Three years ago today, Jacob and I went on our first date.
Here's our story.
I wish we had more pictures during our dating/engagement/wedding/early marriage, but we didn't start getting camera happy until we traveled.
In September, a little over three years ago, I announced to Jacob I had decided I was going on a mission. He was the first person I told, even though I didn't know him. This was because he was the ward executive leader, which means he set up appointments with the bishop. My first impression of him was a bell going off in my head thinking "He's cute!" but I didn't dwell on it, as I was planning on a mission and all. Jacob says his first impression was that I was feisty. I did announce "I've decided to go on a mission!" very dramatically, I think...
Anyways, we interacted on a completely interview-related basis for about a month. I didn't think twice about it, although his name was written all over our white board (call Jacob Hiller) because I was POSITIVE I was going on a mission. Totally focused.
I did find it irksome because he would speak in French to me on the phone, which I didn't understand, and because he told the Bishop I had missed my bishop's appointment one night due to carelessness on my part (which wasn't true). I started shouting up at Jacob, who was standing on a balcony above me, telling him it was HIS fault. Bro. Horne, who would later officiate at our wedding luncheon, looked on in amusement. It turned out Jacob was only talking to a friend, and he drove me to the appointment himself (on his motorcycle, which wasn't easy in a skirt, even though he had a car). "Does it make you mad to know," he asked as we drove on the motorcycle out of the parking lot, "that I have a car?"
It was my first, but certainly not my last, ride on a motorcycle. I burned my leg getting off. When Jacob heard this, he said, "Well, I have scratch marks in my side from your fingernails!"
I had a white sweater with pompom balls on strings that I used to twirl while waiting to talk to the Bishop. Jacob used to watch me do it, I guess, and thought it was cute, but I was oblivious, ha.
Well, the week leading up to Jacob asking me out included me passing him on campus (the only time I ever saw him at school) and feeling unaccountably happy for the rest of the day, just because I saw him; and going over to his apartment, getting shocked at his teasing, and leaving in a huff.
Jacob came over to ask me out a few days later. He said, "Listen. I know you're pre-mish, but
this is definitely a date. Are you still interested?"
Intrigued, I agreed. As he left, he stopped before exiting and asked, "Is that chain mail?" It was a silvery glittery shirt. I still laugh thinking about that.
We went on a large group date with people from our apartments, the foreign language housing. In a role reversal, Jacob asked to borrow my sweatshirt because he was cold. All of a sudden, I felt embarrassed. I realized I was wearing my "Jacob Lake" sweatshirt. I was so not nervous about the date, so casual about trying to impress, that I hadn't thought about the fact I was wearing the guy's name on my sweatshirt. Ha.
My old workplace, Jacob Lake Inn
Jacob picked me up in his business partner's Porsche. Unfortunately, the effort was wasted. I can't tell a Porsche from a Pinto. He asked me if I liked the car. I replied, "Yes...it's, um, it's very shiny!"
We went to a corn maze. The man at the booth instructed us before we went in, "Now, please don't throw any corn tonight. We've had a couple of babies hit, and you've got to promise it's not going to happen again." We found that hilariously random.
In the maze, Jacob announced, "Give me your hand." I've always appreciated how direct and confident Jacob is. I accepted.
We went together to return the car to Dan Todd, then played a board game as a team against another dating couple. Neither of us remember the game, but we do remember that despite the fact they'd been dating longer than us, we still completely destroyed them.
The date was a complete success, despite the fact that it broke the first date rule on length--it was super long! We were together right away from then on. True, we had some bumps as I decided about my mission and Jacob decided whether or not he could keep me from serving one, but it all worked out, he proposed exactly one year, one month, and 5 days later, we were married five months minus a day later, and we are living happily ever after!
