MEETING THE PARENTS IN B-TOWN!!!

Doesn't matter who you are or what time period you've lived in - meeting the parents is always a nerve racking time. You just want to make sure that everything goes perfectly and that your family begins to love him as much as you do. Well, maybe not quite as much as I love him but you know what I mean.
So we pack up the car Wednesday morning and just before we get in I say, "Ok, you're going to meet my parents and my grandparents tonight. How are you feeling?" With smile Ben just says, "Bring it on". A perfect response for a person meeting a whole gaggle of Evans.
Three hours later we show up at my mission office and catch up with the senior missionaries who work there and I get the pleasure of showing off Ben! Two scoops of Farr's Ice Cream later we head to the hotel where my parents were staying....

BIG DEEP BREATH IN

"Mom, dad - this is Ben Darling."

AND THEY LOVED HIM!!!!

Or at least Mom and dad did a great job of making it seem like they liked him. And what makes things even more wonderful Ben really loved hanging out with the 'rents in return. Even got through a whole dinner with a my Evans Aunt. In the midst of all this comradely I feel as if I've achieved something. Like I should get some sort of award for finding person who fits in so well with everyone. Mom made the best point though: when Ben was out of the room I took the opportunity to ask them what they thought of him. After agreeing that they thought Ben was a good guy mom asked, "Do you like him?" "Very much so." Then she gave me that smile that says, "Well, that’s what really matters." Come June it'll be my turn to meet Ben's mom at his sister's wedding. Hopefully it will go just as well as this did!

Ben LOVES to take pictures. Heres me just outside the Bountiful Temple

I know you can't really see his tie, but its my favorite one he owns

Admiring the flowers. I thought they had my favorites - Peonies - but it turned out to be a Tulip that was dressed up as a peonies for halloween. Tricky plant.

And finally, my favorite one from the day! "Hey everyone! Come see how good we look!" :D

The Lord's hand

I have been so blessed this week in about fifty different ways that i thought it most appropriate to share them! Its just amazing to me how the Lord takes such special and good care of us - sometimes through other people, sometimes through those special promptings of the spirit. He's always there in our lives and i think, if we don't take time to notice, we sometimes over look His hand.

1. Ben's art history test, which are usually on wens, got scheduled for monday. Now he can come with me to Elizabeth's wedding and meet mom and dad (which will be an interesting blog of its own!)

2. Being reminded at the last minute that i have church meeting (relief society teacher now) just in time to go and not be late

3. Reading all i need to for a class, i didn't understand it when i read it, but i was able to participate in the class discussion quite a bit

4. Always having enough time to read my scriptures in the morning

5. Watching the trees around rexburg all bloom at once.

~and finnally

6. We have a semester long project in my Journalism class called 'Profile' where we need to find one person to exctract a particularly intersting story from their life. I could NOT think of anyone in Rexburg who fit that discription. I've been really interested in alzhimers' lately and went down to the Brenchley Home where i voulentear to hopefully find some one with this disease. Right when i walked in there was no one at the help desk and no one around except for Rob. Turns out Rob is an ex-bodygaurd, ex-acid addict, ex-kung fu master, who now works for the rexburg temple. I have got a wonderful story and a heartfelt new friend.

And had to add my latest picture of Ben and I just before our date on friday. We went to Jonny Carinos - because we cannot get enough italian food!! I'm going for the whole 'vogue' pose if you couldn't tell. OH and another cute story about the boy before i go (yes sarah, you should probably grab your motion sickness bag now) since we study most of our lives away this summer, both taking classes right now, we study together. Yesterday we were at his house and he got up, picked a flower out of the outside garden, came back in and handed it to me without saying a word. Just smiled. Stinkin', stinkin' cute. :)

LETS MEET BEN!

For those who i haven't updated in the past 2 months - this is BEN DARLING. Yes thats right, darling is his last name and his personality. We met while he and his roommate crashed our FHE party and it turned out we had a bunch in common: Buffy the vampire obsession, accident prone, and a great hatred for Drew Barymore.

His easily my biggest surprise of 2009. In fact in our first couple dates we made it VERY clear that neither one of us wanted to be in a serious relationship and that we weren't going to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Then we started spending every day together.

The thing that attracted me MOST to Ben is that we can talk and talk and talk for hours about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. And i've always felt so comfortable around him - even dressed up as a pirate.

We both leave "future" things up in the air for whatever will happen next. I love him and i'm so contently happy with him. Joy for me!

Stats for the family: He's from Utica, NY, served a mission in Las Vegas, 24 yrs old, favorite color green, Art major, loves to dissect and critic movies, got me 2 seasons of the 'O.C.' for my birthday, smells fantastic, Batman and Spider-man enthusiast, loves me, youngest of 7 kids, Halo master, loves his Xbox but doesn't have enough time for it, spontaneous, loves Chinese and Italian food, slightly momma's boy, THE favorite Uncle, and sucks at planning dates UNLESS they are on the spure of the moment.