Law School Life

It’s been 5 weeks since we’ve returned from St. George/Vegas. I’ll do a quick recap of the highlights. 

Jules is rocking her job at Qualtrics. She’s made it through 3 weeks and is setting a high bar for anyone who comes after her. Jules works as a technical recruiter and helps schedule the interviews for all of the hires. Soon, she’ll be finding people for them to hire. She’s able to work from home, but went in every day last week as the lure of catered lunch was too much. There have been one or two duds but most of the meals are high-quality and I’ve been the blessed beneficiary of many of the leftovers. 

Three weeks ago though, we hit up some of the case lots sales and stocked up on more food storage. Our target this time was non-essential items - things to make our food storage more usable and palatable. Our food storage will keep us alive, but probably not too happy so we added fruits, soups, diced peppers, chiles, salt, sugar, etc. And water. We didn’t have any water stored up and now have the recommended two weeks. We also did get a second fridge. We got it moved in and it’s been nice as it allows us to meal plan and freeze leftovers. Hopefully it doesn’t make our energy bill go up too much. 

Meal planning has been nice especially since March was a month of hosting. 

We had over: 

1. My ministering people (6 other people)

2. Julie’s ministering people (6)

3. Some of my old friends (3)

4. Some of Julie’s old friends (6)

5. Derek+Shannon+Violet (3)

6. Kayla+Ryan+Scout+Hudson (4)

7. Cousins (6)

8. Ward friends (4)

9. Babysitting nieces+nephews (4)

10. Siblings Porter and Rachel numerous times (2x5?)

11. And I think some others I’m forgetting at the moment

Babysitting was especially fun. I came up with this really fun game where when everybody closes their eyes, I give them a bite of an unknown food and they tried to guess it. Some of the guesses were impressive and some of the faces were hilarious as they tried the food. 

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on the 16th, being invited over by some neighbors for a fun Irish dinner. It was surprisingly yummy and we just felt lucky for everything the last year has brought us as it was a year ago (on March 13, 2021) that we started dating again and pretty much knew that we’d be getting married, with the ‘official’ dating announcement . 

The real St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, we dressed up fancy and went to the law school dance, the Barrister’s Ball. We had such a great time. Dinner was ok, but it was fun to be with friends, and I danced more than I ever have in my life, mostly just trying to keep up with Jules. 

The Barrister’s Ball served as a nice reminder that this semester is quickly wrapping up. This is the last week of classes and then two weeks of finals await me. A lot is up in the air  right now. I’ve decided I won’t be staying at Sumsion Business Law for the summer. I’m going to try and see if I can get an internship at Qualtrics and work with my wife. If not, then I’m hoping to land a position at a real estate development company. Friday I had my MBA interview and the interviewer all but guaranteed I’d be admitted, so I’m hoping the official good news will happen this coming week and that will help me in my search. 

In March I ran for two positions. First, I ran for state delegate. I was very hopeful and optimistic, but unfortunately didn’t come out in front. I thought I acquitted myself well, speaking articulately and answering questions intelligently and sincerely. Oh well. Jules was with me on election night and she got really into it which was fun to see, and overall I'm glad I gave it a shot and loved the experience. It was good to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. 

The following week I ran for Vice-President of the Federalist Society. John Lee is the son of Senator Mike Lee, and is the president. I thought about going up against him, but didn’t think I’d have the time necessary to do a good job in the position and knew it would be tough to usurp the family tradition of being Federalist Society President. 

The last two months at the law firm have been pretty negative. I’m flabbergasted by some of the decisions that are made. That said, I’ve made some good friends and am grateful for what I’ve learned and the opportunities working there has provided me. And it hasn’t all been sour. Last week, we had a 30 person ping-pong tournament and I survived some close calls to come out on top, including my finals match against the state tennis champ. That victory compensates somewhat for my last-place finish in the family March Madness Tournament. The girls just about swept the podium for that one. Annemarie won first, Breyer (with the absolute classic bracket name of Guinea Pig Dunk) came in second, and Dad slipped in at the end to take 3rd, beating Jules in 4th. 

Last items: 

1. Jules gave me a great haircut. Artistic ability seems to carry over in unexpected ways.

2. We played catch for the first time

3. We spoke in church. Our topic was “Making the exercise of faith your first priority.” It was a good experience and we both learned a lot as we prepared our talks. 

4. We took Sawyer’s friend Tyler, and his parents out for ice cream at the Creamery. Tyler is considering going to BYU, and we were trying to convince him that he should. Not only do we think he’d love it, but it might mean Sawyer will come out for a year before his mission. Regardless, it was fun to get ice cream and meet someone from Granbury. 

Conference this weekend was wonderful. We stayed home for most of it, but did go to Wallsburg to see John and Lenita + fam Sunday morning. We were greeted with hugs and cinnamon rolls which is my preferred way of being greeted. Pres. Nelson’s talk that session was my favorite of the entire conference.  This week, I’ve been praying to know how I can be more spiritually invigorated and when he spoke it seemed like he was personally addressing my question. If you missed it, go back and listen to what the Prophet said. Here’s the five specific points he mentioned: 

1. Get on the covenant path and stay there

2. Experience the joy of repenting daily

3. Learn about God and how He works

4. Seek and expect miracles

5. Strive to end conflict in your life

I remember attending the funeral for Pres. Monson in January 2018. I went to pay my respects to Pres. Monson but the defining moment that day happened when Pres. Nelson walked in. I KNEW, undeniably, as the spirit of the Lord bore powerful witness to me, that he is the Prophet of God today, appointed to convey God’s message for the church. And I know the same thing today: Russel M. Nelson is the Lord’s anointed. Follow the Prophet!

Law School Life

 The big news of the week came on Friday when Julie was offered and accepted a new job. It’s just about as perfect as we hoped - she’ll be a technical recruiter at Qualtrics. The pay is decent, and the benefits are pretty great. When I saw that she would get free vision insurance and cheap dental insurance, I almost cried. I thought we’d be without these for a few years. Her start date is March 7th, which gives her a few more weeks to keep teaching Mike and Joe and finish up some to-do items. 

I’m really jealous of Mike and Joe. They are learning and having a blast. They recently went to the Provo Police Station, toured it, and then went and met Mayor Kaufusi. Other excursions include visits to the LIbrary, to the Bean (Natural History) Museum. 

Sunday has been a wonderful time to connect with family. Last Sunday (Feb 6th) with Aunt Becky in town, and to celebrate the birth of Hudson, we had a big Hutchins family gathering at Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Joy’s. They were extraordinary hosts, feeding all of us (25 or so!) and graciously opening up their home. This Sunday, we had a fun V-day dinner and games at Mary Ann and Dallen’s house. Yummy dinner, amazing decor, so fun. I really enjoyed playing “Don’t Kill Pete.” It’s a game I’d never heard of, and although incredibly simple is one I want to make a tradition of playing. 

Talking about Valentine’s Day, forget about Jules’ new job. The best news this week was that I had a valentine for the first time in my life. Jules made the day so special - She decorated our entire apartment and we enjoyed a nice dinner together with a martinelli and then watched a movie. She is my eternal valentine!

Saturday I had my first round of golf in this new year. Jules spent Saturday morning at a women’s conference, and the weather was nice, so I played nine holes. It was memorable solely for the fact that I played with a compulsive liar. The other guy paired with us was really cool though and we just kept looking at each other like “Does he really think we believe him?”  The first lie he uttered was that he was a +3 handicap. For perspective, that means he should beat me by 8-10 shots and is nearly identical talent wise to any PGA Tour pro. And much better than 99% of college players. By the time 9 holes had ended, this guy had told like 50 stories, and at least 49 were false. In terms of my game, A few times I walked right past my ball thinking I had hit it 30  yards further. So there’s some rust, but I played smart and hit it straight. And I absolutely whooped the 3+ handicap guy. 

I’ve made up my mind and am applying to the MBA program. I met with some admission officers and I’m hoping to apply before February ends. Jules has been pushing me to go for it, which I really appreciate as the thought of another year in school without a salary hurts. Her encouragement is the biggest reason I’ve been moving towards this decision, and the other big factor is the MBA class I’m in right now. I love it. It’s been a breath of fresh air compared to law school. 

Our date last night was to the BYU Museum of Art. Once a month they have an “Art after Dark” event. It’s been a few years since I’ve attended one, and while good before, the one we attended last night was amazing. We listened to some rocking live music, ate some cannoli’s they provided as refreshments and then made masquerade masks to take home. We’ll definitely be back. 

