Bachelor 19 - Chris Soules - ALL Blogs - Discussion

Chris S. Blog for week 7- Des Moines:

http://www.people.com/article/bachelor-chris-soules-blog-episode-7

Getting ready for the rose ceremony in Deadwood was tough because I was pretty sure I knew who I was going to send home, but I did want to spend more time with the girls to confirm my feelings. I was relieved when Megan boldly asked me how I felt for her, and she was right – our relationship was lacking progression.

My first date on this journey was with her, and it was incredible and something I'll never forget. I really wanted it to work out with Megan, but our connection wasn't developing as fast as the other girls. Megan is an incredible woman, and if we had been under other circumstances and I hadn't been dating six other girls, I'm certain things could have worked out. That's why it was so, so hard to see her go. That goodbye hit me harder than any had until that point, and you obviously saw that.

After that, I knew I couldn't see anyone else go, so that's why I asked Chris Harrison to cancel the rose ceremony. I knew I had strong feelings for the remaining six girls, and, knowing we were going to Iowa next, I wanted to bring all of them.




Before I talk about the dates, I want to talk about Iowa for second. By now, all of you know how much I love the place. It's home. It's where my heart is. It's everything to me. One of the best moments in my life was telling the girls we were heading to Iowa! I'm not going to lie, part of me was a little nervous that the girls might not be thrilled that we were heading to Iowa because, well, let's face it, Iowa is not necessarily as glamorous as some typical locales frequented by past Bachelors.

To my surprise, the girls went crazy; they all seemed genuinely excited! Carly's reaction was priceless. When she ran into my arms, I thought she was going to knock me over! I was a happy man.

I was so excited to be back in Iowa that I had to go a little rogue. One night in Des Moines, I snuck out of the hotel with some of the crew, put on a hat and hoodie so I'd be incognito and hit the town. We ended up singing karaoke in an empty bar – Piano Man was probably the peak of the night. Yes, you all may have guessed, my singing was horrible as usual, but we finished the night demolishing an amazing crab rangoon pizza at Fong's, of course. It was pretty epic, and I think we made it through the whole night without one person spotting me! Okay, back to the show.

I knew my first date in Iowa would be a big one. I wanted to choose someone to bring to Arlington who I could really see my future with, and Jade was that person. I also knew I needed more time with Jade to see if she could break out of her shell. Jade and I always had a strong connection, but she'd been so soft-spoken – almost quiet, (which I admired – that I also wanted to see her be able to throw back and have a good time. It's important for me to be able to get a little wild with the girl I'm dating.

Bringing Jade to Arlington was huge for me. I've said before that I've always been a bit insecure about my hometown. It's small. Really small. But it's where I live, it's the place I love and it's where I want to raise a family. So, needless to say, I was a bit worried about how Jade would react. I was excited to bring Jade into my home, though. It's a great place, but, as she mentioned, it's definitely in need of a woman's touch. And I was proud to show her my land. I've worked very hard to get to the place I am and looking over all that land with her by my side felt good. It's too bad she didn't want me to name a cow after her, though.

Showing Jade around "downtown" Arlington made me realize how much the place has changed since I was a kid. I'd never say it was a bustling metropolis, but you could at least get a drink and groceries there in the past. But like I said to Jade, the farming industry has changed so much that there just aren't as many jobs anymore, and people have had to leave small towns to find jobs in other larger cities. It makes me sad to see how empty the place is, but regardless of how small Arlington is, it's still a great place to raise a family, and that's what's important to me at this stage in my life. My community may not have a large population, but it's the quality of the people that makes it special.

There's really only one thing to do on Friday nights in Arlington, so it made sense for me to take Jade back to my alma mater. Everyone in the area spends Friday night's cheering on my old football team, the Starmont Stars. My parents often go to the games, so I knew I'd have the chance to introduce Jade to them, which was awesome. It made me very proud to be at my old high school, seeing the community come out to support Starmont Football. It reminded me of my old playing days and it was great to able to share that with Jade. You could just feel what a great, tightly knit community it is – yet another reason why I love this place.

