Friday, April 29, 2011

{ INTRODUCING... STEPH C }



Most memorable childhood moment: Oooh, that's tough because I remember just about everything from my childhood, so it's all memorable! There was that time in the 1st grade when our class was walking in a single file line and I still managed to get taken out by a telephone pole. Or that time when my brother and I made ketchup, mustard, and cheese sandwiches on my parents' bed for an FHE treat, much to our delight and our parents' dismay. Or how my mom had to put chicken wire around the strawberries not to keep chickens out but to keep me out. Or how I would fall asleep in church and wake up with my 3-year-old fro matted to one side of my head....Shall I go on? :)

Your best physical feature: Most people would say my crazy curly hair, but I'd say my smile. Not because it's a particularly amazing smile, but because I use it so often!

Your best quality: I am relentlessly positive. Some people find that annoying because they just want complain and want me to join in on their pity party, but I can't help pointing out the positive and focusing almost entirely on it. It's just natural for me to see the silver lining before I even notice the cloud itself.

Why are you ready to find Mr. Right?: I've always been the type to continually evaluate the condition of my heart and how I'm doing in the challenge to become like Him and have a heart like His. And now I feel I've reached a point where I can say that I've conquered, with the Lord's help, most of the fears and weaknesses that could potentially get in the way of my truly giving my whole heart to a good and worthy man. It's exciting to be in a place where unlocking my heart will be easier than ever! Now, to find the right key.....

What would your last boyfriend say about you?: I think he'd probably give me a glowing recommendation! We're still friends, so dating me must not have been too traumatic! I think he'd probably say that I am a fiercely loyal friend, selfless to a fault, extremely creative in my thoughtfulness, and... a good (great?) kisser. :)

Most embarrassing moment?: As a new greenie on the mish, fresh out of the MTC and trying to learn spanish, I accidentally told an Elder to bend over instead of turn around. Whoops. My district had a hay day with that one!

Greatest accomplishment so far: Serving a mission. I had to sacrifice a lot to go and the particular challenges were so tailored to my weaknesses that it challenged even MY eternal optimism (gasp!). But I headed the call, sacrificed everything, served with everything I had and kept a smile on my face while doing it. I didn't have much outward "success" that I could point to, but the victory was in the determination (stubbornness?) to never give up. After that experience, I'm pretty sure that I'm prepared to take anything life could possibly throw at me!

What is one of your quirks?: I have very nervous fingers. I can't think unless I'm playing with something in my hands. Is that weird? If you hand me a paper clip it will be transformed into a piece of art within minutes without my noticing. Every sacrament meeting program turns into a piece of origami. Gum is completely out of the question since it wouldn't stay in my mouth! I've never been able to wear rings since I'll twist it until my finger is raw (I don't know what I'm going to do when I get married! I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!). I once made a ball of tape the size of my fist made up of hundreds of tiny little rolls of tape - the result of the thinking process of a couple of years of tough engineering problems. Is that a waste of company resources or an investment towards intellectual property? This little quirk does make hand holding fun though....

Worst Date: Ok, check this out. I love blind dates, but this one takes the cake! My roommate and her boyfriend had set my other roommate up with this guy and they were going to double. Last minute my roommate couldn't go, so I was coerced into taking her place. They didn't tell me until I was on the date (or rather, I discovered for myself) that the dude didn't speak english! How's that for first date blind date awkardness! 100% charades! Then (get this!) we went to the Nutty Putty Caves and it turned out that this guy was extremely claustrophobic and couldn't even enter without a panic attack. Instead of leaving to do something else, my roommate and her guy decide to go get lost in the cave somewhere (to make out, presumably), leaving me alone with my miming, mute, panic stricken date! We may or may not have popped a tire on the way home. It was definitely a one of a kind adventure! And overall, I still had a good time! But we didn't go out again. :)

Best Date: I had been very close friends with a guy for a couple of years and we were kind of in that place where we were determining if we should give it a real shot. It was my birthday and this guy planned a whole treasure hunt based on little moments and memories that we had had together. Each spot had a clue that would refer to a place where a certain memory had occurred. It took me almost the entire treasure hunt to realize that, because the places we were going were fairly populated, he hadn't planted the clues beforehand for fear they'd be tampered with and was hiding them right then when I wasn't looking. I finally caught him in the act (kind of embarrassing that it took as long as it did!). At the end the hunt was a photo album with a collection of his favorite pictures of us from our past adventures. He was absolutely darling, so sweet and thoughtful. I'm kind of a sucker for thoughtfulness - gets me every time!

