Argyle is not ugly, but it worked for us

So, I figured I should start from the beginning, for those of you readers who may not have known us back then (and for those that did, you could probably just skip this post- or if you're in a sappy mood- keep reading)

It all began back in 2008, when I was home from school for Christmas vacation. I was told that there was a young single adult Christmas party- an ugly sweater party, and my parents encouraged me to go. My mom specifically said I should wear my cute argyle sweater, instead of the grotesque ones that she had provided for me from her 80's wardrobe left-overs. ( It's always a little scary going some place where you hardly know anyone, and on top of that, to be in an ugly sweater) My parents would be at the party too, and since they knew more young single adults in the area than I did, I would plan to hang around them and get to know their friends. (I know, hanging out with your parents isn't really a cool thing, but if you know my parents, then you know that's not true.) So I show up to the party in my great looking argyle, and find my parents are helping serve drinks and snacks. I place/ hide myself behind the drink table, and meet my dad's buddy- Andrew Pastor. He was also serving drinks, and happened to be wearing a matching argyle sweater. He was a funny guy that seemed to know everyone, and i didn't have any problem standing next to him all night, talking and laughing, and making sure everyone kept hydrated.

I had decided a month earlier that I was going to serve a mission, and know I needed to start the paperwork in a few months. I went back up to BYU-Idaho, finished my junior year, and came home ready to turn in the paperwork and serve whenever and where ever the Lord wanted me. Of course, I went home to the friends that I had made during that previous break, Andrew was quickly becoming one of my favorite people to spend time with. He knew I was preparing to serve a mission, and so he held back his feelings. In the beginning of August, I  received my mission call: the Missouri Independence Mission, and I was to report October 21. Andrew's time was running out fast, but he finally asked me out: our first date was September 11, 2009.

 We dated for the next month and ten days, and then it was time for me to leave. We knew we loved each other, but I had also made a promise and commitment to serve the Lord, which I needed to keep. Andrew drove up to Utah with us to drop me off, and his was the hardest goodbye I ever had to say.

             

One Mission Later

After faithfully writing to each other for almost 19 months, we were reunited. When we saw each other we knew the only one thing that had changed between us: how much our love had grown for one another. We were engaged 4 days after I got home from my mission, and were married less than 4 months later, and I have never been happier.
And it was all because of the non-ugly argyle sweaters.