Love is in the Air

In October, I started to tell Kendon and I's LOVE STORY. I never did get around to finishing it (not an indication of how the love story ends mind you!!!!) I just never did. Well, now Valentine's Day is coming upon us, and I thought it would be the perfect week to finish.

To start, here is a re-post of the beginning. Just to get everyone caught up!

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the colors of leaves changing, putting on a sweater after wearing t-shirts all summer, the smell of pumpkin and spice, the holiday season coming, making soup, drinking warm apple cider....

Well, seven years ago, I was given one more reason to love fall. It was seven years ago that Kendon and I began dating. So, now every fall I get to feeling all warm and fuzzy and tingly and reminiscent.

So, join me as I walk down memory lane a little and recall the beginnings of our story!

Kendon and I were set up. And since you know the way this story ends, I won't be ruining it by saying; blind dates do work!

I was going to school in Lewiston, ID at the time. It was a non-traditional program through Ricks College. All of our course work was done in Rexburg except for one summer that we had to spend in Lewiston. Beings that it was a non-traditional program, I was classmates and roommates in Lewiston with girls who were married. One such girl was Melissa Clark. Her hubby was a police officer with Kendon. It was the Clark's who decided to set us up.

Now, if you have ever been to Lewiston, ID, you know that it STINKS! And I am not just talking, "I have a bad attitude this stinks." I mean truly, literally the town stinks. It is home to a potlatch factory and every morning the terrible stench would arouse us from our sweet (smelling) dreams and throw us back into reality. The reality that we were far from home, going to school when most everyone else was enjoying summer break, and our lives were the most exciting when we watched Survivor on Thursday nights while eating Cherry Dip Cones from Dairy Queen. So, when Melissa approached me with the e-mail address of a boy who might be able to help keep me company and offer a little entertainment, I was game!

And so the long distance correspondence began. I was lucky enough to have a little foresight and saved all of our e-mails. I love reading through them now. They make me laugh. I love how easy it is to be witty and entertaining when you can spend as much time as you want thinking about what you want to say. ( A little like blogging-don't you think!)

Here are a few golden nuggets:

Kendon: "Only believe half of what Shawn says."

Lisa-Marie: "Thanks for telling me about yourself. A tad about me I suppose. Not too much terribly exciting to say, But I suppose that I can make something up." (Oh yes, try to sound really mysterious!)

Kendon: "Yea, I kinda feel like we are in grade school with everyone taking it upon themselves to get hitched up with someone. When does the letter passing start...oh yea isn't this what we are doing. ha ha."

Lisa-Marie: "The bear in the one picture is beautiful. Where did you get it and where is it now?" (That was some major shmoosing. I'm not sure I really cared where he got it but if by chance this relationship did go somewhere I was concerned as to where it was hanging. And I was right to be worried!)

Kendon: (at the end of an e-mail) "Oh yea, this is Kendon." (um. duh.)

Lisa-Marie: "Hakuna Matata. If you're a Disney fan, you know that means, "No worries!" (CHEESY!!!)

Apparently our "well crafted" e-mails were working on each other. We continued to correspond and finally decided to take the plunge and send each other pictures. With the first picture I sent, the subject line of my e-mail was "SKIN." I told him that he might enjoy a shot that included a little skin. ( I know. How provocative of me!) When he opened the attachment (maybe I should have been disappointed that he did. hmmm. I might have to question him about that!!!) the picture he found was of a little girl wearing a swimsuit. (Nothing inappropriate mind you!) Not exactly what he was expecting. So, to be fair, I sent him a picture of the real me and he did likewise.

Here are the pictures that I like to call: The First Vision

Kendon, being Kendon, would not tell me which one was him. I assumed and prayed that he was the babe on the left. I lucked out!He is a sight for sore eyes isn't he!!!

Well, it's late and I'm sure you're bored. So, for anyone still reading... this love story is....

TO BE CONTINUED!