KATIE ANDERSON GLEAVE
Life after High School...
I went to SNOW COLLEGE right after high school. I roomed with Callie Johnson (Parry) and Randi Robles (Blackham) my first year. I worked at Terrels as a checker. I studied Fine ARTS. I loved every second of it! I spent a lot of time lifting weights and exercising. If only I had free time like that again! I also got a job at Western Watts... Does anyone remember that place? Ha ha. My roommates lasted a few weeks... I stuck it out a few more weeks and asked for a promotion. Being a supervisor was much easier than doing surveys on the phone!
I then spent the summer in CEDAR CITY. I lived with my bother Ben and his family. I worked at the the SHELL gas station. I also worked at Comfort Inn (now Quality Inn). I loved both jobs, but all I did was work that summer! I then met a girl at church and we became instant friends. She invited me to go to China with her to teach English. My parents thought that I was crazy.
I went back to Snow Collage for another semester. Western Watts took me back as a
supervisor, my roommate changed. My second year at snow wasn’t as fun as the first. I was ready for it to be over so that I could go to China. After the semester was over I left for URUMQI, CHINA. The city is located in the upper left hand corner near Mongolia. I loved the people and the food, and the BREAD!! My student were so cute. I spent six months there. I was able to travel all throughout China. The highlights were, Guilin, old Tibet, the terracotta warriors in Xian, and the Gobi desert! I learned a lot while I was there, I realized what was really important to me. I guess you could say that I grew up. My heart will always have a soft place for Asia!
I served my Mission in CHILE, Vina Del Mar from 2004 to 2006. We spoke Spanish (Castallano) if you want to get technical. My husband speaks Mexican Spanish and I don’t understand some of the words in his vocabulary... My mission was challenging, Fun and beautiful. I met so many wonderful people! This experience changed my life forever!
After the mission I went to Southern Utah University in Cedar City to further my education. I changed my major to Graphic Design. I had some awesome teachers and few not so awesome ones. I still think all those general classes are a waste of time, but surprisingly I loved geology. After the sememster I stayed in Cedar City and FOUGHT FIRES for the BLM. It was HARD work but I loved ever second of it! When school started again I worked at TURN a place for people with special needs, and I also got a job at ZION PHOTOGRAPHY. I started off editing photos on the computer then started taking pictures as a back up shooter at weddings. My boss told me I had talent and that I should take a few classes in photography at the college. I took one class and LOVED it! I changed my major to Photography and Digital Design. I decided that it was a better way to make a living rather than painting and sculpting, and a lot more fun than graphic design. While I was at SUU I got involved in student government. I was a SENATOR representing all the student in the Art department. I got my bachelors degree in Photography and Digital Design and and now currently have my own business called PhotographyByForevermore.
THE LOVE STORY...
I went on a date with a guy. He told me we were going to dinner and that we were going to meet up with his buddy Lloyd. I didn’t think anything of it until we got there. We went to Benja Thai and Sushi in St. George. We sat down to eat and Lloyd started to recruit us to sell alarm systems. I was thinking about selling for Atlas, but that was beside the point! why was I on a date and some guy was trying to recruit me to sell alarm systems? I guess my date just wanted the free meal. Funny experience non the less. The whole time I was MESMERIZED by Lloyd. His looks and brain really impressed me! I actually thought I could marry this guy. CRAZY I know, but I really thought it. Lloyd didn’t even notice me that night. He was too focused on selling! It also didn't helpthat I had short blond hair and I was still a little chubby from the mission... I had gained 60 pound out there. I didn’t try to make a connection with Lloyd because I was on a date with the other guy, but I did have a feeling that WE WOULD MEET AGAIN...
ONE YEAR LATER...
