Monday, November 21, 2011

A Surprise...To Drive

Oliver picked me up after work, and he said he had a surprise for me. He also told me that he almost decided to blindfold me with his tie, but he decided against it in the end. We went to eat at Diego’s, where they got the order wrong. Oliver tried to pay for the mistake, but they would not let him. I was really impressed with his determination to do the right thing.
Then, Oliver took me to the surprise part of the date. He took me to the football stadium parking lot and asked me if I was ready to drive stick. I had told him before that I could not drive one, and that I wanted to learn (his GTI had a manual transmission). I was not perfect at it, but I did not do a horrible job either; I only killed it like three or four times. Oliver was really reassuring and helpful about the whole thing. He said that I was doing better than anyone else he had taught before, and I wanted to ask if I was the only one he had ever taught.


We went back to my apartment. He told me that he had realized that morning one of the reasons that he liked me, that I made him want to be a better person; a sentiment which I returned. Then, he came in, and we watched the end of Hercules with my roommates, Liz and Sarah. After that, we watched the first half of Despicable Me, which was really cute. But sadly, we could not finish it together, because it was midnight, and Oliver had to leave. 

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Virtual Meeting and Facebook Official

That night, Oliver came over. I made toffee bars and Parmesan pasta. We ate dinner together. Then, we went to my other brother’s house for Oliver to meet Jason and Heather. Everything went well, including Oliver being told a few embarrassing stories.



Oliver’s family kept texting him that they wanted to Skype that night so we went to my apartment and Skyped his family. I got to know them a bit; it was weird to meet someone for the first time virtually. Oliver and I talked afterwards. He said he was so lucky. He told me how impressed he was with my prayer the day before and how I meditated afterwards. Oliver said that he struggled to do that, and not everyone does that. He told me that I was wonderful, and that I didn’t even have to go on a mission. Oliver said I was great already. To this praise, I blushed, because I know I have a long way to go. We also spoke about meeting each other’s family and that we did great. I spoke to him about coming home to meet my whole family, and how excited I was for that. That night, Oliver requested to announce our relationship on Facebook. Yep, we were now Facebook official.


Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Future In Sight

Oliver picked me up to go to his apartment to make hamburgers with his apartment and some other friends. On the way there, his parents were really excited to meet me, but then they decided because of the price and timing, that we should wait to go to Missouri together. While making hamburgers, Oliver told me about his conversation with his dad about me and our relationship. His dad had asked Oliver what he liked about me, and they discussed what he should be looking for. After eating, we went to the BYU football game together.


Before we headed back to my apartment, we had talked about a decision together. We decided to pray for guidance on what to do, and we made a decision based on the answer we received. We asked each other about goals and we decided on ways to improve our relationship in order to meet those goals. We decided to do more study dates, study the scriptures together, make time to talk about important topics, etc. That night, Oliver told me that I was wonderful and at that point, he thought that I was the one he was to spend his life with. We discussed how quickly things were going and how weird it was, that it felt right. We discussed how he had asked Heavenly Father if I was the one, and he received the answer to wait two or three months and ask again to receive an answer when he was ready for it. He also mentioned that he would like to go ring shopping at some point to get an idea of what I liked. We found out that we like the same kind of rings, with one stone and simple classic design. We then said goodnight.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Al and Mae Capone




Oliver had asked me to his ward’s dance, where everyone was supposed to dress up as couples. We decided to dress up as Al and Mae Capone and got our costumes ready. Oliver came to pick me up and waited for me to finish getting ready. We took some photos and headed off for the dance. I told him that he looked handsome, and he told me that I looked really beautiful. Everyone said how “legit” we looked. While at the event, we ate dinner and danced. Once, while taking a break, he asked me if I would want to meet his parents. He said that he would like me to fly home with him for Christmas to meet them, and then he agreed to come home for Thanksgiving with me. We were both pretty excited. Then, we danced some more and cleaned up after the dance. We kept staring and smiling at each other.



