5 YEARS & COUNTING!

Taun and I have been married for 5 years (and 1 day!) Last year I promised to post our story and I am now just getting around to it...life is busy and what better time than on our anniversary. Bear with me and enjoy.

October 1999

I was recovering from a very terrible relationship when my SIL's cousin asked if she could set me up with her husband's best friend. I figured it couldn't hurt and maybe I would make a FRIEND out of the situation. (I was not looking for anything else...I had just started school again and could not afford to drop again.) We had our first date at Matt & Carrie's house. We played games and ate pizza. Taun said he would call again and he did...the very next day! We chatted on the phone alot (he lived an hour north.) We went out quite often and even started talking about getting married. We went looking for rings and he asked my dad's permission.

May 2000

I was sitting in a missionary farewell sacrament meeting and for the 3rd time in two months, I felt very stongly that I needed to go on a mission. (I felt it so strongly this time that I almost got up right there and then to ask my bishop for the necessary paperwork.) I started filling out the paperwork and praying alot because I was in love with a great guy and was so confused about the mission thing. I decided that it was definately time to go and so I told Taun. He took it very well (or so I thought...he swore he would never forgive me.)

September 2000-April 2002

I served in The Chile Osorno Mission. Taun wrote me once the whole time and I even gave him several chances. (I wrote him 3-4 times and he never wrote back so I was done wasting my time writing him!) I came home on April 19, 2002 and by July I had not heard from him so I called him to see if we could hang out as FRIENDS. I even told him that there would never be anything romantic between us again because I just didn't feel that way about him anymore. We started hanging out more and more often and then in October 2002 I asked him to come down so that we could see each other. He came and took me to Macaroni Grill, Bath and Body Works, and The Wynnsong Movie Theater. (This became the norm for when we went out.) On his way home he got a speeding ticket (42 in a 30) just miles from my house. He called the next day to see if I wanted to go out again because he had to come down for traffic school. I of course said yes (hoping that he would buy me more lotion at Bath and Body Works.) He came down and they would not let him take the class on the same day that he registered so he had to come down the next weekend to take the class so of course we went out again. On this 3rd week in a row I was feeling differently about him and decided that it was time to tell him. We were on our way to eat when we had this conversation

Shannon:"Do you remember when I told you that there would never be anything romantic between us?"

Taun: "yeah."

Shannon: "How would you feel if I took those words back?"

Taun: "What?"

Shannon: "I think I really like you, no I know I do."

We sat in complete silence for what seemed like forever.

Shannon: "Now you won't even talk to me."

He grabbed my hand and said, "Oh yeah, how do you feel about this?"

I got butterflies and all gitty about then and it just felt right. We decided that we would take it very slowly. He proposed 4 weeks later!

Very Important Side Note

I was in school and done a group project on jewelry. For the project we had to research and the best way was to go to a jewelry store and learn about diamonds and other gems. My group consisted of 6 single college girls. We were all designing our rings and wishfully thinking about them. I mentioned it to Taun and asked him if he wanted to see the ring I designed. We went and before I knew it he put a down payment on the very ring!

He got permission from my parents for the second time and on November 16, 2003 he proposed. It was not just any proposal and thanks to some coworkers at the bank, I have it all on video.

The Proposal

It was a very slow day at the bank and I was just waiting for customers to come. One customer came in and handed me a yellow rose (my most favorite flower ever.) A card with my name written on it was tied to the stem. A minute later the next customer to come in handed me another yellow rose. The card this time had the word "You" written on it. This continued for some time...rose after rose...card after card...word after word. "Shannon, You are the love of my life. Will..." I wanted to go outside to see him but my coworkers said I had to wait until I had all the roses and the complete message. I could not wait any longer and in walked my best friend. She had the last three roses. The words...you...marry...me? Taun came in and got down on one knees and asked me to marry him...in front of all my coworkers and several customers. He put the ring on my finger and I said "yes!" They sent me home after that saying that they knew I would not be able to work anymore that day.

February 7, 2004

We were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on my parents 35th wedding anniversary. My grandma later told me (after checking her journal) that it was the exact same sealing room as my parents and very close to the exact time of day.