Future Mrs. Van Noy :-)

I'M ENGAGED!!!!!! Yay! Last night Ben proposed, finally! So here is the story from the beginning.

Late August of last year our ward had our usual ward prayer. This one however, I had given the spotlight, and all the new people were there. I remember not being completely thrilled about the new people, thinking they were going to throw off my groove and the groove of the ward. This guy I didn't know wearing a blue Chicago Cubs hat came up to me and started talking to me. He asked me where I was from, so I told him Denver, and he told me that he had lived in Denver before. That is all I really remember about that first conversation, and the fact that I didn't really want to be socializing with new people (terrible I know- but I've gotten better).

The next time I remember seeing him was I think maybe the next day, at ward FHE. It was Ultimate Frisbee. The teams were divided by odd and even months of your birthday, and then again by even and odd numbers of the actually day. So Ben was born on August 4th, and I was born on April 4th- so we were put on the same team. He kinda took charge of the team, and this is when i realized he was a little competitive. I am horrible at Frisbee so I wouldn't be surprised if Ben never threw the Frisbee to me (I can't remember). I thought Ben was a lot of fun though, and I started thinking he wasn't so strange. Then Ben's apartment and my apartment ended up being in the same FHE group, so we all got to know each other a little more. However, Ben's apartment still didn't quite socialize a whole lot with the rest of the ward, and just kept to themselves. So I then formed the opinion that Ben was stuck up, cocky, etc. I didn't even really give it thought that maybe I could like him, or eventually date him or whatever. He didn't go with girls like me, and wasn't the kind of girl I thought he went after.

As the semester went on however my opinion of Ben changed. As an FHE group we went to an older couple's home once a month and visited them or did service. The first time we went over there we all took turns going around saying our name and where we were from. So after I had introduced myself, Ben kinda whispered/mouthed to me that we were going to talk afterwards. Then while we were eating some goodies Ben came up to me and he asked me where in Denver, and that he had lived there before etc., and that was pretty much it (yes we had that conversation once before). Then in December when we went to this couples home, Brother Leveffre (the man whose house it was) read the Christmas story from the scriptures, and we were to help set up the Nativity while he read. Ben and I rode in the back of DJ's car on the way over, and got to know each other a little more. At the house they asked for volunteers to help with the Nativity and Ben volunteered, so then I did, because I was starting to think this guy is pretty cute. So we put up the Nativity together, had our picture taken with it and I remember thinking for a second "this would be funny if we ended up dating or something." :-) After that we were eating cookies and drinking milk and Ben came up to me and says something like "So you're from Denver right?" and yes we then had that conversation a third time, and he left.

I think it was the next day, I went over to Alpine Village to visit my dear friend and old roommate Kate, and my car got towed!!! I had to pay $145 to get it back! So the next day at work I was still really mad and I got on facebook hoping to vent to someone and I saw that Ben was on, so I started talking to him and we ended up talking off and on for about the next two hours. Later in the week, or maybe it was the same day I don't remember- I went to the Wilk to get some lunch after work and saw Ben and another girl from our ward sitting and eating lunch. they were kind enough to let me sit with them. It was fun and exciting to run into Ben again. Come to find out later, Ben and that girl were actually on a date and I had conveniently crashed it! Whoops! I did feel bad about that.

After all that we started texting, and we went to a basketball game together (the one where they gave out free T-shirts!), and we played Ping Pong during finals week and had a great time. I was always surprised at how easy it was to talk with him! Then the last day of finals we went to Wendy's for some Frosty's before Ben went out of town for break. It was fun and exciting to something alone with Ben again! We texted all during break, and I pretty much had my phone with me everywhere in hopes he would text me.

New Years Eve Ben got back into town and partied that night with us. He always made sure we were sitting next to each other, etc. It was a lot of fun. New Years day I got a text asking if I wanted to see a movie with him later- his treat. So I said yes of course. That night I was so nervous! I take medicine for anxiety, one pill a day, but that night I took two. I made myself sick! At our traditional New Years dinner with the family I could only eat half of my Cheeseburger. I got home from that, and Ben came and got me and we went and saw Avatar. It was fun, and a pretty good movie! After he took me home he asked me if I wanted to go to the basketball game with the next night. After that we pretty much saw each other everyday. Then the first friday night of the semester we went on a group date with his roommates. First we had a yummy dinner at Zupa's, then we went to the Planetarium on campus. It was really cool! We then went to Ben's apartment and played games, then popped a movie in- The Runaway Jury. I can't really tell you much about that movie because that is when Ben first held my hand and all I was thinking was "holy crap holy crap holy crap, he's holding my hand!"

The next day I asked him to go to Kate and Pete's reception with me in Ogden, and so he came and we had a lot of fun! That night was the most random night ever! We watched this weird movie called Henry Pool is Here with Scott and Jenny in Jenny's grandpa's basement in Fruit Heights. We got it from a Blockbuster that was going out of business and nothing good was left.

Then on January 18th, my sister Taylor's birthday, he came with me to our family party we were having for her. On the way up Ben and I had our first DTR (define the relationship) and he told me he didn't really want to date anyone else, and I told him the same and then he said, "alright, well I guess... I now dub you man and wife!" Yeah, a little awkward. So to ease that awkwardness a little I was like "so... we're official now?" and Ben responded by saying "yeah- well I just want to get to know you better." So I came out of that conversation thinking "okay... so I don't think we're official yet, but probably still dating or whatever. Ben came out of it thinking he had a girlfriend! Kinda funny. I went home and told my roommates I didn't think we were boyfriend and girlfriend yet, and he went home and told his roommates we were boyfriend and girlfriend.

We had our first kiss a week or two later on the side of my apartment while hiding from a snowball fight that was going on around the corner. It was so exciting and I loved being with Ben! We saw each other everyday even if it was only for 30 minutes. In march we went to a park and swung on the swings and I remember writing in my journal "I think I'm beginning to fall for this boy." On my birthday Ben told me he loved me, and I said it back. The beginning/middle of May we started talking a little about our future together and whatnot, so naturally the topic of marriage came up.

And now is what you have all been waiting for! The Proposal! Yesterday I was feeling pretty sick and crummy, and wasn't in the best mood. Ben had told me that Brother O'Connell (a member of the bishopric) randomly emailed him and told him we could use his horses this weekend. Normally I would have been excited, but yesterday that was the last thing I wanted to do. So Ben got me some medicine, we laid low, and I took a nap- which helped my mood dramatically. Ben also made the request that at least we could go to a park and swing sometime today, which I agreed to. Then we went to a BBQ with some people in the ward. It was at Deer Creek Resevoir and was pretty fun! The lake is gorgeous!

When we got back right when we got out of the car Ben asked me if I had to go to the bathroom, and I said "No..." And he told me he wanted to take me to the park before it got dark. So he drove to the park (the one we had gone to in March), then we swung for a bit. After we swung for a little bit we chilled on the swings and Ben kept talking about love and stuff (I honestly can't really remember what all we talked about). Then he talked about how patient I had been with him, and how he had been with me. At this time I had my legs wrapped around his, and he said to me "I'm going to need my legs" so I let go and he got down on one knee, and I said "holy cow!" Then he said "Will you marry me?" and I said yes, of course. And then he put the ring on my finger! Ben's brother Andrew came over and congratulated us. He had been hiding out making sure the park was clear. The original plan was that he was going to propose when we went horseback riding- but I kinda ruined that one... whoops! He kept telling me to be patient so I wasn't expecting anything for another two weeks or so!

We are getting married August 20th in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple in South Jordan, UT! and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!