Oliver and I went to his apartment to watch part of a movie with our group before it was midnight. I was in a dress so Oliver offered to let me change into some of his clothes to be more comfortable (which when I got home, I realized his clothes smelled like him). When we got back to my apartment, he unlocked my door, opened it for me, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and said goodnight.








Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Jamba Juice


Oliver surprised me with Jamba Juice after a very stressful day (which he didn't know about). He completely turned my day around. He ran off to do cleaning checks, giving me a kiss on the cheek as he left. 

Monday, November 14, 2011

Those Three Little Words...

I found a note on my bed when I got home from Oliver that was really sweet, signed “Love Oliver.”  I wrote him a note in Tagalog in reply with the English translation inside (just in case Google Translate did not do its job). We went grocery shopping, and I was touched when he asked my opinion on a few things like what kind of body wash to get. We went back to my apartment. He held my hand across the table while eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My roommate, Melissa, came and put her hand on ours and said “Oh tender” (a common phrase in our apartment). While Oliver was leaving, he said that he loved my hair. Then, we said those three little words to each other, and he gave me a kiss goodnight. 

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Meet the AhMus

My brother’s car would not start, so Oliver said he would come pick me up. We talked with my sister-in-law and the rest of Brandon’s family. On the way home, we talked about dating, marriage, family, teaching, etc. We discussed our family members, close and extended. Oliver invited me to go to a family event with him. We went back to my apartment so I could change. Then, we went to his Uncle Joseph and Aunt Cindy’s house. I met them and their children: Sam, Jacob, Noah, Adam, and Brita. Sam was being ordained as an elder. We also met Oliver’s cousin, Carly, who had lived with Oliver’s family for a while. It was great to meet some of his family, especially to see how close they all were.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Maybe.



               I was supposed to spend the weekend at my brother’s apartment in Salt Lake City. Oliver offered to drive me there, and my brother was going to drive me home. Oliver picked me up around 5:30pm to go to SLC, but we were going to go to the South Jordan Temple first. Jordan also had asked us to do a favor for him, so our first stop was at his parent’s house to pick some stuff up for him. Then, we went to the Jordan River Temple. It was beautiful; I loved the pretty stained glass windows. I was able to be confirmed and baptized by Oliver. On the second confirmation, Oliver forgot my last name. I said, “You lost my name, huh?”  He replied, “I didn’t lose it; I just misplaced it for a minute?”

We had a great time at the temple, and we sat and talked in the car afterwards about our experience. He told me that he really really likes me, and that he had a great time that night. He then told me that he thought I was so cute from the first time we played volleyball, even calling me the prettiest girl on the volleyball court. Then, he said that I got hit in the eye, but I was still pretty. He kissed my hand, and asked if I wanted to get something to eat.

We went to Wendy’s, my favorite place, and he could not believe when the total cost was just three dollars. Oliver again asked if we were dating. To which, I responded, “Maybe.”  He kept eating his food, seeming disappointed. I laughed, and said told him that in Ashley speak, that means “yes.”  He got really excited, and his face lit up. He told me if we made it past December, his parents were going to want to meet me, and that his dad would say to get her a ticket and fly her out there (there being Missouri). Oliver then dropped me off at my brother’s apartment, met and talked with Brandon, and gave me a kiss goodbye.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Jealous?



Oliver surprised me by dropping off Frosties, and I helped him memorize scriptures. When he left, he told me he had a date with another girl the next night. Later on, he told me that he did not want to go, but some family and friends had told him to make me jealous by going on a date with someone else. It did not make me jealous, and he told me that he did not have a good time; he just wanted to be with me.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Beauty and the Beast



We watched Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite Disney movies, and we had a great time talking.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

A Gentleman



Oliver and I went to the CES Fireside together where President Packer spoke. On the way home, he draped his suit coat across my legs on the ride home to keep me warm. I had been noticing that he always acted like a gentleman with those little things, which was important to me. Outside my apartment door, he asked me again, “Are we dating?”  I told him that I still was not quite ready (just two days after he had asked me the first time). We said good night, and he left.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Dating?

