Summer 1977
I was faced with the fact that my teaching Certificate was going to expire and I hadn't gotten enough hours to renew it so I was going to have to go to summer school all summer to get some hours. I hated the thought of staying in the valley all summer because of the heat, but didn't really know where else to go. I was also getting bored with ASU after all that is the only place I had been. Of course I had prayer about what I should do. My answer came the middle of March – a bulletin from NAU summer school at first when it same I didn't think much about it –every teacher gets those. But it sat on my dresser several days than I opened it and looked at the classed that had to offer in home ec and could help my master's degree. Yeah they had some interesting sounding classes – I told my roommate that I was going to Flagstaff and they laughed – I dint know anybody up there. Several weeks went by and the feelings got strong that is where I should go. My roommates still where non believers- so they would believe it when they saw it. They had forgotten I had been on a mission and had gone to Taiwan and know nobody but my Heavenly Father and my Savior.
I sent off my application for classes not putting in a second thought to housing. I knew something would come up and it did. The middle of May I still hadn't done anything about housing and schools started in 3 weeks. In Sunday school class brother Keith Crockett introduced two boys that were there visiting and one was from Flagstaff the name was Lorin Skinner rang a bell. Id his grandmother Shumway in Thatcher. Anyways I went up after Sunday school and ask him if he know any girls who needed a roommate for the summer. He said no but he'd look and see and let me know.
I later heard from him giving me an address of Karen from Texas who had come up to NAU the last 3 summers but he didn't know about his year. I wrote Karen- Karen and I got together and were roommates for the summer in the dorm. Karen had horses and Lorin had ridden them the summer before. After classes got started and I got settled in the dorm. Towards the end of the week I called Lorin to tell him thanks and tell him we were settled in. He invited us over to his house for waffles. I had heard stories about him before I got to Flagstaff from several sources. My main source was my visiting teacher, Jan mecham. She had gone with him for about a year before. She told me to ignore Lorin and go for his roommate – Donnie; he was good looking, rich and has a house.
Well I tried but it didn't work. My weekend I usually planned a trip somewhere, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico or somewhere. I was having a good summer and enjoying my classes. Lorin had come over one night and took Karen and I on a motorcycle ride – I thought he was just bored and come to visit Karen. He later told me different. He told me anytime I wanted to come out and cook in their kitchen I could. After being in the dorm about a month I was antsy about doing some baking so I called - he said "sure, just leave us something to eat and don't leave a mess."
He had to go on a buds run so he wasn't there when I went out. I made some bread and some peanut butter cookies and left some for them. The next morning just after I got home from my early classes there was a telephone call from Lorin. "Hey this is good bread, what are you doing for the rest of eternity?" Because the stories I had heard I joked along with him. "What is this, a proposal?" oh it could be." We both laughed and joked. That was on June 30. Later that date came greater meaning.
Lorin had decided to get specific with the Lord on doing his part to find the right one and get married. He said he had asked to be released from stake YSI and they ask why he was getting married. His answer was yes but he didn't know when except soon and he did know to whom. He had also told the Lord by June 30 he would have somebody to marry.
I never thought much more about our conversation. I went on my weekend trips and I would come back and Karen would talk about Lorin calling. (Later he told me he was always calling to ask me out but I was never home so he just made it seem like he called to visit.) He called during the week one time and took me out for some ice cream and we rode out by Lake Mary. Somehow it slipped out that on the 24th of the July my family was having a reunion out at fort tut hill and that I had to stay in town that weekend as it turned out all the family left Saturday about noon. My roommate whom Lorin knew better than me came up that weekend too. We all went to eat Chinese food; Lorin said he wanted to go with us. He had to go on a bus run so h had to leave early – when he left he left enough money to pay for his and my dinner. Oh, than the questions started. What going on – nothing as far as I was concerned. We went to Sunday school with Lorin and Donnie the next day. My roommate went home after Sunday school and than just after they left Lorin called and ask me to go to Sacrament meeting. It was a good meeting, the speakers spoke on their ancestors who had crossed the plains. Sister Helen Jenkins was speaking telling a funny story and we were both laughing and well I was off guard he took my hand. I thought o myself what is he doing – all those stories are true.
After the meeting we went over to his parents' house and the whole family was home for the weekend – we sang songs and had a good time together. All the time getting a feeling that Lorin having stronger feelings that I had even thought about. Than when he kissed me that-night I started thinking maybe there was something that but all the time remembering the stories Jan had told me and I was bound and determined and wasn't going to let my feelings be involved just to be let down.
Monday, he had to work when I wasn't in classes – so we didn't see each other, but Tuesday morning about 9:00 he called and ask if I wanted to go on a picnic right then. Sure, I had afternoon classes – was interesting, talked about some interesting topics not likely for a second date. My mind and heart wandered all the time what was going on and how I was suppose to react. I told Karen when I got home "I didn't know what he had but he had it bad."
Wednesday, I had a mini class in machine embroidery. Lorin said to stop by his house on the way home and if he was a sleep he'd get up and we'd go for a ride. So we went for a ride. – Through the trees and fields – looked at some houses – talking – joking – laughed – I enjoyed the day. He got talking about people always trying to get him married off. Joking I told him he really did need to get with "the program." "What Program" in D&C 132, "He said you'll have to show me." We went t back ate some supper and he got out the D&C we were reading along, talking than I guess he had read enough. He put the book down and turned and said "I guess you better start formulating a letter" - "To whom"- "to your principal, you won't be going back to Mesa to teach." I came alive like I had never been before or since – I took him by the shoulders and shook him and shaking said "do you know what you said, do you mean that?" I made him ask me in formal terms so I could hear what he was really saying to me.
I drove back to the dorm in a daze – we hadn't even prayed together, (but we both knew because we had both been praying for so long we didn't have to ask again.) until just a few minutes before I left. I got home, tried to sleep, between tiring to understand and believe what had happened. I kept thinking when I wake up, it won't be the same, and it won't be true. But bright and early he called, he had to go to Phoenix but would be home in the afternoon and he wanted to make a decision –when – that made it wound pretty final.
Immediately after that I decided he was serious this thing was really happening in my life, I called doubting Daddy – he had gone home three days before from the reunion telling my aunt that I was too picky, I would never get married,0 I called collect to tell him I was getting Married. Chocked but excited he asked to whom. Later that day Lorin called him and asked if he could marry his daughter. Daddy said if she said yes – that's great and you better hurry. Daddy and Lorin didn't talk again or meet each other until the night before we got married.
We went to his mom and dad's to tell them – but since Sunday they had a strong feeling about it but didn't know it was coming so soon. Then came the decision –when? Soon but several things stopped us from doing it as soon as Lorin wanted. He wanted to in 4 weeks but the temple was closed for 2 weeks the last week in August and the first of Sept. I still had 2 weeks of school left. So it had to be either the week after school was out or wait 5 weeks. I mean 5 weeks was a long time when we had been waiting long time (we thought) already. So Tuesday Sept 6 was the big Day
Engaged
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