And Then I said Yes..TWICE! Well.. Kinda

So I forgot to mention in the last blog the first time we said "I love you". While I was in Arizona for by "Birthday Bash", Louis and I were hanging out watching a movie or something when out of the blue Louis gets up leaves the room, and returns with the Family Proclamation to the World. Intrigued I, turned off the t.v. and we took turns reading every other paragraph. After each paragraph, Louis asked me my thoughts and opinions. I had NO idea what he was up to. Finally after we were done, he had mentioned that on his mission, his Mission President said to read through the proclamation together with whoever it is you choose to marry and see if there are any disagreements. LUCKILY, we agreed on everything, and I passed yet another test of Louis Stradling. (He was worse than a girl with all the tests!) The next day he picked me up to go his house, and that was the "dreaded talk". You know, the talk every couple has when they emotionally vomit all of their mistakes and past history to test the other persons deal-breakers. Considering I was dumped weeks before my wedding, because the guy I was engaged too and his family thought I was the devils child from my mistakes, I was TERRIFIED that I would lose Louis too. So with my big girl panties, I gathered up the courage to tell him, EVERYTHING! Both of us shared our deepest raw emotions. After I told him, he shared with me his past. After the conversation, he got super quiet, I was starting to get nervous. I could tell he wanted to say something, and he was pretty nervous, and that is when he said, "Jodi, I love you!" As shocked as I was, I was speechless. He didn't run like a little girl, he didn't look at me any differently, but instead he loved me for me, not matter what mistakes I made. Do you understand how hard it is to try to talk with that lump you get in you throat when you try to hold back the tears, VERY HARD. Of course I told him I loved him back, we shared a long hug, and together in love we enjoyed the rest of the week! Ahhh, I still get teary eyed thinking of that night and the feelings that I felt! 

NOW THE PROPOSAL!!!!!!

OK SO! Louis and I knew that night, that we were going to get married. Obviously. So after he surprised me in my hometown and sealed the deal with my parents and family, all that I had to do was wait. On a date night, he took me to look at rings, (which every girl should experience! It was sooo fun!!!) So I knew he would be asking me soon! Ughhh... talk about not being patient! I mean, I knew it was going to happen, but come on, making me wait is like telling a child the Ice Cream truck is around the corner but she would have to clean her room, vacuum, mop, clean the toliets... you get my drift! To even add to the stress of waiting, Louis decided he wanted to propose to me on..you guessed it...APRIL FOOLS DAY! Really? Not only was it my turn for date night, so of course, I go all out and used my neighbors backyard (they were on their mission) into the perfect date night! I had christmas lights, movie, tent with lights inside, pizza... it was legit! So when he gave me this story about how he needed to record (yes, he has it all on video...) it, I was VERRRRRY excited! Yeah, no, the excitement/nervousness/butterflies all ended as soon as I opened the ring box and saw a flippin post-it sticker that said "How much do you love April Fools Day?" ARRRRGGH!!! Are you kidding me! I even told him that this better not me a joke as I was opening it. I didnt know what to do, I was about to cry of happiness cause I thought it was FINALLY happening, but then I wanted to cry of pure embarrassment! So I decided to throw the box at him, several times! I even kept looking at the box, hoping that this sick joke was seriously a joke, and the ring would magically be in there..and the REAL proposal would be happening any moment. Yep, nope! 

Yup... He did.

NOW TO THE REAL DEAL! 

April 7th, 2011

Well, the day started off like any other day.. but it ended with a ring on my finger! Louis had invited me to go watch him sing at the Mesa Temple Visitor center that night. It started at 7, and being that I havent seen him that day,so I wanted to go early to see him before it started. Problem was that I was supposed to ride with his parents, so me already being there ruined "The Plan". So when I got the call from Louis' Mom explaining to me that I was supposed to dress up, and practically forcing me to go home and change so they can pick me up, of course I was extremely annoyed! (Don't lie, you would be too!) So as I rushed home and tried to find an outfit, of course it doesnt match! So not only am I late and didnt get to spend a whole lot of time with Louis, I looked like a mis matched 3 year old!! It was seriously hideous! The choir sang great!! Louis looked sooo incredibly handsome that night, although I didnt quite understand why Shelly (Louis' Mom) was crying so much. I mean, I knew she cried at almost everything, but I was confused about this one. Anyways, after the concert I expected louis and I to go grab a bite to eat and head home. Instead, Louis wanted to go to Home Depot to "look at fridges". Trust me, I questioned it, but I thought it was cute that he was thinking in the future, cause everyone needs a fridge ya know?! =). As we got to home depot, Louis was acting very different, and I was starting to feel WAYYYYY over dressed for a hardware store, so I wanted to get in look at the fridges and get out! I think Louis could sense that I was getting antsy, so to distract me he took me to look at the galrden section. Uhm.. yeah talk about BEAUTIFUL!

(Amazing right?)

 I was completely impressed, and had ZERO idea that it was all for me. Sooo I had to stop and smell the roses. Seriously though, I did. Louis even had to pretend to clear his throat so that I would turn around to see him down on one knee. I cant remember everything he said, partly because it happened a while ago, and mainly because my heart was beating sooo fast, and crying didnt help!

 Of course....I SAID YES!!!! 

So say what you will. But I wouldn't have asked for a better night! It meant a lot that he planned something from his heart, and put his personality into it. Its a night I will NEVER forget!!!!! 

