This past weekend, I became the happiest & luckiest girl in the world. Benjamin Kelly Johnson is going to be my husband.
Ben and I met in January. He says he saw me in the hallway and was instantly curious because he had never met me before, and didn't know who I was (very strange occurrence in this town). He tried to hang out with my roommates and myself several times to no avail.
Once we had successfully hung out a few times (times where we, the girls, initiated), I became interested in Ben. I sneakily schemed and had my friend give me Ben's number so I could start inviting him to things. After Ben bailed on hanging out a few times for dates with other girls (shut the front door), I thought he was not interested so I decided to move on.
I was wrong, and I am soooo happy I was wrong! A few weeks later, I found out Ben was going to ask me on a date. I was at home with my roommate when Ben called me. For some reason, I froze and couldn't answer the phone (wuss). It took me a couple of hours before I finally called him back (after lots of coaching).
That Saturday, April 20, 2013, Ben took me on our first date. I remember when he came to the door that night, he was wearing his favorite blue short-sleeve button-up, and I was wearing a white summery dress.
I had heard from Ben's best friend Justin that he always has the best date ideas and he is absolutely correct. Ben took me to a delicious pizza place called Jerry's in Waialua, and afterward he took me to our now favorite place to grab dessert, Scoop of Paradise (they have the most delicious homemade mochi ice cream). I was pretty content at that point, but the date was no where near finished.
Ben took me back to Laie to go to Hukilau beach with glow-in-the-dark skipping rocks. The first time he held my hand is when we were walking to the beach, it all seemed very natural at that point – he wasn't pushy and I didn't feel uncomfortable, even though I usually would (good sign).
One thing I learned that day, aside from the fact that Benjamin is brilliant, is that I cannot skip rocks worth my life. Maybe it was the nerves, but I really couldn't. I still very much enjoyed trying and having Ben be my teacher. (:
After that excursion, we decided to go to the hammocks and talk. Ben is one of the easiest people to talk to. He is so comforting, and knows when to be silly and when to be serious. I love that about him. We were there for a while, and I ended up falling asleep on Ben's shoulder.
He dropped me off that night and walked me to my door. We hugged and said goodnight, and that was that. Hands down the best first date I have ever been on.
The next morning we had church, Ben saw one of my roommates and tried to get the deets. I hadn't gone to our ward that day and hadn't talked to anyone about our date, so, sadly, she had nothing to offer. She flipped the question and asked how the date was for him. He still reminds me of his answer, and of course Carlie told me later that day. Ben told her that if things ended up working out between us, he would be the luckiest guy in the world.
For some reason, at that point, my walls went up. The idea of Ben scared me so much because it was so unfamiliar. He was nice, honest, and made me feel like the only girl in the world. I didn't have to prove anything to him, or be anyone else. It all seemed too good. And that is when I started to push Ben away (dumb, dumb, dumb).
Our second date went really well, but I was still struggling with everything.
Our third date was critical. I could tell Ben was laying on the moves. He had a 'surprise' for me (he always has surprises!!!). First we stopped at Ted's Bakery... we had hardly eaten one bite (I could tell he seemed anxious about something), when he said we had to leave at that moment to catch the surprise. He took me to the Pupukea lookout, which looks over Waimea beach and is absolutely stunning. It was the perfect setting for a romantic evening, but at the time I was still not sure I wanted anything to happen, so nothing did (buzz kill). When we were talking later that night, I told him it seemed like something was missing, he said he completely understood.
When Ben was driving me home that night, I was feeling pretty sad thinking that it may be our last date together. He hugged me goodnight, and I started to walk up my stairs. I heard him call my name, I turned around, and there he was kissing me. I was startled. He pulled away and said 'sorry', and I responded 'that's okay'. And then he kissed me again.
And then things changed.
I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Benjamin. Not at all.
I was wrong, and I am soooo happy I was wrong! A few weeks later, I found out Ben was going to ask me on a date. I was at home with my roommate when Ben called me. For some reason, I froze and couldn't answer the phone (wuss). It took me a couple of hours before I finally called him back (after lots of coaching).
That Saturday, April 20, 2013, Ben took me on our first date. I remember when he came to the door that night, he was wearing his favorite blue short-sleeve button-up, and I was wearing a white summery dress.
I had heard from Ben's best friend Justin that he always has the best date ideas and he is absolutely correct. Ben took me to a delicious pizza place called Jerry's in Waialua, and afterward he took me to our now favorite place to grab dessert, Scoop of Paradise (they have the most delicious homemade mochi ice cream). I was pretty content at that point, but the date was no where near finished.
Ben took me back to Laie to go to Hukilau beach with glow-in-the-dark skipping rocks. The first time he held my hand is when we were walking to the beach, it all seemed very natural at that point – he wasn't pushy and I didn't feel uncomfortable, even though I usually would (good sign).
One thing I learned that day, aside from the fact that Benjamin is brilliant, is that I cannot skip rocks worth my life. Maybe it was the nerves, but I really couldn't. I still very much enjoyed trying and having Ben be my teacher. (:
After that excursion, we decided to go to the hammocks and talk. Ben is one of the easiest people to talk to. He is so comforting, and knows when to be silly and when to be serious. I love that about him. We were there for a while, and I ended up falling asleep on Ben's shoulder.
He dropped me off that night and walked me to my door. We hugged and said goodnight, and that was that. Hands down the best first date I have ever been on.
The next morning we had church, Ben saw one of my roommates and tried to get the deets. I hadn't gone to our ward that day and hadn't talked to anyone about our date, so, sadly, she had nothing to offer. She flipped the question and asked how the date was for him. He still reminds me of his answer, and of course Carlie told me later that day. Ben told her that if things ended up working out between us, he would be the luckiest guy in the world.
For some reason, at that point, my walls went up. The idea of Ben scared me so much because it was so unfamiliar. He was nice, honest, and made me feel like the only girl in the world. I didn't have to prove anything to him, or be anyone else. It all seemed too good. And that is when I started to push Ben away (dumb, dumb, dumb).
Our second date went really well, but I was still struggling with everything.
Our third date was critical. I could tell Ben was laying on the moves. He had a 'surprise' for me (he always has surprises!!!). First we stopped at Ted's Bakery... we had hardly eaten one bite (I could tell he seemed anxious about something), when he said we had to leave at that moment to catch the surprise. He took me to the Pupukea lookout, which looks over Waimea beach and is absolutely stunning. It was the perfect setting for a romantic evening, but at the time I was still not sure I wanted anything to happen, so nothing did (buzz kill). When we were talking later that night, I told him it seemed like something was missing, he said he completely understood.
When Ben was driving me home that night, I was feeling pretty sad thinking that it may be our last date together. He hugged me goodnight, and I started to walk up my stairs. I heard him call my name, I turned around, and there he was kissing me. I was startled. He pulled away and said 'sorry', and I responded 'that's okay'. And then he kissed me again.
And then things changed.
I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Benjamin. Not at all.
