I got to talk to him on the phone!!!

Austin got to call from the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX airport!! He left for Mexico on December 21, 2009. He had a 5 hour layover so he got to call everyone! I was honestly very nervous to talk to him after two months, but it was so wonderful to hear his voice. We got to talk for an hour. He shared all of his MTC experiences and I got to share my patriarchal blessing with him (which I got while he was gone). He told me how excited/nervous he was to get to Mexico. It was really the best day and it was just a few days before Christmas so I knew I would get to talk to him again in a few days.

The MTC

The MTC experience actually was not too bad on my end of it. He was in the MTC for 2 months due to learning spanish. I got letters twice a week. I could expect a letter every Tuesday and Friday. It didn't take long to get or send letters and there was same day package deliveries to the MTC. We sent all kinds of packages--All the stuff he forgot because he packed the morning he left, and Halloween and even Christmas! The first month really dragged on for me, but the second month went by much faster. He told me that it felt like it was just one long day from the time he got there.

The day he left...October 21st, 2009

The day Austin left was one of the hardest things I've ever experienced. It caused me physical pain in my heart that he couldn't hug or kiss me goodbye. When I got to his house he still hadn 't packed yet...So like him! Leave it until the day you're leaving to pack for a two year trip. After he got done packing we went with his family and him to Training Table for lunch because he didn't have to report to the MTC until 1:15 that day. Once we finished eating we made the drive up to Provo, Utah to drop him off at the Missionary Training Center. I truthfully did not want to go along to drop him off, but he insisted. Now, I am really glad I went. Although, it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do to watch the love of my life walk away from me for the next two years, it was so great to see all the other missionaries there who were so happy. At that point I knew he would be well taken care of and that he would be happy too. It was so hard to say goodbye to him. I still got a kiss on my forehead and a promise that he would marry me when he returns! Then I climbed into the car and cried my eyes out while Austin's best friend held me. It honestly made my heart hurt in places I didn't even know it could.

When he asked me to wait...

When Austin asked me to wait we had been dating for about 7 months. We had already discussed the idea of me waiting for him while he serves his mission in the past. He knew that I was cool with waiting for him.
Funny story...The third or fourth time we hung out together I asked him about whether he was going to serve a mission or not and his reply was that he was getting ready to turn in his papers really soon. That was the worst thing he could have said to me at that point. I responded with "we can't hang out anymore". Totally kidding but serious at the same time. I did not want that heartache, but deep down I knew that I was already too far "in like" (as we always said before we said I love you) with this guy to stop seeing him.
So... that brings us to our trip to Las Vegas, Nevada in July, 2009 (which is after he received his call to Guadalajara, Mexico leaving October 21, 2009). One of the nights we were there we decided to go inside the Bellagio and check out the chocolate fountain and the gardens. Well the whole day Austin and my sister were laughing and joking around with each other. I kept thinking they were starting to like each other or something. So we're sharing a crepe at the chocolate fountain and Austin gets down on one knee and says my full name and asks if I will wait for him with a beautiful promise ring in his hand. Of course I said yes. No doubt about it. Plus, I figured out why my sister and him were joking around all day. She knew about the ring all along. I couldn't have been happier!! He did a good job!