Tagged...The Beginning of Rich and Cheryl

1.Where did you meet your husband?

Rich was my first blind date. Since he lived out of state and still wasn't married at the ripe old age of 23, he had been lined up with nearly 1/2 the single women in Utah County. He likes to joke that he had to wait until I grew up so we could date and get married.

I was 19 and had just returned home from my freshman year at BYU-Hawaii. My dad's younger brother Paul is Rich's dad's scrub nurse and one day a discussion ensued during surgery and the two of them decided to set us up. Rich had torn his ACL in February (on my birthday no less!) playing basketball at Stanford and had come home to Utah to have his Uncle Scott and Uncle Bob repair it. In early May he was flying home for the weekend to have it looked at so they thought this would be the perfect time for a date. Rich's dad got my phone number from my dad at the hospital and Rich called me a few days later. It the mean time half the hospital was in on this date. In the days leading up to our first meeting, my dad kept getting new stories from the nurses at the hospital about Rich. He got some details from my uncle and nurses too. I guess you could say we knew a fair bit about each other from various sources by the first time we actually laid eyes on each other.

The best part is that years later Rich's dad gave me that slip of paper with my name and phone number in my dad's handwriting.

2. What was the first thing you said to your husband?

I was in our den typing on the computer when Rich called. I am sure I said something along the lines of "so glad to finally talk to the person I've heard so much about." After hello I guarantee I talked rapidly about this and that and barely let Rich speak. I gave him horribly vague directions about getting to my house (drive for quite a while up the hill and then turn at a stop sign). My mom my heard my instructions from upstairs and started yelling down better directions for me to repeat to Rich. She was afraid he would never find our place at all!

3. Where was your first date?

I was upstairs ironing my shirt when I noticed a Jeep Cherokee pass our house a few times. I had a hunch this might be Rich trying to find our house. I quickly got dressed when he called from the car (hardly anyone had cell phones in those days) and I told him I'd meet him out front. My parents were outside too talking to our next door neighbors and best friends the Swensons. They all met Rich first and then I walked outside. The first thing I thought was Rich should be a football player, not a basketball player. He was huge at 6 feet 6 inches and had been working out like crazy at school. He seemed very nice, but I didn't think this would go farther than a date or two. He lived in California and I had a list of things I was planning to do with my life. After I left my parents and neighbors said they felt something special and thought this was the man I was going to marry.

We went to Hale Theater in Orem Utah and saw the play Fiddler on the Roof. We doubled with Rich's sister Julianne and her soon to be ex-boyfriend. I think that was the only time I met him. When we parked across the street I dashed through traffic to get to the other side not realizing Rich's knee was still healing. He got smashed into a center seat when Julianne's guy took the aisle. What a saint! We visited during intermission. I am sure I talked and talked, but really said nothing of importance. After we went up to Rich's parents home where I met EVERYONE, even Jenny's soon-t0-be husband Andrew. I left thinking that Rich and his family reminded me a lot of my own. I was impressed and thought I wouldn't mind seeing them all again.

4. Where was your first kiss?

It was in front of my parents home on July 8, 2006. He was leaned up against his car with his arms around my waist. It was a hot July night, but Rich kept telling me he was cold. He was nervous. It was cute. He was the third boy I had ever kissed and the last.


5. Did you have a long or short engagement/courtship?

We had a short courtship dating, but a very long and painful engagement. Our first date was on May 10, 1996. We got engaged on the night of August 31, 1996. It was nice to be committed to each other before Rich left for school. We got married NINE months later on April 26, 1997. Rich was in California for all but five days during those months. That was the painful part, being so far apart, but with basketball running Rich's life there was no time to get married before then. When we got engaged we opened up a calendar and found the first Saturday after BYU finals. That was how our wedding date was selected. I am sure we're not the first to use that method.