When Jade told me about being a bit of a rebel in high school, I have to be honest, I was a bit relieved. Of course I love that she is sweet and can be shy, but I also want to be with someone who has a little sass and spunk, someone who can break out of her shell. I definitely saw that side of her when we kissed on the football field, with my entire community cheering us on from the stands. That was definitely a high school fantasy-come-true. I also felt like a real badass reenacting Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club.

The next day, I couldn't wait to show Whitney around Des Moines. Now, Des Moines is not Arlington. It's obviously very different, but it's a place I spend a lot of time. A lot of my friends live there, and I often go there for farming conventions. It really does have it all. It's a great city with natural beauty, cool people and a lot going on. One morning that week I woke up and went running along the river and up to the Capitol building. I stopped for a couple minutes there to admire the view. Stunning. What a city.

As for the date, I knew Whitney was the perfect girl to take because we'd spent a lot of time talking about Iowa – or, as she calls it, "Eye-wah" – and we hadn't had a one-on-one since we crashed that wedding. Taking photos of our love story around Des Moines was so fun, and the whole day just felt so normal. What Whitney didn't know was that I'd met with a local graffiti artist earlier that day and planned to send him our best photo for him to paint on a wall. I could barely keep that secret all day, but I knew seeing her reaction would be worth the wait!

So, even though Des Moines is technically considered a big city for Iowa, it still feels like a small town. As soon as word got out that I was on a date in the city, people tried to figure out where we'd be spending the evening. I was shocked and overwhelmed seeing how many people came out just to catch a glimpse of us. But hey, that's Iowa fans for you! #iowaproud

Anyway, I was looking forward to our evening because I had two surprises up my sleeve. I'd asked three of my best buddies to come meet Whit, because I really wanted to see how she would interact with some of my closest friends. Man, it was great to see those guys! The truth is, I wish I had been able to invite all my best friends (sorry, guys, you know who you are!), but I didn't want Whitney to be too overwhelmed! Either way, my friends LOVED her. They were really grilling her, and asking tough questions, and that girl handled it like a pro. She really amazed me with her poise and her honesty. That woman knocked it out of the park.

Anyway, I had to kick my friends off the date so Whit and I could spend more quality time together. It was bittersweet to see them go, but I heard they enjoyed the rest of their evening out on the town. When it was just us, Whitney really opened up to me about her family and her difficult past. I would have never guessed that she had faced such adversity in her life because of how strong she is. Truthfully, I struggled not to cry but I wanted to be strong for her and hearing her talk so fondly of her mother made me realize where she got her strength. That night Whitney and I really took our relationship to another level. Being able to show Whitney the mural and see the look on her face was incredible. It was the perfect ending to the perfect day.

Watching the conversation between Jade and Carly now is strange. At that point, I had no indication that Jade had any sort of secret past, but now it makes sense that she started to unveil her "rebellious side" to me on our Arlington date. All I can say is you'll just have to keep watching to see how – and if – she finally tells me. (Hint: That may or may not happen in tomorrow's episode.)

Honestly, I wasn't that excited for the group date. I was at a point in my relationships where I didn't want to go on group dates anymore, but six one-on-ones just wasn't realistic. I wanted to keep the day part of the date lighthearted, so I took the girls ice skating, mostly because I knew I would suck. It just seemed like a fun, easy way to have a good time under weird circumstances. When Britt told me about the girls taking a road trip to Arlington I was obviously surprised, but also happy they took the initiative to see my hometown. Hearing Britt talk about Arlington was even more surprising. For a girl who lives in L.A., she sure seemed overly enthusiastic about my small town life. I mean, I know Arlington is great because I was raised there, but I would totally understand someone initially being skeptical of it. So it was a bit weird to me to see how eager she was, but I had no reason not to believe her.

Hearing what Carly had to say really caught me off guard, especially because of the things Britt said to me just minutes before. Truthfully, I was shocked and I knew I needed to talk to Britt. How could someone change her mind so drastically, so quickly? I needed to get to the bottom of this.

