How We Met

Of course everyone wants to know how we met, right!

Well, it started back in the summer of 2000. Alicia was living the happy single life in Seattle, living with room mates, hanging out with friends, and finishing her degree at UW. Tom was in Provo at BYU, but came back home to his parents' place for the summer. Tom's best friend, Beren McKay, was friends with Alicia and some of her friends. So they all kind of hung out and ran around together.

Alicia was almost immediately smitten with Tom's good looks, quick smile, and friendly nature. Tom, on the other hand...well... (this post is written by Alicia so it's a little one-sided!)

One of the first outings Alicia and Tom remember going on together was to see the movie "Chicken Run" with a bunch of friends. Before-hand, they went to Burger King and bought kid's meals that included toys from the movie. Alicia got a cup and plate set that she still uses today. It has chickens on it. During the movie, Alicia made sure to sit next to Tom, and to share some popcorn with him...yeah, didn't work...

Throughout the summer Tom and Alicia did various things together with friends, but never really did much alone. During subsequent breaks at Christmas and the summer of 2001, they continued to hang out and be friends, and Alicia continued to have a crush on Tom. And Tom continued to be elusive and wishy-washy about his feelings. They had one official date during that time, they went to the UW Medical Center hospital to look at the art. There is surprisingly good art there, and it's free to look at!

At one point, poor Alicia, frustrated with Tom's flirtations without action, finally said, "Tom, if you like me, will you tell me?" And Tom said, "sure, of course!" and that was the end of that.

In the meantime, they went their separate ways, Tom finishing his degree at BYU, and Alicia going on her mission.

Thus closed what Tom and Alicia call "Chapter One."

In 2007, Tom decided to return to Seattle and stay put. Alicia was already back in Seattle, living her fabulous single life, doing things like going sky-diving for her 30th birthday. Suddenly, Tom showed up again in her church congregation. "Oh fantastic!" Alicia thought, "this dork I used to have a crush on is back in town, reminding me that I'm still single!"

Well. He was still single too...

Alicia and Tom had their second date on September 1, 2007, when they went for a long hike up by Snoqualmie Pass. They talked and talked about all that had happened in their lives since they had last spent time together. And they both realized that they had even more in common now than they used to.

Thus began "Chapter Two."

They dated throughout the fall, and on one memorable day in December, Tom said to Alicia, "Um, you asked me to tell you if I liked you, and, well, I like you!"

The rest involves lots of cutsie stuff that makes their friends sick. But basically, realizing that they had something solid, something special, and really REALLY enjoyed spending time together, Tom and Alicia decided to tie the knot!