Lovenote Story Winner & 33 Weeks....

My CT had such a fun time reading though the lovestories submitted to us. They made us laugh and they made us tear up.

But then we voted and overwhelmingly.....

This is a long love story, but a good one. I first met Mitch while working at a record store in 1990. I remember looking up from the counter and seeing this good looking boy walking towards me, I still remember the feeling I had of just "recognizing" him somehow. I flirted unashamedly with him and ended up giving him my phone number.

For the rest of that summer we were totally inseparable. When we weren't at work, we were together, driving around in my goofy yellow Toyota Celica.

At the end of the summer he turned 19, and in our church that is the age whenyoung men can choose to serve a 2 year mission. Sure enough, he turned in his papers and got a call to serve in the San Jose Costa Rica Mission. I also remember the conflicting feelings of pride and sadness that my boyfriend, my sweetheart, was going so far away for so long. It was a difficult thing, and although we wrote to each other and I was TRYING to wait for him to get home... we drifted apart. The real end was on Christmas Eve when he got to call his mom's house. I was there, and when it was my turn to talk to him he told me that he didn't want us to date when he came home.

I was sad but determined to hold on to my pride. I ended up marrying the next boy that I started seeing after that phone call. During the nearly 3 years of that marriage I heard that Mitch had also married, and every once in awhile I would get a pang in my heart for my first real love. My marriage didn't turn out so well, by husband left me when I was 5 months pregnant. It seemed the reality and responsibility of having both a wife AND a child were too much for him to face. I was devastated and terrified. I wondered how I could make it as a single mom and if I could ever find anyone to be the daddy I so desperately wanted for my baby girl.

This is where the story gets good again. Toward the end of my pregnancy... when I was as big as a house... my little sister and I were out running errands and happened to drive by Mitch's mother's home. I mentioned to my sister how much I missed his Mom, Marlene. She had always been sweet to me. My sister "double dog dared" me to stop at the house and say hello. For some crazy reason I did.

So there I was in my maternity overalls, knocking on the door of the house I had spent so much time in years before. Mitch's mom answered the door and luckily remembered who I was. We exchanged some pleasantries and then she called out-"Hey Mitch! Come and see who's here...! " I was SO mortified. I froze to the spot and my sister would tell me later that I blushed to the roots of my hair.

What an awkward conversation THAT was... so how have you been, yep, I'm pregnant, do you and you wife have any kids? No? You're divorced? Me too... or at least I will be soon... Well, anyway, nice to see ya.

It took a few days for him to call me at my Mom's house, where I was staying until the birth of my baby. We were still both so shellshocked from our failed marriages that our first conversations were awkward. But I needed a friend desperately and appreciated his support during that frightening wait for my little girl to arrive.

After she was born, he continued to be a good friend to me. He helped me move into my little apartment and listened to me when I needed to talk.

It was a long, slow, process as we both learned to trust again and got brave enough to open our hearts back up to each other. But, as the months passed and we spent time together, I watched his wonderful ways with my sweet daughter and remembered how we had been before. The amazing thing is how, when the time was right, the true love that we had for each other turned on just like someone - I believe it was Heavenly Father- flipped a switch on. Suddenly we both knew without a doubt that we were going to marry and be happy. That he was going to love my little girl with all of his heart and that everything was going to be okay. What a blessing it all was.

I'll never forget our SECOND first kiss... how many couples get to experience that twice???

To make a long story short- too late!- we married in the Mt.Timpanogos Temple of our church. Almost 10 years to the day after he left on his mission. We were older, wiser, maybe a little battered by life, but no less in love than when we were giddy teenagers. And even today- 6 years, a house, another child, 5 cats and numerous jobs later I'm grateful that I got another chance at life with my true love.

The end!

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New belly shots for you! Here you go.... 33 weeks pregnant.



And the progression....

16, 20, 24, 28, 33 weeks.

I have to go get ready for my US. They are checking to see if Bean's still breech or if he's turned.

:)