Stephen and I met because of our fathers. I guess we better thank them some day for introducing us.
My dad placed a message on our answering machine that went something like this:
"Hi, you've reached the Whitney's. Press #1 to leave a message for the family. Oh and by the way I have three eligible bachelorettes'. 25, 24 and 21 years in age. If your a suitable suitor and would like to take one of my daughter out, press #2. I'll call you right back. Press #3 if you are calling about work. Make a wise decision."
Stephen's father heard the message and urged him to ask me out. With a little gentle shoving from his father.... and then a threat; "If you don't ask her out, I'll ask her out for you", Stephen and I went out on our first date.
It was a double date. Stephen and Neill, then my sister Heidi and I. Both Stephen and I admit that we had no intention of this date turning into more dates. Stephen went to please his father, I went with the thought that it would be nice if Heidi and Stephen kicked it off and starting dating.
Needless to say, after the first date, Stephen had sparked my interest. We ended up going out again, and again, and again. We talked and texted several times a day. We saw each other every night except for the 5 days I was in Utah for a family reunion. Within an hour of returning home from that reunion in Utah, Stephen was at my house to pick me up. He took me to the Mesa temple grounds and purposed.
Stephen and I were married on October 8th, 2010. The reception felt more like a family reunion between two families. Hugs, hand shakes, and stories from the past were shared all night long. It's great to know that our families have such a wonderful and unique bond.