It was 2007. In the past year I had been through all kinds of dating and one serious boyfriend. It was a hard break up. It just wasn’t right but the love was still there... that is what made it so hard! I then got another boyfriend but didn’t feel like everything was quite all there. My mom told me I should date other people one morning... I talked to my boyfriend that afternoon. I then went to work and my bosses daughter and son in law came in and was showing me pictures of their new born baby. There was one picture of Lloyd holding their baby. Brad (the son in law) said, “I SHOULD SET YOU TWO UP!” He proceeded to tell me about Lloyd. Brad asked me if I was dating anyone and luckily I could say no as of that morning! crazy! After Brad described Lloyd I looked at the picture again and recognized him from a year ago! I was sooo excited my heart was racing! I wanted to go on a date with him. Brad asked for a picture of me to send to Lloyd so he would know what I looked like. The most recent one I had taken was me in a wedding dress playing in a fountain. I was modeling for a friend... so we sent him that picture. I text him to break the ice. He responded and was very sarcastic and witty! That made me even more attracted to him. A month went by we would text a lot, but he never asked me out. we still hadn’t met! I told brad that I was done. Brad new that we were made for each other so he put the pressure on Lloyd to ask me out. Lloyd had never been on a blind date. He said he was completely capable of finding his own women... but Brad got to him and he agreed to take me out. He invited me to a BBQ at his friends house. When we pulled up to the house I started to laugh. I had dated a few people that lived there. It was going to be an awkward night for me. It turned out that we had been friends with the same people for YEARS, but never crossed paths until now! We had an awesome timeon the date! He would avoid my questions the whole night. By the time it was over he knew ALL about me and I knew nothing about him! I was intrigued.
He had a house in St. George, but would find excuses to come up to Cedar City just so he could see me. We did a lot of lunch dates at first. He always brought a friend with him so it didn’t look like he was too interested in me. He would come up like 3 or 4 times a week. I already knew he was interested. He couldn’t fool me. He had been broken before and was a little gun shy. He hadn’t dated the three years prior to dating me...
After three months of dating Lloyd and I went to PERU together. A friend of Lloyds needed a translator to go with them and he invited me to tag along. We had a blast MACHU PICCHU was amazing!
During this time I was still dating other people, and STILL DATING THE OTHER GUY FROM BEFORE. I started to get a little more serious with him and Lloyd at the same time. It got to the point that I was dating them both exclusively. They both new about each other, I just couldn’t decide between them. It went on for quite a while. They were both good for me but for different reasons... I almost broke up with Lloyd multiple times but it just never happened. The other guy was perfect! but it just didn’t feel right! LLOYD CHALLENGED ME. He didn’t roll over like a little puppy like most of the other guys I had dated. He was strong and confident in everything he did! Lloyd handled the situation of me dating another guy really well. He was so confident. It didn’t seem to phase him. I liked that. He was really good under pressure. I EVENTUALLY CHOSE LLOYD. Total we dated for a year and a half. We had such a fun time dating. We traveled a lot and did a lot of fun things! We went to Havasu Pai falls after 7 months in May 2008. That is when I knew we would get married!
We got MARRIED on January 3rd 2009. Subconsciously I knew it was right from the first time I met him. It just took us both a little longer to realize it. We have been married now for 3 years.
We have one daughter named JACEY. She will be 2 in October 2012. Her name means HAPPY and she was born the year of the Tiger. They both describe her well. She is feisty when she really wants something and super happy all the time unless she is tired! She is so much fun and has been easy from the beginning. We love her so much! She is already speaking in sentences, counting and knows some of her colors. She also loves to read books.
So far we have lived in St. George , Fairveiw, Alaska, Hawaii and Korea. It has been quite the adventure! I don’t know if we will ever settle down! We travel around Utah and the surrounding states for my photography quite a bit. We do it full time. Lloyd has been so supportive and a good team mate! Getting Married to Lloyd was the best decision I have ever made!
It has been an awesome 10 years. I wouldn’t change a thing!
1 comment:
Haha. I totally remember you telling me you were dating two guys and couldn't decide between them.
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