When most people talk about how they met their spouse, or how they got engaged, or what is the most special about their relationship, they think they have the best story ever. And some people would be correct. Until you hear about Taylor and I. We have the best love story of all. And if you don't believe in God's plan, or fate or whatever, we'll make a believer out of you.
Enter Katie. I was in my thirties. I had a string of relationships. Some were very serious and some not so much. Being a Latter-Day Saint (LDS, Mormon) and being in my thirties was a challenge in the dating world. I didn't feel like I fit in. I was too old for the singles scene at church, and I didn't have a family of my own for the family ward. Still trying to figure out life at 33.
Taylor had his own struggles. He was trying to figure out his place in the FAA. Switching from one facility to the next. He had a previous marriage, which in my opinion was a prep course for our real one. But it left him longing for the perfect match. He also had been moving around for the past five years- finishing college, waiting for the FAA academy to begin and then starting the academy. (And actually attending twice.)
I guess you could say we were in the right place at the right time. In "our" right place at "our" right time. Ready to find each other. Ready to find love.
We each had reconnected with high school friends several years ago. My girlfriend, Julie, had moved to the Portland area during our Sophomore year of high school. We had lost contact and reconnected over Facebook. I had visited her and her amazing family for the past few years. Taylor's friend, Jacque had reconnected with him. They were great friends through high school and lost contact through college.
Coincidentally Jacque and Julie met at Olympic Gym in Gresham, Oregon and were friends. They got to talking one day about their friends who they would like to set up. Julie called me and Jacque called Taylor not sure this whole set-up could even happen. Taylor lived in the San Francisco Bay area and I lived in Arizona. Taylor tried to contact me via Facebook and I didn't respond because I never got the message. Julie called me to ask why I was ignoring him. So I actually made the first move and texted him.
We spent a couple of months texting and talking. The first weekend in October he flew out to Arizona to physically meet me. I was so nervous. I invited him to stay with me at my parents house for two reasons. 1.) I felt bad that he paid to fly out. I felt bad asking him to pay for a hotel as well. 2.) If things didn't go well, or if they were awkward, I could rely on the company of my family to detract from the actual situation. We had a great weekend though. We went to Sedona to go for a hike. We went on our first date to Joe's Farm Grill. We went bowling with some of my friends and family. And my family really liked him. I dropped him off to the airport on Sunday night and said goodbye. He told me he hoped he'd see me again by Christmas. It left me so confused. I had no clue if he liked me or not.
The next week he left for Oklahoma for his second training with the FAA. I decided to fly out there a couple weeks later to seal the deal. We were engaged a couple of months later and married the following April.
When I think back to all of the miraculous things that fell into place for us to be together I'm humbled and grateful. We have had our share of trials, but we feel so fortunate to be together. Every little decision has led us to be together.
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