How we Met!!! =)

"Someday, someone will walk into your life and make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else."  -Unknown

After a super devastating  break-up several weeks before I was to marry the man who I thought loved me for me, I decided to move from Buckeye AZ to Ahwatukee AZ  to live with my sister Bev. BEST.DECISION.EVER!!! I lived with her for almost a year, dated some pretty cute guys, but then decided that my life wasn't going anywhere.. So what did I decide to do? Go on a mission. I started my papers, packed up my car, and moved back home to Colorado. Little did I know that my life was about to change, FOREVER!! 

After a few months of living at home, I found out that in order to go on a mission you cant have braces on, So after all that hard work of preparing, I ended up staying home. I was really sad, had NOO idea what I was going to do. So what better way to lift up my spirits than going to the temple! I thought that by going to the temple, the spirit would tell me to still prepare, that the Lord needed me to serve. Yeah, NO.... the spirit told me otherwise, that a mission just wasn't what I was supposed to do.  A few days after going to the temple was my 21st birthday, (Feb.2011) So I decided to spend that time with my friends back in Tempe.

The first night there, I had a blind date. Little did I know that the guy I had the date with was an ex of one of the girls I was staying with..OOPS! . The date went well, but we had NOTHING in common other than we both loved the Steelers. Plus, I wasn't there to fall in love.. (Or so I thought..) I was over guys.. That night the 8 girls that I was staying with were having a Toga Birthday party for one of their roomates. First of all can I just say that having 8 roomates ALL WOMEN is just ridiculous! HOLY P.M.S seriously! That night, we danced the night away!! Then literally out of no where this crazy cute guy started dancing with our group to Miley Cyrus' song "Party in the USA..Haha..  Sure, I thought he was cute.. but like I said... I wasnt there to meet guys, I was there to party it up with my girls. After the party got broken up by the cops, I still wanted to dance, and since I was 21 I wanted to hit up Mill Ave. So of course I have my friend invite some cute guys, and just happened to point out the cute boy dancing with us. Turns out his name was Louis. Boy was he determined to get my number! I kept telling him to get my friends number instead, so to be "polite" he got all of our numbers..

The next night, we decided to get a group of people and go to a carnival..triple date! (My idea, I LOVE CARNIVALS!!)   

 So me and 2 of my friends met up with him and 2 of his friends, and just to prove a point to this city boy, I wore my cowboy boots.. to show him how opposite we were.. (or so I thought). As we pulled into the parking lot, I knew I was in trouble. Seeing Louis in his grey suit jacket and blue jeans, and that killer smile of his, I immediately called "dibs" from the car.. That's when the butterflies started... The night went well. Louis was a HUGE flirt, but suprisingly I didn't mind. ;) 

It wasn't until halfway through the date we all decided to go on this one ride, and assuming he would sit next to me, his friend beat him to the punch. So as Louis ended up sitting by himself, we both shared that "Bummed out" look on our faces, that is when we both knew we were in trouble. The rest of the night without even realizing it, we found ourselves holding hands, and acting as if we had been dating for weeks, instead of just knowing each other for a few hours.. I even found him kissing my forehead after being forced to go on a ride that I DID NOT want to go on. 

Louis and I on our first date.
February 11, 2011

The remainder of the night went well. We ended up going back to his house to watch "Dinner for Schmucks" and shared our first kiss on his couch. =)

Sunday, he invited me to go to church with him, but my old ward was having a special dinner for the women of the ward, where the Priesthood served the women. It was very sweet, and it gave me more time to spend time with my friends, since I had the feeling that the remainder of my trip would be spent with Louis.. ;)                   

Later that night he invited me to go to a fireside with him and to meet his family afterward. Little did I know that he was testing me, by sitting front row, with the entire Stake Presidency staring at us the entire time from the stand. He thought it would scare me, but it did the complete opposite, it flattered me more than scaring me. WE played games with his parents after that, and not to brag or anything, but I totally won them over with my charm, and extreme awesomeness!!! Just sayin.


Louis's birthday was the 16th, so I decided to extend my flight. We literally spent the entire week together, and after knowing that I loved him and wanted to marry him, I expected him to be semi-sad when I left, instead he couldn't wait to get me on that plane and leave! I was mortified, he didn't even kiss me bye. Serious? 

I was pretty sad, until I found that while I was there he arranged a surprise trip to Alamosa Colorado, without me knowing. So while i was at a college basketball game in my hometown, Louis had me believing that he was driving to a bonfire to meet up with some friends. I was pissed, not gonna lie! That was until I see him walk into the gymnasium. EEEEEEEKKK!!!! I WAS SOOOOOO HAPPPY!!!! I almost peed my pants from excitement! 

Louis and I in Alamosa on his "Surprise Trip"

February 2011

The rest Ladies & Gentlemen, well the rest of our story is history ever since! I moved back to Arizona to continue our relationship, and we have been happy ever since!! I'll tell more of our story later! =) 

                                                         

AHHH!!!!

Ok... so for all you tech savvy people who make blogging look easy, MAJOR kudos to you! I have literally spent uhm.. 4+ hours trying to get my blog updated... I have tried literally a TON of different templates, layouts.. and with a fussy newborn baby, lets just say I am lucky to still have hair!!!

(How I felt after several attempts of failing at what I wanted...)

Needless to say, I am sticking to this design until I get the hang of this better....

On a better note.. I have decided that since I am terrible about writing in a journal, I NEED to track the important things in my life somehow. Like how Louis and I met, how he proposed, going through the temple, sealing, our little angel Lexi... etc... So... with that said be expecting A LOT of posts coming up! Dun dun dun!!! =)