Later that night, I decided to talk to Britt right away. I couldn't go through the whole evening with Carly's words on my mind. I totally understand that some of the girls may have been caught off guard seeing my hometown, but the most important part was that all of them were completely honest with me. I just decided the best thing to do was to discuss this with Britt. Hearing her say she never said those things about Arlington just confused me. Someone was obviously not telling me the truth, and it hurt to know that one of these girls was lying. The entire situation was concerning. Other than what Carly had said, I had no reason not to believe Britt. However, her extremely over-the-top reaction from earlier was still on my mind. How could she be that excited about Arlington? Was Britt, like Kaitlyn said, molding herself to be who she thought I wanted her to be? Anyway, I couldn't spend my whole night talking to Britt so I moved on. #redflags

Now, I know Kaitlyn was upset that she didn't get a one-on-one date that week, because we hadn't had one since our Costco/Kimmel date, but I just knew from all the short times we'd spent together in between that this girl was special and that we had a very real connection. It was hard for me to hear that she felt like she was playing catch-up because I felt our relationship was far beyond many of the others. As hard as it was to see Kaitlyn worried, I was happy to see that she actually had a vulnerable side, and it made me realize just how serious she was taking everything. I wanted to reinforce what I was telling her, and the rose was the best way to do so. Little did I know where it would lead.

Britt's reaction to me giving Kaitlyn the rose confused and hurt me, considering the fact she not only received a rose on the last group date, I gave her the rose on a stage with Big & Rich during their concert; something that all of the other girls would have loved to experience. The police sirens going off in the background during that conversation felt like some sort of omen.

The whole thing was weird. I couldn't even understand what was happening, and I felt really bad for the other girls, especially Carly who hadn't received a rose either. Her behavior then seemed so contrary to everything I'd seen of her until that point. It was like she'd done a complete 180. Was she putting on a show this whole time? I couldn't believe she was trying to have that conversation with me in front of two girls I was also in relationships with and acting as if she was the only one there. I certainly did not think it was respectful for us to continue that conversation in front of Kaitlyn and Carly, so I had to walk away. I left feeling shocked and confused. It was a side to Britt I'd never seen, and in complete contrast to the girl I spoke to on the bridge earlier in the day.

Things definitely come to a head tomorrow, so you'll have to tune in to find out what happens. Also tomorrow, I head to the remaining four women's hometowns. How will I react to Jade's scandalous past? Will Becca tell me her secret? And whose family doesn't give me their blessing? It's all happening tomorrow night!

Thanks so much for reading,
Chris

CH's week 7- Des Moines blog:

https://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/chris-harrison-bachelor-blog-episode-7-191742800.html

Chris' blog: I love how he talks about his home town what it means to him and how that's where he want's to raise a family. I see a really nice sensitive guy in that blog.
Confusing since he seems to have feelings for them all! For example we saw Megan once and then this:

My first date on this journey was with her, and it was incredible and something I'll never forget. I really wanted it to work out with Megan, but our connection wasn't developing as fast as the other girls. Megan is an incredible woman, and if we had been under other circumstances and I hadn't been dating six other girls, I'm certain things could have worked out. That's why it was so, so hard to see her go. That goodbye hit me harder than any had until that point, and you obviously saw that.

Thanks nutty for bringing them over.

nutty1 wrote:CH's week 7- Des Moines blog:

https://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/chris-harrison-bachelor-blog-episode-7-191742800.html

So don't you love how effusive CH'S blog is about Chris' date with Whitney??!! Not! He barely gives it a mention.

Now I really think she is f1. Thanks CH for the affirmation.

Remember this, as I'm sure we'll hear it again!

CH's blog, link upthread.

Whitney got the second date and this one actually took place in Des Moines. Whitney and Chris have an interesting relationship; it's been a nice slow burn for them and it seems to be working.

^ Too bad TPTB chose not to show us that nice slow burn. Even though Cat was hidden a lot, there were at least moments you could see the gradual growth of their connection.

