Me and my Man

I finally got a chance to sit down and write about how Brad and I met. I've loved reading about everybodys! Mine is not the "love at first sight" Cinderella story. It was the summer right after high school that my sister Lesa started dating her now husband Brian, who was not a member of the church. I swore that I would not get married for several years, but my friends all said they thought I'd be the first to get married. In July 1994, Brian was getting baptized. Brad had just got home off his mission (I didn't know that at the time) and was baptizing him. At the baptism Brian had a lot of really cute guy friends there and I did have my eye on one specific guy. It was not Brad. In fact, I hardly remember Brad there except for that he baptised Brian. My friends and I went to a Ricks dance and ran into Brad and his group of friends. A couple guys had their eye on Sally (imagine that!) but still I didn't even know Brad was there. A couple weeks later Brian and Lesa wanted to set me up with Brad and I was hesitant at first, because I was kind of going out with another high school mate. I decided it wouldn't hurt anything and I would do it. I remember thinking Brad was very very quiet, but really funny. I had no interest in him whatsoever. We went out a couple more times just as friends. He had no idea I was going out with a couple other guys. We would double date with Lesa and Brian and I mostly just went when I had nothing better to do. I remember one date we went to the Sanddunes and I remember I kept saying to Lesa "DO NOT leave me alone with him. I do not want to kiss him". We joke about that now. Anyways, on one date we went to Dairy Queen and we were just talking and he said he was an R.M. and I just couldn't beleive it. I couldn't beleive I had been ging on dateswith a return missionary. They seemed so old and I was just out of high school. After I knew that I kept saying Brad and Karri Nelson in my head all the time, but kept trying to ingnore it. It was really weird. I finally managed to get that out of my head and move on. One day right before Ricks was starting, I called Brad at his apartment and his roomate said that he was walking a girl home. I flipped! that was the first time I felt jealous. That was day things changed. I immediately wanted to know who it was. He called me back when he got home and I was acting like a brat to him. Come to find out he was walking with his friend who was walking his girlfriend home. Ever since that day, I wanted him. Isn't that funny. It was on my birthday that I was with my friends and he wanted me to stop by because he had a gift so I did and that was the night of our first kiss. It was very short and sweet. One day in November I was waiting for him in his apartment and I was snooping through his things. I was looking through his checkbook and I found a payment to Ingram Jewelry. I was so shocked. I knew it had to be a ring. I managed to not say anything about it. He held that darn ring until APRIL! We had an awesome year of dating.

(what a dress! Was I married in the 90's or the 80's? Is anyone elses dress poofy? and what's on my head?)

We got engaged in April and married in October. He wants to change our anniversay because it's right in the middle of hunting. Go figure! did I mention he also wants to change my birthday because its the first day of bow hunting season!

It's fun now to still go on double dates with Brian and Lesa. It's fun for the guys to be best friends and brother-in-laws. I'm so happy I have Brad in my life. He has given and taught me so much. I can be such a brat to him and when I'm mad or in a bad mood he's who I take it out on. He always understands and he always forgives me. He is the first to say sorry even when it's my fault. He definately puts up with a lot. He is my best friend and I know he will always be there for me. Sometimes I think he deserves better than me. But he assures me I'm the one for him. I've had an awesome life with him. It's hard to beleive it's been 12 years and we have four kids. I'm so thankful that Brad is able to provide for us and that he has such a desire to always be improving himself. Thanks for the challenge Heather. (Oh, my friends were right, I was the first one married!)