My Better Half

I couldn't get too far in a report of my life in 2009 without mentioning La Morochita Maravillosa herself: Erin Wake.

I'm going to try and go about this in a manner that balances objective information, outright bragging and mushiness.

I met Erin about four months ago. I visited her apartment as part of the classic weekly BYU tradition of "F.H.E.," otherwise (and preferrably) known as "family home evening." ("Families" in the BYU single scene sense consists of young men and women looking for a springboard for launching their social lives for the school year.) Even though a BYU F.H.E. group can be pretty good at the whole social thing, Erin was especially noteworthy. She and I just hit it off right away. Via Facebook and some urgent text messaging, fifteen hours later I was watching the university devotional (another, perhaps more wholesome, BYU tradition) with her. And I've seen Erin pretty much every day ever since.

Erin Wake is 20 years old and calls Texas home. She has two younger brothers. She's a junior and is preparing to enter the elementary education program. She loves kids and babies, sign language, estrogen-packed movies, hash browns, Wicked, and her family, to name a few. She memorized the Gettysburg Address at age six and is often heard to exclaim phrases such as "Nuts!" or "Holy moley!" She lives and loves the gospel like there's nothin' to it. She makes me laugh harder than anyone else I've ever known. I can talk to her about anything. She's one thing in life that always goes right and never causes stress. On a number of occasions we say exactly what the other is literally about to say. She's cheesy romantic, with notes and surprises and everything. Plus, she's beautiful.

Stay tuned for further developments.

(The picture is from my V.I.P. tour provided by Erin of her high school in Tomball, TX. I spent half of Christmas break with her family. I had so much fun.)