While the boys are at priesthood session...

I know, I really don't have much to say at all, but since the boys are at the priesthood session of conference, I'm bored!
How wonderful conference is! It's incredible, I swear every talk is somehow designed for me alone. I'm so grateful that every six months we get to hear from our wonderful prophet. No matter where I'm watching, I can always feel of his love, and it's like he's always looking right at me as he speaks. Not to mention he has such an amazing smile!
 

I feel bad when I fall asleep during the talks, but in my defense, these men are called of God... they have very soothing voices! They are so lulling, it's hard not to drift off, especially with the spirit they invoke as they speak... I KNOW I'm not the only one!

Sigh...

It's one of those days when you know you have lots to do, but you don't really want to do ANY of it! Haha, oh well, I suppose I can procrastinate just a little longer. ;)

You know way back when in the day when we girls were in Young Women's, our leaders told us all to write down the qualities we wanted in our future husbands someday? Well, over the years I have had several versions of that list, the first saying those silly things like "He has to be 6'3'', blonde hair, blue eyes, etc..." and the most recent is the one I want to share here.
It's kinda funny, because one time I was told by someone: "You know, your not going to get EVERYTHING you want in your future husband." That had never made sense to me, because why not get everything you want in a guy? Obviously you have to realize that certain things aren't realistic, but I would hope most of those lists would be the few things that you will never compromise on.
What's crazy to me is that several weeks into dating Gentry, I happened to look up at my "Marital Spouse Requirements" paper I have tacked above my desk. At I started reading through it, I realized that Gentry, without even realizing it, was checking off every item on my list, and doing/being above and beyond! He's so incredible, I love him to death!

Marital Spouse Requirements:
*subject to change and add-ons*

• My best friend
• Member of the Church
• Return Missionary
• Desires a Temple Marriage
• Desires a Family
• Loves me for me
• Is willing to make sacrifices for me
• Wants to work towards perfection and eternity together
• Wants to spend as much time with me as possible
• Someone I can trust with anything
• Would never do anything to compromise our "happily ever after"
• Is romantic
• Tells me he loves me constantly (and says it in such a way that I know he means it every time)
• Isn't afraid to talk about the gospel or share his testimony with me
• Understands the value of education

Thank you so much, Gentry, for everything you are and aspire to be, and thanks for making me a better person, simply by knowing you! You are incredible!

Engagements!

I know Gentry will probably kill me for posting this,  but I can't help it! We got back our engagement photos today, and I love them! I'm only posting one for now, but then you'll get to see a glimpse of just how lucky I am!

The Proposal

You know, you hear all those stories about how different people propose, and some are cute, but others seem so elaborate and have so much effort and stress put in. I absolutely love how Gentry proposed to me, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!
We had decided a while back that we were going to get married, he had gone and picked out my ring and we'd even ordered his. We'd been told that they were coming in the same day, so I wasn't too worried about getting proposed to. I knew it would happen eventually, especially since we wanted to get our engagements pictures done by the end of March. The week after Spring Break as we were trying to make plans, I knew Gentry had been getting a hard time from his brothers and other people because he hadn't proposed yet. (It probably didn't help that he knew my parents were already telling people we were engaged, even though I didn't have my ring yet.) He must've been worried about it, because he apologized to me that he hadn't done it yet, but it was because the ring hadn't come in. Like I said, I wasn't too worried about it, and so we went on with the week with nothing else said.
Last Tuesday, March 20th, I decided I needed to nail down a date with the photographer so we could plan a day to do pictures. We said that next Saturday, the 24th, also my birthday, was a perfect day. I text Gentry and asked if that worked for him, which he responded that it was fine for him. So I knew the proposal was coming that week at some point, which was good enough for me!
Later that night, Gentry text me and asked when I was going to be done with class. Tuesdays are my long days, so I told him I'd be done at 8:30 when my lab was done. He mentioned that we had wanted to get all our engagement outfits together so we could look and make sure the colors worked and had them all in the same place, and asked if we could do it that night after I got out of class. I said sure, and he came over to my apartment after class with his stuff. We were also going to be doing our bridals that same day as our engagements, so he brought over his old high school choir tux that he was going to wear. He said: "I haven't worn this since high school, let me try it on and see how well it fits." So he changed and came back with the pants and coat on over his T-shirt. Then, being a dork, he put on his baseball hat too! We laughed and I pulled out one of the ties he'd brought and had him put it on too, just being silly and thinking nothing of it. Still on this tangent, he pulled on his white "grandpa" shoes for engagements. Even with all that crazy mix of clothes on, he still looked super spiffy, and for one second I turned around to put away something. I turned back around to see Gentry on one knee, with a ring box open in his hand. I just keep staring at him, and he said: "I think you should wear this for bridals."
I, of course, starting squealing: "Oh my gosh, are you serious?!?" over and over again. The only way he got me to be quiet was to say those magic words: "Rachel, will you marry me?" I would've loved to have said, "Oh, I'll think about it," but in the moment I was so excited and so happy I couldn't get any other words out of my mouth other than: "YES!"

