Why I love Bryan

Our Story:

I met Bryan working graveyards in a call center. He was working for the summer before his last year of college at the University of Utah. I did not notice him at first nor do I think he really saw me. I was dating a man for the first few weeks that he worked on my shift. Bryan started to talk to me one night and he intrigued me because of his intellect, he was getting his math degree and working towards being an actuary. However, in our initial conversation he said a sexist comment and I was my normal self therefore I smacked him and continued to tell him how he was wrong and how his thinking made him less of a “man”. This sparked a long conversation and I decided that I was letting my heart go to quickly with the other man I was dating so I figured that a great way to keep my heart in my chest where it belonged was to spend my work day’s flirting and Bryan seemed the perfect target. He was just the kind of man that I like, a good-looking geeky man who does not realize he is good looking. In addition, he was very fun to talk to and battle mentally with, so I started to text message him because conveniently I was the keeper of coworker’s contact information. He messaged me back a bit and we started to instant message each other on MSN. About this time, the other man and I broke up.

However, I was enjoying chatting with Bryan. Then we finally went out! After the first time of going out, we saw each other every day. Now that is mostly, no completely because of me. I kept trying to make up things up to see him. The second day we were chatting online and I could only think to as was did he want to go pet puppies because my mom’s dog had just had puppies. Luckily, he said yes and so he came to my mother’s house. The funny thing was that the nature of my mother’s house is that people just show up there all of the time and you have no idea when they will. When I called my mother, she was alone. Shortly after we arrived, two thirds of my family did as well. Then there was a huge stir! I did not bring men around the family for past reasons so this was huge and everyone was buzzing with excitement. We sat around, laughed and talked and he could hold his own with my family which was a miracle in my mind. Everyone seemed to like him and he seemed to like my family. He brought out his didgeridoo and played for us. While he was out getting it my sister looked at me and said, “Do we think he is attractive?” everyone looked at her as if she was crazy and was saying can you not tell for your self. She started to clarify she was wondering if I was interested in him. He came in before I had to answer.

We continued dating and after a couple of weeks two, I think. I decided that we needed to have a “define the relationship” talk and he was apprehensive. It did not seem like we had only been dating for such a short time. I had a pressing issue to resolve though I needed to know if I should remove the “boy’s” category from my cell phone. I did not want to be dating another man when I was feeling so strongly towards Bryan. Therefore, I let him know of my dilemma and he rushed right over to talk about it. I did not realize that he would figure out some arbitrary state of dating so that he did not have to commit to the boyfriend title but at the same time not have me dating anyone else. We left off as “exclusive” everything about it was that he was my boyfriend but we had no title. I thought this was stupid but I understood that we were moving fast and this was uncomfortable for Bryan so I remitted. However, it was not long before he admitted that there was no difference.

I believe it was another week after that that I asked him to marry me. He said no. I cried for hours, and he just held me as I thought wow she is going to run for the hills after this. But he did not we continued to see each other every day and he just said if I feel the same way about you in six months as I do now then of course I will marry you. So three more weeks went by and my family had a trip planed to our ranch. Bryan decided to come down but he would have to come about three day’s after me. This was our first time apart sense we had met really. I left on my trip I cried so hard but I did not see it affecting him the same way. We talked every day until he came down. My brother in law who I guess had not been in the loop as to how serious our relationship had been almost fell over when he over heard me end our conversation with I love you. After all, at this time we had been together for just six weeks. I had a very hard time not being with him for those days! When I saw him, I was so excited and all I wanted to do was just to hold on to him. I realized that I could not keep dating him the way we were because it was killing me. I had dated enough to know that this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. The next day I told him how I felt and that if we did not move our relationship further then we had to take a few steps back. Bryan requested to think about it until the following day. We had a lovely time with my family and he was able to meet the very few he had not met previously. The next morning we went for a drive and he told me that he felt like I was such an incredible woman and he would be making a huge mistake if he let me go. Also that he could not handle spending time away from me so at that point a month and a half of knowing each other even thought it felt like years we were engaged.

Next, we had talked about waiting for six months or so to get married but we were still spending every day together and with his school schedule, I figured that it would be so much easier just to get married fast in a quaint wedding. On September 25^th 2004 we were married in the clubhouse of our condo.

Bryan makes me laugh and has taught me patience, he is truly my best friend and I honestly believe the only man who is strong enough to stand up to me and also allow me to be the strong woman I am. I love his mind and his sense of humor. Bryan is the best father to our daughter that I could ever ask for. He works nonstop for us but always takes time to spend with her. He gives me time to get out while he spends time with just him and his little angel.

I also love Bryan for the way he treats my family. He has immediately jumped in as one of us in good times and in the extremely hard times. He has always been the first to give my sisters or nieces’ a hug when my mom has been in the hospital. He has been an absolute wonderful help to my mother. I could never have asked for more. If my mother is in need of anything he will jump and run to help, even if the only way he can help is to give her a hug and tell her dirty jokes to make her laugh and fain shock. With how much my mother means to me I do not think I could ever have a husband that did not love my mother but Bryan even goes beyond what I thought possible. Bryan has also been so understanding and caring about my brother who passed away before I met him and that gives me such comfort. He took me to my brother’s grave shortly after we started dating and I had not been for a few years. I did not know that someone who had not experienced pain like that could have such empathy.

Finally, I love Bryan so much because I can respect him, I can respect the fact that he is a man of honor who stands by what he says. I love his humor and his heart. He can be very callus on the first or tenth appearance to some but I know that inside Bryan is one of the most caring men I have ever met. I know that he loves me and we have been through a few hard times but I know that we are meant to be together and that is wonderful. I look forward to many more years with Bryan!

Five years..

My dearest Bryan,

We are rapidly approaching our five year anniversary and I just want you to know some of the reasons that I love you so much.

I love:

You are my best friend and I never tire of talking to you.
We both love road trips and no matter how long we are on the road we never fun out of things to say.
You are strong enough to let me be who I am and love and accept me.
You are more then I could ever have asked for as a father for my children.
That you play ponies with Venice and take her on buggie hunts and read her stories.
That you will do everything you can to make sure that we are taken care of and that I can stay home and raise our children.
That you love your girls so much.
The fact that you want me to have what makes me happy; you will drive your old car into the ground but let me have the one I want.
That sometimes before we go to sleep we end up talking for hours and laughing so hard tears come to my eyes.
I respect you.
You are an honorable man.
I love that you love my mother so much, as well as my family.
I know you will always be there for me.
That I feel as comfortable with you as I do alone.
You have been able to take on so much responsibility and enjoy it.
I love the way you look at me.
YOU!!