One of my goals this year is to improve in chess. I just love the game. I began communicating with the BYU chess club and heard about the Intermountain Intercollegiate Tournament scheduled for February 19th. Excited, I decided to see if I could make the 3-person team. I anticipated being ranked somewhere between #2-#4, so my chances were good. Lo and behold, BYU’s best chess player graduated in December, and after the smoke cleared, I was ranked #1. A little panicked, I’ve spent probably 10 hours this week preparing. In the lead up, I’m 13-0 in matches against the other BYU players, but am nervous because the University of Utah has some really strong players. Being number one though, means that means if I win, I can claim title to the best college player in Utah. The tournament is held this year in Cedar City at Southern Utah University. There are 9 universities competing: BYU, UofU, Utah State, UNLV, Weber State, SLCC, Dixie State, UVU, and SUU. 

One reason I wanted to go is because I have no school next week. So, we’re going to make a trip out of it. Our plan is to camp at some State and National Parks, visit Las Vegas, and return to Provo Wednesday night. 

Saturday Morning Update: 

We left this morning at 6:30. My first game has ended. I got absolutely creamed. I was paired with the UofUtah’s #1, Tinh Nguyen, who is currently ranked 2100. In comparison, I’m at 1850. It was a bloodbath. Alas. I played riskier than usual to try and throw him off balance but to no avail. When we talked after the game, I told him I knew my 15th move or so turned out to be a huge mistake. He calmly nodded and then said I shouldn’t have made my 3rd move the way I did. Ouch. There are 50 players, 25 games going on, and mine was the first to be over. By a long shot. I’ve got 2 hours until the next round. Ouch ouch ouch. Good news though, Tinh is ranked the highest of anyone here. There’s one other person (his teammate) who is over 2000, and I’m 5th overall. So I’m optimistic that I’ll play the other ones better. Here’s hoping! Porter is playing here too, which thrills me, it's cool to do this together, and he’s looking pretty strong halfway through game one. I’m hoping he can pull out a W. 

Tuesday, emeritus General Authority Tad Callister visited the law school. He’s a lawyer by trade and is someone I admire greatly. His humble, yet strong demeanor is inspiring. Last summer, he wrote this article which I found compelling. After two sentences, I was flabbergasted at the tremendous claim he made, but felt the Spirit confirm to me that the decline of the family is the most serious issue today. Here’s the link for those interested:

https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-05-22/tad-callister-fence-cliff-ambulance-strong-families-213923

His remarks to the law school (sadly, while the room was filled with students, not a single faculty member attended) were sobering and inspiring. He spoke about how the Constitution was divinely inspired and how although the Founding Fathers are by no means perfect men, they were raised up by God to help create the United States of America and to model democracy and religious freedom the world over. 

The most striking one-liner was, “The American Flag is our modern day Title of Liberty.”

I’m so grateful to live in the United States and to live at this time. And I left inspired and committed to do my part to help fulfill this scripture, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 33:12

Marches for Life

 

The Lawyer's Life

 Sunday January 9, 2022

I’ll try and finish a letter detailing our exploits in Texas celebrating Christmas, but for now, rest assured it was a wonderful two weeks and infinitely relaxing and enjoyable. I’m grateful to my parents who work so hard to make every trip home memorable and perfect. Were we spoiled? Yes. Did I mind? Not at all. 

Since returning back to Utah, it’s been a quiet week. Lots of unpacking. We’ve done in one week what it took us one month to do last time. Unfortunately, on my last day in Texas, I showed Sawyer and Miller who was the king of golf. Unfortunately, in the process I contracted poison ivy. That was Thursday. By Saturday morning, my entire face was scratchy, with my lips all bubbly and my eyes swollen. It’s spread to my neck and forearms, but my hands and face are finally (nearly) clear. I’m tired of taking cold showers. And it’s been miserable trying to sleep. Every night is fitful, with me waking 5-6 times and holding my hands to our wall, made up of cold cinder blocks, which alleviates the itching somewhat. 

