Our Love Story
It all started with photography. I am not kidding when I say photography gave me everything! I was in a photography class at Brigham Young University-Idaho, and this class travels to Bannack, Montana every semester. Bannack is this old ghost town with amazing abandoned buildings and we take models there dressed in that time period and take pictures. It’s a favorite part of every semester.
They were introducing all the models, and one of them was introduced as Zack Kelly. Oh man, as soon as I saw him I was smitten. Like lame schoolgirl crush smitten. Gosh he was so handsome. I was so taken with him in the most cheesy and cliche way possible, that lame love at first sight thing I used to make fun of was the situation I found myself in. (Below are photos of him modeling that semester. It’s easy to see why I fell for this cowboy!)
UNFORTUNATELY for my love sick heart, he was there modeling with his girlfriend.
Let’s just all take a moment of sad, sad, silence here.
He was so sweet to her, such a gentlemen, offering to put on her jacket, open doors for her, a constant smolder. I was certain they were going to get engaged because who would let a guy like that go?! That was the real life prince charming.
Even though he was dating someone else at that time, I could not get him out of my mind for some reason. For weeks I thought about him and couldn’t stop thinking that he was what I wanted my husband to be like. (It seems so creepy right? Until you realize we get married in the end haha thank heavens) After a few weeks, I started giving up hope on finding him, and I started dating another boy. Well, turns out Zack had broken up with his girlfriend right after Bannack. Now he was single and I wasn’t! Ugh!
It was a “miracle” I ran into Zack again. I was doing homework on my couch when he walked in my apartment with one of my FHE sisters down the hall. My jaw literally dropped and I scrambled to find some words to say hi. He remembered who I was (yay!), that girl from Bannack that was taking pictures. =) After he left I couldn’t believe of all places he had walked into MY apartment. I’d never seen him on campus and all of a sudden he literally walks into my life.
It so happens that he posted on Facebook about the place that I worked, and I found my way in. I messaged him, and within a few messages he had asked me out. I asked the guy I was currently dating if I could go, and not really understanding my feelings for this guy he said yes. I’m terrible, I know. It was like every romantic comedy movie ever where she ends up with another guy in the end.
Our first date was amazing, the best date I’ve ever been on. He took me out in his Jeep to some lava rock in the middle of nowhere to this secret location that had a campfire and a cave with a hole in the top of it so the smoke could get out. We had tin foil dinners, laughed a lot, and stargazed while cudding to keep warm in the 10 degree weather. But every time I remember that night I just remember being so warm. After that night I knew this was going to be something big
We kept in touch, kept talking, and I was just so smitten and in disbelief that I was talking to that amazing guy modeling at Bannack.
Another semester rolls by and it’s time to go to Bannack again, but this time Zack was the one modeling alone and I was modeling with someone. You can see a group photo of the models that year below.
Zack even let the guy I was dating borrow his shirt to model in. Talk about a patient man! After this Bannack trip, I knew I was meant to be with Zack. I broke it off with the boy I was dating (don’t worry he is married now haha) and Zack and I were glued at the hip ever since. We finally got it right!
I absolutely did not believe in the whole love at first sight thing, but I was proven wrong. Looking back now I can see how I knew he was my soul mate right from the beginning, I fell in love with him and the butterflies never stopped. It’s so dang cheesy but I guess that’s when you know it’s the real deal.
And now we finally got to model at Bannack with each other instead of someone else. =)