Did you serve a mission?: I did! I served in Barcelona, Spain. If so where did you go and what would the elders say about you?: I'll be honest, the elders LOVED me (in a deep charity, "lock your heart", mission appropriate sort of way, of course)! Particularly my MTC elders. One of my sweetest memories of my mission was after my last zone conference. Somehow (a very blessed, providential sort of "somehow") all but two of my MTC elders were in my last zone with me. We were all headed home on the train and I opened a letter and found it to be my trunky papers. I just started bawling uncontrollably. Those sweet elders just didn't know what to do! They had only known "always positive and smiling no matter how rough things got" Hermana Conran and they were stunned and so concerned. It makes me laugh to think back at the inner struggle I could see in their faces, wanting so badly to give me hug but not being allowed to! So they all split up on a mission to make me smile. One drew me pictures. One wrote me a song and sang it into my tape recorder. One expostulated on how it seemed unfair that I had to go home when the rest of them had six more months. Another just filled his eyes with love and looked on me and smiled all the way home. I'm not sure what I did to inspire these elders to such love and devotion and loyalty, but some have told me since that they think that my mission was more to inspire, lift, and strengthen the other missionaries so they could find those seeking for the gospel than for finding them myself.

What did you study in school and why? Where did you go to college?: I got a BS and MS in Civil Engineering from BYU, with minors in both Engineering Management and Marriage, Family, and Human Development (officially) and Ballroom Dance (unofficially:) ). After taking one of those personality tests from the Career Center, the test giver told me that she had never seen anyone so even across the board - that I could study just about anything and enjoy it and succeed in it. Sooooo.....I studied it all. :)

What is one thing that not a lot of people know about you that you want to share here with the world?: I used to be shy! Painfully shy! Shocking, right? Knowing me now, most people would never guess that in a million years. A couple of years as a cheerleader, an EFY counselor, and a missionary beat that one right out of me! Also, I can get my hair to fro out larger than a fro wig (no exaggeration!), though only a chosen few have been privileged enough to see that!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

{ INTRODUCING... ASHLEY }



Most memorable childhood moment: My dad is a total enthusiast for life and loves to sing and dance. It was not unusual for him to grab you away from doing dishes and dance with you in the kitchen. There wasn’t ever music playing though – he would just sing a song for us, but not with the real lyrics. He would change the words to be about me or whatever else was making him happy at the time. I always knew my dad loved me and his zest for life was contagious. You couldn’t help but feel better after a whirl around the kitchen with him. Those experiences were instrumental in developing my sense of security, love and confidence.

Your best physical feature: This sounds silly but I actually really like my back, especially my shoulder blades. The funny thing is that people rarely ever see that part of my body, but maybe it makes it that much better. It’s a little hidden secret that few are privy to :)

Your best quality: Does anyone ever like this question? Here goes anyway...I really try my best to be inclusive of people. I have always been an outgoing and friendly person but as I’ve grown older I have done my best to use my talents for His purposes. I feel I can do that by inviting people out to activities and events, and helping to introduce people to each other. (With this too I’m always doing all that I can to encourage dating. I tell my awesome guy friends that they can’t just hang out with my great cute girl friends that I introduce them to; they need to take them on a date!) I also have a mass text list that I send out info to about YSA activities, as well as housing openings, opportunities to serve, or random things like helping people get paired up for a drive to Utah to split gas. I get excited when I meet someone who has just moved to Arizona and doesn’t know anyone. I know that I then have the opportunity to quickly get them connected and find good friends so they can stay strong in the Gospel and meet people to date. I truly find joy when I am involved in success stories.

Why are you ready to find Mr. Right?: Having been single for this long, I’ve had to face a lot of challenges and trials without a companion. I’ve always had an incredible amount of support from my family, friends and the Lord, but I know it would be different to have someone holding your hand through it all, and physically being there to wipe your tears at times. I’ve had to learn to be pretty strong and to be independent. I don’t want to become so adjusted to being on my own though that I don’t know how to be interdependent, to really rely on someone and allow them in to help me.
My sister, who got married at 25, once said that she realized that there were some things that the Lord knew she would learn better single, than she would married. I think that has been true in my life. I am so grateful for the many experiences that have taught me so much about loving other people, seeing them as children of God, about relying on the Lord through tough times, and about how to be happy with your life and make the most of your current situation. I think these lessons will be invaluable to me as a wife and mother.
But I know that I can only progress so far in life and the Gospel without a companion. I’d really like to get to that stage of my life. I want to be able to give of myself and work towards perfection together. I am very happy now, but I know that the greatest joy comes from serving others and a marriage and family are the ultimate way in which you can really serve someone else. I’m ready for Mr. Right!

