1 month

It is hard to believe that today marks 1 month since I popped the question. We went to Carrabbas to celebrate. We love that place so much, it just makes us happy and content. As I look back on the last month I see so much joy. Things haven't been perfect and who would really want that anyway. There were frustrations and problems, issues that needed to be resolved and things talked about that hadn't crossed our minds before the engagement. However despite all of that I can say that I love Shaila more today than ever before. My love for her has grown exponentially and she knows that. I tell her all the time how much I love her and that she is beautiful. She makes me the happiest man alive and I hope that I make her the happiest women to ever grace this beautiful planet. She is my best friend and I look forward to the next month, year, decade and so on.

I love you Sweetheart, you are the sun in my window warming my skin! Thanks for everything you do for me.

Love Adam

As If No One Is Watching

Dancing in public is completely normal behavior for me. Adam's favorite thing to do while I'm doing this is to look around at the rest of my audience. While registering at Target, he had the chance to record another very typical situation. We had way too much fun!

PS- there is sound, but his finger covered up the mic until the very end ;)

Tim Tam Slam

You have to try this!  Shaila called it the Tim Tam Slam, here is what you do.

1. Go to the store and find a cookie called Tim Tam, see the picture below.  The chocolate Creme would be the best.  Make sure you have milk too. 
2. Go home and get ready, usually this would involve changing into sweats and a t-shirt for best results.
3. Get a large saucer, a shallow wide mouth cup would work as well but anything deep not so much
4. Pour milk into the saucer and here is the most important part, lick the milk and meow like a cat!
5. Verify you have completed step 4 completely before proceeding or the this will not work.
6. Open the package of Tim Tams and take a cookie, bite the corners off the cookie diagonal from each other.  Try and eat as little of the cookie as possible
7. put one corner in your mouth and the other corner in the milk, now suck!  
8. you should be able to suck milk through the cookie like a straw.  This is like an Oreo on steroids.
9. Eat the whole cookie and repeat. until the whole package of cookies are gone and the milk is lapped up.  

Tips

• Do this with a significant other for best results and the most fun
• Do NOT forget to meow like a cat, without this step you will just be eating another cookie.
• Watch Wipeout while doing this for an even better belly workout.
• Get two packages of Tim Tams you will want to keep eating

Special Thanks to Shaila for he directions and tips.  Without her this would not have been possible.

Good Advice for a New Beginning

As we embark on this new adventure together, I want to use anything that will help make this marriage the best it can be.

Some essentials for a happy marriage:

• Live the gospel
• Love, appreciate each other
• Develop self-discipline
• Curb temper and tongue
• Look on the bright side of things
• Develop and maintain respect for one another
• Give soft answer
• Speak quietly
• Don't be selfish
• Look after one another
• Develop the talents and opportunities of your companion
• Recognize differences
• Pay tithing, stay out of debt
• Develop ability to communicate with each other

-President & Sister Hinckley 1997

I would just add one thing. ... HAVE FUN!

The Proposal, as told by Adam

The story starts on a Tuesday, the date is January 11th, Shaila Marie Lockhart's birthday. After being told that I had to take it easy for Christmas and not get her much I knew that her birthday would be my chance. I woke up that morning bright and early. I had already scheduled the day off of work but I actually woke up a little before my usual time. I was anxious and ready to surprise Shaila for her birthday, or at least as much as I could. I had arranged with her younger sister and roommate to let me into the apartment early on one condition- I had to take her sister to work at 8 am. I decided at 7:00 that I had forgotten to get a few things for breakfast so I went to Wal-Mart and got what I needed then came back and took Rachel to work. I went back into the apartment and started making breakfast. The menu was Chocolate Chip Pancakes, bacon, sausage, and fruit. I started frying it up and made her a little breakfast in bed, however she caught me so it wasn't so much breakfast in bed as just breakfast. We then lazied around for a few hours and she got ready for the day.

I had scheduled a spa day for her and her sister. I took them to the spa and then I went to look at rings. I knew by this time I wanted to marry her and it was time to start looking for rings. I had been looking online and had stopped by a store or two but nothing really of any substantial time. It took me 3 hours but I found a ring I liked, online...

I ordered the ring and diamond. Shaila, mostly because I am horrible at keeping secrets with her, found out about it. I told her it would be here the next Thursday, but she didn't believe me. I spent the next week and weekend trying to convince her that it would be at least Friday before I got down on one knee. However I can't lie to her, and she could see I was making it up.

Sunday afternoon I found some time to call her Dad. I knew that, in fact, the ring would be arriving on Monday morning and I didn't really want to wait much longer than that night to ask her to marry me. I had gone to Virginia with her over Christmas break and I had promised I wouldn't talk to her dad about anything then. So I called him. I got right to the point and he said that he had been expecting the call. I simply said, 'Can I have your permission and blessing to ask your daughter's hand in marriage.' He said, 'you have it..' and that was about it. I had gotten a little worked up and was nervous for the call but he made me feel comfortable and was ready to say yes.

That afternoon Shaila and I were watching a movie and I had set my glasses down for a minute. She pushed me off the couch, normal action for her, and onto my glasses. Broken! I couldn't see the rest of the night.

Monday morning I worked from home to get the ring from Fed-Ex and to be able to go in and get my glasses fixed. Monday was also 3 months exactly from our first official date. So I thought it would be a perfect time to propose. I told her I wanted to take her to our favorite restaurant, Carrabbas. So I woke up and worked, waiting on fed-Ex. At about 9:30 am I saw the Fed-Ex truck come into the parking lot, drive around and leave! I thought 'what?!' I saw on the tracking info that it was on the truck and to be delivered before 10 am. I kept watching the tracking info and at about 9:45 am it updated and said 'Address does not exist'! I was upset. I checked the address and it was correct. Everything was right. So I called Fed-Ex. After 3 phone calls I finally got someone to say they would call the driver and get back to me.

By this time I was frustrated and upset, I couldn't see because of my glasses and I had a headache. So I decided that I would call Shaila. She didn't work that day so I went over to her apartment and instantly felt better. She always makes me feel great, and can make my mood change from sad to happy anytime. We came back to my apartment and waited for a call from Fed-Ex. I continued to work as we waited. She thought maybe something was up, but I hadn't told her I was waiting for Fed-Ex yet. Fed-Ex finally showed up and delivered a package. Shaila knew exactly what it was! I was in trouble I ran back to my room and opened it. It was beautiful.

She asked about it and I had to come clean. I told her that it was a ring. She didn't know when I was going to propose but she knew we were going to dinner, and she assumed it would be then. I finished working and we went to the gym. We came home to get ready for dinner. She took about 45 min longer than she said she would. I went over to pick her up with the ring in my pocket. Thinking, 'when can I kneel down?' Once she was finally ready we walked to the car. As I was walking I told her that I forgot my wallet and needed to run inside real quick. We walked into my apartment and I turned on the light. I dropped to one knee and had to wrap my arms around her waist as I got really really nervous. 

‎"I never knew what happiness was or joy until I met you. You make me the happiest man alive, and I want to spend every minute of every second with you forever. Sorry that didn’t make any sense, I am a little out of my mind. You know what I meant, every second of every minute with you. I love you. Shaila will you be my eternal companion, Will you marry me?"

She said yes!