Now that I’ve gotten my complaining out of the way, let me share two miracles: 

1. On Saturday, after waking up with my face swollen, Andrew picked us up in SLC and we went to help Johnny+Lenita move. The energy there was awesome and it was fun to be part of an exciting endeavor. Once the truck was filled, we followed it to Wallsburg and saw their new place. It’s beautiful and the house is very nice. They’ve gone from having a college apartment complex as their backyard neighbors to having snowy fields overshadowed by the majestic mountains. We left about 2:30 pm to go unpack our apartment and get ready for school on Monday. Here’s the miracle: Saturday was the coldest day of the winter. It was 15-25 degrees all day. My poison ivy stayed at bay because of the cold. It wasn’t an issue. If it had been 40 degrees out, I would have suffered so much. If I had been inside all day, I would have suffered. Being in the cold was the very best thing that could have happened. 

2. When the poison ivy first appeared on Friday, I thought it was just a rash. I haven’t had poison ivy for 7-8 years, and I’ve never had it in the winter. When I realized what it was on Saturday, it was too late. The BYU health clinic is closed on the weekends and I knew that I would not make it to Monday ok. So, at 8:30 pm on Saturday night, I called my brother-in-law Dan the man, talked to him and was able to get a prescription for prednisone. Within the hour, I had the pills. Literally saved me. I do not want to imagine what would have happened if I could not have gotten a prescription that night. The options were to go to the emergency room (probably a long wait, and definitely a MASSIVE bill) and get a prescription or wait until Monday when it would probably be in my throat and my eyes would be too swollen to see. Last time I had this 7-8 years ago, even with steroids my lips/face became scarred, and each time gets progressively worse, so I needed to act fast. Super grateful for the quick medicine. 

Ok, enough about poison ivy. Actually one last thing. I showed up to school Monday with one ear 3x the size of the other, red rash everywhere, and a beard (can’t shave til the ivy is gone). I received some stares from classmates wondering if I am Hunter, and I wanted to shout “Unclean! Unclean!” Update: as of this morning, my beard is gone and I am now longer on my way to becoming a Union Civil War General. It was the longest facial hair I’ve ever had. 

Now about the rats. Errr mice. When we returned to our apartment on Saturday, it was comical looking. Everything was piled five feet high and we couldn't walk through the living room without first doing some major reshuffling. We put our shoulders to the wheel and were doing great when we heard it. The squeaking. We narrowed it down to a few boxes, and thought we had it figured out when we realized one of them had jars of peanut butter. If anything would attract a mouse, that would be it. With great fanfare, we brought the box outside and dumped it. To our dismay, nothing. We continued to unpack, and the squeaking stopped. We have no clue as to why. Just to be safe, we put out a few traps. Nada. The traps are still up, but I think we are in the clear. 

Our apartment, built in 1961, is only 550 sq feet. It’s got an orange oven and baby blue countertops. The prophets say to make our home like a temple. That’s our goal, but upon moving in, we realized we have a leg up as our house looks exactly like a church. Same indestructible carpet, and the same bathroom tile. Remarkably, 45 years ago, Julie’s parents lived two doors down from where we are now. They’ve confirmed it looks the same.  

We weren’t sure the piano was going to make it but miraculously, it’s with us on the 2nd floor. Kevin and Porter hauled it up and I basically just cheered them on, only adding a finger or two for balance. I can’t believe they could bring it up the stairs alone. I tried to help at first and could tell it was soooo much harder for me than 4 months ago. They inspired us, and that very night we got a gym membership. And for the first time in our lives, we took “before” pictures. Looks like I’ve grown since being married. And I don’t mean I’m taller. 

Here’s something that made me appreciate our apartment more. The average house has gone from 800 sq feet in 1950 to more than triple, over 2,600 sq. feet, in 2015. This becomes even more remarkable because in that same time frame, the average household size has decreased so people are living with way more home than they did. We’re just living like the 1950’s, with 275 sq feet per person, which is what that time period averaged. 

In any case, while I’ve been at school, Jules has put our apartment together. And she’s done a masterful job. Not only has she done an incredible job with the apartment, she’s become quite the domestic goddess. Our house is put together, my clothes are laid out for me every day which I love, dinner is taken care of, everything is clean as can be, and I keep finding fresh cookies on the countertop. 

Another aspect of our apartment that I love: our location is perfect. We are the closest building to campus, and the laundry facility is right by our building, as is the dumpster. Which, let me tell you, is full of surprises. We tried making a rule that we can only go look once a week, but that isn’t working. Every time we take our trash out, and sometimes more, we have to take a peak. We’ve found some treasures, and some of those treasures have already been sold online. It’s more for the thrill than for the money. And it’s about being resourceful. Waste not, want not. When we bring our trash down, sometimes we’ll come back with more than we left with. Just yesterday, on our way to do laundry, we discovered 12 pounds of butter, frozen, wrapped, and good as can be. I know it's good butter because that’s what made the cookies on the countertop, and the cookies were great.