Oliver picked me up from work to let me go home and change for our date. He took me to eat at Village Inn. There he asked me if we were dating. I had just gotten out of a relationship a few weeks before that so I told him that I was tentative about starting a new relationship so soon. I told him that I wanted to take it slow and date other people too for a while and that I had a date with someone else the next night. He said that was okay and that he liked me. He asked my opinion about marriage and relationships. Then, he asked if I thought we could be dating in the future. I told him it was a possibility. We went to Auto Zone to get something for his car; he loves cars (a fact I realizing more and more each day).

Then we rented Rango from Red Box at Macey’s and went to his apartment complex. While waiting for our double date, we went to visit Kristalyn, my co-worker who also lives at Stadium Terrace. Then we joked around with Chris and Dolly. Our activity was “watching” Rango while fingerpainting. Not much watching was going on; we had too much fun fingerprinting, because you painted the picture with the other person’s hand. After painting several pictures, we watched the last few minutes of Rango while holding hands. He took me home, told me I was awesome and that he liked me, and he gave me a hug and kiss goodnight.



Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Frosty for a Black Eye

I had an intramural ultimate Frisbee game. Oliver said he wished he could go, but he had work. We were playing a tough team. During the game, I guy chucked the Frisbee hard and fast without looking, hitting me who was three feet in front of him, right in the eye. It began to swell immediately. I said that I was okay and kept playing. The play right after he hit me, I made a goal. My eye was starting to hurt, so I took myself out. My teammates told me that it was already swollen and bruised purple. I just watched the last few minutes of the game. We ended up losing 9 to 12, but the other team was really good, so we felt we still played well.

My friends, Kendall Thacker, Todd Nelson, and Megan Chipman stopped by my apartment after the game to give me a certificate for making Goliath look like a wimp. After that, Oliver came to see me, because I told him about my eye. He brought me a frosty and some food from my favorite fast food restaurant to make me feel better.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Last Supper, First Kiss

This was the “Last Supper” for Elise. She was leaving on her mission and had asked a group of friends to come see her off with one last hurrah. Oliver and I were both invited, so he asked me to go with him. The dinner was at Guru’s. We arrived early and talked.

Once everyone got there, we ordered our food and enjoyed spending time with Elise and friends. We got a picture with Elise before we left the party. She was really excited that we were going on dates together, because we had met because of her. After we left, we went on a short walk and talked. Oliver took my hand again. He drove me home, and on my porch, he was acting a little bit nervous. I knew what was coming. He asked to kiss me, and I said yes. Later, I found out that he could not stop smiling afterwards, nor could I.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Jimmy Johns On A Cold Bench

That night, Oliver picked me up and suggested I bring a coat because it was cold. He drove me to the duck pond, and we sat on a bench and talked. He was right; it was cold! Oliver pulled the “Are your hands cold?” line, and he held my hand again. We had a really good discussion, and then he told me that he had ordered Jimmy Johns sandwiches to be delivered to us. We waited, and we waited. No one came. Finally, Jordan called to ask where we were. The delivery lady could not find us and was asking where we were. Jordan told her as Oliver, I am on the other side of the duck pond, sitting on a bench. We finally got our dinner and began to eat. I had never had Jimmy Johns before; their sandwiches are pretty good. I was surprised at this creative date idea.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Rocky Road Shake

Oliver said he thought that we could go get some ice cream. I told him that I had never been to the Malt Shoppe, but I had heard that it was pretty good. We decided to go. The food was kind of expensive so we decided to share a shake. Later we learned that we had both chosen the rocky road shake to please the other person, and neither of us liked the shake. However, we still had a great time talking.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Two Dates, One Phone Call

He called me that night asking me out on two dates that week. The first date was for the next day, and the other date was claiming me for Friday.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Haunted Forest

Oliver came to pick me up, and he looked really handsome. That was the first time I had seen him out of a t-shirt and gym shorts. First, we went to his apartment to meet up with the rest of the group. The first thing out of his mouth there (after a larger girl had threatened that she could take him, long story), he said, “I can lift 300 pounds.” After which, there was relative silence. Oliver drove me, Jordan, and another of his roommates, Nate, to the Haunted Forest. While on the way there, we asked him why in the world he had said that to the girl. We explained what it had sounded like (That he could lift 300 pounds; therefore, he could handle lifting her), and Oliver said that was not how he had meant it. In class earlier that day, the teacher had asked if anyone could lift 300 pounds, which Oliver answered he could. The teacher asked him for his help with a demonstration; he had simply been proud that he could help out earlier that day. Everyone in the car had a good laugh over the misunderstanding.