The fun part of the engagement was getting to be part of his life at Stanford. We were engaged during his entire senior year. I drove him out to Palo Alto for school, and went to nearly all the home games and went on three road trips with his parents. My family came out a few times and they were at the big Stanford VS UCLA game when Stanford gave them their worst lost in history (Stanford 109- UCLA 61). What memories! I turned into Stanford's #1 fan. People were shocked when they found out I lived in Utah and going to school at BYU since I always seemed to be in California. I planned my BYU schedule so I had an afternoon class on Thursday and no classes on Friday. This way I could drive up Thursday night and stay until Sunday night. Rich lived in a renovated garage so when I came out I could sleep there while he stayed in the main house. He had great roommates, but they seemed to be away a lot with football and water polo, so it worked out well.

Stanford had a great season and played the first round of the NCAA tournament in Tuscon, AZ. I went down with Rich's family for a second trip there that year. They won their first two games (they beat Tim Duncan's Wake Forest team) so they advanced to the Sweet 16. Their next game was in San Jose, which was close for us to travel and very, very close to the Stanford campus. Sadly, Stanford lost to the University of Utah in overtime. It was blow to the heart and I vowed to hate Utah until the day I died, even though my own paternal grandfather had been on the team years before. My heart has since been softened a bit over the years. Rich played well and had a great season. We are still friends with Brevin Knight and have gone to see him play in the NBA over the years. We also follow Stanford basketball and have traveled to see them play in San Antonio, St. Louis, Indianapolis, back to Palo Alto three years ago and right here in Lexington this past March. Go Cardinal!


6. Where did you get engaged?

My mom's little sister is my dad's nurse (doesn't it seem like most of my family is medical one way or another and all the employees are related) and when I came in to pull charts she accidentally let it slip that Rich had come into the office that day. There's really no way of getting out of that one, why in heavens name would Rich need an OB/GYN? You see my point. Anyway, I knew he had talked to my dad, we had gone to dinner at a nice restaurant with our parents and had gone to look at rings. I knew it was coming, but wasn't sure when. Then Rich told me he wanted to get dressed up and go to dinner in SLC. This was it, I knew it!

I wore my favorite brown suit type dress I had gotten from ZCMI (not my mom's favorite though) and we went up to dinner at The Roof. It is a restaurant on the top floor of the Joseph F. Smith Building. OK, a lot of people go to eat up there and get engaged over dinner. The food was great but I was nervous and apprehensive about what was going to happen soon! I was secretly pleading to myself that he would not ask me to marry him in front of a room full of strangers. We ate and ate and nothing happened. I was happy when we finished and a ring didn't appear on a platter or hidden in some dessert.

Then he wanted to take a walk around Temple Square. I had known him long enough to know that his dad asked his mom to marry him in front of the Joseph and Hyrum Smith statue just south of the Temple. He told me he wanted to walk past the statue. I was dying inside. I wonder if he could tell I was stressing out. I really didn't want to get engaged in the middle of busy Temple Square. Thankfully when we stopped to admire the statue, he didn't bend down and profess his undying love. What a relief.

Then we went on a carriage ride. Once again I didn't want him to ask me to be his wife in front of this strange looking driver as we trotted along South Temple. Long ride, no ring. Yeah!

Then he told me he wanted to drive up to my first home. We had lived with my Great-great-grandpa Warner and his daughter my Great-grandma Beardall when my dad was in medical school at the U of U. It is located just two blocks south of the capital. Now we were in business. I could see him asking me there. We pulled up and got out to talk. I told him about the house and my memories from living there and at the end we hugged and then to my surprise.... no proposal. Now I was getting confused. What this whole night a rouse? Was it simply just not going to happen? He told me he was going to take me home. What? Now? Wasn't he supposed to ask me something important first? Nope, not a chance.

We visited during the hour long ride to Salem. He seemed happy until we got near my house. He got quiet and when we pulled in the drive way he nearly leaped out of the car. This was not going at all how I had envision. I guess I was wrong. Yes, I wanted to get engaged and while I had hoped it didn't happen most of the night, now I was ready and he was rushing, pulling me to the front door. I thought he just really wanted to get home. Maybe another night.