Talking about cookies, one thing that we are on the lookout for is a kitchenaid. I’ve had one for close to two years (my mom’s old one) and it finally bit the dust. It facilitated lots of cooking adventures, especially lots of pizza. And cookies. 

Jules is working on applying to jobs. She nonchalantly told me the other day, “We don’t have kids, so I’m not a stay-at-home MUM, I’m a stay-at-home BUM.” Made me laugh, but she really has been working hard to get everything done with our house. I put out a message on LinkedIn and we’ve gotten some really good leads we’ll follow up on, as well as an interview set-up for her by Greg. 

Date night Friday was so fun. Last semester we became a little too lackadaisical. We had plenty of dates but they weren’t always the best planned. So many of you have inspired me over the years with your examples, (can I get a #WooYourWoman from Uncle Rich) and I know how important date night is. We’re committed to making it an ESSENTIAL part of every week. Friday we went to Pioneer Book and then Guru’s, a local restaurant. Pioneer Book does an awesome promotion where they give you a $10 gift card for your birthday, no strings attached. With her birthday coming up, Jules picked out a couple that she’s been wanting to read: The Last of the Mohicans, Tom Sawyer, and The Crucible. Guru’s was good. Too good in fact. We devoured the sweet potato fries with our food, and then saw the people at the table over get up and leave. And leave their nearly full plate of sweet potato fries behind. That hurt my heart, so surreptitiously as possible, I tiptoed over and swiped them. Now I know after the butter story and now fries you might be seriously worried about us. We’re fine. Financially at least. We’re working on the social graces part. If you should be worried about anybody, worry about yourself because with the dumpster being so close by, there’s a high likelihood that a present is in your near future. 

Today was our first time in our new ward. It was not a great first impression. Long story short, we felt very out of place. However, by the end of Relief Society and priesthood, our frowns were turned upside down and we both received the singular impression: I belong here. It ended up being a great Sunday. 

Because of Come Follow Me, I’ve been studying Genesis and the creation of the world. And, because of the New Year, I’ve been making some goals and resolutions. 

I think that there are so many lessons for us to learn in relation to setting goals from the first chapters of Genesis. Here are some of my takeaways:

- Have the end in mind. The end goal was always to have Adam and Eve and posterity on earth. But, the first steps had to happen first. Land had to be divided from the water, and plants created, etc. before it was ready for humans. We should have the end goal in mind, but work on making each smaller step happen too. 

- Be consistent. I really think that with everything, consistency makes a huge DIFFERENCE. If you just do something every day, i.e. exercise for 5 minutes, it gets easier and easier and it adds up. Parts of the creation happened for 6 days. God didn’t try to do it all at once, and each day something was done. 

- Honor the Sabbath. There is no larger endeavor than the creation of the world. And yet God still rested on the Sabbath. We might think that we are too busy to take a break from our worldly concerns, but honoring the Sabbath will always bless us and bring us closer to our Creator. I know I can get more done in 6 days than 7. 

Love you all!

Hunter + Jules

Fredericksburg Fun

 

Wreaths Across America

 

Happy Halloween!

 

Tying the Knot

Arriving home from my mission, I imagined I’d quickly get married and then walk hand-in-hand with my eternal love off into the sunset. Some 3 years later, I had become somewhat disenchanted with the Provo dating scene and was seriously considering going to New England for law school. After initially applying to two schools back east, I had a change of heart and submitted my application to BYU. I felt like this place was right for me, and where I would meet my spouse. Shortly before starting my program Fall Semester 2020, I tried selling my housing contract on Facebook Marketplace. And thank heavens I did, for that is where this beautiful woman, Julie Keller reached out to me. Truth be told, I had downloaded, deleted, and redownloaded Mutual (an LDS dating app) many times. Over the years, I had compiled a short list of people I hoped to go on a date with and then (if they didn’t swipe up,) I would try to have friends in common set us up. Jules was on the top of that list. 5’8”, with beautiful blonde hair, appearances of a large, loving family, not to mention, she was a church history TA. Unfortunately, or given how things have turned out, fortunately, I didn’t have a good friend who could set us up, and she never swiped up, so for two years I was left wishing I could get a date with her.

