Damian and I met in august 2007 during a youth conference at Manchester University. He asked me to Dance, and then despite my terrible slow dancing skills he asked for my email address so we could stay in contact after the conference. - Damian says he was kinda gutted that I was still 15 at the time we met, because of course for him it was “love at first sight” - at the time, I kind of thought he was already with a friend of his so didn't really think he would bother getting in contact after the conference. (I know looking back that was a kinda silly thing to assume when he asked ME to dance)
So, a couple days after the conference ended Damian added me on MSN, We quickly became best friends talking online and texting for hours about anything and everything till late every night. After 6 weeks I had totally fallen for him and was finally 16!! it took him all day, but Damian finally asked me out on my 16th birthday! - he said he had been trying to work up the courage to ask me out all day! Personally, at the time I thought that was one of the longest days ever! (* yeah that was BEFORE the mission & the HOME COMING!*) I knew from the start that he was going to be going on a mission soon, and I wasn't worried about it, I figured things would work out however they were meant to… Although, we did talk about marriage.
We where together 6 months before we got officially engaged. At first no one was really all that happy about the idea; I guess they were worried he wouldn't go on his mission because of me. And well, they were wrong. Damian and I said our Goodbyes on 7th April 2009... Saying Goodbye to Damian, knowing I wasn't going to see him again for two years was the hardest thing I ever had to do...or so I thought at the time. Elder Fielder left on his mission to England London South on April 10th 2009.
Waiting was no walk in the park for me, I had problems with my health and all I wanted to do was to talk to him about it all, it was hard, I don't know how I would have managed it without the love and support of my family and the MG groups. Yes there were times when I just wanted him to come home but in the end it was worth it! During the two years Damian was on his mission I learned so much about myself and the type of person I am and who I want to be. In the past two years my testimony has grown so much; I have learned to turn to my Heavenly Father more than I ever have before.
So, the home coming... The plans for the home coming where only really decided the week before Damian was due to come home, originally we had planned that I would travel to Wrexham (north Wales) the day he got home and we would be able to spend the weekend together...but that changed when his parents invited me to go on a road trip with them to Oxford! And to pick him up from the mission office!! I'll be honest, as excited as I was, I was also major nervous, not nervous about seeing Damian again, but about seeing his family!! We hadn't really done very well at staying in contact over the two years and a lot had happened during that time.
When his parents came to pick me up on April 6th the conversation flowed so naturally it was like we'd been talking just two weeks ago never mind two years ago... the 5 hour drive to oxford was a great chance to get caught up on the happenings of the past two years.
Staying with Damian's brother and his sister in law, although I had only met them once very briefly before Damian left, wasn't awkward at all! While I was there I wrote this on a word doc to post on my blog, but I kinda forgot about it: So remember how I said I was going on a road trip with Damian's parents this week to go pick him up from his mission... well that’s where I am right now! I'm in OXFORD – I'm staying with Damian's oldest brother and his family. His parents and I are going to go pick him up from the mission home Tomorrow!! - I'm so freaking excited! I cannot wait to see him again!
He was so right when he said I would be okay here at his brothers... I seem to be getting on great with Adele his sister in law... sure I’m not as talkative as she is, but we seem to be doing okay conversation wise. And his two nieces thankfully have warmed up to me this morning...they were a little shy around me and not wanting to talk to me last night... but today they've been sitting on my knee and playing with my hair all morning... and the drive over here yesterday wasn't that bad either... I was major tired though because it took like 5 hours from St Helens to Oxford. But I got on with his mum and dad just like I did two years ago which was nice.... I was a little worried that things would be awkward after two years of very little talking... but apparently not.
His mum gave me his mobile phone yesterday to look after until tomorrow... so obviously, I switched it on last night after I went up to bed... so glad I did, it was great to be able to read through some of the text messages we sent each other the night before he was set apart... I was so scared that night, but his text where so reassuring that everything would be okay, that we'd make it through the two years apart... I wish I had some of that reassurance today... as hyper and excited as I am for tomorrow, im also just as nervous... I don't like not knowing what to expect. Well I guess if I can't get any hugs from Damian tomorrow... I can at least get some from the kids!! haha they're so cute. Okay my laptop battery is dying so I better go... later.
