I saw this on my friend Tara's blog and thought I give it a whirl!! All my posts have been about sickness lately, so I thought I should have a happy post!!
Brent and I grew up together. We knew of each other but he was a grade older than me so we never really interacted. My dad was his 8th grade basketball coach and I thought he was cute. When I was a sophomore and he was a junior, my friend Victoria and I were taking someone home from school and drove past his house. He was laying in a hammock in his front yard. We both commented and how cute he was. Victoria knew him better and told me how quiet and nice he was. I started keeping an eye for him!!
Then my other friend Emily went to prom with him that year. She told me how funny he was. I started to notice him a little more. :)
THEN I went to a track meet with Emily and saw this HOT runner waiting at the starting blocks. He had these grown man muscles, not the skinny boy ones. I asked her who it was because we were looking at him from behind. (Also a pretty good view:) ) And she got this big smile on her face and told me Brent Bowler! I was stunned. I watched him run and was mesmerized by his athleticism. I was (am) very shallow and it was (is) very important to me to be involved with someone who played football and was athletic. I asked Emily if he played and she told me he had gone to state with the team as a sophomore.
I was sold. I spent all summer trying to catch glimpses of him around town and day dreaming about his track shorts!!
School started and I decided to ask him to reverse. We had such a fun day. He was funny and cute and I loved his smile. He was easy to talk to. We started the whole, 'wave, say hi, smile game' until homecoming. Oh the magic of homecoming!! Where an influx of high school relationships begin! We 'hooked up' and decided to be 'exclusive'.
Brent was thoughtful and patient and just sweet. He never tried any stupid boy games I had came to know. He helped me pack for my Thanksgiving trip and all the cheerleaders were jealous :)
He graduated high school and we survived that separation. Our relationship was really good. He went on his mission and I did really well until September.
THEN the serpent beguiled me and I was lonely and succumbed to words of the deceptive serpent. Flash forward 10 month later: I LEFT the serpent and found myself home again, recovering and putting myself back together.
A few month later, I sat down in single's ward Sunday school and who should walk in..... Brent Bowler!!! I felt my heart drop. He looked into my eyes for a long moment and then sat down across the room. I didn't hear any of the lesson. I was stunned and my heart was pounding. I kept telling myself, he doesn't have that much effect on me, I'm just surprised. Well, he was blocking the door when it was time to leave and I couldn't walk by him with out saying something. So I said the typical hi how are you, little bit of small talk. Suddenly out of my mouth I said. If your ever bored call!
I walked away, shamed. Like he would ever call!! But a few days later... he did. We talked for about an hour. I hung up, so confused on what to think. I got and my knees and prayed to understand. I got a deep and sure feeling of, everything is going to be alright and I left it at that.
Brent and I became genuine friends. Who talked and laughed and went running together. We actually talked about other people we were interested in. We fought the inexplicable draw we had to one another.
We then became 'special friends who kiss sometimes'. (hey don't judge)
Then we gave up and made a commitment to each other. We dated for WAY to long. I worried about if I was being beguiled again. I wanted to make sure getting married was what
I wanted. Then he worried about his family attitude toward me. That's always uncomfortable!
Finally we went to President Robison and said we're getting married. That's it.
Brent asked me to marry him and I started to cry. I knew this was the man I had been waiting for my whole life. That faceless groom in my wedding dreams. That imaginary husband in my happy family fantasies, was this man.
We were married on May 7, 2005. We have a beautiful daughter, cute home and a life together. I love Brent. He is my champion, my companion and my best friend. He is my perfect match. We kiss and play and laugh and yell and do all the other things a marriage is about!! I am in love with him. I may bust his butt every day of the week!!! But I could not live with out him. He my anchor. He's my whole life. I am so grateful for him!!
Above: Ella LOVED being hurled through the air from person to person. It was a complete argument trying to convince her leave when the party was over.
My sister sporting her really cool bandanna. She has ear issues and couldn't get them wet. My dad's awesome camo hat was protection from the sun. They look gooooooood. Jack Jack has some form of water assault weapon and was too afraid of the water,so he rode in the fish boat.
Ella didn't want a picture. BUT TOO BAD!!!
This is my gift from Brent. I am soooooo excited!! I didn't get to ride it until later. As you can tell, Ella was very excited and thought it was for her. We had to push her up and down our street a hundred times,before we finally peeled her off and hid it in the garage! I am so excited to take it for a real ride!!
