The Story Behind Our Fireplace

Our fireplace got done a couple of weeks ago! We LOVE how it turned out!! Don't worry, that isn't the carpet you see on the floor in front of it. That's the carpet PAD. I have better taste in carpet than that. haha ;)

There's a little story embedded in part of the design of it ... it has to do with how David and I met. Some of you already know this story, but for those of you that don't - here's a little background on how we met.

About 7 1/2 years ago, I was engaged to someone else. I moved into an apartment in Orem - the apartment my soon to be husband and I would live in together after we got married. I ended up breaking off the engagement, but stayed living in the apartment since I had already signed a contract.

The Bishop of the family ward there came and knocked on my door one day to meet me. I gave him the 411 on my situation while he was there. He asked me if I would like the info for attending the singles ward in the area. I said, "NO WAY!!!!" Ok, I didn't say it in those words, but I did tell him that I had no interest in meeting anybody at the moment AT ALL and that I just wanted to attend the family ward for a while.

That Sunday I went to church. Then I came home. Shortly after, there was a knock on my door. It was my future husband with a plate full of the nastiest chocolate chip cookies I had ever eaten in my life. No, seriously. At least I knew he actually made them himself though - that was sweet! He said the bishop had sent him over to welcome me to the ward.

I was a little confused. I knew I had told the bishop that I didn't want to meet anybody, so there was no way he would send a guy to my apartment for that purpose. So I asked him, "are you my home teacher?". He said, "no." He was kind of being subtly flirty in a look-at-me-I'm-trying-to-make-you-think-I'm-a-cool-guy sort of way. I was REALLY confused. He had come from the family ward so he wouldn't be single - would he? What young, single guy would attend a family ward? I'm sure my confusion showed on my face. I just had to ask this next question ...

"Are you married??"

He laughed and said, "no."

Hey, you never know - right? Just covering all my bases.

So, I accepted the cookies and said, "thanks." They were on a glass plate and he informed me that he had taped his name and number on the bottom of it, so I could return the plate when I was done with it.

A few days later I called to return the plate. He asked me if I wanted to go out for some ice cream. I accepted. We went out. We saw each other everyday after that. We were engaged 3 months from our first date. We were married 3 months after that.

Funny how things work out sometimes. :)

Now, to tell you the story from David's perspective ...

David's dad came home from some church meetings that Sunday and informed David that the Bishop said there was a new single girl in the ward. In the bishop's words, he described me as "tall, dark haired, and beautiful".

He said it, not me.

So, David looked around for me in Sacrament meeting, but didn't find me. During priesthood, the Bishop pulled his son and David out into the hallway to talk to them. He asked, "did you see her?" They hadn't.

So, the Bishop walked them over to the Relief Society room. He pointed me out and said, "there she is, 3rd row from the back on the far left. Go make her feel welcome." David quickly called dibs and went home to start making me some cookies.

He had it all planned out. His mom tried to put the cookies on a paper plate, but David wouldn't have it. He wanted to put them on a glass plate, so I would HAVE to call him to return the plate. Giving him an opportunity to then ask me out.

Pretty smart plan! It obviously worked quite well. :)

We displayed the cookie plate at our wedding reception.



So, back to the fireplace.

David's dad had an AWESOME idea. He made a little mini plate to put on the center of the fireplace. How cool is that?!! He also took some of the scrap pencil molding that was left over from something else on the house and he made the 2 rectangles that are on the sides of the plate.

WE LOVE IT!!!