So today marks our 4th anniversary. Wow! I started thinking that I don't know if I have ever written down our story so guess what?! Here it is! It could get pretty long but feel free to read on! I just wanted to have it recorded somewhere.
Let's go back in time about 7 years. I was a senior in high school. My parents were out of town and I decided to not go to school that day. That night I was at my work Christmas party and we were doing a White Elephant gift exchange. My "gift" happened to be a very clever letter written by one of my co-workers that was my same age. He was asking me to the Christmas Ball at Logan High. I was kind of on the spot and couldn't think of a reason not to go so I just said yes. That night when I got home, I called my friend Melissa and told her that I was going to Logan's Christmas Ball, which happened to be the same night as Mountain Crest's Senior Ball. She instantly said "No! Brooke you can't go!" I asked her why and she continued to tell me that had I gone to school that day, I would have been asked to my Senior Ball by a kid named Eric. I had no idea who he was. A few of my friends had classes with him and she just kept talking him up. He had asked her about me and said he wanted to take me to the dance and she agreed that it was a good idea. I was a little torn. I had already said yes to a kid that I actually knew but on the other hand, I had a chance to go to Senior Ball at my own school with someone I had never met or really even seen. She was very persistent and basically made my mind up for me. He was going to ask me the next day at school so I HAD to go. Okay then. I guess that was my decision. I had to call the other kid up and tell him I had also been asked to my own school's dance and it was on the same day. It was very hard and I am pretty sure I cried (ha ha!!) but I got it done. To make this part of the story short, he asked me the next day by having me paged to the office. Waiting for me was a rose and a bag of gummy frogs with letters on a few of them spelling out his name. There was also a cute little card with it. I honestly can't remember how I answered him (maybe I should see if he remembers!) It was a little awkward at first since we didn't know eachother but the date was amazing!
**In a sweet tree on Catalina Island**
He picked me up and we met some of his other friends and went snowmobiling. I pretty much had never been on one and he wanted me to drive ( is that what you call it?) I didn't think it was such a good idea but he said to just try. Okay, If you say so.......I pushed on the throttle and wasn't aware that he wasn't prepared and I pretty much threw him off the back. I think that was enough for him to realize me driving wasn't such a good idea. So I got to ride on back with him. That was all part of my plan. :) Not really but it was fun. When we got to the top of wherever we were going, the boys had hot chocolate ready for us. It was so much fun. That night he picked me up and I had to have my mom put the flower thing (I have no idea how to spell it!) on him because I couldn't figure it out. ha ha. My dress was perfect! My mom brought it home from vegas and although it was a little smashing in the bust area :) I loved it! We went to dinner and then to the dance. I know this will sound cheesy but it seriously was the best night ever. It really didn't feel like we were on our first date. He was so sweet and we had a great time and there was no awkwardness at all! After the dance we went to his friends house and watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. We snuggled (aww!) on the couch and he pretty much fell asleep instantly. After the movie he went out and started his truck so that it would be nice and toasty for me and he took me home.
*Ensenada, Mexico--Blow Hole*
My loving parents had locked me out so we had to go in through the garage. Now for anyone that doesn't know my parents, they do not park in the garage. It is instead a storage unit for anything and everything! So we risked our lives by trying to find our way through there in the dark but some how managed to make it to the door. This normally would have been a very awkward moment but I was not nervous at all. We talked for a second and said we needed to hang out again. I was brave and went in for a little kiss. :) It was the perfect night! I was on cloud nine and had a hard time sleeping that night. We hung out a couple times that next week and then made it official on December 22, 2001 :)
We had a lot of ups and downs during the three years we dated. We were pretty young when we first started dating (16 & 17) so that makes sense. We had so much fun and ONLY broke up 3 times. ha ha. It was never because we had a fight or anything, just thought we should date other people. We did a few times and mine were miserable. It was not that the guys were not good guys but I just compared them to Eric and thought about him the entire time. Our break ups never lasted long and even when we were, we still talked and even hung out so basically we were always together.
On September 11, 2004, we went on a horse ride with Brady. We had done this before so it was not totally out of the ordinary. I had a slight idea something was going to happen because he was very insistent that I went and that we went that day. We rode up to the perfect spot (I am sure many of you have been there) up the little canyon in Paradise. It over looks the entire valley and is beautiful! Eric had gone up before and had roses up there for me and as we were looking at the amazing view (Brady had conveniently rode off) Eric got done on one knee and proposed. I of course said YES! and I remember he said Really? Was he expecting a different answer??! :) The ring was perfect, exactly what I wanted. I am pretty sure we both had perma-grins on for the rest of the day.
*Not the greatest pic....We were married on January 22, 2005 (3 years and one month to the date) in the Logan temple. It was a bitter, freezing day but I would not have had it any different. The pictures were beautiful and it looked like we were in a winter wonderland. If I can figure how to get some of our wedding pics on here I will but I have no idea how to. Our reception went perfect. We left the next day for our cruise.
**This guy was a little crazy but very cool looking. He was a performer in Ensenada. By the way, you have to pay if you want toilet paper here. ha ha!4 years later here we are! I am married to my best friend and we have the most amazing life together. I cannot believe all we have accomplished and been through together in the 4 years of marriage and 7 years of knowing each other. It has been amazing thus far and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for us. Eric has truly made me a better person and in my wildest dreams I could not have found someone better or more perfect for me. We have so much fun together and although our marriage is not perfect by any means, it is close enough for me!
I love you so much Eric and am so lucky to have you. You continue to amaze and surprise me and I love it! I cannot imagine life without you and cannot thank Melissa enough for "making" me go to that dance. Saying yes was the best decision I ever made. He knows me so well and can almost read my mind a lot of the time. Especially when something is wrong. He takes such great care of me.
There you have it! I don't know if anyone has made it this far but if so, thanks for reading "Our Story". I obviously condensed it but it is a very special story to me. We had the odds stacked against us but we pulled through. I am so glad we did! I have so many great memories with this guy and wouldn't change anything that happened along the way because it made us who we are. I don't feel like this post does it justice but you get the idea :)
Happy Anniversary Eric!!! Can't wait for many more!
**These are just a few pictures from our honeymoon. I don't have any of our wedding pics on a disc right now :(