And then I saw it. A single red rose on the front porch with a note. When I opened the front door I saw rose after rose. I followed and the flowers lead me down stairs to my room. In my room I found another dozen red roses in a crystal vase on my dresser. The last rose was on my cedar chest at the foot of my bed. I sat down and he got on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I cried and said yes. What's a girl to do when being wooed by the one she loves.

Cute huh. I was proud of him and all planning and have to give thanks to his mom and sister for coming down and setting it all up. It was a wonderful night and made for a great story to share when someone asks you how you got engaged.


7.Where did you get married?

The Salt Lake Temple April 26, 1997.

I have to say we have the most amazing families and friends. In all the temple weddings I have witnessed, I have never and I mean never seen a sealing room so crammed full of people. We had every bench from the hallway being used and there were people standing in every inch and corner. It made me tear up to see parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and dear lifelong friends with us that day. President Merrill Bateman sealed us and I love to think about the advice and stories he told us. They are words to live by.

What made it even sweeter were the masses of people we had waiting outside as well. Over half of the Stanford basketball team came out for a wedding they couldn't even witness. What does that say for their character and commitment to friendship? Josh and Tiffany Madsen, John and Gale Bunnell, Greg Clark, and Mark and Sarah Harris all came from Palo Alto as well. We had dozens of aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, cousins and friends. I have never seen the temple steps so crowded. What a gift of love those people gave to us that day. They came to share in our moment and it meant the world to us. It makes me smile when I think about it. What a day!

8. How did the reception go?

This is a funny one because I was raised to hate receptions. My dad thought they were a waste of money and painful and not at all a fun celebration. He had it worked out that he would send me on a cruise if I would forgo a reception. That sounded fine to me. Then I got engaged and the entire hospital was involved, my dad was our home ward bishop, Rich's dad was in a stake presidency and everyone was shocked and hurt when we told them we weren't going to have a reception. One day my dad called me and said, "Cher, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you need to have a reception." He was right. We decided to have it at the Springville Art Museum which is half way between our homes. We tried not to have a line and have the family mingle, but when Rich and I stood together to greet everyone, a line formed and that's what we did all night; we stood together saying hello to all the people we loved. I don't think I ate any of the food, though I heard it tasted great. I had one bite of my cake before we left, so it wasn't a sit back and relax night. Rich was exhausted and may, like my father, tell Brynn and Kaitlyn he'll send them on a cruise before he endures another reception again! But over all the music was lovely, there was food for all and we were surrounded by people we loved and they loved us!


9. How was the honeymoon?

I guess you could say we took two honeymoons. Since Rich was on the quarter system and BYU was on semesters, our breaks didn't really line up. Yes, we picked the first Saturday after I was done with school, but Rich was still a month away from finals and graduation. He flew in Friday night from Palo Alto and I picked him up at the airport. Mark Madsen was there too. It was fun to see them both and realize that this long awaited day was nearly ours. We had dinner with my family at Chili's and then our families stayed the night at the Inn at Temple Square so we could be close for our 10:30 AM sealing time.

We got married on Saturday, but Rich had class on Monday, so a long elaborate trip would have to wait. We spent our wedding night and Sunday night up at Sundance. We then came home Monday afternoon, hurriedly opened gifts and flew out to San Francisco that night. We spent Monday night at a Marriott in the city. The next day we moved into our little apartment at Escondido Village.

We went on our real Hawaiian honeymoon after Rich graduated in July. Rich had never been to Hawaii so it was so much fun to show him my island of Oahu, where I lived and worked before we headed over to my favorite place on earth (besides Disneyland of course) Kauai. We took a Zodiack boat tour up the Nepali coast, snorkeled and relaxed. It was a beautiful, stress free time. Those were the days!

And now you know the true and happily ever after story of Cheryl and Rich........

And I'm tagging Tiffany Rosenhan, Jenny Howlett, Kellie Barney and Melissa Mortenson. Just answer the same nine questions on your own blogs. I'm excited to read all your juicy details!!