What would your last boyfriend say about you?: I think my last boyfriend would say that I was really thoughtful. He would tell me that I was “always looking out for [him]”. I’m a believer in hand written notes, in little gifts that have thought behind them – a favorite candy bar or drink just because, a “Finals Survival Kit”, etc.
He’d also tell you that I love spreadsheets. He always gave me a hard time for all the spreadsheets I’d make for things: family reunion schedule, to-do checklists, tracking how much I spend on birthday and wedding gifts (I told you I like to give gifts, but I have to keep myself in check!), I was in charge of the budget for my last two siblings’ weddings, you get the point :)

Most embarrassing moment?: When I was in high school, swing dancing was becoming very popular. I went to a stake dance where they were giving swing instructions beforehand. I felt incredibly lucky to be paired with a tall and strong young man who had been swing dancing many times so he knew what he was doing. As we went through the various moves they taught we were doing great. Then the instructor showed us a move that my partner had never actually done before, where the guy flips the girl over his back. Pretty simple move.
Everyone gave it a try and then we for some reason were just a few paces behind everyone when we tried the move. Unfortunately we’d made a fatal mistake – we had locked arms opposite of the way we were supposed to. So as I came flipping over his back, suddenly his elbows and arms were not there to hold me up and I smacked the floor with a hard thud. I was completely sprawled out on my stomach! And since everyone else had already finished the move before us, they were all witness to the terrible sight. Good thing I was wearing shorts under my skirt! But the whole rest of the night I had people coming up to me saying “Oh my gosh, are you okay? That looked horrible!” Yep, it was. But, we redeemed ourselves by doing an awesome sequence of difficult moves during the actual dance. So the bruised ego was eased a bit, but the bruised knees didn’t go away quite so quickly...

Greatest accomplishment so far: To me, my greatest accomplishment is that I have never done anything to disgrace my family name. I actually love that my parents didn’t give me a middle name, with the intention that my maiden name would become my middle name. I’m very proud of the Chapman name and the heritage that comes with it, of many faithful members of the Church going back to the pioneers. The same is true on my mom’s side, the Washburn’s. I’ve always appreciated the emphasis that the Church puts on heritage, and honoring the names that you take upon yourself – the most important being that of the Lord’s at baptism. I have always been temple worthy and I think that’s the greatest respect that I could pay to both the Lord’s name and the Chapman name.

What is one of your quirks?: I’m pretty particular about how the dishwasher is loaded. I’m all about efficiency, and I’m really logical, so it makes sense to me to put the plates together, and the bowls together, etc. You can fit more in that way, and it’s easier when it’s time to unload when you can just scoop up all of the same dishes together. I blame my parents for making me this way :) But if it doesn’t get loaded “the right” way, it’s certainly not the end of the world.

Worst Date: I’ve actually been very lucky to have a lot of great dates and can really only think of 2 that I would put in the “bad date” category. One of them occurred my freshmen year at BYU when I got setup with a guy that lived out of town. I realized that he didn’t know the area, but I was surprised when he picked me up, said he had no idea where to eat, and asked me where I wanted to go to dinner. I guess I assumed he would have thought about that, talked to people, and at least had suggestions for me (perhaps I was too idealistic as a freshman). But these were the days before smart phones and GPS, which certainly would have made his situation harder. Thinking quickly, I suggested the most stereotypical date location in Provo – Los Hermanos (yep, you know you’ve been there!).
Over dinner, I noticed my date’s eyes continually dropping from my eyes to my chest, or at least my neck area – somewhere down there anyway. It was really making me uncomfortable! I wasn’t wearing a low cut or revealing shirt in the least. I did however, realize that I was wearing a necklace I had borrowed from my roommate that had a large pendant and certainly could be distracting. I determined that this must be the focal point, and that he was just really nervous, but man oh man did I feel awkward! Never did wear that necklace again…
I can converse fairly well with just about anyone. But the conversation with this guy was really lagging, which is always a bad sign to me. One of the biggest things I look for is how I connect with a guy on a conversation level – it should be easy, engaging, uplifting. Those words definitely did not describe the way I felt at that moment.
As we left the restaurant he said, “Well, what do you want to do now?” Again, he apparently had not come up with any ideas and it was left to me to come up with something. We drove around for a bit as I tried to think of what to do. Let me say here that I do not envy the men in having to always come up with things to do. It’s not easy! But it is so very appreciated. Sidebar aside, I finally suggested a movie and he jumped at the opportunity. Normally I don’t like movies on a first date since you don’t get to talk. In this case, I was happy to have the excuse not to talk anymore.
However, when we arrived at the theater we had just missed the round of movies starting, so we had to wait another hour and a half for the next movie to start! The poor guy, I really feel like the cards were just stacked against him at this point. But we made it through the time with menial conversation and then watched the movie.
Truly it wasn’t a horrible date, but certainly not a great one.

