Dennis and Jen are Adopting!

While Dennis and I were dating, he requested one evening where we didn't see each other, so that the next time that we did, we would appreciate being together more. It was also sort of nice having a break where I could go shopping or do something that I normally wouldn't do during the evenings we were together. One Thursday evening in January - January 12, 2006 to be exact ... it happened.  We hadn't seen each other that week since Monday evening. I walked up to Dennis' apartment door and it was locked. I thought that was odd because he knew that I was coming, so I knocked and he opened the door. He gave me a quick hug and then said "I have a question to ask you, but I can't ask you out here." He took my hand and lead me down the hallway to his bedroom. On the outside of his closed bedroom door, on the floor were a dozen red roses. He opened the door and I saw in his bedroom the cutest small black and white kitten! I started exclaiming "You got a...

It seems that our time dating before being engaged was very short ... and it was. We dated for about 4 1/2 months before Dennis proposed to me. So, there probably isn't a lot of stories or things to tell during this time (and since this was over 12 years ago, my memory is a bit fuzzy). :)  I do remember the first time that I took Dennis to my parents house for the weekend for them to meet him. He went to bed and as soon as he was out of the room, with a huge smile on my face, I turned to my mom and asked "so, what do you think?" She said something to the affect of "well, I think it's nice that you're here ... " avoiding the question! HA! She eventually did tell me that she thought he was a nice young man. And, she could tell that I was really happy.  I also remember meeting Dennis' parents for the first time. We drove the 8ish hours to their house - and I think that I sat in the back of the pickup, watching a movie while Dennis drove with headph...

Dennis and I met in fall of 2004. I was in the voluntary missionary and normally our missionaries spend their whole lived devoted to this calling. I was in the South Seattle area for that year with my co-worker who is a very lovely lady and still a dear friend of ours. Dennis was living with his uncle at the time and had just started going to meetings again with his uncle Jerry. Dennis and I both grew up in this faith. (A very interesting and fun side note - his uncle Jerry is visiting at our home right now)! That is the first place that Dennis and I met - and neither of us had any inclining of romance whatsoever between us. And, to protect my story and my heart - it's not often that I show the raw side of me and share the intricate details of what transpired next. It's probably just easiest to say that I lost the peace that I felt when I first started in the ministry. I held onto the feeling for about three or four months and then in January of 2005, I realized that I coul...