I almost think the "gotcha" they have planned is to show so little of the Whit\Chris connection that people will believe the spoiler has to be wrong, then it will turn out to be right.

They did seem to finally show a stronger Sean\Cat connection from HTD on, so fingers crossed, we will start to see more of the Whitney\Chris connection that so far seems to be mainly on the cutting room floor.

GuardianAngel wrote:Chris' blog: I  love how he talks about his home town what it means to him and how that's where he want's to raise a family. I see a really nice sensitive guy in that blog.
Confusing since he seems to have feelings for them all! For example we saw Megan once and then this:

My first date on this journey was with her, and it was incredible and something I'll never forget. I really wanted it to work out with Megan, but our connection wasn't developing as fast as the other girls. Megan is an incredible woman, and if we had been under other circumstances and I hadn't been dating six other girls, I'm certain things could have worked out. That's why it was so, so hard to see her go. That goodbye hit me harder than any had until that point, and you obviously saw that.

Thanks nutty for bringing them over.

Just my opinion, but I think this season may end up lie Des's. She really liked Chris a lot but needed the distraction of Brooks gone to really let it happen with Chris. I think for Chris his attraction to Britt has been a lot like Des with Brooks. I think once Britt is gone it opens him up to the others more. At this point all signs seem to point to that focus going to Whitney, but if it turns out to be Becca, I won't be shocked.

I do think Chris at this point except for Britt, kind of liked a bunch of them about the same level but in different ways. I hope that with Britt leaving they will finally start to show us more of the love. I actually started to see Chris engage with Whit as much as her engage with him last night.

Clue from CS' blog.... Whitney calls Iowa Eye-wa..... present tense.

Chris S's blog:

http://www.people.com/article/bachelor-chris-soules-blog-episode-8



CH's blog for episode 8.

https://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/chris-harrison-bachelor-blog-episode-8-011147261.html

Once again Chris speaks abot Whitney in present tense...

that girl always has something up her sleeve for me

Notice in chris s blog regarding Becca he uses past tense when talking about her before the date he said it reinforced my feelings I thought I had for her

Here's a week by week comparison of the dates/time that Whitney and Becca had with Chris and how he mentions them in his blogs.


Week 1 (Los Angeles)

DATES
Meet and greet, cocktail party

CS BLOG

Whitney:
“Talking to Whitney was definitely a highlight, ...”
“When it was finally time to hand out that first impression rose, my head was spinning. So many choices! Whitney had impressed me with her beauty and poise,...”

Becca:
No mentions

Week 2 (Los Angeles)

DATES
Whitney – no date, court yard scene when she gives him the whiskey
Becca – zombie date, no onscreen interaction

CS BLOG:
Whitney: (13 words)
“The second cocktail party was a lot easier to handle than the first. For starters, I could remember everyone's name! I loved making a wish with Ashley I., and when Whitney brought me Templeton – my favorite whiskey – I was in heaven”.

Becca:
No mention

Week 3 (Los Angeles)

DATES
Whitney – 1-on-1 wine tasting, wedding crash (first kiss!), Chris tells her he’s the “luckiest guy alive”
Becca – hoe down group date, screen time (!) but no kiss, gets group date rose

CS BLOG:
Whitney: (384 words)
“I was really excited for my one-on-one date with Whitney. And seeing her reaction to the group date card was so sweet. Jimmy sent us to a winery, and I had no clue what else he had planned for us, but when Whitney and I saw that wedding taking place on the property, and she suggested we crash it, I thought, "Sorry Jimmy, but we're scrapping your date!"

I loved Whitney's spontaneity and the fact that she suggested we do it; it really showed me that she lives in the moment. What you didn't see was us talking to the show's producers. Nothing like this had ever been done before, and everybody was really hesitant to actually do it. They had to scramble to figure out logistics, how they were going to capture everything on camera and make it work. Thankfully they figured out a way to make it happen, and off we went to the mansion to change into our crashing clothes.

