Today’s lesson: How We Met…
It all began with me waiting impatiently at an airport late at night, and ended as most love stories do: with me throwing up unabashedly in a well-manicured Disneyland flower bed. But I’ll get to that later…So I was waiting in the airport for my brother, Jordan, to return from his mission to Romania. The plane was late, so I spent the time watching the people—particularly a few young guys who were also waiting for someone. When Jordan finally arrived, there were many there to greet him, including the few young guys I’d noticed before. That was when Jordan introduced me to one, Roo, a former mission companion, and I thought, “Your name is Roo?”
And I said, “Hi, Roo.”
Then Jordan announced that Roo would be living in our basement while he attended BYU. I looked at Roo and decided, “I can live with that.”
So Roo took up semi-permanent residence in my parent’s basement. Meanwhile, I lived there too, just a stair’s flight above him. Though wary at first, I soon let my guard down when I found he could quote “Back to the Future” and play the guitar—a quality that I revered as God-like.
Roo became just another member of the family. He did house work, he did yard work, he ate and visited relatives with us. And during that time, he and I stumbled onto more and more aligned interests until we stopped being acquaintances and grew into friends. One day my mother insisted that he help me fill the gas can for the lawn mower. My first clue that we were friends: The thought of him occupying my passenger’s seat in the car, which would require we engage in conversation, did not turn me into an uncomfortable, awkward mess; second, he heard the CD I had going and he said, “this is a great album.” And my heart warmed.
Another time he interrupted my piano practicing by offering to play a duet with me on his guitar. We decided we would need music, so we went to the music store together. A few times.
Over morning cereal, before we’d go our separate ways, we’d talk about the places we wanted to see and the people we knew. At night we’d sit in our pj’s with my dad and watch old documentaries and heckle Adam West as Batman.
We climbed mountains together, we quoted Holy Grail, we watched thunderstorms, we ran errands for mom, we did yard work, we talked about music, we liked the same movies. My usual awkwardess was strangely absent when I talked to him. And he was really good at making me laugh — but all the while during these months I was just Jordan’s little sister to him and he was Jordan’s old friend to me.
For now...
Next time: stay tuned for an exciting, unanticipated turn of events!
It all began with me waiting impatiently at an airport late at night, and ended as most love stories do: with me throwing up unabashedly in a well-manicured Disneyland flower bed. But I’ll get to that later…So I was waiting in the airport for my brother, Jordan, to return from his mission to Romania. The plane was late, so I spent the time watching the people—particularly a few young guys who were also waiting for someone. When Jordan finally arrived, there were many there to greet him, including the few young guys I’d noticed before. That was when Jordan introduced me to one, Roo, a former mission companion, and I thought, “Your name is Roo?”
And I said, “Hi, Roo.”
Then Jordan announced that Roo would be living in our basement while he attended BYU. I looked at Roo and decided, “I can live with that.”
So Roo took up semi-permanent residence in my parent’s basement. Meanwhile, I lived there too, just a stair’s flight above him. Though wary at first, I soon let my guard down when I found he could quote “Back to the Future” and play the guitar—a quality that I revered as God-like.
Roo became just another member of the family. He did house work, he did yard work, he ate and visited relatives with us. And during that time, he and I stumbled onto more and more aligned interests until we stopped being acquaintances and grew into friends. One day my mother insisted that he help me fill the gas can for the lawn mower. My first clue that we were friends: The thought of him occupying my passenger’s seat in the car, which would require we engage in conversation, did not turn me into an uncomfortable, awkward mess; second, he heard the CD I had going and he said, “this is a great album.” And my heart warmed.
Another time he interrupted my piano practicing by offering to play a duet with me on his guitar. We decided we would need music, so we went to the music store together. A few times.
Over morning cereal, before we’d go our separate ways, we’d talk about the places we wanted to see and the people we knew. At night we’d sit in our pj’s with my dad and watch old documentaries and heckle Adam West as Batman.
We climbed mountains together, we quoted Holy Grail, we watched thunderstorms, we ran errands for mom, we did yard work, we talked about music, we liked the same movies. My usual awkwardess was strangely absent when I talked to him. And he was really good at making me laugh — but all the while during these months I was just Jordan’s little sister to him and he was Jordan’s old friend to me.
For now...
Next time: stay tuned for an exciting, unanticipated turn of events!
Annie: Hey Roo, do you like my new jacket?
Another Christmas Miracle:
This is the house Roo's parents rented for all 8 brothers and sisters & families to gather for the week's festivities. 
Here is Reed/Dad/Boy Tutu looking like the picturesque patriarch in front of the christmas tree. 
Here the corgis and stuffed monkeys are lowing at the nativity.
Since the budget has been tight this year, Roo found this stray cat to cook up for our Christmas dinner...just kidding...it wasn't a stray cat.