the Kristen carol: First Date Day

July 22 1997 is the day Nate and I met.

We were set up on a blind date by our friends.

My great friend Shalice married his great friend Brandon. They met while attending BYU.

Brandon and Shalice get married.

Shalice in high school. I couldn't find a picture of her with Brandon

I am serving a LDS mission in Illinois at the time.

I get home and within the first month I'm home Shalice's mom Renae says to me.

"You should go out with Nate Morris, Brandon's friend."

I say. "How tall is he? I have a 6ft minimum."

(I am 5. 9' and didn't like being taller than my date)

Renae says he is 6ft.

I say, "I have a bad haircut, I'm really white (back then being tan was a hobby) and I have nothing to wear.

I just want to hang out with Natalie and Alicia".

Alicia and Natalie

Over the next few months Renae, Shalice and even Brandon start telling me I should go out with Nate Morris.

When I would see Renae at church she would tease "I have your husband for you"

After I had been home 11 months, hung out with Natalie and Alicia, got a better hair do,bought some cute clothes, got a tan and had dated some interesting boys.......

I was finally ready to take them up on the Nate Morris offer.

I told them to go ahead and set up the date.

July 22, 1997. We doubled with Brandon and Shalice.

We met up with Nate so the four of us could drive up to Park City together.

He pulled up in his mom's old red Jeep Cherokee.

Shalice had told me he taught soccer camps for kids, made log furniture and worked as assistant manager in a warehouse for a lighting company so he could pay for his BYU tuition.

This information told me a lot about him. I was impressed.

He walked over to our car. I checked him out.

He was tan and fit. He was dressed in clothes that were nice enough but not expensive.

Definitely not a guy who over spent or over thought on his clothes. I liked this.

He talked to Brandon and Shalice most of the way up.

I just watched him. Noticed every detail.

When we arrived we walked a little to the Restaurant.

I really liked the way he walked.

We sat down and ordered.

By the time our food came I was in love with him.

I'm not exaggerating.

He made these jokes that were quirky and a little goofy.

I felt like I just understood him and his quirky humor.

His blue eyes were sparkly and his face was an expression of fun and kind mixed together.

Walking out of the restaurant I couldn't get close enough to him.

I was walking so close behind him out the door I was bumping into him.

We went and got a caramel apple. We shared one. I loved sharing with him.

I felt completely comfortable, like I'd known him always but at the same time he was so new and beautiful and wonderful to me that I felt euphoric.

He was really good friends with Shalice and I almost envied how they had been friends for a couple years and had these fun college memories together.

I watched them laugh and talk and wished I had memories with him.

By the time he walked me up to my front porch I was so in love.

I invited him up to my friends cabin with me.

I had already invited a different guy that I was dating at the time but I didn't care I had to just invite him.

He couldn't go but he invited me to go with him to Bear Lake for his family reunion. I said yes.

We gave each other a hug and said what a fun time we had.

The date only lasted 3 1/2 hours. In that short amount of time my life completely changed.

I went in the house and went upstairs. I sat on my parents bed and kissed them goodnight so I could wake them up and tell them I found him!

He is the one!

Here we are. We had been dating about a month at this point.

We got married that December.

Since December is a crazy month we usually do something to celebrate our first date day.

Guess what we are doing?

No we are not going to Park City with Brandon and Shalice but one of these years we will!

I bought tickets to see Lori Mckenna. She is coming to Sundance Resort in Provo Utah. We are staying over night. I am so excited to be with Nate but I must admit I'm just as excited to see Lori Mckenna live.

She is such a good friend of mine. (in my imagination) She gives me great advice (again, in my imagination) and has taught me a lot about song writing.