this mare eats oats: 2003 - when i changed my name

the end of 2002 through the beginning of 2003 was one big whirlwind for me. at the end of my sophomore year in may 2002, i ended my second "relationship" of the year. i was done with serious dating! i was too young and just wanted to have fun. the copy center in the library closed down and there wasn't another opening on campus until the fall, but i really needed to work full time that summer. so, i had initially planned to do a london study abroad that fall, but my mom nixed that plan after the 9/11 attacks. so, sterling albrecht, the director of the library who always waited for me to come on shift so "curly" could make copies for him {he had a super complex project one time and i completed it with flying colors...he was impressed}, sent out a library-wide email to see if there were any openings for his favorite student employee. dianne from government information emailed back that they would be hiring for the summer, so with his recommendation and a quick interview, i got the job.

i spent my days shelving books, clearing up bad call numbers on the computer and reorganizing sections of the dusty government documents. i learned how to use microfilm and microfiche and basically had a lot of time to myself. there were full time employees, but they had their own offices. there were other student employees, but usually one of us was at the desk while the other was in the stacks, so there wasn't a lot of talking going on. government information also wasn't known as one of the most peopled parts of the library. it was pretty vacant. every so often, a political science class or something similar would have a project where they needed a government document and we jumped to their aid. and only a few people studied down in the dungeons of the first floor {two floors below ground level}.

toward the end of summer term, a young man frequented the carrels in our area. every so often, he'd get up to get a drink and would always say hello. but, since boys and dating were not on my mind, i didn't take much notice. he even came to ask me where he could find a court case: marbury vs. madison.* and then, after a few weeks of chit chat, he asked me out. he introduced himself as ryan and he wondered if i could go to park city with him and some roommates that weekend. but i was headed to washington for two weeks with my cousins and the cabin, so i had to decline. when i returned, fall semester had started and i had my starry eyes on a new guy in my religion class. when i went to work, ryan asked me again, but i was going home for my step brother's mission homecoming address. he asked me out again the next week and i was headed back to salt lake for my step-sister's wedding. so i said no again. he must have been discouraged, but i didn't notice because i really liked this other guy.

fast forward a few weeks and i finally had a free weekend. so he took me to cafe rio {mmmmmm} and to some concert or festival on campus. other than cafe rio, the date was kind of a bust. he made fun of me for liking country music and his roommate and roommate's girlfriend never showed up to meet us so we sat around doing nothing for quite sometime. good thing there was at least cafe rio.

the next few weeks he continued to ask me out. i went if i was free, but i often had other dates, so i couldn't. he finally started to get creative and would schedule me in advance.

"can you go out next weekend?" no.

"what about the next weekend?" i can on saturday.

"okay, and then what about the weekend after that!?" um...i think i'm free {wondering who really schedules their dates out a month in advance}.

i began to like him more and more, but wasn't just interested in him. my 21st birthday came and my roommates had a party for me. i just tallied the number in my head and i think there were seven guys there that either liked me or i liked them. it was awesome. ryan didn't think so.

once i went to his apartment and his roommate kirk greeted us with, "hi ryan. hi library g..." and then he paused, "maren." come to find out, ryan had been stalking me in the library for awhile before he actually got the guts to come and talk to me. he even stooped so low as to peer between the books on the shelving stacks {this is a picture we recreated this year for an idea of what it might have looked like}.

so, because he didn't know my name, he called me library girl. his roommates started calling me that all the time, and the nickname kind of stuck.**

the months wore on, and i had that incredible car accident. and it kind of sealed the deal for ryan. not only did he take me to and from school every day, but he also brought me peppermint ice cream. and if you know me at all, you know there isn't much else that makes me weak in the knees.

we started dating exclusively and then it moved pretty fast. he met some extended family over the christmas break and i met his. we got engaged on january 31, 2003 and made plans to be married may 2nd. i tried to get him to push the wedding back to july because i was dying to room with my cousin rachel who was returning from a mission that spring, but he wouldn't go for it. and so we were married in the bountiful utah temple on may 2, 2003.

*he didn't really need the court case. he just wanted to talk to me.

**he still calls me library girl today. and, for his 30th, with the help of some friends, i was able to give him the actual sign from government information in the library...and our friends put "ryan and library" girl on the opposite side. perfect.

just so you know, i really tried to get ryan to write this post for today because his version is usually hilarious. i'm often crying tears when he tells it to bigger groups. but...he was busy studying for finals or something? nice excuse. i'll eventually get him to write it down. it'll be good for posterity.

also in 2003:

{the infamous 21st birthday party - october 8, 2002}

{engaged}

{kinnersley kids in all their glory}

{having too much fun registering}

{may 2, 2003}

{one of my favs from the wedding. dan begged to put "security" on his suit coat with masking tape. i think he was surprised...and very pleased...when i gave permission.}