We got to the Haunted Forest, which was not as bad as I thought it would be. Alone, many things would have frightened me (I hate knowing something is going to jump out at me and having it happen, also one of the worst parts of movies), but with Oliver, everything was just funny and a lot of fun to me. Since he had asked me to this “scary event” I knew he was probably going to try to hold my hand, and I was right. Partway through the house, the beginning of the event, he reached out for my hand, which to my surprise, was a perfect fit, not only because his hand was still warm while mine was freezing. We laughed as everyone was being scared by the people working there, and did not laugh so much as a guy with a horn annoyingly honked it right in my ear about 20 times in a row. We learned more about each other, including that we both had three siblings, one sister and two brothers. Oliver also told me a bit about his mission to the Philippines, which with the passion he talked with about it, I could tell that he had been a really good missionary and that he loved the gospel.

After we had made it through the Haunted Forest, everyone was hungry so we stopped at Burger King on the way home, Oliver’s idea. I grew up with a dad that does not like Burger King, so the prejudice had carried on, even though I had only been there once or twice myself. The food was not that bad, but the prejudice carried on. Oliver took me home, and we both said that we had a good time, and we would like to do something again sometime.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

And the Telephone Rang...

I told him that I needed help with the translation, and he said he would call me, which he did that night. He told me that a group from his ward was going to the Haunted Forest attraction, and he asked if I would go with him. I said that I would, even though I was freaked out; I do not like scary things.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Woodland

I received a message on Facebook in another language, Tagalog. I tried to translate it, but I could not figure out two of the words. Finally, I figured out that one of them meant woodland, which left me with the idea of him asking to take me to the woods on Friday, strange, right?

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Facebook

Once upon a time, there was boy who asked a girl for her number, on Facebook. Yes, this is how the story really gets started. Oliver messaged me, really excited to hear from me. He asked me for my number, which I gave him.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Green Light

Elise was going to be leaving soon, and I decided to start getting a group together to play volleyball during fall semester until school got too crazy to continue playing. I remembered Oliver and Jordan, so I thought I would add them as Facebook friends to see if they were interested. This was apparently the “green light” to one of these guys.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Bonfire

I went to Elise’s bonfire party with my roommates, Liz and Sarah. I thought that Oliver and Jordan would be there, and that we could catch up. Little did I know that we would barely miss seeing each other. They went to the party after we had left.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Summer 2011

One day, while sitting in Relief Society, we were doing the classic introduce yourself by sharing your name, your major, and one fact about yourself. Thinking about what to share for a minute, I thought I would say volleyball. Who knew where that decision would lead? Most people would think nowhere, but they would be wrong.

After Relief Society, Elise, a lady I visit teach, comes over and says, “You play volleyball! Why didn’t I know this! We play every Saturday!” She said the time changed every week, so she would contact me and let me know when we would play. For several weeks, she would write me on Facebook, which message I would not get until they had already left. Then, she started texting me, because she had forgotten that I did not have texting. Finally, after being out of town one weekend, she called me, and I began playing with her volleyball group. That first week, I remember three guys that were there, because they were good friends with Elise. They were all in the same ward together freshmen year. Two of them were now roommates, Oliver AhMu and Jordan Westra. The other name I cannot remember now. Oliver and Jordan were really funny and pretty good at volleyball. I often ended up on their team, except for a few times, one of which Oliver ran over me through the net, knocking me to the ground. We played for the remainder of summer and for a few weeks after school started, but Elise was leaving on a mission, and we knew volleyball would come to an end, and end it did.