January for a year and a half.

Every time I saw him things would change. One time I was head over heels, the next time I could not believe I ever even had a crush on him. This went on until November. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that he was leaving. We were both uncertain of the timing of our meeting.

Finally November came and I got a text from my sister. Joe called, she said. He asked me for your phone number!! I was ecstatic. My stomach was full of butterflies and I could not wipe the smile off my face!! He called me the next day and asked if I wanted to go on a date. I agreed . We go out on a few dates and have a lot of fun. And then I kiss him – he is shy – even more so than me. So I kissed him first.
We start dating a lot more over the next month. Things are perfect. I am so happy. I am having so much fun. But I can’t help but think about the fact that he is leaving in January for 18 months to go off to war. Is he just dating me to pass the time until he leaves? Does he really like me? I know I like him, but question if I am leading my heart on a path of heartbreak.

He goes home to Cedar City to spend Christmas with his parents. We talk and text every day that he is gone. I can’t wait for him to come back. I miss him. I really like him and I have never felt this way before. He comes with a Christmas present for me. A fancy Christmas present too! Perfume. He must like me if he got me perfume, that’s not just any kind of present. Its perfume. He’s won my heart over with 4 oz of perfume. After that we are inseparable. He picks me up from work and takes me to lunch. We see each other as soon as work is over.

He wants me to meet his brother. We go to a Jazz game and to Flemings for dinner. Its fancy. He is such a gentleman. He invites me to his family new years party at his sisters house. I am so nervous but I go and have a lot of fun. I meet his family, A LOT of his family. His parents, three sisters and one brother and their families. Its very over whelming but feels good at the same time.

Two days into the New Year he is off to Cedar City for a month. It’s the beginning of his deployment. But it’s only Cedar City. Its only three hours away. We talk on the phone every day. He comes to visit me in Salt Lake every weekend. We are both falling for each other. But neither of us have used the “L” word.

The month passes all too quickly. At the beginning of February I head down to Cedar to see him off to the second leg of his deployment. He must now go to Mississippi for 5 months to complete some training before heading to Iraq. I bring him a little box of memories I’ve had with him. It’s my way of letting him know that I LOVE him, without having to say it. I am afraid to say it first because I’m not sure if he’s going to feel the same.

The next morning all of the families gather at the airport to send off 500 soldiers. It is heartbreaking. I can’t stop hugging Joe. I don’t want to let him go. I don’t want him to leave. He gets in line to board the plane and tears are pouring down my face. I can’t take my eyes off of him. I watch him every step of the way. I watch him shake the hands of all the political figures there to send him off. I’m so sad he is leaving. And I’m so mad at myself for not telling him I loved him. Because I did! I LOVED HIM!

A few moments after he boards the plane my phone rings. It’s Joe. I am so happy he’s calling already. I LOVE YOU, he says. I wanted to tell you before I got on the plane.. I don’t know why I did’t. My heart did a triple flip! I love you too, I told him! How romantic.

Joe and I talked everyday while he was in Mississippi. He surprised me and flew me out to visit him the week of my birthday in April. I was there for four wonderful days. On my birthday he told me that he wanted to marry me. He wanted to marry ME! How did I get to be so lucky?! I did not give him an answer that day if I felt the same way or not. I needed to collect my thoughts before committing to marrying a man who was headed off to war. After a week of my heart and mind fighting on what to do my heart won. I called Joe and told him I wanted to marry him too.

Joe was in Mississippi for two more months. He gave me a budget and sent me ring shopping with my mom and sisters. Since he was so far away this was not something we could do together. The first ring I tried on was my dream ring. NO ring could ever compare to this beautiful ring I’d tried on. It was twice the budget set for the ring and knew it was something I’d never have. I tried on many more rings and found lots of pretty rings within our budget. I emailed Joe three pictures of beautiful rings so he could surprise me with one that he liked too.

I headed to Las Vegas in June to celebrate the arrival of the Triple Deuce, but mostly the arrival of my future husband. Oh how I was ever excited for him to be home.. .even if it were only for two short weeks. We enjoyed the lights of Vegas and then headed to the Hoover Dam before finding our way to Cedar City. We were in Cedar City for only a day and then back to SLC so I could go back to work. Joe picked me up for lunch every day. He was there at five o’clock sharp to pick me up from work. We spent every possible moment together.

On June 11, 2004 my mom, sisters and I took Joe shopping. He wanted something nice to wear because it was going to be a special night. We found a nice suit for him to wear. He dropped us girls off at the mall so he could go meet my dad for the FIRST time and to ask for his consent to marry me!!

