I love Martin Luther King Jr. weekend for many reasons! Martin Luther King Jr. was an incredible man who changed our nation for good. He was an influence of good who used nonviolence for civil rights. Growing up our family would go down to San Diego and go whale watching with our wonderful friends Mark and Trudy Carlson. I looked forward to it every year. We would go on their beautiful yacht in the middle of the incredible ocean and see whales spouting and diving and dolphins swimming along side the boat! It was wonderful! Then we would either go to Disneyland or Sea World.
Martin Luther King Jr. day 2007 Josh surprised me and flew us to Maui where he purpose.
Our Story:
Most of us BYU-Hawaii students would watch for the killer deals on inner island flights. There was lots of price competition at that time and if you played your cards right you could get $20 tickets each way. For Thanksgiving, Josh and his roommates had purchased tickets to go to the Big Island and I was not sure on my dates yet so I waited. I had planned on going to the Big Island for part of the weekend and Maui for the other part to see my Brother-in-law Nolan and sister Heidi for her birthday on the 26th. Prices went up and so I decided to just go to Maui. My roommates Monica and Angelika were going to come with me. Josh said he wanted to change his ticket from the Big Island to go to Maui with me, and thus he did. My roommates bailed. Monica flew back to mainland to be with her family and Angelika said, "I don't want to go and be the third wheel!!" In her totally awesome Angelika-ness adorably animated voice.
I was pretty crazy about Josh at this point but still hesistant. I didn't know if I was ready to settle. The weekend before the trip I was super sick throwing up and Josh want and got me so many meds and laid with me as we planned a 5 day trip around the world. That was one of the things about Josh, we could go and play and have so much fun, but we could also just sit and talk or be silent. He always felt like home.
Wednesday November 22nd we flew to Maui. My sister picked us up in her Jetta and while we were going to Costco her bumper fell off. :) It was super funny. We had a lovely thanksgiving on the 23rd and on the 24th we decided to do the Road to Hana. Heidi and Nolan had to work so we borrowed their car and hit the road. We picked up munchies and a cd that was suppose to be our tour guide for the drive at Walmart. The cd turned out to not be so helpful but we enjoyed the rediculous blowing of a conch shell every time you were suppose to stop at a mile marker. :) We got McDonalds and hit the road. We stopped at the first stop, Twin falls and decided to take the hike on the left, it was stunning! No one was there, just the two of us. We walked and talked admiring its magesty. I commented, "This is the most beautiful place! If anyone purposed to me here I would have to say yes!" Josh said, "Anyone?" in a cute and sassy tone, "Yes, anyone" I said, paused, "Well, I could take it back later but if it were right here I would have to say yes."
We continued down the road missing many of the stop off points. Josh asked me about my dream wedding which I told him every detail of a beach reception in Rainbow sandals and twinkle lights, a luau for friends and family. Keep it simple, beautiful, and above all fun and no stress! He was charmed. We talked about any and everything just like we always did, future families, how we wanted to raise our kids, etc. At some point during the drive I said, "This is so much fun!! It feels like a honeymoon!" We could not finish the Road to Hana as a couple weeks previous an earthquake had shook Hawaii petty good cutting our power up in Laie and postponing midterms, miracle!, and damaging the bridge that would allow us to go to the 7 sacred pools and loop us back around to Kahului where our journey began. So we turned around to drive the familiar green and windy road back.
That night we walked around Lahina front street, had Cheese Burger's in Paradise, and walked through the stores. My phone rang, it was my Mom. I remember we were in the same surf shop that I had shopped at in the summer 2003, the summer Heidi and I lived in Lahina and waitressed at the Hyatt Regency. I answered the phone, she asked all about our day living vicariously through us wishing she was in her familiar and beloved Hawaii. Then she asked the question, "Are you in love?" I audibly laughed, "Ah, I don't know what that even means!" I hung up with her telling Josh was she had asked, he said, "Oh yea, what did you say?" with his deliciously charming sparkling eyes and big dimples. So I repeated what I had told her. We got Laperts ice cream and sat under the big banyon tree at the end of Front street where Heidi and I had often been offered, "paca lolo", a.k.a weed, all those years before. We drove through Whaler's Village and then it happened, we realized that we were in love.
The following day, Saturday the 25th, we went to the beach, walked through Whalers Village, introduced Josh to macadamia nut crab won tons at Hula Grill, one of Heidi and my favorites when we lived there, and soaked up the sun. Later that night we went to pick up brownie mix to make Heidi's favorite dessert for her birthday and to buy a little gift to leave them as a thank you for letting us crash with them. After getting the few things we needed, we parked at their apartment. I was resting my head on Josh when I felt it. That same overwhelming thick emotion in the air that you could cut with a butter knife. I had felt it once before with him right before he told me, "I love you Hayley." Perplexed by what was going to happen I asked, "What are you thinking?" "You don't want to know", hot-back-adorable-dimple-Josh-guy said. With serious eyes looking through me to the core he said, "I can see you as my wife. I want to marry you." With tearful eyes we talked until 4 am. That night we knelt together and prayed to know if we should take the next step.
When we returned to Oahu the next evening changed. We were constantly holding hands, on cloud nine, never letting go of each other's hands and in constant contact when we were with each other.
