Our Adoption Journey: Our Story...

Ironically the very first time Amber and I really spoke to each other we were in a seminary class and the lesson was on having an eternal family. As an exercise to illustrate what we would want in a future spouse our teacher (inspired we like to say), teamed Amber and I up as husband and wife. :)
She was a Sophomore and I was a Senior, I had just recently joined the church and was preparing to serve a mission. I knew I would be going to St. George to attend Dixie college before I left as well. We were both doing track and my buddies knew that I had a crush on Amber and would give me a hard time when I would always seem to find my way to where ever she was practicing. It's fun to think of the little things that we experienced together before we were ever really "together" but were friends. We went to Phoenix, AZ for a stake Temple trip and we were in the same group (I probably made sure that happened), to do some service, a lot of kids started singing hymns so we joined in and I remember thinking how amazing her voice was. Later that evening we were the last two to leave the Temple and we were just walking back to where the group was. It's amazing, but just walking next to her I can remember the excitement and feeling in the air.
Lucky enough for me, I returned from Dixie college after attending one semester to prepare for my mission and Amber and I were able to see each other quite a bit because she was one of my sisters friends. The first night that we were both able to really talk and get to know one another on a deeper level was New Year's Eve. She was helping my sister house sit for my Aunt and Uncle and we ended up sitting downstairs on their swing just talking. I had always had a crush on her since the day we met and I was just excited that I was getting to know her a little bit better. Lucky enough for shy ol' me, she said yes when I asked her to go on a double date with me, my sister and her friend. Our first date was so much fun, we played football in the snow then went to my house to play Scrabble and have hot chocolate, we had fun making up words and cheating just a tad. ;) I of course was just wanting to see more and more of my Amber and it didn't seem to matter to me that I was preparing to leave for two years on a mission. We started dating and I knew I was falling in love the more and more we were around each other. We wanted to see each other every second we could, I remember it like it was yesterday seeing her glow on one of our dates and feeling in my heart that this is the most beautiful, amazing girl in the world. I was smitten to say the least!
Leaving Amber for two years was one of the hardest things I have ever done. We knew that it was the right thing to do and that whatever happened would be what the Lord wanted. We really did leave it as, if she dates or meets someone that would be what was meant to be but I think we both knew that we were going to be together. We wrote each other often and I know that through these letters we maintained our love. When I returned she was at the airport, I had had so many dreams about that day over our two years apart and here it was. She looked beautiful, one look and I was smitten all over again.
My dad and I had gone camping up in the mountains of Colorado the week before I wanted to ask her to marry me and I carved in some quakie trees our initials, only her's was AES, implying she was about to take my last name. :) The day came and we went on our day long adventure, first we had a nice picnic in a peaceful field of tall grass, it was a beautiful day. Then, I taught her how to fly-fish and ended up swimming in the river, we went to a local restaurant so I could time the sun going down at our spot. I told her I wanted to show her this gorgeous lake and so we headed back up the mountain. We quickly drove past the river so we could get to the spot in time and once we got there, my truck got stuck. :) So I put it into 4 wheel drive and we were on our way. The scene is amazing. We made it down, just in front of our tree and my heart started racing a million miles a minute, I had the ring in my pocket and had her turn around to show her where I had carved our initials, with her back turned to me I knelt down so when she turned around I could ask her to be my eternal companion. She said yes and our story began... :)
We have experienced so much together in these past 13 years but I can truly say that I love Amber more today than ever. I feel so incredibly blessed to be her husband and to have her as my wife forever.