My dad must have consented because Joe was at my apartment at 5:30 pm with a dozen roses. He opened my door to the car and the station was turned to country music – I love it, he despises it. One more thing to show me he loved me! We headed to down town Salt Lake City, the destination was unknown to me. After much anticipation he pulls into the parking garage of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. We are eating dinner at The Roof! Talk about FANCY smancy!!

We sat at the “engagement table” that overlooked the Salt Lake Temple. It was a magnificent view. We had dinner, enough food to feed a small country. Joe requested the pianist to play some of my favorite songs. He started drinking water, lots and lots of water, he was beginning to sweat! He was so nervous. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him with THE ring. Not the rings I’d sent him pictures of, but THE ring, the first ring I tried on, the ring that was far out of budget, the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen, the ring of my dreams!! Of course I’ll marry you! You’re making all my dreams come true, I tell him.

Apparently my sister had told him about this ring. She said I had to have it. And she and my mom had found it at a different jeweler and it was only $250 higher than the budget allotted. He agreed that I had to have it and made plans with my sister to make sure that it was ready for the night he proposed. It was the perfect plan. It was the perfect surprise. It was a perfect beginning to the rest of my life.

Two days later I cried my eyes out as I watched the plane take off en route to Ramadi, Iraq with my fiancé on board. My heart was so happy that I had found the love of my life and broken in half seeing him leave me for the next 12 months.
My phone was hooked to my hand waiting for a call from my love. He called a week later once he made it his base camp. Every day after that he called to let me know he missed me and that he was doing well. We were able to talk over the computer and see each other over the web cam. The sound of his voice and the very broken picture from the camera put my heart at ease between conversations. I’d watch the news everyday and see the terrible things happening where he was. But each night around 3 am I’d get a phone call confirming his safety. I would drop anything or wake up at any hour when he called just to hear his voice. We must have spent thousands of dollars on phone cards but I’d do it all over again if the situation presented me.

He was entered into a lottery that would allow him two weeks leave. Leave from Iraq and into the arms of his fiancé. I cried when he called and told me he was coming home mid November. He joked about getting married but knew that I’d never agree. After all I was already in the middle of planning out a huge reception for the following September when he was home for good.

The second he stepped of the plane and had his arms wrapped around me everything changed. Lets get married while you’re home, I said! He smiled from ear to ear and agreed! He was home on Saturday and we told our families on Sunday that we were getting married on the following FRIDAY!! This gave us T minus 5 days until we said our I Do’s…. and T minus 4 days to plan EVERYTHING!!!

We personally called all of our close friends and family to invite them to the wedding as there was no time to send out invitations. We booked the Salt Lake for the perfect 11:00 time. I found the perfect wedding dress that needed NO alteration in a matter of 7 long hours. We picked out Joe’s wedding band and were given a $200 discount because of our unique story. Joe’s parents booked our wedding luncheon at Magelby’s. We found a photographer. Joe’s sisters friend had a daughter that was getting married the day before us so she saved us a layer of the cake and flowers to use for pictures. It was magical how smoothly everything came together. I guess things just work out how they are suppose to when its right.

Friday morning came faster than I could have ever imagined. I was up at five in the morning to get my hair and make up done. Joe came to pick up all of my luggage for the honeymoon. Loading the bags in the car was almost a deal breaker for him – I think I had about 12 bags packed! There was absolutely no organization to packing.. I just threw in anything and everything I could have ever imagined I may need.
10:30 arrived and I was dressed and sitting in the celestial room of the Salt Lake Temple with my future husband. The ceremony is a bit of a blur, but I remember how amazing it felt to become Mrs. Joseph Moss with our families and friends there to celebrate in the joyous occasion.

We were an hour late to our luncheon due to 2 hours of pictures landing us in the middle of rush our traffic. Our parents toasted to a happy future of love and happiness.

Our honeymoon started off at one night at the Grand America which may be the most beautiful place I have ever stayed. Followed by 5 nights in Park City. On the sixth day I drove my husband to the airport to send him back to Ramadi, Iraq. I cried for the next three hours straight as I drove home from Cedar City to Salt Lake.

The first seven months of our marriage were spent 15,000 miles apart. Joe continued to call me every day. We grew closer and closer than we’d ever been. And I cried more than I’ve ever cried in my life during that time worrying about his safety.

June 15, 2005 he was home for good. It was the fist day of the rest of our lives together.. and we couldn't have been happier!!