just call me Yenta

I remember hearing my mom say that line once upon a lifetime ago, it's stuck with me b/c I thought she was so clever drawing up my own memories of Fiddler on the Roof. Anyway... I am using it again, because 5 years ago... when Mark and I had just moved to Alaska, we went to a Stake Conference in our new area and saw a girl. This girl was pretty. This girl was spiritual. This girl was brave. We had to set up a date with Michael! I introduced myself to the cute girl who bore her testimony at the stake conference and decided to just be bold and ask after a conversation with her if she would ever go on a blind date, "cause I have this cute brother in law.." She was game! So here they are a couple weeks later:

And us.. yikes.

It went great. We all had a blast, with lots of laughs all around. Aimee was hysterical and played right along when Mark wanted to be the banker of his improv game of "Deal or No Deal?"

updated: picture mark found later last night after I posted this

Much to Michael's dismay, nothing much happened after that date. Mark said that he blew it for Michael. I laughed and said, "Probably." ha!

I remember Michael telling me that he had come up ready to leave knowing he had met The Girl. He had that much faith in our set up! What a sweet guy.. but it wasn't meant to be. Yet.

Fast Forward 4 years, and along comes Thanksgiving and Michael is asking me yet again :) if I have any single friends in Utah, and who he should ask on a date. I rattled off a couple that might be single, but then kept thinking about Aimee. I think I said something like, "I saw Aimee's on facebook again, have you thought about getting back in touch with her?" We eggshelled the idea for a few minutes and decided that I would be straight and ask her sister for Aimee's number so Michael could call her. That was the plan. Everything went smoothly; I got the number, sent it Michael in a matter of hours and walah! The strings were being pulled and the magic dust was beginning to swirl. After their Thanksgiving weekend date, Aimee was the one to call him the next day! I still remember how impressed and in awe Michael was with her. The magic dust was really twirling around them at this point, and everything just cruised right into May for the day they had decided would be their wedding date. Michael's Aimee had been won at long last!

facebook swipe

Even though she's sadly out of focus, Emmy is the reason for this picture.
She was SO in love with Michael and Aimee when they came out of the temple. 

Mark was just thrilled he hadn't ruined it for them after all. :)

swiped from Michael's friend Ashley's blog

Mont bestowed his wedding gift of a pretzel to each of them. 

The still wouldn't let them through, so Michael had to up the ante:

Off to honeymoon!