For Chris

Happy Valentine's Day to my sweetheart Chris! I have converted two surveys I have seen for couples to give everyone a comprehensive history of our relationship. Enjoy . . .

Where did you first meet your husband? Church in Huntington Beach, CA.
What was the first thing you said to your husband? Probably “Hi—nice to meet you.”
How long have you been together? Our first date was February 9, 2001. We have been together ever since (just celebrated seven years together).
Who asked who out first? Chris asked me out-- but I tweaked the situation a little bit. We had gone to Disneyland the week before with friends. During the week, I casually called him to tell him how fun our night was. He agreed. “We should do it again sometime,” we both agreed. “How about this Friday?” “Sure, that would be great.” But we never mentioned our other friends, or invited them. Later, our friends made plans for another activity on Friday. Not wanting to divulge our secret plans, we agreed we would be at the group activity. Later, I was furious that Chris and I didn’t have the alone time I was looking forward to. So, I called him and left a message. He called back and I told him I wasn’t going to go to the group activity. He asked what I would do instead. “I don’t know, I’ll just play it by ear.” (Looking back it isn’t as cute and coy as I wanted it to sound). “Can I take you on a date then?” I was elated. I am so glad he asked me on a date instead of just saying “let’s hang-out.” The prospect of us on a date was so much more exciting than merely hanging out and seeing where it took us.
Where was your first date? Disneyland! How romantic and magical!













How long did you date? We dated a mere two months and were engaged for four. But we have been dating ever since (although it has been sparse since we had the baby).
Who kissed who first? Chris kissed me. It was a couple weeks into dating. I was so glad he waited to kiss me because my feelings for him were so intense that I could hardly manage them. I had never experienced anything like it before. During our date, I started to say something to him but got shy. He gently prodded to find out what I was thinking. I told him I was thinking he “could kiss me if [he] wanted to.” He said “I want to kiss you so bad.” Then he paused for a moment and went in for the kiss. It was beautiful. I cried. Not a blubbering cry; it was just a slow tear. It just felt right. I somehow knew there would be no more “first kisses” after this and that was wonderful.
Where was your first kiss? The Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. We had the ride all to ourselves. It had the perfect ambience—low light, soft music, and we were on the water. It was very sweet and romantic.















Who said I love you first? Chris told me “I love you” at a small restaurant inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.
How old is he? Chris is 29. I am 26.
Who is taller? Chris is 5 feet 11 inches. I am 5 feet and 5 and ¾ inches. (Yes, those three-quarters count!)
Who can sing better? We both have pleasant singing voices. I sing solo more frequently than he does though. We like to sing harmony around the house for fun. Every night we both sing “Families Can Be Together Forever” to Hallie.
Who is smarter? We are both smart. I get a little too proud about my “smartness” sometimes.
Who does the laundry? We both do. It goes like this: I do the kitchen. Chris does the bathroom. I do straightening. Chris does vacuuming. I make our bed. Chris takes out the trash. We both pitch in with laundry.
Who pays the bills? Both. We split up duties.
Who sleeps on the right side? We trade depending on the room set-up. I generally like to be furthest from the door. If you face the bed, I am currently sleeping on the right.
Who mows the lawn? We don’t own our lawn, but Chris would definitely do it if we did.
Who cooks dinner? I do. I love cooking! (It honestly is fun for me). And I have a much bigger repertoire.
Who drives? Chris! I hate driving unless I am by myself.
Who is more stubborn? We can both be stubborn at times but we are also both quick to forgive. We don’t stay mad.
Did you have a long or short engagement/courtship? Short. Two months dating; four months engaged.
Where did you get engaged? In Salt Lake City in front of the Salt Lake Temple. That is where my grandparents were unofficially engaged too so the history was wonderful.
Who proposed? Chris. We were sitting on a bench looking up at the temple when he looked over with sincere eyes and said “Michelle, I love you. . .” Then he got on one knee and said “Will you marry me?” I started to make pitiful noises of excitement. Thankfully, I had the sense to stop squealing so I could mutter a decent “yes.”












Where were you married? In Los Angeles in the majestic Latter-day Saint temple.













Where did you go on your honeymoon? One week in Disney World. It was perfect for us!












Where was your first place together? A studio apartment in Huntington Beach, CA; then a one-bedroom in Fountain Valley.













How long have you been married? 6.5 years!
Who has more friends? Me! I collect friends everywhere I go. But Chris has a few best friends.
Who is more sensitive? We are both sensitive—that is why we get along so well.
Who has more siblings? I have three brothers; he has two brothers.
Who wears the pants? What a silly question—we both do!
Any children? Hallie Laine Hinkson was finally born just after our five-year anniversary. We look forward to adding more to the family.














Chris and I have accomplished so much together. Other great accomplishments . . .

We went to four years of college together and both received degrees.













We’ve budgeted, saved money, and paid off debt.

We survived two life-changing moves to two different states (Idaho and Colorado).

Happy Valentine’s Day Chris! I love our history. I can’t wait for what the future holds . . . together.

Love, Shelly