ok steph

Steph (of Steph and Dennon) on the sidebar, has requested the story of how Ryan and I met: Uh Hem (that's me clearing my throat).

First: Ryan and I were at BYU the entire time together except for his first semester and my last semester. He somehow missed me. I was even in a play with his last companion my freshman year and stood on the front row of choir for 4 YEARS! So, if Ryan whines about not meeting me sooner, I was there and in the public eye. He on the other hand was climbing rocks, studying and lifting weights - not so public eye.

We both graduated 10 years ago in 99 - he in May, me in December. Ryan moved to AZ to work for Intel and live for free at his grandparent's house in Mesa and I went on a mission to Honduras and Belize. In my first area one P-day I was sitting on my bunk bed while my poor comp was asleep, sick as a dog on the bottom bunk. I was thinking about THE FUTURE, since I had graduated, I needed to be a real person when I got back to the states. I received a very direct, almost audible direction to get a job in Mesa and live with Grandma McKay (who was at that point bed bound with the final stages of MS). So, that's what I did.

My first Sunday in Mesa in the middle of August 2001 cousin Joyce told me I could join an ASU ward of go to 70th ward (the stake singles ward). That first Sunday I went with Joyce to her ASU ward. Joyce was the magazine rep and Ryan approached her to renew his Ensign and saw me (cue heavenly choir), thought I was "a good looking girl" and looked for an opening. A little later in the block I was visiting with Bro. Whitney, a member of the bishopric who lived down the street from us when I was a kid, and Ryan weaseled his way into the conversation. I have VERY vague memories of that little exchange, but Ryan insists I dissed him - sorry. I was not really thrilled to be in a singles ward that day.

He figured it was a bad day and figured he'd keep it up over the next few weeks. Unfortunately for him, I chose the "other" ward option and never went back to Joyce's ward - oops. Luckily, Ryan was the financial clerk and worked with Bro. Whitney who gave him my #. Now, this was August and he didn't call until OCTOBER, but that's OK, I was feeling a little more normal by then.

When he called, it was quite late, and since I was living at Grandma's, I knew it would be for me and I figured it would be someone I knew, so I answered the phone, "Princess Buttercup"! He was a little flustered, so I said something like, "Sorry, this is Marian". Ryan said who he was and that Bro. Whitney had given him my # and asked me out. Notice, he did not mention we had met before. I figured my dad had called Bro. Whitney and told he to keep my supplied with dates form his ward. So, when Ryan showed up that weekend I assumed it was a total blind date for both of us. I didn't find out until a lot later that he had already met me and tagged me as good looking.

Anyhow, we had a lovely time on our first date and he asked me out for the next week before he went on an Asia trip. Before that trip he asked for my email address (a very smart move). We had a lot to say over email and were excited to date when he got back. By Christmas I was pretty happy about life and ready to date just him and dump the other guy in pursuit.

Instead, I came back to AZ, went to the temple on Tuesday and panic hit and I felt prompted to dump Ryan!! EEK! Needless to say that week or so was a bad few days. Talk about confusing!! We both visited our bishops that Sunday and mine (a true singles ward bishop) told me I was NOT allowed to break up with Ryan until we had a physical relationship - hmmmm. How do you tell a guy that? Well, I just said it - he laughed, but we did decide to date again. Breaking up had shown us we really were in love.

A few weeks later he flew me up to Utah for a weekend at the Olympics - SO FUN - and we drove home together and were engaged soon there after. We got married in the Spokane temple on June 8, 2002 and it's good!



This is Ryan's all time favorite picture.