Blast to our past...

Here goes the first of many stories I have to share from the last 3 years of our lives :)  I'm going to tell the story of how we met and our first date...always a fun story to share!

Eric and I met at our singles ward.  Not so exciting.  But it gets funner :)  Eric served a mission in Mexico City and he'd been home no more than 2 months when he first saw me at church.  What a sight I was with all my blonde hair.  Its was love at first sight.  (You think I'm joking?  Ask him!)  I on the other hand didn't EVER noticed him.  Well one sunday our ward was in charge of cleaning the building and Eric's roommate was in charge of getting people to "volunteer" to come clean.  He came to me and my friend (Brianne) and asked if we'd come clean.  Can you guess what our answer was?  No!  Well somehow he got us to "volunteer" to come clean.  So we show up that night and I noticed Eric was there and that I didn't know him.  We split up to clean and I was in Eric's little group but he never talked to me.  Well after the cleaning was finished (ask me how much cleaning I did...ha!) we decided to stay for the fireside.  It didn't start for awhile so we all hungout and talked.  Eric avoided looking at me and everytime I spoke he stared at the ground.  Whatever.  Well after the fireside I notice Eric coming my way but I couldn't run away cause it was so crowded.  He awkwardly asks me "So when do you think I could get your #?" 
Of course I say "Uh when you ask for it?" And I'm thinking...why do you want my #?  I don't know you!
Eric replies "Oh, well could I get your #? "  Then he looks at Brianne and says "I'm not very good at this dating thing.."  Oh dear.  So I give him my # praying the whole time he's too chicken to actually use it.

Well a couple days later, much to my dismay, he texts me.  Chicken. (I forgot that texting makes people braver) And asks me to dinner.  Great.  I'm such a sucker and have a hard time saying no so I agree.  Our first date was the first Tuesday in August 2007.  (This is why I'm blogging..I can't remember the date!)
I was dreading the date and couldn't wait for it to be over before it even started!  Luckily my smarts kicked in and I told him we could go to dinner but I needed to be home before dark so I could go running.  Great excuse right?!  Now when I wanted to go home I wouldn't feel bad cause I had a really good excuse :)  Well I gave Eric directions to my house and while I waited for him to come pick me up I saw him drive right by.  10 minutes later still no Eric :)  So I call him and tell him how to get there.  He was quite flustered and embarassed when he came to the door so I shoved him out as fast as I could so we could get this thing over with!  We get in his jeep and he asks if I'd like Cafe Rio for dinner.  Who turns down Cafe Rio?!  Courtney does!  I told him no!  What a brat I am :)  He panicked and told me he didn't know where else to go.  Then he proceeded to tell me how he had wanted to take me for a picnic but all his roommates talked him out of it.  So I told him a picnic would be fine.  While deciding where to stop and grab something Eric runs a red light!  Ah!  "Eric you just ran a red light!"
"What?!  Oh!  Sorry!  I'm just so focused on you right now I didn't even see it"
Aaah!!!  "You're what?!!?"
"Oh sorry.  Uh.  Give me a minute...the Spirit will guide me!"  Oh no.  He's that kind of returned missionary.  I about died.  Finally we decided on Panda Express, got the food, drove to a park (Tonaquint Park) and found a table and sat down to eat.  Eric finally relaxed and we actually had pleasant conversation.  It was so pleasant in fact that the next time I looked at my watch it was 11 P.M.  Wow!  Where had the time gone?!  (Eric figured out at that point that my running excuse had been just that...an excuse to get out of spending too much time with him haha)  Eric took me home, gave me a nice hug (no pressure at the door step is always nice!) and went his way!  I was relieved it was all over then I realized I actually enjoyed myself.  Alot.  What a great friend I just made!  We were so comfortable around eachother (once he settled down) and it was just easy and no pressure!  Little did I know...we'd spend everyday together after that and fall in love!  (Eric was already in love..I was a little slow haha) 

Eric is my best friend in the whole world and I'm so lucky he's mine!  Thank goodness Eric put up with my snotty attitude and I didn't get scared off from his "too much information" remarks he'd throw out there in his nervousness on our first date.  There was someone else on my radar I planned to marry someday but Eric was the only man who changed my direction and I'm so glad he did.  I'm happier than I ever could've imagined!  What a funny first date memory for us now :)  I found out later that his roommate convinced me to "volunteer" to clean so that Eric would talk to me cause he'd been crushing on me but was too nervous to talk to me.  Those of you that know Eric...are you shocked?!  I am!  To think he was too nervous to talk to me?!... Eric is not shy.  In any way!  So funny to think about!  Here are a few pictures of us from the dating period :)



More dating pictures to come in my next post!