Our Story

About Michael, Michael grew up in Newark, Delaware. He is number six of seven brothers. Michael served an LDS mission in the Nevada Reno Mission. He has been studying to become a biochemist. Mike has lots of interests, spinning fire poi, building and playing with computers, hunting and many other things. He loves to learn and is always tinkering and reading to know how things work (or do not work so well). Elisabeth's childhood was in the small town of Bluebell Utah,
since her early teens in 2004 she lived in Europe The Netherlands and spent 9 years living there with her family. After serving a full time mission for the LDS church in Greece; she moved back to America ready to continue her education. Liz is a somewhat of a social butterfly and loves to travel to new destinations to find and see new things, gaining new experiences. She loves to plan an organize but can't sit for long before she needs to be out doing things.



Our Story, (Elisabeth's view)

Our story began in the Fall of 2009,

I visited my sister in Delaware for a few months where I happened to meet mike at the YSA.
We were decorating for a Halloween activity, I remember him sitting there on a log talking with some other kids who were around.
By some of the things I heard him say and some of the things I noticed about him, I knew I had to get to know him better,
even if he didn't want to-- it was happening.
   
That night a group of us went out to Applebees and had something to eat, afterwards he insisted on driving me back home. and well, I really I didn't mind ;).
 After a few more times of seeing each other at activities and talking, I offered to cut his hair when he came over to let me, and it took a few hours to do, since my experience then was in its beginning stages. It took me forever..which I was pretty embarrassed about but he didn't seem to notice luckily lol.

He took me out to lunch after that and we looked at Halloween costumes, which was a lot of fun and gave us time to get to know each other better, after a few weeks of getting to know more about each other it was time for me to head back home to the Netherlands.   I was really glad we were able to stay in contact over Skype and e-mail, they were really great assets in building up our friendship and we definitely felt there was more there.    Over a short time Mike left on his mission and I on mine, immediately after we got back we started talking again and it was like nothing had changed :). In the mean time I moved back to the United States, seeing him again for the first time in almost 4 years, I was excited to see him! I was a little nervous but as we met up and talked I found a lot of respect and love for him, I saw how much he had developed and made the important things such a part of who is, and how much he had grown since we last met, and it felt good having someone know what the heck I was talkin' about -when I kept talking about my mission and he never grew tired of it haha (neither did I because he's done the same).


I stayed in Delaware a few more weeks than expected and we'd met every day. It gave time to feel and see this for what it is, and feel the Love that had grown so much for each other which had been there somewhere from the start.. I'm grateful I've had the opportunity to get to know him over the years and that I've grown to love him as I do now.


I'm really blessed to be marrying the man who is my other half, who balances out my life perfectly, someone who makes me laugh and who can take all of my crazyness when its there. And with as caring and spiritual as he is, and as focused as he is on the things that are important, he helps me to be my best self.   There isn't anyone who I trust more than I do Michael and though life may get crazy and have its uncertain moments I know we'll get through it because we're a perfect team :) He's the one who brings Joy in my life :)   

 Michael's point of view: I remember meeting Elisabeth for the first time in fall of 2009 while we were preparing for a Halloween party for church. i remember seeing her eyes and being completely amazed at how beautiful she was. We talked quite a bit and i had to convince her to let me take her home.Somewhere along the line she offered to cut my hair and would not let me pay her so i insisted on taking her out to lunch. She really at the time didn't seem to interested in me and i was too nervous to really approach any more than i did. After she left for Holland we kept in contact and became very close, we helped each other through difficult times and constantly uplifted each other spiritually, which, for me, was very important.

after keeping in touch for a year or so I left on my mission and i remember being so excited when i got a letter from an address that was obviously in Holland. I don't now remember what it said, and my reply never made it to her. but i certainly have had feelings for her since I met her. because we lived in different countries, I never really let my imagination go (and I was on my mission) she shortly left for her mission in Greece and i was very excited for her. I also remember hoping to see her on Skype on mothers day, just to see if we could get a quick word in (please don't tell my mission president)

after my mission, I talked to her within hours of being home and she told me she would be moving to the states, I remember wondering if I might have a chance with her. We talked a lot over the few months while she prepared to return to the states and when she finally arrived we spent the day together. The chemistry was amazing, I recall being amazed at the familiarity that was there.

We quickly realized that we both had strong feelings for each other, and have for a very long time. We just never let ourselves push for anything because of the distance. But we truly loved each other. longer than we knew. we knew that we were compatible and wanted each other for eternal companions.

as i accepted this i referred to my journal, which interestingly enough had the bookmark on the very day that i met her (i haven't touched this journal in years. I quote from my twenty-one-year-old self "...Her name is Elisabeth, she has been in Holland for the past 6 years. She has beautiful blue eyes that are more inviting than a welcome mat... as corny as that may be. I have found an angel. She Provokes thoughts, questions, and sincere soul searching with real intent. it its amazing that infatuation is a clue, at very least to something vital in a relationship... now i must realized what i must do to change so i can match what a woman like her deserves."

After we spent time working through the shock of our relationship, and me proposing on multiple occasions, she accepted my plea to be my wife. I love Elisabeth, and will do everything in my power to provide a wonderful life for her. I want us to be together forever. Which is why we will be sealed together, as a family for time and all eternity in the House of the Lord.