Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Our Love Story

It's Valentine's Day. I'm feeling quite sappy.


Disneyland

Brent and I met in the winter of 2004.

My church youth group was headed up north for our annual winter camp, with that year's theme fittingly being "Purity". I was 17. I had seen Brent around. He was a new face, just started attending our church a few months earlier. He wore plaid button ups before they were popular. He played guitar. He had a nice car. Naturally, I had a crush on him, but I was realistic. I knew a girl like me would never get a guy like that.


I'm on the left.



Brent is on the right.


Some mutual friends introduced us at the camp since I was a student, he was a leader and I had never met him before. I was incredibly nervous, but he was sweet, easy to talk to and we clicked immediately. We talked all weekend about life and music. I wanted to learn everything about him, then he asked the one question I knew would ruin everything: How old are you? I felt my heart fall into my butt as I muttered my age. Turns out, he was 23. We didn't talk much after that.

A few months passed of silent stalking and superficial hellos. Every new thing I learned about him made me like him more, but he was a college graduate with a house and awesome career and I hadn't even finished high school yet. For my 18th birthday, one of my best friends gave me two concert tickets to see Relient K and Mae. Dermur (my friend. How he got that name is another story entirely) hated both bands, so the only catch was that he wouldn't go with me. I had asked a couple friends but everyone had flaked out so, the night before the show, I asked Brent out. I know I took him by surprise and he didn't answer right away, but eventually he decided he would come and we've been together since.


High school graduation


We faced a lot of opposition. I was told he was too good for me and he was told I was a rebel without a cause and he should steer clear. I was too young. He was too old. I didn't deserve to be with him and he certainly didn't deserve to get stuck with me. I've always been the kind of person to do what I want regardless of what other people want and I wanted to spend as much time with Brent as I could. We saw each other everyday for months, then, in August, he asked me to marry him.


He even wrote me a song!


We were married on Spring Break of 2006. It was my second semester of college and I had to finish lots of homework over the break to keep up my grades so I didn't lose my scholarships. Our honeymoon was super boring! We actually ended up coming home early so I could get more done. Poor Brent!

But that's how he is. He doesn't care where we are or what we're doing, as long as we're together. He plays along with my stupid schemes, like when I wanted a Groundhog's Day photo shoot.



Or when I wanted to stay up all night to beat Donkey Kong because that's how real pros do it.



We're the couple that plays video games until midnight just so we can reach an acceptable save point. We're the couple that reads out loud to each other because neither one of us can stand to let the other get farther along in the book. We're also the couple that's too cheap to spring for two books. We would rather order in pizza and watch Netflix than go out to dinner and a movie. We would rather help a friend paint their house on our anniversary than go on a date. He puts water on my nightstand for me every night and I make him Pop-Tarts at 10pm, because he wants them. He bakes and I change the oil in the cars. We are perfect together.


At a concert


Then, to make things even better, we had little Clara Mae. She has made us love more than we ever imagined possible.

We were married three years before we made the decision to add to our family and those three years were some of the best I've had. We learned how to communicate; how to fight. I learned that he thinks my farmer's market is owned by a cult and he learned that I hate Pee Wee Herman.



Then came Clara two years after that and we didn't have to argue over nursery colors or teethers because we knew each other so well by then. Brent is my very best friend. I just love him.





So that's our story. I know it isn't much, but it's ours. There will never be a movie about our story but I still think it is worth sharing.

Danny

21 comments:

  1. how sweet! Danny what a fabulous post and your family is beautiful! Enjoy your day!

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  2. I love your story! :)

    Happy Valentine's Day!

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  3. That's a great story and I'm glad it has such a happy ending! Hope you are feeling better!

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  4. That's a great story Danny! it's awesome we can meet new people and form friendship that we probably would have never formed by having blogs. I'm glad you shared your amazing love story and Happy Valentine's Day!

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  5. Very sweet. Happy Valentine's Day, Danny. :)

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  6. Aww, very sweet. It's amazing how, as you get older, no-one bats an eyelid at that kind of age gap, in fact the older you get, the wider you want it to be ;o)

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  7. What a sweet story Danny, brings tears to my eyes. What a great love story. Hope your Valentines day has been great?

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  8. Oh Danny that is so cute!
    Love that you're so perfect together :)

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  9. It is a wonderful story. I am glad you married your best friend. I wish everyone had the chance to do that. Your daughter is adorable. What a beautiful family.

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  10. That was a really sweet story and you are a Mommy for Reals and a good wife for Reals and a good friend for Reals!

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  11. this is an adorable post! great writing!

    www.modernsuburbanites.blogspot.com

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  12. fabulous story danny - I'm sitting here with a goofy smile on my face while I'm typing this - now that's what valentine's day is all about :)

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  13. A lovely story. You sound very happy!

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  14. I love reading your story..you are perfect for each other. :)

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  15. that is a great story, and you three make me sick. i'm jealous. really.

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  16. i forgot to mention how adorable you are! you are so stinking cute, and it's funny to see how you look so different in every picture!

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  17. SUCH a super awesome story! I love it! And yes, you're adorable!

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  18. Aww. This is the sweetest entry that I have read! :')

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