Last friday, my best friend Whitney said "yes" to time and all eternity to the boy of her dreams, Kellbell (aka Kellen Hansen). Now here's Whit's story.
From the beginning of college, Whit has had three major relationships. The first I'm going to call Bob the Sports Aficionado. Now Bob was beefy, tall, a weird shaped head, and was way to interested in football. Don't get me wrong, football is great. But Bob got his kicks off watching the reruns of the reruns of football games he wasn't interested in. This, sadly, is all I can say about Bob's character. He liked sports more than Whitney. Not a good sign. Through great encouragement of Janna and myself, Whitney finally dumped him around Thanksgiving of her senior year.
By the Spring of her senior year, Whit had started in on her second relationship of her college career. We will call this boy just Boy. If you know what his real name is you'll understand the nickname. Boy was a little clingy. He loved Whitney, but she never reciprocated the feelings. He was a far step up from Bob by actually getting to know Whit and doing things that she liked. Boy enjoyed fishing, camping, shooting ducks, hunting, and being a Man (capital M) in a boy's body. He was opposite of Bob...somewhat short, skinny, and grey teeth (I'm sorry Whit and the World, teeth are a big deal to me and his I literally couldn't look past). Boy, needless to say, flopped. Whit once again dumped him (actually she dumped him multiple times...he still didn't get it and wanted to marry her. Again, not a good sign) not because he felt to little for her like Bob did, but because he felt way to much.
During all this time, Whit had been applying to med schools. She had gotten in to several and was wait listed on another. By the summer, she had set her sights on a school in California. She had her down payment already done and was looking for apartments when she got a call from a school in Wisconsin. They told her they wanted her but could not fit her in to the class starting in 2009 but she was definitely in in the class starting the next year. Even though she was wait listed for 2009, she quickly changed her mind and decided to go to Wisconsin instead. Things worked out her way, and she got the call that she would be starting med school that fall.
In August, she moved to Wisconsin with no outlook of future husbands or boyfriends. She had her mind focused on one thing: graduate med school. But as the holidays started to draw near, the boys in her ward had different plans for her. One boy in particular was adamant that they date, but nothing really came from his attempts. However, another boy had his eye on her from across the church and one day finally got the courage up to ask her out. This starry eyed, love rising in his chest guy was Kellen.
With great determination to date Whit, he asked her out on one of the best first dates she's ever had. It was love at first radio tuning when he switched to Country music without a moments hesitation. Whit loves Country.
I come in to this story in December, when Whit, twitterpatted from the prospect of the relationship with Kellen tells me all the stories of their budding love on the way to pick up a christmas gift for her parents. The two things that sealed the deal with Kellen were 1) when he kissed her for the first time (Kellen, don't be mad she told me the story). He took her face, without hesitation, and planted an amazing kiss on her lips. He literally swept her off her feet when he took control and left no awkward moment of who goes left and who goes right which happened to be exactly what Whit loved. 2) He understood her need for time and space when she was taking her finals. He asked her if he could come over, make her dinner, clean up, and leave. He did this and left even when she wanted him to stay because he knew she had studying to do. This boy was fantastic! As Whitney told me these stories, I knew he was the one probably before she did. I could see how happy she was with him when the other guys she had been with had made her so miserable. Whit was in love long before she admitted it to herself or Kellen.
I followed closely their relationship from beginning to the beginning of eternity with each other. When she called up to tell me she was engaged, I thought she was playing a joke on me because of how calmly she said it. Personally, I would be squealing incoherently in the phone if I was engaged but Whit does not squeal often. Mainly only when she gets sprayed by cold Provo River water.
So there Whit was, engaged to a boy who wasn't obsessed with sports or the great outdoors, but was obsessed with her (in a cute, romantic way. Not in a creepy, over the top way). Who knew that Wisconsin would bring her more than an M.D., but the love of her life when personally, I thought it wouldn't happen for a long time. She knew where to be in order to find Kellen, and when he left for a trip to Vegas, she knew that she never wanted to be apart from him again. Whit is normally slow to become attached, but I always told her she would know when the right person came along. And she knew with Kellen that he was the one. She didn't have to wait ten months like she did with Bob to find out that he did not love her when she loved him, or be in the reverse relationship where she did not love Boy like he loved her. It was a relationship where love was on both sides and no waiting for the other to feel as they do. But the important thing...he has nice teeth.
So on June 18th, 2010 Whitney became Mrs. Hansen. I have to admit, on the car ride home from the reception center, I cried my eyes out as the radio played Breakeven by The Script. It was exciting to see her come out of the temple with Kellen, eternally wed and the happiest I have seen her. That day, I got to be apart of her family and her wedding. I was there from the beginning of the day to the end of the reception helping and watching as I was there for her on the best day of her life. She was beautiful and he was handsome and dang they make a cute couple.
The last thing that Whit and I got to do before she walked out of the reception center to begin her life with Kellen was throw the bouquet. I was helping her with her get out of her dress and ready to leave and her Mom came in to also help. It was at this time that we realized she hadn't thrown the bouquet and so Jackie made the suggestion that she throw it to me while we were in the Bride's Room. So I caught the bouquet and said goodbye to Whit.
Although one chapter of Whitney's life is over, another one has begun. A chapter of love, family, home, and a life with the best friend she will ever have. The friend who will share her ups and downs. The one who will give support and need support from her. The person who will love her unconditionally and bring joy to her life every day by just being in it.
He gave her butterflies.
