To my very own Sweetheart...

We have a love story. (It did not start on the internet!) It is kinda funny though!

Nate was the Elders Quorum President in our student ward at Utah State University. I had recently been asked to teach the Gospel Doctorine class which I did accept that call, however, "I was going home for Christmas and so I wouldn't be able to teach until the first Sunday in February." So as the story goes... I did go home for Christmas, but my roomy (the lovely Sarah) and I came back early so we were there on that first Sunday in January. But... I had already told them I wouldn't be back to teach until February! So I didn't get a lesson. So Sunday came and the Relief Society didn't have a lesson. So we joined the Elders Quarum!

Guess who was teaching? Mr. Nate!

And guess what he was wearing? Cowboy boots, tan wranglers and a red sweater! (you can wear that to church if you live in Northern Ut. or Idaho!)

And you better believe that I was caught... HOOK, LINE AND SINKER! He was soooo dreamy up there teaching the entire ward my gospel doctorine lesson!

But the story gets better... That same day in Sacrament meeting he was passing the sacrament and wrote a little note to his buddy who claimed to be my home teacher! (everybody was my hometeacher once Miss Rodeo America moved into my apartment! We never were home taught so many times in one month!!)

To which his buddy replied, "I'll find out for you!" (wait... he was my home teacher!)

And so a few days later Nate (the great) called me on the phone.

Becky: Hello
Nate: Hello Becky, It's Nate Mecham from your ward.

Becky: Oh Hi! Ya, I recognize your voice.

Nate: Silent... after all, we'd never talked before.

nate: um Do you want to go to the basketball game on Friday?

Becky: Sure.

Nate: I'll pick you up at 6:30. You are in Apt. 21 right?

Becky: See you then!

And so we went to the ball game and then to Papa Kelsies and Henry for a sandwich. And for the next several weeks I was encouraged by all the women that had serious HOTS for Nate that said wonderful things like..."it takes him a long time to kiss any girls" or "Nate doesn't take many girls out on dates more than just a few times" and "I'd take any of those American Fork Boys"...

Nate made more girls a "true Aggie" than I care to know about... So by the time I came along, there were a few who already thought that SHE WAS THE ONE!

But who cared that early on! If Nate didn't work out for me, I was prepared to hit on one of his ever so delicious room mates...

The funniest part is that we lived in the same apartment complex for 2 years but had never run into each other! Even better, once I figured out where he lived, I could see his bedroom window from my frontroom window... So a bought a good pair of binoculars!

Fast forward one year and 3 months... several HOT dates to the campus library, and a few trips together... to the night we were engaged. It was after finals. March 18, 1997 (my parent's wedding anniversary). Nate took me for a ride. We stopped and looked at a fire hydrant for 10 minutes. When we stopped we were on a road in the middle of a field and when Nate passed it he stopped and actually reversed the car to shine the lights on it. When he said, "look at that", I was in search for a porcupine or moose or something worthy of backing up to see... I was looken'. Boy howdy! And wouldn't you know that I was ready to pretend that I was seeing exactly what he saw when he asked, "where do you think they get the water piped for that?" Which truely confused me... after all, how much water does a moose drink? Then I realized that we were undressing a fire hydrant. I was completely blinded by love. It has been romance since. Then we traveled to the "look out" over Cache Valley and stepped out into the coldest wind I ever felt ...sent a chill into my bone marrow...

Three months later we were married on Flag day.

This, of course, just began my personal favorite love story. But it continues daily around here. Nate may not be perfect... but he's perfect for me. And I can't imagine life without him.

So a few days late... Happy Valentine's Day to my sweet heart!