James and Kristen met after a series of a few significant events.
The first was when April, James's sister, came by to meet girls in the complex, presumably to make friends and be a friendly neighbor, but secretly looking for counselors to add to the Relief Society Presidency. She had just been called as the Relief Society President of the ward. She met Kristen and her roommate Kayla as they were moving their bunk-bed around the room for the optimal location. Kristen apparently spoke her mind about the different locations quite a bit, because after about ten minutes, April went straight home to where she lived with her siblings Rachel and James. James was home, sitting on the couch using his laptop for a project, when April came in and stood in the entry way for a few seconds looking contemplative. Then, slowly, she said, "James, there's this new girl in P4. She is brutally honest. I like her." Yes, the first thing James ever heard about his future wife was that she is brutally honest. James replied, "And that's a good thing?" April said, "Yes, I want her to be a counselor in my presidency."
Kristen was asked to be a counselor in the R.S. Presidency and she accepted. Each Sunday, April held presidency meetings at her place. James would frequently answer the door for Kristen. He thought she was cute. He made it a point to always say hi to her and address her by name. Their interaction was generally as follows: "Hi, Kristen." "Hi, James." And then Kristen would quickly walk past him into the living room where the presidency meetings were held. James did not pursue Kristen then because he thought she was taken.
Kristen still remembers the first time she saw James. It was not a significantly profound moment, yet one she remembers all the same. He was standing at the back of the large room in the testing center (where their ward has the privilege of meeting for sacrament meeting. She could not read his expression. He wasn’t really looking at anything in particular either. She noticed that he was standing next to his two sisters, April and Rachel, who were talking to people. Most likely, he was waiting for them to finish talking so that he could walk to Sunday School with them. Again, she doesn’t remember thinking anything profound about him. Rather, all she remembers thinking is, “Ah, that must be James, April’s brother.”
Kristen also remembers a time when James spoke from the pulpit (in Mormon lingo he "gave a talk") in church, about October 2012. It was the most she had ever heard him speak up to that point, and she was intrigued by what April and Rachel's quiet brother had to say. She learned that he was an extremely eloquent speaker with a rich vocabulary. He also had a strong understanding of the gospel. She was extremely impressed. However, all she did about it was write him a "nice note" (a tradition their ward did each Sunday) telling him that she really enjoyed his talk. For some reason, James still thought she was taken.
A month later, James bore his testimony in church. Again, she noticed his eloquence and nice vocabulary, but more than that she felt the Spirit extremely strong. It was so powerful. She was certain that everyone in the room must be feeling the same way. Maybe they were. All she knew for sure was that that was the kind of testimony she wanted her future husband to have! James set the bar for her future husband then and there.
Kristen's friend Janet Rex had a bookcase, TV, and TV stand that she wanted to get rid of. She offered them to Kristen, and Kristen immediately took her up on them. However, Kristen had no way of getting any of the items. She was walking outside and was about to call a guy in her ward that had a truck, when she noticed the Rebers pulling up in a Dodge diesel pick-up truck with an 8' bed. She thought to herself, "That can haul a bookcase."
She was going to ask Rachel to drive her down to Springville and help her load up the items, but then she had the thought, seemingly out of nowhere, to ask James instead. Kristen thought this was very strange. She and James had hardly said anything to each other. Yet, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense: James is a boy who is very strong. He would be very capable of helping her transport a bookcase, TV, and TV stand.
She asked James if he could drive down to Springville and load up the items and then drive them back--specifically in that huge truck. James said he could. On the day of the needed transportation, James forgot. Kristen, already in Springville thanks to Janet picking her up earlier, texted him to remind him, and he apologized and headed to Springville immediately with his brother Sean. They got lost. However, they eventually found Janet's place and James and Sean quickly loaded the items into the bed of the truck. Kristen noticed that James was particularly nice to her elderly friend and took the time to talk to her and get to know her a little, including going around back to look at the roses Janet had so carefully tended and offered her his compliments. Also, he was extremely strong and lifted the items with no problem. It was attractive.
In the car, James and Kristen talked and found out that they had a mutual interest in classic rock. They also discovered that each was easy to talk to. The intrigue began.
Eventually, James moved out of the apartment he had been living in with his sisters to a complex across the street with some guy friends. Kristen and James's apartments were assigned to be in the same Family Home Evening group. This was when Kristen really began to notice James. For whatever reason, James was suddenly talkative and outgoing. He had a personality!!! He was funny, kind, and cool. She was intrigued by this guy.
James and Kristen kept having opportunities to talk to and get to know one another. Eventually, James got some courage and asked Kristen, "Do you have a boyfriend?" He had thought so for so long, but he really wanted to ask her on a date so he had to know! Can you imagine his joy and also his chagrin when she said, "No." He then promptly asked her on a date.
The rest is history! After a seven-month courtship (okay, there were a couple break-ups but they were always on each others' minds!), he asked her to marry him. James and Kristen will be sealed in the Manti, Utah Temple for time and all eternity on May 4, 2013!
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