The Story of Us: At the Begining

 The story of us actually starts long before there was an "Us"

I remember as a little girl probably six or seven asking my Mom how she met my Dad and how would I know when I found the one that was meant for me. I remember asking her "What if they man I am suppose to marry is in Russia? How am I going to find him?" I don't remember her answer. I just remember the question.

February 1995
I had just turned 12 and one of my Best Friends parents had just adopted two little boys from Russia. Curious I remember going to play over there and seeing Alex (or Alexey as he went by then) for the first time. He was smaller than I had expected and almost 12 year old to be and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why he was so disobedient. He kept sticking a stick into this machine that was spinning. And they would tell him no and he would look at them with a blank stare. ( I know now that he didn't understand a word they were speaking to him.)

For the next years until his mission he lived 4 houses away, his family sat two pews ahead of mine at church, we were in the same Sunday School classes, attended the same Youth conferences, and the same school. He was one of my Brother Adam's Best Friends and spent the night at our house on occasion. That being said, all I remember is he wore the same American flag tie each week, spoke with a funny accent, and we would try to get him to teach us naughty words in Russian ( he wouldn't).

 He remembers me dating "weird looking guys" and apparently one time he put burrs in my brother's hair while they were moving pipe and he says that when he came to apologize that I ripped him a new one about treating my brother like that and that it had taken me an hour to get them out of his hair (I don't remember this). Apparently he was afraid of me after that. (And my Dad, he caught Alex letting Derek ride on the hood of his car. My Dad let him have it!)

We never hung out. We never dated. To put it best were were acquaintances, nothing more.

So how did to strangers become Husband and Wife for Time and all` Eternity?

Summer 2004

The Day I got home from a very spiritual and life changing Pioneer Trek with the Young Single Adults (YSA) ward they had a special meeting for us, on the stand sat a very handsome yet somewhat familiar face. I turned to my Dad and asked "Is that Alexey Turner?" He confirmed it was and I was like "Wow, he has changed."

That Country Fair days he was selling lace temples and pictures. I spent at least a half of an hour talking with him about  the lace and how he started selling it before purchasing some for myself. He doesn't remember this at all. He had a calling in our home ward as a Sunday School teacher for the 16-18 year olds so he rarely came to the YSA ward.

October 31, 2004

I attended our home wards Halloween party. He opened the door and asked what I was suppose to be. He doesn't remember this either. He likes to say God wouldn't let him see me until it was time. Frankly I was wondering what I needed to do to get noticed. What did it take? The blue shirt in our engagement picture is what I was wearing when he finally noticed me.

November 7, 2004 My Mom's Birthday

I woke up with butterflies in my stomach, not sure why I got up and got dressed for church for some reason taking extra time that morning. My phone rang and the Bishop called wanting to meet with me. After receiving a new calling I was more relaxed and made my way to Sacrament meeting. I sat by myself because the young lady I usually sat with (who just happens to be his sister Jamie) wasn't there.

I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and feel someone watching me. I looked around just in time to see him quickly turn his attention back to the speaker. This happened several times during the meeting he would be staring at me but when I would turn to smile he would look the other way. As soon as the meeting got out I saw him in a chair in the foyer. Deciding to take matters into my own hands I walked up to him and started a conversation. It went like this.

Me: Hi you staying for classes?
Him: Why do you wanna know?
Me: I was just wondering....
Him: Why?
Me: I usually sit with your sister and she isn't here today.
Him (interrupting me): I will stay and sit with you if you really want me to.
Me: No, that's okay.

And I turned around and walked away. Wow, I thought I definitely don't need that. Then I here my name being called through the chaos in the hall. I turned around to see Alex.

Him: Would you like to go on a date Wednesday? Why a Wednesday? He told me later so that if the date was bad he wouldn't have wasted his weekend. .  Nice huh?
Me:  Um sure what time?

What did I just agree to? Oh well, it's just a date and I had promised my self never to turn one down and to give everyone a chance. I texted my brother Adam. He took awhile to respond with an Oh.

Adam was worried about me going on a date with one of his best friends. His wife's response.

"It's not like they are getting married."