What Love Is Built On

"True Love" comes in many shapes, sizes, forms, and colors.

Mine came in a way quite different than I had ever had in mind. My relationship is not entirely how I had imagined love and marriage would be. But now that I try looking back, I'm not entirely sure what I had been expecting.
Roses and chocolates? Love letters? Bold declarations to the world of his love for me?

My love didn't come in quite that form. My love was built on things I thought I had left behind in childhood, as well as many other things that I love and enjoy now. My love encompasses areas of all stages of my lifetime thus far.

So what is my love built on?

Dancing.

Andrew and I met at a Stake Dance we were both crashing.
I don't think Heavenly Father left much of that meeting up to chance; He definitely had a hand in it.
But that's another story.
I knew ballroom, but the only other guy there that I knew knew how to dance was Tom, Andrew's younger brother.
Tom was on a date, but he was kind enough to dance one dance with me when I asked him to.
That was enough for Andrew to notice that I knew ballroom and help him decide that he needed to ask me to dance.
We ended up dancing almost every single dance together that night.

(Also, a random side note: Andrew is the first guy EVER to ask me to interpretive dance to a slow dance with him.)

That was the first time we have danced together, but definitely not the last. Dancing will be a part of our relationship pretty much always.

Hiking.

This was our first date.
Look at the far right top corner. See that series of tiny little lines? That is a ledge.
Andrew convinced me, without much effort, to go along that with him to get a really good view of the waterfall.
I'm not entirely sure how/why I already trusted him enough to follow him on that.
Especially since falling is my greatest fear.

The top of this waterfall is where Andrew proposed to me on August 9th, 2011.

Coloring In Coloring Books.

You can go back and read that again if you have to. Because you read correctly.
When he asked me on this date, I was beyond excited.
For real.

Forts.

We made one on a date.
And watched movies.
He chose Pride and Prejudice (Turns out he likes chick flicks - yes, you read that right, too).
I chose Tangled (He agrees with Flynn Ryder; he's always had a thing for brunettes.)

Thumb Wars.

This would be one of the things I was never expecting to find in love.
Neither was he.
Even though he started it.
He accepts all blame and responsibility for starting these.
I don't think he cares, because he seems to enjoy them.
So do I :)

Poking Fights Turned Tickle Fights.

He cheats. He spins me around and holds me like this so that I can't retaliate.
Once again, something he started.
He accepts full blame for this as well.

Falsetto Singing.

             I don't really have a picture of this. But he does it. A lot. He sings Taylor Swift in the right octave.

Jokes.

He likes telling jokes.
A lot.
Say ANYTHING, and it will remind him either of a story or a joke.
Probably a joke.

Pokemon Battling.

This is probably the biggest nerd confession I have ever made.
I thought I was done with these in Elementary School.
Apparently not.

. . .  Don't judge me.

Some things are the same as I had pictured. Others? Definitely not so much.
My favorites are the the small things.

The look he gets in his eyes when he looks at me.
When he spins me around in circles.
When he calls me beautiful even when I don't feel beautiful at all.
When he rolls up his sleeves and starts on the dishes.
When he bows his head and offers the prayer.
When he helps his younger sister learn how to dance.
When he helps his younger sister with her math homework.
When he helps his mom make dinner.
When he laughs and jokes with James, and I see them getting along so well.

This only scratches the surface.

I'm so happy for the shape, size, form, and color my true love came in :)

I love you, Andrew!!