August 2020, Jules reached out to me about buying my housing contract for a friend. I assumed it must be someone serious as no one works hard to help ‘a friend’ buy housing. We talked a little bit before I decided to not sell the contract and the situation fizzled. However, Jules saw me on Mutual a few days later and recognizing me, wondered out of curiosity whether I would be interested in her. So she swiped up! We conversed a little bit, and then I asked her out. This was in the middle of August, and she was still living in SLC. When I asked her out, her car had recently broken down and she asked for me to ask her out again in two weeks when she would be back in Provo.

Two weeks later, I hadn’t forgotten, but decided not to reach out at the moment due to school, moving, and a new social situation (ward, school, etc.). I was so surprised when, the day after I was supposed to reach out to her, she reached out to me and reminded me! I immediately called her, and it was so easy to chat. We had a few more phone calls and one cancelled date before we finally met in person, Sunday September 13, 2021. So much for 13 being an unlucky number - it was one of the most treasured moments in my life and I’ve been truly smitten since first seeing her that day. For our first date, we painted pictures of each other, and at the end presented them to each other. To put it kindly, I need to stick to landscapes. My attempt led to much laughter between us then, and still makes us chuckle today. Conversely, Jules did an incredible job, and I kept the picture she made. At the end of the date, I asked her out again. She agreed, but as I found out later, had no intention of actually going out. We were scheduled to make cookies together, but she cancelled the day before. That was frustrating, as it was the second time I’d been cancelled on by her. However, I wanted to try making some chocolate chocolate chip raspberry cookies, and as I had already bought the fresh raspberries (spending $4), I had to make them. That evening, I brought the cookies to her. A roommate answered the door, and she came downstairs with a facial mask on. All she was missing were the cucumbers in her eyes. When Jules saw me, it was such a surprise, she shrieked and laughed and laughed. Her laugh is hypnotic, and I vowed to not give up yet. The cookies were a success, and we planned our next date for a few days later. On Wednesday, we went to Battle Creek Falls and hiked around and then went and got peach shakes at Taco Amigo. On our hike, at Jules’ suggestion, we did some trail running and her endurance took my breath away (literally and figuratively). She also shared many of her life goals and future plans. I was amazed by how well they lined up with mine and when she said she wanted 10 kids, I couldn’t believe it. Her boldness was something that attracted me from our very first conversations. Additionally, her gratitude for everything was so inspiring and made me want to be better and serve her more. While in line at Taco Amigo, she shared a poem she had written during her study abroad in Jerusalem, and again I was stunned by this wonder woman. Adding to all of her wonderful qualities, she was also very flirty, and the winks, arm touches, and gregarious personality had me dizzy and short of breath the entire time. After another week or so, we reached our first DTR. I told her I would love to date her. I had only dated one person previously, and shared with Jules that I had never met anyone quite like her, and wanted to keep getting to know her. She responded that she didn’t feel ready to date anyone at the moment, but had appreciated our time together. We talked further, and I walked her back to her house. When we arrived, we talked more, and she said that she changed her mind, and while she didn’t feel completely ready, she knew that if she didn’t give this a chance, she would regret it later as I possessed many attractive characteristics. It also helped that her family really liked me. So we started dating :) That said, it was obvious that she wasn’t ready to date, and the next three weeks were something of a roller coaster. Towards the end of that time period, everything finally appeared to be going great and I wasn't worried about getting dumped. Jules even wrote me a wonderful poem. Then on Halloween eve we went to two Halloween parties. On our way back, we had a serious conversation, and I felt like things were moving forward which made me so happy. Apparently, we weren’t on the same page though, and when we got to her house, she surprised me by ending our relationship.

