We met in college through a mutual friend. During Loren's freshman year at Oregon State, he lived in the honors college dorms across the hall from a fellow member of the Church, Suzi. The two of them became good friends over the year. Loren did not return to school the next fall, as he left on his mission that year. Though I didn't start classes until January, I started attending the student ward in Corvallis and became friends with Suzi. I heard her mention her friend, Loren, once or twice, but thought nothing of it.
Two years later, Loren returned to OSU. Suzi hosted a dinner at her house, and we were both invited. I have always dreamed of going to Spain, and I eagerly asked Loren question after question to learn more about the country and people. I tried and tried to get information out of him, but he didn't seem to want to talk to me. So, after a while, I gave up on him.
That was 2002.
Over the next two years I casually knew Loren as "the guy with the hair helmet." Loren was very studious and had virtually no social life. He went to Church, but we were in different wards, so I rarely saw him. In the spring of 2004, Suzi offered to set us up. I politely declined, saying he wasn't my type. Just one month later, my opinion of him dramatically changed.
In June of that year, Suzi got married and moved to Portland. Loren and I both helped her move. Suzi did things a little backwards, having her wedding reception a few days before the actual wedding. We both went to her reception, then back to her new apartment to play games. Someone suggested we play Nertz. Loren had never played before and proposed that he be paired with the best player, who would balance out his handicap. I jokingly announced that I was the best player, and no one contradicted it (for many years I thought that was confirmation that I truly was the best player. It wasn't until much later that I realized that no one contradicted me simply because they didn't want to be partnered with Loren).
Despite having never played before, Loren and I made a great team and won that night. I was impressed by how fun he was. But the thing that really got me was this: We'd been eating leftover wedding cake and everyone was piling their frosting onto one plate. Eventually, we had a mountain of frosting several inches high. At one point during the game, Loren called out, "Whoever looses this game has to eat ALL this frosting." At that moment I knew I was in love.
Another month or so passed before either of us confessed our feelings for each other. Our relationship was complicated by the fact that I had just received a call to serve in the New York, New York North Mission (Spanish Speaking). I remember one night in July in particular. We were at the beach with a bunch of friends, and Loren and I went for a walk on our own. We weren't dating at the time, and it was very romantic. We reached the end of the beach, and as we stood there in the moonlight, I actually started to think he was going to kiss me. That's when he said, "You know what? I totally think of you as a missionary."
WHAT!?!
We started dating about a week later, on July 23rd. I didn't go on my mission. Loren proposed to me five months later, on December 23rd. We were married March 18, 2005 in the Portland, Oregon temple. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary the same month I would have returned from my mission. And the rest is history.