Mike and I met on April 17, 2013. We were serving missions in the New York New York North mission. It was Mike's first day in the field and we had a dinner appointment with members in the ward with our entire district. Mike claims that he saw me walk in and thought that I was cute and got distracted and spilled ketchup on himself or something. He also claims that I did not give him the time of day when we were introduced. I honestly remember nothing of this night. I had just received a new companion to train and I was only 6 weeks into the mission and I was feeling overwhelmed at the time.
My first real memory of Mike was on a Saturday a few weeks later, the ward leaders had asked all 8 of the missionaries in our ward to perform a musical number in church. So we got together to practice. Somehow Mike managed to sit next to me (I have to give him credit for always trying to get my attention) and I remember us getting to know each other. I asked him questions about his family, his upbringing, and his plans for school after the mission, etc. I remember him telling me he wrestled in HS and that was cool because my younger brother wrestled too and I loved watching it. I also remember him telling me he was the oldest of eight kids (crazy!!) and that he wanted to be a pilot. We served in that area together for 12 weeks and came to be great friends.
Side note- I had a high school boyfriend that I thought I was for sure going to marry when I returned home from my mission. So that combined with the fact we were serving as missionaries, I was NOT flirting with Elders or looking for a spouse.
In early February of 2014, my health complications got pretty severe and it was necessary for me to return home a few months early to get an urgent heart surgery. I was transferred into Mike's area again for 1 day before I came home. Nobody knew I was going home the next day. Mike and his companion came to the transfer meeting to help me and my companion get my luggage to the apartment. He so generously volunteered to do this, even though she and I could have handled it ourselves. He and I caught up briefly, and I tried to tell him I was leaving the next day, but he didn't understand me and thought I was joking (this will never be clear to either of us! LOL).
Five days after returning home, I got my first of many emails from Mike. We spent the next year writing off and on. I didn't know Mike wanted to date me when he got home and we never flirted over email. We just got to know each other and I tried to support and encourage the great work he was doing in the best mission in the world. During this time I was dating, I ended the relationship with my high school boyfriend, and had a few other relationships not work out. So I was single when Mikey returned home in February of 2015.
It had been a few months since I had last written him so I was surprised when he sent me a facebook message just a day or two after he got home. We got talking and the conversation quickly turned to flirting. We messaged back and forth for a few days before he FINALLY asked me out, but I was leaving on a family vacation the next day for a few weeks. I spent the next few weeks in Hawaii glued to my phone. We talked the whole time I was gone. We texted all day and when I got home at night we talked on the phone for hours. This was so sweet, because the time difference was so large that he would stay up literally all night just to talk to me on the phone. We talked every night that I was gone, and those conversations were seriously the best.
Two nights before I got home, I was out on the deck talking to Mike it was about 3 am my time so 6 am his time, and he told me he loved me. I thought he was either nuts or deliriously tired and I didn't respond to him. But I won't deny that when he said that it felt right. As soon as I got home, he took me on our first date. In the first five minutes of that date, I knew he was "the one." It was the most fun, easy going date ever. Conversation with him flowed and felt so natural, and he was the perfect gentleman all night (he still is 3 years later). We had an undeinable attraction too that was so great he couldn't help but kiss me on the first date! :0 It was only a few weeks later we were engaged and planning our wedding. I sure love my valentine and I am so grateful we have a day in the year to celebrate our love! I love you Mikey! And I love our story!
Happy Valentines Day!
Brookey