April 8th 2011, the day that seemed like it would never come. The day I finally got to see Damian again! I woke up around 5am and couldn't get back to sleep, but of course I refused to get out of bed until a decent time considering his parents didn't plan to pick me up from the house to travel to London until 9.30am! So I lay in bed listening to music until 7.30am when I got up to get a shower and got ready to go pick up Damian.
That morning was the longest morning of my life, I was ready to leave by 9am; every minute after I was ready to leave seemed to take forever! When his parents got there to pick me up I was pretty close to being a nervous wreck! If it hadn't been for a constant stream of text from my best friends I would have been a wreck for sure! The drive to London was... the longest 2 hours of my life! I had so many emotions flowing through me at once I was starting to feel sick! The closer we got to getting to the mission office though I started to relax and feel more at peace, I have no doubt that that was heavenly father telling me to chill out!
When we finally got to the London Temple, we didn't have a clue where to go! So, we had to ask at the visitors centre. Who were very helpful, even if they did think I was his SISTER!! =O haha. So, the sister missionary in the visitors centre called the mission office and got him to come round and meet us!! I was the first to see him coming! And I have to say, My heart honestly felt like it was trying to burst out of my rib cage! All I could do was watch him walking over to us, - not failing to notice his slight limp (my man hurt his knee with only 3 weeks to go) I couldn't even tell anyone he was coming, no words would come out my mouth! So you know in the movies when things happen in slow motion? Yeah that's what this seemed like... when he finally got to us he hugged his mum and his dad.... and I got a handshake. Haha, okay I knew before hand that I was only going to get a handshake but up until that moment, I still hoped I would get a hug.
One thing I have always known about Damian, he hates leaving something half done... So, we had to walk back to the mission office with him so he could finish a project he was working on for the mission president... 2 hours after we got to London, we were finally on the way to get some food and visit Damian's grandma. In the car on the way to the restaurant we were getting dinner from he grabbed my hand!! I didn't know what to do or say! Of course I loved that he wanted to hold my hand! - But at the same time I knew he was still technically a missionary and that holding hands was still against the rules.
But his dad didn't seem to mind nor did his mum. So we carried on holding hands. At dinner things where so normal, right down to me not being able to finish my food, Steven laughing about my small apatite and Damian eating my food for me haha. After dinner we went to visit Grandma, who is so lovely! Damian is so lucky to have such a lovely Grandma! - I don't have much luck in the grandparents department. I even got to meet Damian's mission president! Damian was right when he said the mission president and his wife are a lovely couple, we went round to their house so Damian could give the president the DVD of the project he had finished that morning, when we got there straight away they were offering us food and lemonade. And Damian says when he went to take his dirty plate in the kitchen Sister Shamo (the President’s wife) went into “mom” mode and said that I am a “lovely Girl” and they (she and the president) “approve” - I have to admit, I was more than a little pleased when he told me and his parents that on the car ride back to Oxford.
Okay, I am now going to skip a head a little to his release! Saturday, we drove all the way back from oxford, and all the way to Anglesy (north wales) it’s a little over a 6 hour drive. When we got to the Chapel in Anglesy, Damian met with the stake president for just over an hour and was released officially from being a full time missionary while I waited outside with his parents. I didn't know what to do or say after he came out the office and was no longer a missionary... so I didn't do or say anything! I just stood there while he talked to the stake president some more. After saying good bye to the stake president we all got back in the car to head back to Wrexham. It was in the car that I got my first kiss in two years!
The weekend passed by to quickly for my liking and I was soon in the car going home. But I am happy to say since Damian came home we have seen each other almost every weekend and right now we are super busy planning our Wedding this August!!
Waiting wasn't easy. But it was worth it.
Congrats Nichola! We're so excited to hear about your wedding in August!! Please send us pictures so we can do a shout out to you and be excited for you and Damian on your big day!
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