Life has a way of surprising you...

Life has a really interesting way of proving me wrong sometimes. It's really interesting to me that when I think that there is absolutely no way that something will ever happen, well, it happens. Katie Marie Smith (or as Jacob Judd refers to her Katie Dangit Smith) is a perfect example of how wishful thinking isn't always wishful. Here's the story:

Katie and I met at an Institute activity in April 2008. I was an awkward return missionary that had the social skills of a hermit crab, and she was a bright, beautiful, bubbly freshman at NC State. She was coming around a corner, and I just so happened to be standing right where she was intending to walk. Now Katie has never been shy around new people (no, not even the awkward hermit-like RM's that hang around the Institute), so she stuck out her hand and introduced herself. I was shocked. A gorgeous girl was talking to me. I thought this only happened in the movies. So we struck up a little conversation. I told her that I wasn't a fan of State, but the Institute was fine. She asked me who I was a fan of, and naturally I said Carolina (I mean seriously guys, is there another choice in the matter?). She got really excited and told me that she's always loved Carolina too, but State was just a better fit for her. Then I proceeded to do something that I never, ever, ever (not even in my wildest dreams) thought that I would have the courage to do. I asked her out. Right then and there. We had known each other for less than 10 minutes, and I asked her to go to the Carolina baseball game with me that weekend. Now, as many of you know, I don't really think before I leap, and in hindsight I should have been a little more methodical with the asking out (especially since she said no!), but since that very day, I knew that I had met someone special. Katie and I started hanging out more and more, and eventually we became best friends. We did go on 2 dates last fall, including a trip to the Heavenly Stadium of Kenan in Chapel Hill for a Tar Heel football game, but we remained really close friends. There were times when more than friends came up, such as when she threw me the best birthday party that has ever existed and kissed me TWICE at the party, but as you know, I read signals like a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest, so it never happened. Then, FINALLY, this past March, things began to change. Life began to be different, and Katie was tired of waiting on me ;) so we started dating, and we have not looked back since. We have the most perfect relationship that has ever existed, and we owe it all to patience. We never rush into things. We didn't rush into dating, but instead took our time to get to know each other very well prior to dating. This has helped us to have the best relationship we can because there were already so many of the jitters that were already out of the way. Sure, we have our trials. We aren't perfect, but we always know that our relationship is perfect no matter what. I know that I can always depend on her for anything that I could possibly need and she would make it happen. She's the best girlfriend ever!

So the moral of this story is that life is full of surprises. We just need to be ready for them. Now my friends, it's OTM!