Our Love Story: Part 11

"Here's the thing about this love story of ours. Its long. And drawn out. And mushy-gushy. And even a bit cheesy. But it's true. And I've decided to take my time writing it, capturing all the special details of those moments I never want to forget. So if mushy-gushy, cheesy love stories aren't your thing, I totally get that. Just know that I'm writing this as a gift - to my family, and my children, and their future children - and also, for [Parker] and me - so that on those days when the kids are screaming, the laundry is overflowing and the bills are rolling in...on those days when it all just seems so hard, we'll have this to remind us of those first moments when we fell in love. And if sappy, detail ridden love stories are your thing, well then you've come to the right place." -Ashley Stock 

To read the beginning of Our Love Story, click here. 

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April 2011

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Parker met my family at the end of the semester when they came to pick me up. My parents had booked a Mexican Riviera cruise the week after school ended so they stopped in Provo to pick me up and stay a couple of nights and I thought it was the perfect opportunity for them to meet my new beau. 

When I mentioned the possible introduction to Parker he seemed a little wary at first but I basically told him that he was meeting them whether he liked it or not haha. 

Everything went super well that night! I loved seeing him with my family and they all really liked him. Especially my sisters. It was so fun to watch Parker interact with them and to see how he could potentially fit in with the fam. We had pizza and my mom impressed Parker with her homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. After a while, it was sadly time to say goodbye. This would be the last time we saw each other for what I thought would be 27 months (you can read my obnoxious and immature post I wrote then here) since Parker would be driving home to Ohio the next day and we were headed on our cruise and then home to Canada. 

The goodbye was painful but so sweet. I really don't remember much other than we lingered in the parking lot for a long time hugging and talking and (I was) crying, trying to put off the inevitable. I remember being so scared at the possibility that I would never see Parker again but also so confident that things would work out between us and we would be together again at some point. 

After I watched him drive away *tear* I went back inside and cried on my mom's shoulder. And I remember telling her, "Mom, I could marry that boy."

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Part 12