We made it almost a week without seeing each other before Jules wanted to see me again. Long long long long long story short, we got back together, and then after a while Jules broke up with me again. We ended up with 5 break-ups total, the last being at the start of February. To quote Longfellow, “when she [was gone], it seemed like the ceasing of exquisite music.” Every time she broke up with me, I was devastated and wanted so badly to be with her. I couldn’t imagine living without Jules in my life. I am so grateful that those days are all behind us and shortly, I will be sealed to the love of my life. HUNTER

    Reading Hunter’s version of our story melts my heart and makes me love him that much more! He was very thorough in his account so I’ll just add to it.
I couldn’t tell you when I first fell in love with Hunter. For me, it was gradual, and most of the time, I denied it! What’s worse, meeting on Facebook marketplace or meeting on mutual? Basically the same thing, right? But how else do people meet during a pandemic?!  In mid August of 2020, I was trying to buy a contract for my ex-boyfriend, so I reached out to Hunter who was selling his on FB marketplace. Hunter decided not to sell his contract after all, which frustrated me at the time but then my ex dumped me again so I got back on mutual and there, recognized a familiar face—Hunter from FB! I swiped up to see if he thought I was cute (just to pad my ego) and we matched! I never had any intention of things going anywhere with Hunter. I had just gotten out of a long relationship, wasn’t ready for something else, and didn’t think that Hunter was what I was looking for. Now here we are and I am SO grateful that I was wrong. It’s true that I asked to reschedule what would have been our first date twice. I had legitimate reasons but weeks later, it seemed like Hunter had forgotten about me/moved on. I wanted to get asked on a date by someone so badly that I finally called Hunter to ask him to ask me out. And he did. Third time’s the charm! My first impression of Hunter was that he was a very nice boy but not for me. He seemed really nervous, and the encounter was a bit awkward but overall it was a good date! At the end of it, he asked me out again for that next Sunday to make cookies and I didn’t know how to say “no” to his face (it’s easier over text) so late the night before what would have been our second date, I canceled again. This time, I didn’t have a legitimate reason, I just didn’t think I was interested in Hunter. So, I made up some excuse for why I was ‘too busy’ and then invited a friend over for a spa night instead. Imagine my surprise when Sunday night, after 9 pm or maybe even close to 10 pm, my roommate came upstairs to tell me that a boy was at the door for me. I figured that the only boy who would come visit me that late would be my brother Andrew so I waltzed downstairs with my Korean face mask intact (minus the cucumbers) thinking it’d be him but instead, it was Hunter! I shrieked when I saw him because #1, I looked crazy wearing a face mask and #2, he caught me red-handed avoiding our date! I was shocked that in spite of the fact that I had canceled our date that night to make cookies, Hunter had brought them to me instead. No boy had ever made that kind of a gesture to me before so I told myself that I owed it to him to go out again, but really, I was impressed by how gentlemanly he was. That was the first of the many kind things Hunter has done for me and continues to do daily! Multiple times, he brought me baked goods and dinner, wrote me poetry, gave me flowers, and more romantic things! He pursued me and didn’t give up even after the many, many times I tried to end things. Hunter treats me like a princess and I’m amazed that the guy managed to stay single for so long but I’m eternally grateful that the Lord preserved him for me. I wish I could say more about everything else that happened along the way but it’s a long story with lots of back and forth (because of me) tears and prayers. It was a complicated journey, to say the least! Needless to say, there were countless instances of divine intervention in bringing and keeping us together and now I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be getting the most amazing guy. Seriously, he’s the best! I love him more than words can express! JULES

Happy Birthday Cooper!

 

Engagement of Hunter and Julie

 

"Ditat Deus" - God Enriches - Visiting Arizona

Law School Life

One hundred and nine days later, tonight's the night I'm buying the ring. Thank you for all of your prayers, support, and fasting. I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge your help. 

I really have seen the hand of God these last few months and know that the heavens are open and He is aware of our desires and wishes. 

And I have a testimony of fasting. The timing might not always be so quick, but I do know that as we turn to the Lord, there are infinite good things to come, whether in this life or the next. 

More info will be forthcoming, after the ring is actually on a finger, but get ready for a party in Utah August 7th! 

Love you all!

Hunter

~~~~~~~

1 January 2021

Hello wonderful family, 

Happy New Year! I am writing to invite you to join me in fasting. There is nothing I want more than to be married and begin a family, but I recently experienced a disappointing end to a relationship, and am back at square one. While driving today and pondering what I can do, I had the distinct impression to invite others to fast with me. 

I am hesitant in sending this out, as I realize my problems are comparatively very small -  I know so many others face much more challenging and much more serious issues. Yet, I can't deny the prompting that I did receive. So, if you are so inclined, I invite you to join me this Fast Sunday in fasting and prayer. I know that God hears our prayers and honors our sacrifices. I believe in miracles! 

Love you all, 

Hunter