How it happened

Once upon a time a girl named Kim Moody dreamed a dream. Kim's dream was to gather together the 1992 Timpview High School A Capella choir for a reunion where they could reprise their rendition of the hit, "I Dreamed A Dream" (you know, the one made famous by Fantine, made a little worse for wear by Neil Diamond, and made famous again by Susan Boyle?)

Now, maybe it goes without saying that Kim's dream was a little more unusual than others, but we all have our dreams, you know?

I don't know how many years Kim dreamed her dream, but I do know that one glorious summer day in 2005, Kim's dream came true. I don't know how she did it, because I have never talked to her about it. I wasn't in the choir, so I wasn't invited. But my best friend, Steffani was invited. And a nice boy named Trent was invited, too.

A nice boy named Trent who never had gone to one high school reunion/get together since his graduation in 1992. The same Trent who lived about a quarter mile from the high school, the very high school where I had been a teacher for about seven years. The same Trent whom I hadn't laid eyes on since a graduation ceremony in the BYU Marriott Center had him sporting a brilliant orange graduation robe.

And so the story goes that Kim's dream of an Acappella reunion came to fruition in the choir room of Timpview High School where a few singers from the early nineties got together and sang the songs of yesteryear. The choir teacher, Paul Larson, bless his heart, showed up, too. Kim Moody must have been in hog heaven.

It just so happens that Steffani sat next to Trent. And she laughed, because Trent (among many other things) is fall-on-the-floor funny. When he had the naked audacity (a quick aside: I'm not sure what that phrase means, nor what images it conjured up for you, but I like the two words together) to mock the choir version of "I Dreamed a Dream" (it includes winner lines like: GIRLS sing "He slept a summer by my side!" while BOYS sing "I slept a summer by her side!" and also: GIRLS sing "Although I know that he is blind" while BOYS sing "She thinks that I am blind!").

Of course, Steffani found herself laughing and...she thought of me. Because I think stuff like that is wildly hilarious. And Steffani knows it. This is proof that it helps to have a sarcastic sense of humor. I say that because now you know (because you can tell how the story ends) it helped me get a husband.

As the reunion came to a close, Steffani walked out the door. But she couldn't let it rest. She turned around and walked back into the choir room where Trent was still chatting away with some friends.

Of course, I was not there for the conversation. But the two tell me it went like this:

"Trent," she said.

"What's up, Steff," he said

"I need to ask you one question" she said

"What's that?" he said.

Pause for dramatic effect.

"WHY AREN'T YOU MARRIED TO MY BEST FRIEND?"

Another pause for dramatic effect.

Hearty laugh from Trent.

"Who is your best friend?" he asked.

"LIZ!" she exclaimed

Trent's face was a blank. He had no idea who I was. (I later learned he has serious issues with name recall.) So, Steffani refreshed his memory.

A week later, Trent and I spoke on the phone for the first time. Two weeks after that, we went on our first date. And two weeks and one day after that, I called Steffani and said,

"You found him. This is the one."

And three years ago today, I married him.

Trent, Steffani, and Me, in front of the Provo Temple on April 14, 2007.

It occurs to me in this moment that Kim Moody doesn't even know we owe it all to her dream.