Happy 14

14 years ago today I married my best friend. What fun we have had, and this is how it all began...

We met in March of 1993, in a singles ward while attending the U of U. Neither one of us wanted to be in the singles ward, and I was in no hurry to get married. (Steve says he was planning on graduating from college and then marry, I guess I changed his mind) It was on his first Sunday he was sitting on a couch talking to the "boy" I was seeing at the time. When I walked out of the classroom I could hear all the girls talking about the "fresh meat". Just to be mean I said "Back off ladies, he's mine". I introduced myself and left with the "boy". Funny how things progress, it turns out the "boy" was just that: a boy.


Steve and I both continued to attend the ward, and came to be good friends. We had a standing phone call every Monday night when he got home from work. From 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. we talked about everything, our dates (with other people), our families, and always the girls in the ward. Some of them really crushed on him, but he never batted an eye. We went dancing together almost every Saturday, but they were never dates.


Sometime in July I started seeing "someone" (except on Saturday's). Things stayed the same with Steve and I. Phone calls and dancing. In September little things started to change. Steve seemed a little more territorial right about the time my "someone" was leaving the country for a few months for job training. I finally saw who Steve really was.


On my 22nd birthday he gave me tickets for he and I to go to a Dan Fogelberg concert. It was our first "date". I had a great time. Steve had a couple bumpy moments (throwing up can put a damper on things), but I think he was happy about the outcome. Soon the phone calls where every night and Saturdays where called "dates". However, in the back of my mind there was always "someone".


After Thanksgiving things really changed. Steve took me to a restaurant that cost a lot of money. If any of you know Steve he is not a big spender, especially on food. When I came home from the date I told my mom. "I think he really likes me, he spent $50 on dinner". Dinners and movies continued and I finally gave in and let him kiss me. Yes, I made him wait a long time. I am surprised he lasted that long, but he is a true gentleman.

So in December we were a little more serious. For Christmas he left to visit his mom in Seattle and "someone" was coming home. Steve said, "I love you, I guess you have a week to decide".
Decide? Decide what? No, "I think we should get married", just decide I wasn't sure what I needed to decide. I knew that I wanted, but not what Steve wanted.


So what is a girl to do. I know one thing for sure: do not do what I did. Yes you guessed it, I did nothing. For a week I talked to Steve on the phone, and avoided "someone" as much as possible. Yes I know I am a horrible person. My mom kept telling me over and over I had to do the right thing. Lucky for me "someone" had a lot of work to do and was only able to visit when I was working. You can't talk much with a 3 year old preschool class running around.


Steve came home and we went out for New Years. All my friends thought New Year's would be the night to get engaged, but no he did not ask me. We didn't even talk about it. On January 2nd we were watching "The Princess Bride" and this is how the conversation went:

Steve: "So do you think you could ever marry a guy like me?"
Me: "are you serious?"
Steve: "Yes"
Me: "Yes"
Steve: "I was thinking March"
Me: "O.K"
Steve: "Great lets call my mom"
Me: Run to the bathroom to throw up.

A match made in heaven.



Things happened so fast I put "someone" out of my mind. Until Sunday came around and I knew they would talk about our engagement at church. We were at a missionary farewell and planned on getting back to church in time for me to talk to "someone". Little did we know that the bishop would announce it over the pulpit (got to love the singles ward). Yes I truly am cruel, my friend told me that when they announced it "someone" just put his head down. We arrived just after the meeting. "Someone" is the better person here, when I saw him I told him I was sorry and that I should have been honest from the beginning.
He said, "Does he make you happy?"
Nod yes,
"Can he take you to the temple?"
Nod yes.
"Than he is a better man than I."

Time flew by and before I knew it I was Mrs. Cottrell.

Fast forward 14 years, and 5 kids later and we still love to be around each other. Perhaps that is why it is such a sad day today. I miss him. Even far away he brightens my day. He sent me purple flowers!!! He hates the color, but he puts up with it for me. I have a great catch. I can hardly wait to see what the next 14 years bring.