{The story of the Boot: Another Travis Memory}

During our secret dating life,

I was going to beauty school.

(In fact, I had just started.  It was pretty darn funny 

when I got roses from the missionary, and Travis on my first day of school...)

Anyhow,

I lucked out immensely when I started school.

I met some pretty wonderful friends,

one in particular,

Lorinda.

I knew we'd be dear friends when I spilled a Coke on her on our

first lunch break together, and she still loved me.

We did everything together,

and she was one of the few who got to know all about Travis,

and she adored him.

She knew me well enough to know that he was right for me,

and she rooted for him all along.

(And to this day, Rind is one of my biggest supporters,

very dearest friends, and one of the most beautiful people I know.  The Good Lord

made sure we found each other-because I'm fairly certain He knew I'd need her!)

Along with Lorinda, we made some other pretty fantastic friends.

I still just adore them.

We did everything together,

and I cherish those memories.

We had so much fun!

And had some pretty crazy times together.

 

My friends (oddly, both named Jamie)

lived on campus at USU.

We spent a lot of time hanging around their apartments,

and especially when their roommates would go home for the weekend...

we would steal their beds and make ourselves comfy for the night.

(Which is funny because one of their old roommates is now in my ward,

and I had to tell her..."Hey, I've slept in your bed a few times!")

 

Anyhow,

parking at their place was a big old pain.

And because I was young, and really stupid,

I was sure I could bend the rules and park wherever I wanted.

 But,

I was wrong.

And,

I was devastated when I found a boot on my car.

And,

even more so when I learned that it was $60 to have it taken off.

 

I had about $70 in my savings account.

(How sad and pathetic is that?  Note: I had great shoes).

 

I remember calling Travis crying and feeling pretty broken hearted over it.

(Which is funny to me now, because this was clearly---allllll myyy faultttt.)

Anyhow, I paid the fine and we were on our way.

The next day at school Travis called.

He said,

"Go out to your car, right now...and hurry."

I assumed he was there,

but he wasn't.

Instead, an enormous pair of red cowboy boots were on my window shield.

My first thought, I really truly remember thinking...was "do I have to wear these?"

Because they were hideous!

And I wondered why in the world he would buy me shoes.

Ugly, ugly shoes.

 

And then I grabbed them and looked inside.

He had taken 60  1 dollar bills and rolled each one of them up and stuffed those ugly boots.

A note read something like "Boots to help pay for your boot".

 

That man.

How I didn't just marry him then-I'll never know.

 

(These Travis Memories just make me smile.  How lucky was I to have this in my life??)