Best Date: At BYU, creative dates are fairly normal, almost the standard. Having been graduated for several years, I’d almost forgotten what a really well themed and planned out date was like. That changed when I went out with a guy in Arizona who had gone to college in an area where there weren’t a lot of LDS girls to date. Since he hadn’t dated a lot, I think this prevented him from getting burned out on having to be creative with dates and so I was the beneficiary of a very well planned date. He called it “The Ocean Date”, but I wasn’t aware of the theme until we arrived at the restaurant for dinner.
We started with dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack, and then we went to a lake in one of the nearby neighborhoods. We went out on a little dock and he then explained that we were going to build paper boats and see whose was better. I loved the idea of a little competition but it was also so fun to work together to try and decipher the directions and actually make the boats properly. Work is a big component of marriage and so I love any opportunity I have to work on projects with guys I go out with, to see how we interact and support each other. I had previously said to my date that I try to be pretty “green” with recycling, water usage, etc. He had remembered that and so rather than bring fresh sheets of paper to make the boats with, he had brought papers that were printed on but no longer needed. The attention to detail was amazing! Once we put our boats out to sea, mine actually did float faster and stayed dry longer. But it was a success together in my mind.
The setting for the paper boats was great – water is just always soothing and romantic. We sat on the dock and talked for awhile. But then it was off to the next portion of the date! We stopped by a grocery store and headed toward the ice cream aisle. I was starting to think along his lines and so I said “Phish food?” Ding, ding, ding! We went back to the house and he said we’d be playing a game while we ate the ice cream. “Go Fish?” I queried. Correct again! Apparently I was passing the test and so after the game I made it to the last round of the date, which was watching Ocean’s Twelve. A perfect way to end the evening.
All in all, it was such a fun date that had variety, allowing us to see each other in lots of different settings. I felt like I’d had the equivalent of 4 dates in getting to know him. I certainly do not expect dates to always be that extravagant. A simple dinner to chat and get to know each other totally works for me. But I did feel very special that he would put that much effort into it. Definitely the best date ever!

Did you serve a mission? If so where did you go and what would the elders say about you?: I didn’t serve a mission and ironically enough it’s because I didn’t want to delay the opportunity to get married. Obviously I’ve had enough time now to have served multiple missions. It was actually just recently that I decided that if I’m not married by the time I’m 40 then I’ll serve a mission on my own. By then I wouldn’t really be able to have children of my own anyway. Otherwise, I really look forward to being able to serve a mission with my future husband as a couple. And as they say, every member a missionary, right?

What did you study in school and why? Where did you go to college?: I went to BYU which was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. I made so many friends, attended incredible classes – both secular and spiritual, was able to enjoy lots of sporting events (although the football team was pretty dismal while I was there...), and loved spending time with my siblings who were there and really developing relationships with each of them as we all became adults.
I studied Leisure Services Management with a minor in Business. I didn’t know my freshmen year exactly what I wanted to do, but when looking through a catalog of majors I saw “Recreation Management and Youth Leadership”. The “Youth Leadership” is the part that caught my eye. I had served in Student Council in Elementary, Middle and High School and I liked the idea of being involved in that. As I looked more into the major I discovered that you could emphasize in Leisure Services Management. As I reflected on what I really enjoyed about Student Council, I realized that it was the event planning portion, for the assemblies, the dances, etc. even more than the leadership aspect. Event planning was truly my passion and the major seemed the perfect fit. Though the major was sometimes seen as the “slack off major”, I did it because I was truly passionate about the topic, and I really enjoyed. I was surprised though by how much I loved my classes for my business minor. I had worried that business would be too boring for me, but throughout college and my career I have really come to love business. I actually listen to audio books about business all the time.