Whitney looked beautiful in her dress, and in the limo we were both actually so nervous about crashing. We tried to come up with a backstory for how we knew the bride and groom, but I'm a terrible liar and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. We were also worried that people would recognize me, so we came up with a story about being engaged. Of course, once we were in the wedding, we ended up talking to the maid of honor. I mean, come on! Couldn't we have sat next to a fourth cousin once removed?

I actually could not keep the story straight, and if it wasn't for Whitney, we would have been found out and tossed out. She did a great job mingling and keeping our story in line. She's so friendly, and everyone got along with her, and we totally tore it up on the dance floor and somehow never got made! That was a night I'll never forget. As for Nick and Shannon, the couple whose wedding we crashed, thank you for allowing us to join you on your special day, even if we weren't invited! I wish you nothing but a lifetime of happiness, and if I do end up getting married at the end of all this, you're invited!

Becca (72 words)
“On the kissing note, I also totally supported Becca's decision not to kiss me. Even though the setting was extremely romantic, and of course I wanted to kiss her, I respected her decision to take things slowly. And I wanted to solidify that by giving her the group rose. I really wanted her to know that I was willing to earn her affection, and take things at a slower pace with her.”

Week 4 - Los Angeles or somewhere in CA

DATES
Whitney – bride date, no onscreen interaction. ABC deleted scene: “Whitney Toss Garter To Chris”
Becca – bride group date, no quality onscreen interaction/talking scenes

CS BLOG:
Whitney
No mention

Becca (32 words)
“So I decided to take the opportunity to help some of the girls out and to get to know them better. Becca and I had a great chat and felt an instant connection, and that was the moment I knew she was going to be around for a long time. Spoiler? Stay tuned.”

Week 5 – Santa Fe, NM

DATES
Whitney – rafting trip (sitting next to Chris on raft), group date rose, no onscreen time, Deleted Scene: “Whitney talks love with Chris”

Becca - rafting trip  

CS BLOG:
Whitney (77 words)
“That after party sucked. It wasn't much of a party at all. Most of the girls used their time to talk about Jordan, which was totally counterproductive. There were only a couple – namely Kaitlyn and Whitney – who didn't want to waste their time talking about her, and I appreciated that. I was also really surprised watching Whitney and Ashley I.'s interactions. Seeing it now, I'm even happier that I gave Whitney the rose. There was no reason for the girls to be mean to Jordan when it was my decision to bring her to the party. Whitney's right, I don't want a mean girl.”

Becca:
No mention

Week 6 – Deadwood, SD

Whitney  - Group date with Big & Rich (Britt got rose) – no quality screen time interaction with Chris
Becca – 1-on-1 – first kiss (!)

CS BLOG:
Whitney (14 words total)
“Whitney couldn't have been cuter.”

“I had no idea Britt would tell them all about the concert. I thought that was something we could have kept between the two of us to soften the blow on the girls. Either way, she told them, and hearing Carly say she felt invisible and seeing Kaitlyn and Whitney in tears broke my heart. I really didn't mean to cause anyone pain that night. At that point, I didn't think anything could get worse that week. Clearly, I was wrong.

Becca (274 words)
I couldn't wait to go to Deadwood. I'd always imagined what it would have been like to live in the age of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane, and walking the streets of that town really took me back in time. I also couldn't wait to finally go on a one on one date with Becca. Even though we hadn't spent much time together up until that point, I knew we had a strong connection. Spending the day on horseback with Becca was fun and easy. What you didn't get to see was that, during our date, Becca's horse went rogue and galloped down a hill past mine. Her horse ran into my leg and nearly knocked me off! After getting my horse under control and double-checking my drawers to make sure I hadn't soiled them (thankfully all was good), I raced up to Becca to help her and make sure she was okay. When I finally caught up, I couldn't believe how calm she was. That, my friends, is one strong woman.

