How it all happened...part 2

I know you've all been waiting for this with an anticipation that can hardly be soothed by anything but maybe the permanent residence of a Sprummer season in Utah. So I will finally rescue Mike and I from the utter agony of the mission/marriage decision, especially since we all know, well, what happened. But, as the post title suggests, we all don't know just how it all happened. **If you want to skip over the details and get to the good stuff, there are pictures at the end**

If you will allow me to be serious for a moment, I'd like to explain why this decision is such an issue for many young women. Before I experienced it, I always imagined that there would be one clear, correct option for this choice. Anyone who experiences this decision knows how hard it really is. Since girls aren't required to serve missions, it usually takes an affirmative answer to prayer or a strong feeling/desire to seriously consider serving a mission. And that was the case for me. That kept me going to mission prep and going to various appointments to complete my mission papers. I knew it was my choice and that I wasn't being forced into anything. Something that helped was the feeling that I didn't have to choose between a mission and Mike. I had his support 100% for whichever decision I made. I felt so strongly about both options, so it ultimately came down to those elusive, vague, and hard-to-understand desires of the heart.

But that could take up another 800 posts. The point is that with a little help, I slowly figured out those desires. And that's what brought me to being picked up and twirled around by Mike outside the stake president's office where we had received some spiritual nudging and counseling to get married. Now.

I have wonderful parents--parents who are concerned that I live a good life after I leave their care. Because of this, Mike and I found ourselves putting together a marriage budget before we had even received approval. Apartment shopping for October in March, and mock grocery shopping and insurance research for two makes the marriage decision very real. Many people knew we were getting married before we were engaged because of the asking around we were doing, but we figured that many people suspected anyway. I would actually recommend this process to anyone getting married. It was such a relief to know that we wouldn't starve once we got married, and it's always good to send out apartment-seeking, job-seeking, and insurance-seeking feelers far in advance.

We'd already been ring shopping, so once we got the thumbs-up from my parents, we moved fast. I'm such a curious stinker, so I knew when and where Mike was going to propose. He tried to keep it all secret, but a combination of his and my being anxious to be engaged made that a bit difficult.

The engagement story should really begin in London's Hard Rock Cafe. Remember how everything great starts with London? This is no exception. In that historic restaurant, we were talking about some of our favorite/dream dates, and I mentioned that I liked going to Barnes & Noble and reading children's books. Calling on his incredible memory, Mike took me to the Gateway Barnes & Noble soon after we started dating.

Well, the evening of April 1st found us back in the children's section of the very same Barnes & Noble. As we listened to some songs Mike knows I love (and some of our favorite dancing songs), he read me Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Man, he was nervous--he was messing up words (and I was correcting him--shameless!!) and skipping pages. On the second to the last page, he read, "You'll move mountains, kid!" He closed the book, got down on one knee (not a very far distance--we were sitting at the little kids' table), and said "Kathryn Suzanne Harmon, will you move mountains with me?"

Now, I was very aware of which day of the year it was. And, knowing in advance that this was going to happen, I had ample time to prepare a proper April Fools response. But alas, when he knelt down and opened the box to show me the ring that was more beautiful than I had been remembering, every witty response I had concocted was replaced with a squeal, a hug, and a "Just to be clear, my answer is YES!"

So here we are, soon to be the Mr. and Mrs. Mike Olson. We have big dreams that include little bikes for our kids, writing and making children's books, jobs with the Church, jobs with the BBC and Cambridge University Press (not too realistic, we know), supporting each other in church callings, graduate school, building a home library, serving missions, building a strong family, serving others, and so much more. One year from now, we'll probably have modified plans. We don't know what the future holds, but we do know that life will be filled with love, challenges, family, and adventure. October 6th, here we come!

Letters to the Editor

I have an idea. I think it's a mixture between tacky, weird, crazy, ambitious, and maybe even a little pridefiul. But I've been looking at the new title of my blog and thinking "Hey, what if I had a 'Letters to the Editor' section?"

Now, I have some really, insanely talented writers, photographers, crafters, video-makers, philosophers, musicians, experts in certain fields, travelers, and finders-of-fun-things-online people for friends. Yes, all four of you who read this, you all fit into these categories. This idea has started as I've been waiting for that handsome fiance of mine to become un-busy enough write a guest blog rebuttal of his side of our story. Why not have even more guest bloggers?

Here's how it would work:

1. You come up with a brilliant idea for a blog post. (I do realize that most of you are bloggers yourself and want to hog all of your brilliant posts for your own blog. Completely understandable. In that case, what if the post was published twice?)

2. Email your idea or post to me at kathrynharmon1@gmail.com.

3. I will be the (probably unqualified) judge of posting it on my blog. Maybe we'll go over it together and make some tweaks, or maybe (and this is the more likely possibility) I'll post it immediately in an attempt to class up my blog.

4. Don't be shy!

So. What do you think? It's another way to get your ideas out there and see what other people are thinking about...