What is one thing that not a lot of people know about you that you want to share here with the world?: Not everyone knows that I like cars/motorcycles and driving fast, and even used to have a car that was tricked out to be a legitimate race car. We’re talking turbo engine, chipped, cold air intake, race valve, diverter valve, sway bars, and adjustable sport struts and shocks. It was as Jetta 1.8T which doesn’t seem like much, but with all the upgrades, when the car was dyno’ed, it showed 245whp and 195wtq. When I’d race people on the streets, you could always tell how surprised they were when I blew them off the line (and yes, they knew we were racing!). She was my baby. But she ended up being too expensive to maintain, especially right out of college, so I had to give her up. An ultimate fantasy of mine is to drag race my dream car, a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS Hardtop Coupe. Black with white racing stripes of course.

Monday, April 25, 2011

{ INTRODUCING... STEFANIE }



Most memorable childhood moment: I was staying at a hotel and hung my swimsuit out to dry on the deck. Next thing I know it fell off the deck and we were 3 stories up. So my cousin and I went down to get it and we found a $50 bill. We decided to be honest and turn it in to the front desk. They said they would mail it to us if no one claimed it. A week or so later they actually mailed it to us and we were shocked! We were so excited to spend it!

Your best physical feature: My eyes

Your best quality: I have a positive attitude!

Why are you ready to find Mr. Right? I have had every dating experience imaginable. The stories keep getting better and better. It makes for good laughs and I will be rich off of the book I write one day, but deep down I want it to end.

What would your last boyfriend say about you? Stefanie you are AMAZING, BUT..... ( I hate the word AMAZING with a passion.)

Most embarrassing moment? I currently intern for 101.5 The Eagle. I love it! I do random jobs for them. One job was to run the board in the studio while the DJ was out on their remote at Ogden Subaru. So one day after the DJ said his little schpiel I forgot to turn him off. So the music is playing and he is talking to me thinking he is no longer on air, UM BUT HE IS. So everyone could here his end of our conversation and I felt so stupid and so did he obviously!

Greatest accomplishment so far: I tried out and made the team CLOG AMERICA. I currently dance with this team and have for 4 years. Every summer we tour to Europe for a month and dance in festivals with countries from all over the world. For example last year I went to Greece and Turkey and this year I will be going to Belgium, Paris, Pamplona (Running of the Bulls), and Portugal. It is one of the greatest experiences of my life.

What is one of your quirks? If I didn't have to sleep I wouldn't. I don't like to sleep.

Worst Date: I was on a blind date that was not going well at all. We went to Desert Star Theater and they asked if anyone was on a first date. Of course my date raises his hand. The host comments on how I am sitting so far away from my date and how it looks like an awkward first date (it was). Then he proceeds to tell everyone who is on a first date to stand up and dance to the song they played. Then they wanted us to kiss at the end of the dance. I refused!!

Best Date: I loved when my date taught me how to snowboard in Park City (one of my fave places on earth). It was night boarding and the view was a dream! It was so fun because he was really good and a great teacher! Then we ate at my fave Mexican restaurant up there! I loved it!

Did you serve a mission? I served in Brasilia, Brazil. If so where did you go and what would the elders say about you? They would say I was a good sport when they switched houses with us one Friday and the power went out in our new house because they forgot to pay their electricity bill. Thank goodness on the mish  - you don't need light because when you get home at night and you are so tired you just crash. You want the water in the shower to be cold because the weather is soooo hot! You have no food in the fridge to go bad because the members feed us. And our hair goes up anyway because it is so hot! If it would have happened here at home, no power for the whole weekend would have been an entirely different story!

What did you study in school and why? Where did you go to college? My undergrad was in Elementary Education at BYU because I always wanted to be an Elementary Teacher just like my Grandma. Then I did Grad School at BYU in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages because I know how it feels to learn a second language.

