Our Story - The Mission

Kade left this morning for a business trip and is gone until tomorrow night and it feels like foreeeeeeevver already. 

Drama queen, I know. But really! I miss him. 

Because of that I'm feeling a bit sentimental this evening so I thought I'd share mine and Kade's story! It's one I've told probably a hundred million times but I want to write it down! 

It makes me so happy every. darn. time.

Here we go....

In 2013 Kade was living and working in Oahu. My dad went out to Hawaii to film a commercial that Kade happened to be in! My dad, being my dad, kept hinting at this missionary daughter of his... and Kade wasn't having any of it hahaha. 

But, he and my dad hit it off anyway and went surfing and cave diving and all sorts of other stuff.

Fast forward a bit and they went to Guatemala for a charity trip with Vivint together. My dad kept hinting at his missionary daughter and Kade still wasn't having it. 

Fast forward agaaaaain, my dad and their mutual friend Dan are in California at dinner together. Dan texted Kade a picture of me (embarrassing) and said, "Hey dude. Found your wife."

According to Kade he was like, "Who's that??" Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dan told him it was Kurt's daughter and that he really needed to start writing me.

Thank the heavens for Dan and his amazing wife, Laura during that. If they wouldn't have pushed and prodded like they did, he probably would never have written me! 

During this time, I was in Seattle, minding my own business, preaching the gospel, being faithful and focused and having no idea that all of this was going on! Until... I get an email from my dad that says, "Met this way cool guy named Kade. He's going to write you so make sure to write him back."
He was sure to include this picture :)

What a champ.

Then, whaddaya know! Kade finally wrote me!

We wrote emails every week for almost a whole year! Contrary to popular belief we always had things to talk about and it really wasn't ever awkward. Later on we started to add pictures to the emails.

Truth be told, it was what I looked forward to all week long! There were some weeks I didn't write my parents because I spent too long writing Kade an email. Hahaha.
Not sure if they actually knew that... Soooorryyyyy mom and dad!! 

So, about 6 months in to writing, things were great. I'd say we were good friends, ya know?

Side note: It is crazy how well you get to know someone when all you can do is write emails. Really! You get to know them on a totally different level. It was cool to actually get to know him know him in a strictly friend way before we ever even met.

Anyway, back to the story! I will always remember this moment. It was around my birthday in June and my companion and I were out knocking doors and I just had this thought pop into my head. A really quick, fleeting kinda thought but it was "I can really see myself marrying Kade."

I wasn't thinking about him or anything and after that thought went through my head I thought "Hmmm. Cool!" and then went about my business.

Over some months, lots of emails were sent, a few super hilarious videos were made and sent, and one really super cute package was sent too.

He found out that I am a freak for pancakes and waffles and he sent me my favorite waffle mix! With almond butter and an amazing syrup. Cue the heart eyed emoji.

My mission time was coming to a close and thank heavens Kade had moved from Hawaii to California in the time we were writing. California was just so much closer ya know?? Then, one email, he dropped a bomb on me and told me he got a job offer in Utah.
I ABSOLUTELY squealed like a little girl in the library when I read that. But, I played it cool and told him that I thought it was a really good move and that Utah was a cool place ;) Haha.

Like 2 weeks before I was set to come home, my dad emailed me and told me that he had tickets to see A Christmas Carol at the Hale Center Theater two days after I got home and that I should ask Kade.

So I did!

While I was on my mission.
Hahaha. He didn't know when he was for sure moving back to Utah yet so it was for a really good cause k!? I needed him to not live in California when I got home!

He agreed and then asked me on a date two days after that! His sister was in A Christmas Carol and so we planned to see it again! Trust me, I wasn't mad.

Then, we wrote our last emails to each other. It was a totally bittersweet! I had looked forward to those every week! I knew and hoped soo so much that it would be just as wonderful and easy in person as it was in email and that we would just click. That was one of my biggest fears in meeting Kade! And that he would smell bad or something... It's a totally valid fear.

 Then, I came home! It was awesome.
I bawled like a baby.
I was really happy Kade wasn't there.... Sorry babe. It wasn't pretty. 
I think I hugged my mom for a good 3 solid minutes. But that's a different story.

I didn't get released from being a missionary until the morning after I got home and a couple hours after that Kade came over! He wanted to meet first before going on our date. So happy it happened that way. Aaaaand he brought me flowers! Whatta guy.

Like I mentioned earlier, I was so nervous to meet Kade. I was worried that I had built this relationship up to something unrealistic and I really didn't want to get my hopes up and have them crash and burn because he smelt bad or sounded like a 5 year old girl or was totally awkward in person. Again, valid fears, guys.

But, I honestly was worried for no reason. He gave me a big hug when he first walked in and it just felt good! Like, good. It wasn't weird or awkward and it was like I had known him forever! Because I guess I had known him for almost a year. It was the coolest thing.

We went to pick out a Christmas present for his niece and we got acai bowls. The conversation flowed so easily and the whole time I remember just being sooo so stoked because this guy I had written and become good friends with and, let's just be honest here, loved, was really real! I actually was with him! In person! And I could see him and hear him and smell him! And he smelt great, btw! 

It was fantastic and everything I had hoped it would be.

Now, on to our courtship story. Coming soon :)