Being engaged is wonderful, I absolutely love my ring, it feels weird to not have it on my finger anymore. So yes, Gentry proposed in a tux and I said yes. So now we're "officially" engaged, and so excited to be married on June 29th in the Manti Utah Temple!

How we met...

People always have the cutest stories about how they met, so I felt like it was only fair that I share ours.
The Sunday before finals week back in December, my ward Relief Society president announced that she was going to be moving to Salt Lake, so her roommates threw her a going away party and invited everyone. I went with a few girls from the apartment next to me, and the party became a fun evening of talent sharing and telling what we all loved about Emily.
Lots of people from the ward showed up, as well as lots of people I didn't know. One of these was a pretty cute guy that introduced himself as Gentry. He and I talked for a minute and went on with things, I personally thinking nothing of it. (However, I will admit that every time he walked in and out of a room, I always caught myself thinking how cute that guy was.)
Unbeknownst to me, Gentry had been texting Emily's roommate, Laren, and told her that he thought I was cute. She is known for her matchmaking, so of course she responds to his text asking if he was going to do anything about it that night. He said no, and she resolved that something would. 
By this time, many people had left the party, and I was talking with a few people, when all of the sudden, Laren calls from across the room: "I need to talk to Rachel right now!" Literally dragging me from the circle of people I was talking to, she pulls me aside and asks: "Who is taking you home tonight?" Me, being completely confused, told her I was going home with the girls from my apartment complex. Laren gave me a look that only Laren can give, and said: "You need to ask Gentry for a ride home."  I was still completely confused, didn't agree right away, but finally said alright, I'd ask. So I did, and while he probably thought I was such a creep for asking, he graciously gave me a ride home.
Even on that ride home, I was impressed. One, he had an awesome truck, which I happen to have a thing for. Two, he opened my door so I could get in, another total surprise to me. Then after he drove me home, we sat outside in his truck for a bit talking. He, as I had expected, asked me for my number, which I gave, with the preface that it wasn't working so he wouldn't be able to get a hold of me for a couple days (I ended up switching phone companies the next day, so it was NOT--no matter how much he denies it--a fake phone number to try and get rid of him!). Well, he decided he wanted to ask me out before we left for Christmas break, so he found and added me on Facebook, and then asked me out to dinner over a message. (He still hates how classless it was, but I forgave him because of the phone troubles.)
So that next Wednesday he picked me up after work and we ate at Winger's and afterwards came back to my apartment and played poker and card games. :) A simple first date, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. We talked so much that night and I learned so much about him, it was definitely a night I won't forget.

And so folks, yes indeed, we are the product of a divinely inspired set-up, and every day I am grateful for that set-up, because it means I get to spend the rest of eternity with this handsome man!

First Post!

Okay, so I know I'm not officially a Gasser yet, but I'm so excited for this new part of our lives that I decided I didn't want to wait to start posting about us. :) Yes, I'm a dork, what else is new???