What is one thing that not a lot of people know about you that you want to share here with the world? In 2002 I taught a clogging team and we were given the opportunity to perform in the streets of Olympic Square during the Olympics. One day as we were coming off the stage we were approached by Pat O'Brien and Access Hollywood. They had the Barenaked Ladies with them and we taught the Barenaked Ladies how to clog on Access Hollywood!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

{ INTRODUCING...ALISHA }


Meet Alisha from Scottsdale, AZ

Most memorable childhood memory - That's hard! There isn't one in particular that sticks out, but when I was in 1st-3rd grade, my family and I lived in Thailand. It was awesome! We went to an International School and I got to meet people from all over the world. I know I was young, but I still remember quite a lot, and the entire experience had a big impact on my life. I have an appreciation for people from different cultures and backgrounds and it helped me realize how much I love traveling and visiting new countries.

Your best physical feature - I would have to say my most unique feature is my eyes. I have Bi-lateral Coloboma of the Iris, so my pupils are shaped like a cat eye and a key hole. It doesn't affect my vision except that they are extra sensitive to light. They also say that I can see better in the dark, because my eyes pick up any light in the room. They are also a light blue, so people notice very quickly and ask if I'm wearing contacts. They're kind of crazy, but they make for a great conversation starter!

Your best quality - My best quality is that I can get along well with almost anyone. I really like getting to know people, and there are very few people that I dislike. I think everyone has an interesting story and background, and I like to learn about people and who they are.

Why are you ready to find Mr. Right? - I have been ready to find Mr. Right for a while now, but it just hasn't happened yet. I feel like I've done a lot of fun and exciting things, and I've tried to date and make the most of being single, but I'm getting tired of the singles scene. I'm fairly comfortable with life, which is not good, because I feel like I'm not progressing! And I'm ready to progress. I'm ready to share my life with someone and enjoy the blessings of being sealed to someone in the Temple.

What would your last boyfriend say about you? - Hmm. let's see. I think he would probably say that I am pretty outgoing, sassy and that I like to have fun. He would also say that I traveled a ton for work and for fun so he probably didn't see me as much as he would have liked. :) He would also say that we're still friends, because I've ended on good terms with all of the guys that I've dated. Most of the time we break up because it's not the right fit and it wouldn't work out in the long run.

Most embarrassing moment? - I like to laugh at myself, so I don't get embarrassed too easily! I usually forget about embarrassing moments, because I just think they're funny. The last one happened when I was recruiting and I sat next to a candidate at dinner and learned a lot about him. The next day I addressed him and asked him a question in front of the group. He nicely corrected me and told me that his name was not David as I had been calling him, but Steven. I'm usually pretty good with names, so I was slightly embarrassed!

Greatest accomplishment so far - My greatest accomplishment so far has been moving to Arizona. I had only been to AZ two times before moving here, and I hardly knew anyone - maybe 2 people? I had to figure everything out on my own. I started my job, figured out where to live, where to go to church, where the post office was, etc. You never realize how hard these things are until you move! I really grew a lot from the experience. Also I think landing my job was a big accomplishment for me. It was pretty competitive to even get an interview.

What is one of your quirks? - If you ask any of my family or friends, one of the words I say most often is "What?" For a couple reasons. 1) I either don't hear what they say at all, 2) I hear something completely different or 3) I just want to know what they're talking about. I'm a multi-tasker, and I like to know what's going on around me, so I'll sometimes walk up to my friends during a conversation and ask what they're talking about even if the story is over. :)

Worst date - One of the worst things a guy can do on a first date is take you to a movie. To me that says, "I don't really want to talk to you, I just want to see this movie." I don't feel like you can really get to know someone that way! BUT I think a date is what you make of it, and I try to make every date fun.

Best Date - My favorite dates are ones where we get to go and do something, because I really feel like that helps you get to know someone. Whether it's exploring a new area of town, trying out a new restaurant, going for a bike ride, or playing some kind of game, I like to be able to interact with my date and get to know them. Really even a walk can be fun with the right person!

Did you serve a mission? - No I didn't. I really strongly considered it, but after praying about it, I knew it wasn't what I was supposed to do. Heavenly Father wanted me to share the gospel and serve in a different way with my career. One of my best friends is on a mission right now and I am SO jealous! What an amazing way to spend 18 months!

What did you study in school and why? Where did you go to college? - I went to BYU and studied Business Marketing. My mom's father passed away when she was 13, and my Grandma had to go back to school to be able to support my mom and her sister. Because of this and the examples of my siblings, my parents always taught me to get a degree where I could support myself and my family if that ever happened to me. I figured that every job is within a business, so I should study how businesses work. I decided on marketing, because it is the most creative (I've always been involved in the arts) and I've always been interested in why people buy things. One of the reasons why I love my job so much is because I get to use my degree!

