From me to we

It's kind of crazy to think i'm marrying my best friend. I know that sounds so cliché now days, but  I think 10 years of friendship can justify that statement. We can trace the "how did you meet" question all the way back to age eight. But for the sake of not writing an autobiography we can just fast forward to high school. Chad and I had a Sports Culture class together and bonded over athlete stress and coping worksheets. Over the high school years Chad and I stayed strictly in the friend zone (I can take responsibility for that one) but we sure had a great time doing it! 

 As time went on, my thoughts went from friend zone to…."O crap I think I like him, now pretend like you don't because you don't want him to know" And this continued for quite some time. All the while Chad patiently waited for my girl brain to stop over thinking things so much. 

The night Chad opened his mission call was when my brain went into hyper speed. Lyon, France was about to receive the most selfless, hard working, compassionate missionary, but I was no longer going to have my best friend physically with me. 

Let me tell you, that was a LONG two years. But it was the best thing that could have ever happened to us. Every monday I was like a kid on Christmas getting up to read his emails.I take pride in knowing that we never missed a single week.Even though we were on opposite sides of the world we still managed to grow together in ways that I don't think either of us anticipated. 

I knew I loved Chad before he left, but I really did fall in love with him through letters and I think he could say the same. 

Two years had come and gone with adventures in-between for the both of us. But on April 12, 2014 Chad was HOME, it was all such a blur. All I knew was my best friend was home and we couldn't wait to start our lives together again. It was like he never left. 

We knew we wanted to get married even before he got home from his mission. I definitely had my typical over thinking moments, where again Chad was patient with me. But I knew that ultimately it would work out. I just needed to let go of that fear and move forward trusting the man I knew Chad was and who we could become together. 

On May 23, 2014 he made it official. He took me out to our special little field and we watched the sunset. I thought nothing of it because we go on adventures to take pictures and admire the Idaho beauty all the time. He talked about how it's going to be so cool to bring our kids here and show them where we went to school and our favorite places to go. He said how this place could be even more special if he did one thing. 

At this point I caught on, and I started mentally freaking out. Next thing I knew he was on one knee and I was a crying mess and all I could say is "this isn't real" a million times. He assured me it was and put a ring on my finger! Then come to find out, the little sneak had his cousin incognito taking pictures of the whole thing. I think we were in utter shock the first hour. In one moment ten years of friendship turned into an eternity of happiness.

A long time coming would be an understatement. But we wouldn't have done it any other way. I will be forever grateful for Chad and his patience with me and for giving me the privilege of being his future wife. Let the countdown begin!

The future Hilburn Family 

August 22, 2014