Us.

How did I fall in love with a boy and agree to marry him 44 days after our first date?  How did Clayton and how did Kortney become Mr. and Mrs. Weathersby?  It happened SO fast, I think I have forgotten some of what contributed to "he" and "I" becoming "we",  and how the Lord has His hand in all things if we but let Him.

In my home ward in Lehi, I was lucky to have an incredible bishop.  This man was so in-tune with the Lord, he always knew exactly what to say to me and when to say it.  There are times where I felt the Spirit so strongly in that office I would walk away from our appointments feeling like I could conquer the world because my Heavenly Father loves ME. 

In April after general conference, I met with my dear bishop.  I wasn't in that office for five minutes before he looked at me and asked, "Kortney, what happened to you this week?"  It had been two weeks from hell for me, and I hadn't mentioned ANYTHING about what I was going through to ANYONE.  I lost it - I started bawling my eyes out.  How did he know?  I told my bishop the following story, and he said to me, "Kortney, when the time is right, you need to write this story down and you need to share it with others."   Here goes.  :)

I dated a lot after my divorce.  People thought, "oh my goodness, you poor thing, you are single!  I know someone who went through a divorce a few years ago and I think you'd really like him!  Let me set you up."  I went on so many terrible, awkward dates - dozens of men who I'd walk away from and go "seriously, if this is what I'm up against, count me OUT."  However, there were a few who I clicked with.  In the two and a half years I was single post-divorce, I had two relationships.  They weren't exactly successful, but they were relationships still the same.  And these two relationships had really torn me up by the time they were over.  

One of these guys really had a hold on me emotionally - it was tough for me to let go.  We were so on and off .  We spent Christmas 2010 together, but by New Years 2011, we were through.  Towards March, we were on again.  Then we had yet another huge fight - I wanted to go back to church.  He didn't want the same.  I felt completely hopeless.  Driving around in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere after being stood up, I said a prayer.  I wanted to feel like someone, somewhere cared.  It was a Sunday night, and a cop pulled me over.  Great, I thought.  Little did I know, that cop would be an answer to my prayer.  That cop took one look at me, asked me if I needed to talk, and asked me to get out of the car.  We sat on the side of the  road, and I unloaded.  I talked to that cop for three hours.  It was freezing cold, I was a bawling mess.  He didn't care.  Luckily for me, this cop was a member of the church, and we had an amazing talk.  This guy didn't know me from Adam, but he cared enough about me to listen to me and share parts of his testimony that helped me in ways I didn't think were possible.  I went home that night and knew - Heavenly Father loved me.  And that was enough.  

After that, I had basically given up hope on all men and was prepared to live in my parents basement for the rest of my life.  Or start dating women.  Or both.  (I'm joking here, by the way.  But this explains my frustration.)  Not knowing what to do, I prayed again that I would know the next step to take in my life.  

I was going through the repentance process because I hadn't lived my life the way I knew was right, and that April I had the opportunity to go to General Conference.  It was there that prayer was answered.  President Monson ended the Sunday morning session with an AMAZING talk on temples.  I swear, this talk was given just for me.  Here's the answer to my prayer, straight from the Prophet's mouth.  

If you have not yet been to the temple or if you have been but currently do not qualify for a recommend, there is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple. Your sacrifice may be bringing your life into compliance with what is required to receive a recommend, perhaps by forsaking long-held habits which disqualify you. It may be having the faith and the discipline to pay your tithing. Whatever it is, qualify to enter the temple of God. Secure a temple recommend and regard it as a precious possession, for such it is.

These two boys who I had relationships with and was still in some contact with, would not support me in this new goal.  I cut the ties.  Boys I had gone out with since I saw zero hope in.  People were again trying to set me up with so and so that they worked with, knew through a friend, met here and there, etc. Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and knowing I couldn't live in Utah County single and be a hermit forever,  I prayed again.  Please Heavenly Father, the next boy that comes my way, PLEASE let him be a good one.  He doesn't have to be "the one", but please please PLEASE just let him be normal and nice.

  

I was taking classes once a week at Weber State, and in my English class there was a gorgeous boy who I had a secret crush on.  I made sure we ended up in the same group for projects, but this boy refused to talk.  I couldn't decide if he was stuck-up, shy, had a girlfriend - I didn't know what his deal was.  There were a few conversations, but he was always texting someone in class, playing on his computer, etc.. At the end of the semester, we had a final group project due.  Being the only girl in my group and not wanting someone else to put the final touches on the biggest project of the semester, I had the boys email me their parts of the paper, and I put it together.  Clay was the last one to send me his paper.  And it was actually, really, really good.  Soon after I had read his paper, I got a text message.  "This is Clayton from English class, I just sent you my paper."  I responded "I just got it.  It's actually really good.  You can't get by on your good looks forever, nice to know there's a brain in your pretty head" - to which I got a text back saying "Wanna go to dinner?"  

I'll admit, I was mad.  Is that all it takes to get a date with this guy?  And I've been drooling over him all semester?  Ugh!!  Knowing what I know now, if Clayton had asked me out at any time before this, it would not have worked out.  I wasn't in the right place.  But as soon as I was willing to change my life and do it for the right reasons, as soon as the temple became my focus, the Lord was willing to bless me with His most incredible blessing yet - my husband.

First date - was amazing.  I've never been so comfortable with someone in my entire life.  Although we lived an hour away from each other, we were soon seeing each other almost every single day.  He was someone I could be myself around, someone who didn't judge me for my past, someone who I had fun with and laughed with, and someone I soon grew to love.  Heavenly Father had once again, answered a prayer for me.  He sent me that nice, normal boy I wanted.  And after having other prayers answered in the most incredible, obvious and special ways, we were engaged.  44 days after our first date.

We didn't receive temple clearance as we had hoped, and so after six months of waiting, we threw our wedding together in two weeks.  We decided to be married October 5th, 2011 - my 24th birthday.  We attended a temple session with our family and friends that morning.  That evening, my dad walked me down the aisle, and we exchanged vows surrounded by our loved ones.  It was an incredible day.  On Friday, October 5th, 2012, we are hoping to be sealed for time and eternity.  :)

We've been married just under three months.  It's been nothing short of a miracle to me.  My life has done a complete 180, and I know it's because I shifted my focus.  I have my temple recommend, I have a stronger testimony that I want to grow and share every single day, and I am married to my best friend.  I have the most amazing family and friends.  Life is good.  It's not easy, but it's good.