What is one thing that not a lot of people know about you that you want to share here with the world? - I'm a pretty open book, but I don't think too many people know that I love Art History. After my Sophomore year at BYU, I did a Traveling Art History Study Abroad in Europe and it was AMAZING! I loved seeing all the classic art and architecture that I had studied. Witnessing them in person was an experience I will never forget. I have such admiration for people with unique artistic vision. I didn't get to go to Italy, and so of all the places in the world, that is where I want to go next.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

{ INTRODUCING... JOLEEN }

After an incredible response to a call for the next Mormon Bachelorette we are excited to announce that there are more amazing LDS women out there than ever who are ready and looking for Mr. Right! Enjoy a few of our best and get ready to be wowed.


Meet Joleen from Lubbock, Texas

Most memorable childhood memory - Do I have to pick just one? Riding on my dad's motorcycle with him, he would set me on the front, tell me to hang on, and then remind me not to tell my mom "that we did this". - I always felt very rebellious. Or when my sister and I spent an entire summer one year, sleeping outside every night - I must have been about 12, we would lay there at night and talk about whatever 12 and 8 year olds talk about and now that I look back it was magical.

Best physical feature - My eyes...or my smile, can it be a tie?

Best quality - I used to think it was a weakness but I would say that my favorite quality is that I love easily. I don't need grand gestures, speeches or elaborate gifts. I love people the minute they do something nice for me or someone else I love, its almost involuntary - like I can't stop it. It just wells up inside and all the sudden I have to give them a hug, or I might explode.

Why are you ready to find Mr. Right? - For a lot of years I have been putting other people's needs before my own in a sort of self-defeating way. The past few years have taught me so much about my own strength and vulnerabilities. Now I see that, that which makes me vulnerable, also makes me beautiful. I have decided that I am ready to trust someone else completely. I understand that it won't be easy.  He will need to be patient, but I am ready for the challenge.

What would your last boyfriend say about you? - He would say that I am compassionate, he would say that I spoiled him, he would say that I am a great kisser. He would say that I don't see myself clearly. He would say that I am terrible at being assertive when it comes to my own needs (I have worked a lot on that since then, he was right).

Most embarrassing moment? - Okay so one night my best friend and I turned on a movie (Hotel Rwanda) and when it was over, we were so overcome with sadness (its about the racial genocide in Rwanda) that we thought the best way to cure it would be to go to an improv comedy show - to lift our spirits. Our good friend, "Tilt" was a member of the comedy troop. We sat on the front row and were so excited to be entertained. As with most improv shows - audience participation is encouraged. In my over-zealous effort to lift my mood I was DETERMINED to participate. At one point they asked the audience for "a world crisis" - in my haste I yelled out - "GENOCIDE" - Tilt turned to me and yelled "Jo, Genocide is NOT funny." Everyone burst into laughter and I wanted to crawl under my chair. He was right - genocide is never funny.

Greatest accomplishment so far - Obviously I am pleased with my education and my professional accomplishments but for me its the small, daily things that seem to be the biggest accomplishments in my life.  You know - all the stuff we know we should be doing but they sometimes just get lost in the busy-ness? So, the daily, personal goals I have set for myself over the years mean the most to me. Daily scriptures, prayer, running etc. I am excited when I fill my day the right way -- its the greatest accomplishment.

What is one of your quirks? - When I place my items on the belt at the grocery store, I have this deep need to put them in a certain order. Produce first, then frozen items, then other cold items, then cans, then boxes, then non-food items in order of size. I don't have a logical reason for doing it, but I can't just throw things up there willy-nilly, I have tried, it makes me cringe.

Worst Date - I can't think of anything specific, but a date is totally ruined for me if the man doesn't have a plan. I am completely turned off when we get in the car and he says, "So what should we do?" - really?

Best Date - My favorite dates always include trying something new. Whether it be trying a new restaurant or a new activity, I am all about experiencing something for the first time with someone new. Or doing things that remind me of being a kid, like flying kites. (Oh... I have never been but I am fairly certain that my favorite date might include one of the following: an air show (I LOVE JETS) or some sort of class (cooking, pottery, dance, whatever, I just think learning is fun).

Did you serve a mission? - Yes, I served in the Zurich Switzerland Mission. What would the elders say about you? - Humm... good one. They would probably say that I was funny. They might mention that when things got really stressful I would get a smidgen bossy. At the end of the day I think they would say that they knew I loved it, they knew I persevered through the hard times without complaining.