The near two weeks that we were apart at Christmas sucked! We discovered the phone was not a great form of communication for us. We were both busy with our families but had become so used to being with one another every single day we ached for that sense of "home". December 29th Josh flew in to meet my family. I was so excited to see him I got to the airport an hour early then anxiously paced the floor worrying about his safety. Finally he was here! We approached each other, "Your hair is straight!" he said. Josh had his big snowboarding jacket on, "You smell different", I said. We hugged and he teased me that I didn't want to kiss him. He smelled so different! Not like my honey.
We got in the car all gooy 'eyed and excited to finally be together and headed to Park City to meet up with my family. A little while into the drive my Dad called, "Hi! Where are you guys? You should have been here by now..." We attempted to explain where we were and what we were seeing. "Wait you are where?! You are almost to Wyoming! Turn around! Are you trying to run away??" Yep, 50 miles past park city and 50 miles to backtrack back to Park City. My family was so excited to meet my prince charming, or "Prince Channing" as my Mom would call him, Josh's middle name is Channing and I would often call him Channing which became confusing when we had our own little Channing. We went to a hamburger place that was out of hamburgers and then went to a Mexican restaurant, my family always eats at Mexican restaurants and I would beg for Italian or something else growing up but have now converted. The waitress never got us chips and salsa, never took our orders, may or may not have gotten us water and after benig there nearly an hour with no food she took off her apron and walked out the door. The managaer later told us she quit. It has since become a family joke that nearly every time we go out to eat with my parents something goes wrong. Another example would be a hair found in my Mom's meal at Mimi's cafe when we went with them to Disneyland.
That Sunday night, New Years Eve, Josh and my Dad disappeared to have the "talk" where later he told me he had promised my dad 3 things. :) My family told me that if I didn't marry Josh they were going to adopt him. I had gone from being the favorite Aunt to my niece and nephews to being second fiddle to Josh. But seriously, of course there was no debate on the matter, he is adorable!
I met Josh's sister Alyssa and brother-in-law Ben and his Grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa was so sweet and smily and gave me the right answer when Ben asked, "The real question is, Michigan State or Ohio State?" When I chose, "Either, or neither, don't really follow them", Grandpa mouthed, "Ohio!"
We drove to California with my parents who were going to Disneyland with my sister Heather and her family. I met Josh's parents, brother Nathan and his wife Jen and baby Katelynn, and Josh's little brother Jarrod. We went to Disneyland where Josh bought me a castle. It was not one we could live in, but a perfect little crystal castle to represent the life and eternity we were building together.
Back to Oahu and school. We had looked at rings in Park City and in California but made no decisions. I thought he might have purposed at Christmas but didn't know when it was coming. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend we went "into town", Honolulu, Saturday and shopped and played, we had a normal Sunday and talked a little more about the wedding. Then Monday I took my sweet time getting ready and everyone was trying to rush me out the door to head "to town" with Josh and my roommates Angelika and Ada. We finally were on our way. When we were getting closer to town Josh started playing with my hair and being all cute and lovey dovey. Then all the sudden we were at the airport departure zone. "Why are we at the airport I thought we were going shopping... who is going somewhere?" I asked. I get out of Angelika's Jeep and go around to the back where Josh has pulled out 2 bags and Angelika is stuffing her backpack with my clothes that I am not sure how she obtained. "Angay, what is going on?" I asked. "Don't ask questions, just go and have a nice time!" Josh is grinning ear to ear. "Where are we going?" I asked. "I don't know", he said with those sparkling blue/green ocean eyes.
As we entered the terminal an agent said, "Where are you headed?" "Ah", Josh smiled and looked at me, "Maui". The agent was saying the background where we needed to go, "Why are we going to Maui?" I asked Josh with a confused look on my face. "Ah", those big dimples and smile across his face, "You didn't get to see Heidi at Christmas and I know you were bummed so I thought we would go see her an Nolan for the weekend." We boarded and the plane took off. After we landed I reached to grab Josh's carry on to hand it to him at which point he ripped it out of my hands grinning saying, "Hey now! What are you doing?" "Just trying to hand you your bag..." I replied. "Suuuuuuure", he said.
Heidi picked us up at the airport where she and I were wearing nearly the same outfit. We laughed and were super happy to see each other. We started down the Road to Hana where we stopped to change into our swimsuits. "Why are we going to Hana?" I asked Josh, "Because we never got to finish it". We stopped at the first stop, Twin Falls. Heidi had to call Nolan who was getting off work soon to tell him where to meet us so Josh and I started the little hike without her. We took the fall on the left. No one was there. We got up on a ledge where Josh got down on one knee. He told me everything he loved and admired about me. He told me how crazy he was about me and wanted to have a family together and be with each other forever. And so many other lovely sentiments that are near and dear to my heart. We both cried as he purposed with his Grandmother's ring. He gave me a white lei that smelt heavenly and a dozen dark pink roses, all of which were hiding in that little carry on bag. He even brought a little glass jar to put the rock/sand in from the falls, a tradition I had started with the sand from Waimea where we met.
Over the next few years at BYU-Hawaii we heard, "Oh you were the couple that had the surprise trip to Maui proposal." And that is the beginning of our story. Our happily ever after.
5 years ago this weekend I said yes to the most wonderful man who asked me the most important question of all. And we have been falling more and more in love every day since.
*I did't proof read, sorry :(