Later that night, I was happy to get more time with Becca. I know I've been called out for kissing a lot of women, but, I swear to you, if we hadn't kissed that night, it would have been fine. Although, I'm not going to complain that we did. That kiss solidified everything I already knew. Our connection was real, and it was strong. Now, at this point watching, Becca has told you all that she's a virgin. But keep in mind that's not something she had told me. You'll have to keep watching for a while to see how that unfolds!

Week 7 – Iowa

DATES
Whitney – 1-on-1 in Des Moines photos, mural, met best friends

CS BLOG
Whitney (553 words)
The next day, I couldn't wait to show Whitney around Des Moines. Now, Des Moines is not Arlington. It's obviously very different, but it's a place I spend a lot of time. A lot of my friends live there, and I often go there for farming conventions. It really does have it all. It's a great city with natural beauty, cool people and a lot going on. One morning that week I woke up and went running along the river and up to the Capitol building. I stopped for a couple minutes there to admire the view. Stunning. What a city.

As for the date, I knew Whitney was the perfect girl to take because we'd spent a lot of time talking about Iowa – or, as she calls it, "Eye-wah" – and we hadn't had a one-on-one since we crashed that wedding. Taking photos of our love story around Des Moines was so fun, and the whole day just felt so normal. What Whitney didn't know was that I'd met with a local graffiti artist earlier that day and planned to send him our best photo for him to paint on a wall. I could barely keep that secret all day, but I knew seeing her reaction would be worth the wait!

So, even though Des Moines is technically considered a big city for Iowa, it still feels like a small town. As soon as word got out that I was on a date in the city, people tried to figure out where we'd be spending the evening. I was shocked and overwhelmed seeing how many people came out just to catch a glimpse of us. But hey, that's Iowa fans for you! #iowaproud

Anyway, I was looking forward to our evening because I had two surprises up my sleeve. I'd asked three of my best buddies to come meet Whit, because I really wanted to see how she would interact with some of my closest friends. Man, it was great to see those guys! The truth is, I wish I had been able to invite all my best friends (sorry, guys, you know who you are!), but I didn't want Whitney to be too overwhelmed! Either way, my friends LOVED her. They were really grilling her, and asking tough questions, and that girl handled it like a pro. She really amazed me with her poise and her honesty. That woman knocked it out of the park.

Anyway, I had to kick my friends off the date so Whit and I could spend more quality time together. It was bittersweet to see them go, but I heard they enjoyed the rest of their evening out on the town. When it was just us, Whitney really opened up to me about her family and her difficult past. I would have never guessed that she had faced such adversity in her life because of how strong she is. Truthfully, I struggled not to cry but I wanted to be strong for her and hearing her talk so fondly of her mother made me realize where she got her strength. That night Whitney and I really took our relationship to another level. Being able to show Whitney the mural and see the look on her face was incredible. It was the perfect ending to the perfect day.

Becca: (6 words)
Will Becca tell me her secret?

Week 7/8 – HTDs

Becca – 1-on-1 in loft; off camera went to Elan birthday party
Whitney – HTD – Chicago ... ABC clips: 1) Whitney and her grandma, 2) Chris and Whitney make babies
Becca – HTD-Shreveport ... ABC clips: 1) Becca might be falling in love


CS BLOGS
Whitney (431 words on HTD)
I couldn't wait to go to Chicago to see Whitney. Chicago is truly a second home to me. It's only about four hours away from Arlington. I have had family living there my whole life, so it is a place I have spent a lot of time and is a place I love, not to mention it's the home of Da Bears!

When Whitney said we were going to make a baby, I first thought, "Umm, it might be a little soon?!" It was very cute; that girl always has something up her sleeve for me. I've never worn scrubs before, and I was horrified, but Whitney looked damn sexy in those scrubs. Even sexier was how smart she is and how passionate she is about what she does. I could tell how proud she is of her career, and it's really remarkable that she completes people's families for a living.