What did you study in school and why? - I was originally an English Literature major, and then one day I woke up and decided that it wasn't structured enough for me, so I decided to check business out. I took my first accounting class, and you could sort of say it was love at first... balance? I love accounting! It all makes sense and everything always lines up in nice little columns and rows. When the world doesn't make sense, at least accounting does. Where did you go to college? - I got my Associates at CEU (College of Eastern Utah) and my Bachelors and Masters Degree at SUU (Southern Utah University), then I worked in public accounting in Salt Lake for a couple of years, and now I am pursuing at PhD in Accounting from TTU (Texas Tech University). It sounds boring, but I promise it can be fun!

What is one thing that not a lot of people know about you that you want to share here with the world? - I have a secret desire to have my backyard featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine one day, I want people to ooh and ah at my garden. (Presently I have no gardening skills whatsoever, but I am working on it) Oh and I still struggle to spell the word "inconvenient". You would think I would have it down by now but nope, it gets me every time!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

{ AN UPDATE FROM RICK & MEL }

Hello to all our faithful TMB followers! It's been quite some time since we last updated you on your favorite Mormon Bachelor, Rick Buck and his adorable girlfriend Melanie. Rick sent us a few recent pictures and an update of what they've been up to these past few months so we thought we would share them with all of you.

And here's a shout-out to all you ladies out there.  Don't forget, TOMORROW, April 15th, is the deadline for your video submissions to be the next MORMON BACHELORETTE! So step away from the Turbo Tax, because submitting your application video is infinitely more important than filing your taxes.  Trust us!  So what are you waiting for? True Mormon love could be just around the corner!

For a refresher on the rules of the video application, click HERE! Good Luck!




Surprise! We’re back. After a long break from the Mormon Bachelor it is time for an update. I regret to give you the following information. Melanie and I, after a few months of dating, have decided that it is best that we continue dating each other exclusively and not go our separate ways. Haha. Actually things couldn’t be better for Mel and I. So let me give you the scoop on what’s been going down the last little while.

After the last filmed date Mel and I had a week to spend together. That week was amazing! We spent every last minute we could crushing on each other. From an outside point of view you might be confused that we even like each other. We constantly make fun of each other and for some reason we both love it. Don’t worry though, we are as sweet as can be at the perfect moments. The only bad part of that week was the day she left to go back to Ohio. It was the most depressed I had been in a long time, especially because we had no idea how the whole long distance thing would work out.

It didn’t take long for me to buy a plane ticket and two weeks later I was on my way up to Ohio. I was slightly nervous to see what would happen with us. Would we pick up where we left off? Or was our excitement just from the show? However, I’m a pretty confident person who knows what he wants and I knew deep down it was going to be fine… And it was! I met most of Melanie’s family and got to see how she grew up. Her family is full of people that care for her a lot, are easy to get along with, and just plain awesome. Because we needed more time to see where the relationship would go, we made plans for her to visit California after she took care of some business in Utah. The week in Ohio ended on a very high note with feelings flying high. That high note was needed for what would happen next!

Let’s just put it this way: If there was ever an amazing couple that was horrible at long distance it is Mel and I. Communication started great but began to break down. With such busy schedules, our phone calls became shorter and shorter. Then, with almost a month apart, our minds started playing tricks on us about how we actually felt for each other. By the end of the month we wondered what we were actually doing, but ultimately she made it to California. It only took one day back for our relationship to be right back where we left off in Ohio. The funny thing about our month apart is that I have never dated someone that I have had better communication with and that has understood me as well as Mel.

Now Mel has been back in California a few days and let me tell you, we are crazy about each other. In fact, we drive each other crazy too! She makes fun of me because I eat fast food for every meal. I on the other hand make fun of how she “turbo jets it” to the car so I can’t get the door for her. While we poke fun at each other the subtext is how much we care for each other. Then again, she does tease about other things that don’t have a cute underlying message. She laughs at me because I get lint stuck in my belly button which she thought was a myth. I guess its okay because I constantly joke about her unstylish shoes. Don’t tell her this, but I’d date her even if she wore clown shoes. Yep! We are either crazy, or crazy about each other.

Now I know most reading this are Mormon so you all have the same question on your mind. Will The Mormon Bachelor be 2 for 2? We both hope so!