How it all happened...part 1

It started with London, but doesn't everything great start with London? Well, actually, you could say it started with Shakespeare, and I wouldn't blame you. It's another great option. Regardless of how it began, it did. And I'm so glad.

The first words Mike said to me were "Hey. Do you want to form a Shakespeare travel group?" He was, of course, referring to flying to London with all the other people in our Shakespeare class who were going on the program. It was the beginning of April 2010, and we were in a pre-departure orientation for our London study abroad. My first words to him were, "Actually, I can't. I don't know when I'm coming home yet, so I'm not buying a plane ticket yet." Yes, a rejection. However, I would later tell him that when he walked into the pre-departure meeting, I thought, Hey...there's a really cute boy going to London!


After that, we talked briefly in Shakespeare class about travel plans and our final papers. Ah yes - nothing better than Macbeth and Henry IV for flirtation material.

The semester ended, and I didn't see him again until May 15 when he came strolling into the lobby of Regent's College, London (wearing a "Mind the Gap" shirt, no less) for our program orientation. I remember hardly anything else from that day because I had a ridiculous amount of jet lag. I do remember that he ordered a Sherlock mystery sandwich from the deli on Baker Street...

Throughout the next week, I gathered a few impressions about him: he was a bit goofy, but he was incredibly patient, witty, friendly, had a great bass voice, and loved studying literature. About a week into the program, my roommate, Jenny Hortin, had to go home to be with her family during a crisis. It was a really hard decision for her to make, and as much as I tried, I couldn't give her all the comfort she needed. She asked Mike to give her a blessing, and when he did, I was blown away. It was (though very early on) the first of many times I thought of him as husband material. His kindness, gentleness, sincerity and humility couldn't help but shine through.

Though we never told each other, we both started to like each other. However, a few things got in the way of a potentially budding romance. Among other reasons, we didn't want to add any drama to the trip, and we just wanted to be friends with everybody.

One night (that turned out to be a very important point in Mike's deciding he really liked me), a group of us went to an interesting play at the London National Theatre. At intermission, I was feeling uncomfortable and thinking about leaving. My friends were really enjoying the play, and I didn't want to ruin their night. We talked about leaving for a bit, and I just didn't have the courage to say I wanted to go. Mike saw my discomfort and said, "We could always just go get some ice cream..." I could have kissed him. I jumped right up and said "Yeah! That's a great idea!" That night was when I learned how tactful and good Mike is at easing uncomfortable situations.

Another night, Mike and I found ourselves alone while some other friends went out to a play. We talked and talked and talked, and before we knew it, our friends were home. It was such a special night for me - I discovered that we had so many similar interests like photography, books, Japanese food, and music. That night, I began to seriously think about how fun it would be to date him when we got home.

Well, as all good things do, London ended. On June 19th, the morning everybody left, I got up to see them all off. I wasn't leaving - I was going to stay with a wonderful family up in Solihull (near Burmingham) for a week, and then going on to Cambridge for another study abroad program for 8 weeks. I wanted to go home so much that day! I missed so many things at home. I was scared to death of traveling over the English countryside by myself with all of my luggage. I gave Mike a hug that morning (honestly, not the best hug ever - he admits he was still feeling a little awkward about showing me he liked me), and waved out the window to him and Ben as they walked towards to Regent's Park gate with their luggage.

A couple nights later, as I was comfortably situated in Solihull, I found that Mike had sent me a facebook message. He confessed that he couldn't help but think of Juliet teaching the torches to burn bright as he saw me wave to him from the Regent's College window. It sounds a bit cheesy, but my heart was eager to grasp onto any sign from him that he liked me.

Throughout the summer, we continued to correspond and tell each other about our summer adventures. Without fail, every message from him made me smile and laugh. I found out that he had a radio show I could listen to on the internet, and when I heard his deep voice again, I couldn't help but be giddy.

I came home from Cambridge on Saturday, August 21st, and school started up again the next Monday. At precisely 9:00 Monday morning, I walked into the LNCO courtyard to meet up with this boy I couldn't wait to see. When he stood up to greet me with a hug, I remember thinking Holy cow! Was he always quite this tall and attractive?

The hug was much better this time.

We talked for a bit, and then he had to go to class. I was sad to not have seen him for a longer time, but I had hopes for the future. He texted me about an hour later, wondering what I was doing after my class ended in about 30 minutes. Apparently, he wanted a bit more time with me too.

We met up after my class and ended up spending most of the rest of the day together running errands around campus and going to my favorite place to eat - The Kyoto - for lunch. I didn't see him Tuesday, but he called me that night to see if I wanted to take an Institute class with him. Why yes, I did want to see him at least twice a week, so I said yes.

After that, things went unbelievably well. We went on some wonderful dates in Bountiful and Millcreek canyon, went on some beautiful walks through my neighborhood, and I realized I was starting to fall for this guy. It was almost scary how much we more than clicked. We became best friends. We both proclaimed ourselves to be very slow-movers, but about a month after I got home, we declared ourselves "official." Not a week after that, we knew we were in love.