When Whitney and her boss took me into the room "where the magic happens," I really thought for a moment that she was going to have me prove that my soldiers could march, but I quickly realized they were giving me a hard time. But then I started thinking about what actually happens in that room, and I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

I knew meeting Whitney's family was going to be different, since she, sadly, doesn't have parents. That's why I had to ask her whom she would want me to ask for permission if I wanted to propose. Let me just say, that was a hard question to ask. I could have never predicted what happened with her sister, though. I knew how strong Whitney's feelings were for me, and it caught me off guard that her sister refused to give her blessing. I totally understood her position, because this was a weird situation: a) she isn't Whitney's parent, and b) I was dating three other women. I would have loved to have received her blessing, but it didn't affect my feelings for Whitney.

Later that night, hearing Whitney say she'd fallen in love with me reminded me why I embarked on this journey. The past couple of weeks had been so hard and so heart-wrenching, but hearing Whitney say those words made everything worth it. Also, seeing how "excited" her dog was about all the love in the air totally made my night. I almost felt the need to cover both mine and Whitney's eyes, but apparently the dog does that all the time. That pooch taught me some moves I didn't even know existed.

Becca (179 words on Iowa 1-on-1)
“Waking up after my group date in Des Moines, I didn't want to dwell on what happened with Britt, so I just decided to focus all my energy on Becca, and I'm so glad I did. I know I just had a one-on-one with Becca in Deadwood, but it catapulted our relationship forward, and I wanted to build on that momentum. It was so nice to spend a regular day with Becca. Just hanging with her in my loft felt so normal.

Anyway, that afternoon with Becca was really enlightening for me, in two ways. For one, it reinforced the feelings I thought I had for her. I honestly started falling for her in a real way that day. Secondly, she told me she'd never been in love, which answered some questions I had about her initial hesitance. It explained why she was slower moving than the other women. While it partially worried me about her future ability to fall in love, there was something special about thinking I could be the first person she fell in love with.”

Becca (435 words on HTD)
“I was really excited to go to Becca's hometown. I haven't spent much time in the South, and I'd never been to Louisiana, but it was exactly how I pictured it. The bayou was almost as beautiful as Becca, and I was happy I didn't have to wrestle a gator! (But if it came down to it, I would wrestle a gator, a bear – hell, I might even throw down with Hulk Hogan to protect Becca.)

Hearing from Becca that she'd never brought a man home before made me even more nervous to meet her family, but as soon as I walked into that house, I felt at home. Becca's family is truly fantastic. They're tight-knit and loving, and they're all beautiful.

I felt at home there because they reminded me of my family. I could see myself fitting in with that family, and I could see our families meshing together perfectly. After meeting them I could see why Becca is such a special person. Unfortunately you didn't get to see my chat with Becca's brother-in-law, former NFL stud Jacob Hester. (Yup, that Jacob Hester.) As a former football player and a guy who loves watching the game, I was a bit starstruck when we first sat down to chat in his basement, which was, by the way, a complete shrine to his career. There were jerseys all over the walls, newspaper photos blown up, just NFL everything; he's got the ultimate man-cave. And, the guy is so down-to-earth and cool. I could totally see him as my brother-in-law. Okay, enough about my man crush. Becca's whole family was awesome, and meeting them definitely moved our relationship to another level.

Hearing from Becca's sister, Katie, that Becca was not an intimate person definitely worried me. I'm very intimate, and intimacy is a very important part of a relationship for me. I'm also very affectionate and touchy-feely (as you all know by now), so that was definitely cause for some concern. But my feelings for Becca outweighed all of my concerns.

What you don't know is that day with Becca's family was actually her birthday! I had given her a gift (a necklace and bracelets), and that's why I set up that special Ferris wheel ride. Becca had told me the state fair was in town and how much she loved it, so I arranged to go there after it closed, to take her on a special birthday ride. I'm not going to lie, it was one of the most romantic moments of my life, and in that moment, Becca did not seem scared of intimacy.

Bottom of his blog:
Next week, I go to beautiful Bali with Becca, Whitney and Kaitlyn. Will Becca reveal her secret to me? Will we go to the fantasy suite together? Will anyone turn down the fantasy suite? How do I say goodbye to a woman I'm falling in love with? You'll have to tune in to find out.”