Here we are
:)
This was maybe the 2nd picture taken of us on September 2nd, 2011.Minutes after we had sealed the deal!We were finally married.
Now, I say finally, but it really wasn't all that long of a wait.
I, myself, am 21 years old (barely) and my husband is 25.
We met on February 4th, 2011.
No, that was not a typo. We met in 2011, we got married in 2011.
I guess you could say we are PRO at making quick decisions.
But, I can promise you, that decision alone was the best decision I have ever made in my entire life. And no amount of tears, years, or fears is going to make me think otherwise.
My name is Madison Lyman Harward.
As I mentioned, I am 21 years old.
In 2010 I graduated from the Utah College of Massage Therapy.
I graduated, but legally, I am not allowed to perform massage in Utah.
Thats because my licensing didn't go through and I have not yet had any money to re-pay for the darn test in order to get licensed.
And to be quite honest, I dont love massage enough to want to spend any more money on it than I already have. We will list that as my wonderful
**MIS-STEP/NOT REGRET #1**
Mistep - because I probably wish I would have just gotten myself into regular school instead of wasting 12,000 dollars and a year of my time on something I would eventually not have enough of a passion for.
Not regret - because I believe that I learned more about myself and what I DO want to do in that years time than I ever have in the other 20 years of my life.
Shortly after graduating,I moved up to Rexburg, Idaho with my best friend Jaimee.
I wanted to go to a real college and study things that gave me purpose.
Unfortunately, I didn't get my application into BYU-I in time, and was forced to live in off campus housing, work two jobs in Idaho Falls, and NOT get incredibly homesick all at the same time. I moved home two months later.
I blamed it on the weather.
**MIS-STEP/NOT REGRET #2**
After moving home, I had no friends. My old friends had moved on with their lives.
I was stuck without a job, without a career, without my ONLY best friend, and WITHOUT A BOYFRIEND. and let me tell you...I had never even HAD a boyfriend, but OH did I want one. I was so sick of being single I could literally puke at the thought of it, but then I didn't want to date any of the guys I had ever even remotely come in contact with. So I just went to lots of clubs. And I met scumbags.
Didn't do much for my self esteem.
**MIS-STEP/NOT REGRET #3**
In February I attended a church group activity.
I was playing the game "signs when I locked eyes with my "husband-to-be".
He was playing black jack. (without actually gambling anything.)
And he invited me to go watch Nacho Libre and make Nacho's.
So I did.
We ended up playing mario kart.
**SMART MOVE #1**
Smart - because it led me to the man of my dreams and because at the time I was a lot closer to NOT going than I was to actually going. My decision was based on an "Oh, what the heck" mentality. I had nothing to lose. Thank heavens I left my stupid brain at the door and got in the car with my future husband.
It could have ended differently.
To be honest, I was afraid of going to hang out with him and his friends.
I hadn't hung out with anyone in over a month! But on the other hand,
I hadn't hung out with anyone in over a month!...so I won't lie, I was excited to see what would happen. We saw each other every day after that.
He was my first (and now my only) Valentine.
Our first kiss was on Valentines Day (exactly 10 days after we met).
We then broke up about 3 times. Okay I lied. WE is not the right word here.
I broke up with HIM 3 times.
What can I say? I had never had an official boyfriend (by my own choice, thank you)
because I didn't want to start something just to have it end. How was I supposed to go from being a nervous wreck when it came to relationships, then all of a sudden be willing to have a ring glued to my left hand?
The third time we broke up, Casey was insistent that we still be friends. I refused.
He begged me to AT LEAST come watch his show he was dancing in at the time (Odyssey Dance Theatre's rendition of "Romeo and Juliet"). After talking and thinking it over, I agreed to go. ONLY if he promised to not tell his parents we had broken up.
I was going to have to ride to the show with them and spend the whole evening with them. The least he could do is make sure it wasn't incredibly awkward.
That night, Casey was SO respectful of my decision not to be romantically involved with him. Watching the show was bad enough. Here I am, being a stubborn brat because i'm so scared of being in a relationship, and here is my ex lover
dancing it up all sexy on the stage with all these gorgeous long-haired-skinny-more-talent-in-their-left-pinky (who I now know and love) dancer girls. Then AFTER the show even MORE girls are coming up and getting pictures with him, trying to talk to him, and I CANT EVEN HOLD HIS HAND. Because he wasn't mine anymore.
I was jealous. WHY WAS I JEALOUS! I thought I didn't like this person?
I have never been more frustrated in my whole life.
To make it even better, Casey's parents -who still had no idea that we had broken up-
asked us to go to dinner with them after the show
....awkward...
Because if we didn't go, they would know something was up and it would be even MORE awkward. So we went to dinner at the Training Table, where Casey's parents gawked at how "perfect" we were together. Then they insisted on taking pictures of us together and "in love". So Casey and I are having to fake our relationship for about an hour and a half, smiling all cutesy in pictures, and letting Casey hold my hand, just so Casey's parents wouldn't be sad. While, to their dismay, we weren't even together!
That was supposed to be our absolute last night seeing each other. HA!
Boy did I have an overwhelming change of heart that night. Seeing what I was missing out on. His amazing family. His respect for me and my decisions. His INCREDIBLE talent. His insane ability to make me the most jealous ex girlfriend on the planet. HIM!(I still tell him I only married him because he seduced me with his dance moves)I was in for it. The next day, I left work early and, since I didn't have a car at the time, RODE THE BUS from Lindon to Kingsbury Hall so I could see him.
and then I asked if I could be his girlfriend.
The night after the second show he took me home and I cried like a pansy
and whimpered "I think I love you." His response? "I LOVE YOU TOO." Look at that....he didn't even have to think about it :).
**SMART MOVE #2**
He asked me to marry him on June 6th, 2011.
(By this time I already had my dress...I was just waiting for the RING to go with it!) We set a date for September 2nd, 2011. And we were married. I was married.
I found something that lasted... FINALLY!
**SMART MOVE #3**
If you can't tell, there is a pattern here.
Half the time I'm right, the other half I am wrong.
But what doesn't change in all 6 of these instances,
is I absolutely 100% positively
learned something that CHANGED MY LIFE for the better.
And I don't regret ONE SINGLE THING.
Now, My husband and I, of all people, are NO experts on how to create success.
But, what I CAN tell you, is that we are EXPERTS on trying new things;
regardless of the risk, regardless of what other people say or think.
We are on a MISSION! to accomplish the extraordinary!
And you can bet you're bottom dollar that we will do just that.
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