I tell you, I was hooked. He treated me like a princess. He appreciated my wit and could keep up with it. With his arm wrapped around me on a blanket in my front yard, he told me about the Horsehead nebula. We talked about our favorite names. We philosophized with Lewis and Talmage, talked about Media Law, Japan, England, traveling, future career goals, editing, advertising, and graphic design. We Skyped on the days we couldn't see each other, and talking to Mike became the best part of my day. When some of his friends became engaged to be married over Spring Break, we joked about joining them. Pretty soon, we weren't so much joking about getting married.

And then I threw us both off in the beginning of last December by seriously planning to go on a mission. While Mike never hesitated to tell me he supported me, he would always follow his words of encouragement by saying that he definitely wouldn't mind if I stayed home and married him. We started talking marriage in terms of two years down the road. I was getting my mission papers in as soon as possible, so I could get my call as soon as possible, so I could leave as soon as possible, so I could get home as soon as possible, so I could marry Mike as soon as possible...see a trend?

To be continued...

A Little Love Story

A girl with big, brown eyes and a straight, brown bob of hair once dreamed of a tall, handsome prince who would take her away to his castle on a hill and let her dress her in silk gowns every day.

As time progressed, her brown hair became curly, and it lengthened with the rest of her. Her dreams of a tall, handsome prince turned into dreams of someone tall, handsome, rich and famous.

Soon, her dreams became more active, and this girl began a search for such a tall, handsome young man who could make her smile forever. But alas, her search yielded no such man.

Then, one day, this girl went to England. Here, she came to know a tall, handsome young man who made her laugh, made her think, and made her feel wonderful. They became friends, and he went home to Utah 9 weeks before she did.

Nine weeks and two days later, the girl walked into the LNCO courtyard and laid eyes on the young man again. She seemed to have forgotten how tall and handsome he was, but she quite quickly took note. The young man and she spent every bit of that day together that they could, and they tried (mostly successfully) to see each other ever day afterward.

It wasn't too long before this wonderful young man offered this girl the position of copilot on his plane. After she saw that he was flying places and moving mountains she couldn't bear to miss, she accepted.


Michael Wesley Olson, you're going places, and I can't wait to go with you.

Birthweek

Tuesday, March 15: Mike made a delightful picnic lunch and we enjoyed the sun on the U frisbee golf course for the 30 minutes I had between work and class.

Wednesday, March 16th: After treating me to a delightful and delicious dinner at Olive Garden, Mike took me to Little Women, the opera - a story he knows I love. It was the best opera I've been to, and Mike liked it as his first opera experience.

Thursday, March 17th: the day itself. After being at school for 11 hours and watching the Sigma Gamma Chi president become engaged, Mike and I headed to my house for BBQ Chicken pizza (my favorite), ice cream, and cake!

Friday, March 18th: My family plus Mike went to Once Upon a Mattress at Wasatch Jr. High to see my cute cousin make her stage debut. Good show!

Saturday, March 19th: My family plus Mike enjoyed the best seats in the house at the Mayan as we watched the divers, fire dancer, and acrobats put on shows. Dinner was included. :) After the Mayan, we went to see Rango.

To top it all off, I didn't have any night classes the next week because it was Spring Break! So here's to incredible family and friends for making this birthday one of the best yet. 22 is going to be a wonderful age!

Inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888

I just invested in something that I'm really excited about - a $10 year-long magazine subscription. My first subscription ever. To National Geographic! Tell me - how can you go wrong with that?

(Arnoldo Grenha)

Lullabye

One of my favorite lines from a country song belongs to Lady Antebellum's "American Honey". This line became especially relevant to me before I left for England. I was going to be gone for the longest I'd ever been away from home, and I was leaving behind many things I loved in order to have an adventure of learning. The line goes, "Couldn't wait to get goin' - but wasn't quite ready to leave."

I find it fascinating that the human emotions have the capacity to feel restlessness, excitement, and anticipation at the same time as apprehension, anxiety, and yearning for younger days. All of these came to a head as I sat in the kitchen with my mother as we listened to the men of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing "Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)".

Goodnight, my angel
Time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
And you should always know
Wherever you may go
No matter where you are
I never will be far away


Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep
Inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me


Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry
And if you sing this lullabye
Then in your heart
There will always be a part of me


Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabyes go on and on
They never die
That's how you 
And I
Will be


-Billy Joel

As I listen to this song, I sometimes picture my mom singing this to me during a wonderful, blissful childhood and grieve over the fact that I must grow up. But then an image of me holding my own child creeps into my mind, and suddenly I am the one singing this song. Am I ready for that? I think of all I've done over the past few years and all I plan to do over the next few years, and I am tempted to slow down. Wishing I could change seconds into minutes, minutes into hours, and hours into days, I realize that my role in the world will soon change. Soon it will be my turn to sing the lullabyes and encourage the dreaming just as my mother did to me.

I'm scared, but I have experienced extraordinary outcomes of recent scary leaps of faith. Whatever happens in the next few years will probably surprise many people - probably me most of all. Who knows? I know it will be wonderful.

I can't wait.