When Rick Met Lori

Yea, it's plagiarism, so sue me. No, I've never seen the movie, but from what I've heard our story will be purer and more beautiful than that...kind of like Wesley and Buttercup only without the sword play and Englebert(you're old if you get that reference)...ANYWAY...
===Disclaimer=== This is based on my memory and if there is any variance from reality just blame it on my poor middle aged brain...
Oh, one more diversion...Happy Pioneer Day for those in Utah and the LDS folks out there....
OK...Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away there was a beautiful little red-headed girl and of course a Charlie Brown. The only thing bad about this story is that it occurred during a brief era that ended up defining and otherwise great decade... the 70's...ie, disco... so don't picture me in my Angel's Flight suit...I had no idea at the time what it stood for...
I had been home from my LDS mission to North Carolina for 4 months in the summer of 1979. I was the substitute teacher in a young adult Sunday School class. The missionaries in our ward had brought a young lady to church whom they were teaching. She was getting ready to start her senior year at Millikan High School. I was quite taken with this beauty and decided to fulfill my duty of a lifelong missionary...fellowship this young lady as she investigated the Church's teachings. At least I think that was my motivation....or maybe it was really love at first sight and the fellowshipping thing was just a great line. Which ever it was started a relationship that continues to this day and will forever...so far...27 years....and as mentioned in an earlier post...25 years of marriage.
So...how did a Charlie Brown get the little red-haired girl? I'm still trying to figure that out. However, I'm grateful every day that I did. She mentioned after church that the missionaries were going to take a group of them up to the Los Angeles Temple visitor's center that week. Well, I suggested that that would be pretty impersonal and I offered to give her a private guided tour of the center. Of course, I would have to take her to dinner first. Like I said...SMOOTH... Only looking back on this experience did I realize just how much I was taken with her and how hard I fought to keep here near me.
Since I was a young poor student/part-time worker our dates were pretty basic. She had a nice new Toyota Corolla and provided transportation. I had a nice home and a family who liked her and we spent a lot of time there. In Feb 1980 I got to baptize her a member of the Church. We were engaged on our 1 year dating anniversary eventhough she ask me if I was kidding when I proposed...
There were many ups and downs...long talks, arguments, make-ups, break-up, her parents at first not wanting to accept her course in life or me for that matter. I feel bad that the Church and I were the cause of problems with her folks. She tells me that it was well worth the hassle... Isn't hindsight great?