Marshalls version of how we met and got engaged

When I got home from my mission most of the girls that I met seemed really immature and when I was with my friends I would always complain to them about it. So one of the first things that stood out to me about Brittany was that she had a full time job and she was going to school. She also lived on her own and knew how to take care of herself. I remember when she started working the day hours that she would get there at about 7:30 in the morning, but nobody goes to buy a car at 7:30 in the morning so she would be in the showroom buy herself all morning. So every morning she would be up there reading her scriptures. The biggest thing about Britt, was that she was always unbelievably nice to everyone who came in. I don’t know how she did this, even with complete strangers. I think it is a talent that she has been blessed with.

I remember the day that I first asked her out I had gone to lunch to Weinerschnitzel with some friends and I was on my way back to work and just decided to finally call and ask her out. I had wanted to for months, but honestly one of the things that held me back for a long time was that she drove a Chevy Metro. I mean seriously, a Cavalier is one thing, but a Metro, wow. (We sold it after only two months of being married) Anyway, I finally got over it and asked her. I felt like a dork, and said some really stupid joke, but she still said yes.

So we started dating, and you know how they say that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? Well, that was especially true for us. Britt would get off work around 3:30 and I worked until 6:00. By the time I would get to her apartment she would have dinner ready for the two of us, just about every night. Even if we weren’t doing anything that night, like on Wednesdays when I would go play basketball, dinner was ready. And not only did she cook dinner, but she was good at it! (I gained 20 pounds in our first 10 months of being married) So I knew I found a good one.

When I decided to propose I luckily knew who to ask about a ring. Her friend Jaycee who got her the job at Brent Brown told me exactly what she wanted. So my guess is that Britt, as surprised as she pretended to be, actually had an idea that I was going to ask, hence why Jaycee knew exactly what she wanted, she even drew it for me. So all I had to do was tell them what I wanted and decide on the price I wanted to pay, and two days later I had a ring in my hand. I wanted to do something special and even called up to see if we could have the Jazz Bear bring her flowers where we were going to be sitting. Good thing he was already booked because I don’t think she would have thought this was as cool as I did. So I planned a romantic dinner and told my roommates that they had to be gone that night. After dinner we danced to a song or two, totally unplanned, and at the end of the song I knelt down and took the ring off the chair that was right next to us, again, unplanned, and asked her. The funny thing is that she didn’t even see the ring until after she said yes and we hugged. Then she saw it and about dropped. We then went and told our parents, who already knew anyways.

An awkward part of the story that I never tell is how I went to dinner with her dad to ask him if I could marry his girl. I am such a pansy that I don’t even think I ever asked him, we just went to dinner and talked sports and stuff, but he put two and two together and decided to give me a little of his wisdom on what taking care of his daughter meant to him. Now here we are, 5 and a half years later, and finally back to having normal sleep and work schedules, and getting used to each other again. Hopefully the next five will be just as good, but with less weight gained, and more time spent together!