Where we met: Junior year of high school 2000. He was sitting on the stairs in the P.E. building fairly recently after having surgery on his elbow. I was walking to dance company and saw him trying to put his own bandage on which wasn't working so I asked if he needed help.
Love at first sight? For me yes (ha ha ha) for him no (ha ha ha)
First kiss: Spring break 2000. Yes I know it was spring break St.George but we talked for hours in what we would call "The garden of Eden" because it was this perfect little grassy knoll. We barley knew one another but we told each other things that you would usually wait to tell until you knew someone better. It was the sweetest kiss and later become known as "Porcelain" (it is a song by the Red hot chili peppers" as that was the only way I could describe it (ha ha ha!) We held hands as we walked back to our friends and we found a frog on the way that we called "Kermit" ha ha ha!
Journal: I wrote in my journal after that first kiss "I am going to marry Chris Knudsen"...I guess you really do know when it is right even if you are only 17
Dances: We went to Spring fling jr year, Homecoming sr. year, Husky Howl sr year and girls pref sr year. Girls pref Chris even fake asked himself because I hadn't gotten around to it yet because he heard some other girl was going to ask him and we had already decided we were going together (ha ha ha!)
Extreme dating: For my 18th birthday Chris took me skydiving...it was an experience that we shared that I will never forget!
College: I went away to Boise State on a dance scholarship. I thought that would be the end but I managed to come home fairly often and Chris even came to Boise a few times. One time he totally surprised me we were talking on the phone and he made it sound like he was at home and was just wondering where it was that I lived exactly...next thing I know there is a knock at the door and he is standing there with flowers...I was smitten to say the least.
Mission: He served his mission in Buenos Aires West and I will say that my love for Chris grew more in those two year then it had in the 3 years I had known him before his mission. We wrote every week and even though I wasn't supposedly "waiting" there was never a guy that I met or went out with that could come even remotely close to holding a candle to Chris. He was such an amazing missionary, and I truly believe that absence does make the heart grow fonder.
Post-Mission: He was so weird and I was so nervous. I will never forget his first night home telling him about "Pirates of the Caribbean" a new movie that had come out and saying we should go see it sometime (ok maybe I was a little off too) but his reply was "All I really want to watch is a movie about the restoration of the church" ha ha ha...I thought oh he is weird and this won't work.
Not dating: After the mission Chris was so serious about only dating to get married so even though we were together non-stop we weren't dating because we weren't getting married...it caused a lot of emotional times in our relationship and my family was on what would become known as the "Brittani Rollercoaster" for a while afterwards (ha ha ha!)
The Call: Chris and I never talked marriage but I will never forget getting a phone call from his mom saying "You know you may want to look at wedding dresses" I guess that was my first sigh of relief that maybe Chris was thinking marriage...so funny I had to hear it from his mom (ha ha ha!) I found out later that he had already set the temple date so that is why his mom wanted to make sure I had a wedding dress!
The proposal:Memorial Day 2005 Chris had invited me to "Breakfast on the Creek" a tradition his family does every year. It was raining really bad that year and so he called and said that the breakfast had been delayed but would be more of a brunch. I took a nap and didn't really think anything of it. He called about 11:00 to say it had stopped raining and that the breakfast was on. ***Side note: I had no IDEA whatsoever we hadn't even looked at rings, and really we hadn't discussed marriage more than hypothetically*** Once we got to the farm there wasn't anyone there and he said we were a little early because he wanted to show me something. I knew he had been working over at the farm all summer helping his grandpa to get it in tip top shape. So he took me along this path and to a little bridge over a stream. We stopped and talked for a minute I don't even remember about what and the next thing I knew he was down on one knee...I was ecstatic jumping up and down and I will be honest I even cried a bit. The ring was perfect and meant so much because he picked it out on his own. It was truly one of the best surprises of my life!
The Wedding: August 4th, 2005 The greatest day of my life. Salt Lake Temple, Joseph Smith Memorial for lunch. Hidden Valley for reception. Dancing, laughing, pictures, friends, family, and lots and lots of fun!
Wedding night: We stayed up at the Cliff Lodge...it was nice to get out of the heat and into the beautiful mountains!
Honeymoon: SEATTLE it was such an amazing honeymoon. We had so much fun and went on so many adventures! Pikes place market, la fantana ciciliana, Lake Washington, The space needle, Blue angles, Fish and Chips with my dad's friend Rick on the water.
And the rest is history...I feel so lucky to me married to my best friend. I get to share every moment the good and the bad with the person who truly makes me want to be a better person. We have been through so much together from the very first time we met to today. We have had huge things happen in our life that sometimes I take for granted. We have a beautiful daughter and one on the way and who are we kidding we are just so blessed.
Chris I love you so much, and I know I don't share it enough but you amaze me every day with what a hard worker you are and how you provide for our family financially as well as emotionally. You make me laugh every day, even if some days I'm not in the mood to laugh. You truly are my best friend and I thank you for loving me!
Love Always:
