Back to the future series (Part 1)

Since I haven't written in my journal for so long I thought I would quickly touch on several events that have gone on in my life in the last few years. This picture is one of our engagment pictures. Jared and I started dating when we were both working at his dad's dermatology office. I had been working there for a few months before Jared came home from BYU for the summer. I remember the first time I saw Jared in the office: he was on the opposite side of the hall and I had recognized him, but I had never talked to him. I knew he was a Goodman and that he was my brother Danny's age. I remember going up to him and introducing myself to him and telling him I was Danny Fisher's sister. He introduced himeself and said hi and from there on we talked all the time. We were both doing the same job, which was not even enough work for one person to be doing, but we made ourselves look busy. Jared and I were filers, which means we pulled charts, made up new patient packets, and just did whatever we could to stay busy. It was really at his dad's office that we became really good friends. We would sit in the break room and talk about everything, from when we were children, to high school, to embrassing moments...anything at all. It is funny because I was not embarrassed to tell Jared anything: we would sit in the break room for hours at a time making packets just laughing away. I think my mom would quiver to know about some of the things I would talk about with Jared...but then again, she should know that her critter has no shame sometimes. One time, Jared and I played a joke on the other workers by dumping salt in their coffee; needless to say, they were not very happy. They got pretty upset, but Jared and I got a kick out of it. Of course they knew it had to be one of the three non-coffee-drinking Mormons in the office: they knew it wasn't Dr. Goodman, so it was between Jared and me, and they knew I was too sweet so they blamed Jared. The funny thing is I was the one who did it because Jared dared me! But in the end, he took the blame. To this day they still talk about it and it is still just as funny. Well, Jared and I started hanging out almost every night after work. We would go swimming, watch movies, go off-roading, go to the beach, do baptisms for the dead, and so on. I had a blast with Jared, but as the summer was coming to an end I was going to be starting my first year at BYU Idaho while Jared would be returning to BYU. We kept in contact somewhat over the year by email, and then to my surprise I ran into Jared at my Grandpa's viewing the next summer. It was good to see him and his parents there since I had not seen him or even talked with him that much since the previous summer. A few weeks later Jared and I ran into each other at a young single adult activity at the beach, which is weird because we both HATED those activities and never went. I think that was my second and last activity I ever attended. As I was leaving and almost to my car, I saw Jared and we started talking for a few hours in the parking lot. At the time I was in a serious relationship, but I knew it was not right (the guy wanted to marry me but I knew he wasn't for me). So Jared and I talked about that all night, and how I could break up with this guy. I had tried several times to break up with him, but it was so hard and he was not getting the idea...so Jared was nice enough to coach me through it. The next few days Jared and I talked a lot, but the summer was ending and we were off to school. My boyfriend Mike and I were still dating but it was slowly coming to an end. Jared and I talked all the time on instant messenger when we would get home from our classes. In Febuaray I went down to Provo to see Jared, and it happened to be Valentine's day that we had our "first date" since the summer we had worked together. It was actually a double date with his brother Joel. I had so much fun that night: we went snow shoeing and drove around doing donuts in the icy parking lot. Due to my broken back, I didn't usually participate in activities like that because my back would hurt...but it was definitely worth the sore back afterward. After that first date things started taking off. I started coming down to Provo every weekend and Jared and I would talk on IM all the time. My birthday was coming up (March 12th) and I knew Jared was planning something, but I was not too sure what. I had a feeling he might be coming up to Rexberg to surprise me but I was not sure. It was hard for me to know if I should plan things with my friends: they wanted to do something with me, but I did not want to have plans if Jared was going to be there. It turned out that Jared did drive up from Rexburg on my birthday. In the morning I recieved a dozen red roses with a message saying another surprise was on its way. A few hours later Jared was there, and I was so excited that he had come. We had a great weekend: we went to dinner, I showed Jared the BYUI campus, and we went to Idaho Falls, where we went to a movie and walked around the temple. Later we returned to Rexburg where we made dinner together. That was one of the best birthdays I've ever had!

TO BE CONTINUED...