8 Years Ago...

On August 27th of 2003, I had just graduated highschool, turned 18, and broke up with my bf of 2 years, whom I was sure was "the one"

I went to the Oregon State Fair with some youth group friends, there was a Jars Of Clay concert and I couldn't wait to go. Upon entering the amphitheater, there was hundreds of youth, young adults just ready to rock! My close girlfriends and I clung together and did the "scope", one of my friends more so than I. Ofcourse having come from breaking up with my boyfriend, my heart still ached a little. We walked up the aisles and chose a row. I glanced at the row behind me. One girl, three guys about our age, maybe a little older. One of the guys, in a grey shirt, sunglasses, baseball cap and khakis caught my eye. Very clean cut, all american kind of boy. I quickly brought my gaze back to my girlfriends and we sat down in front of them. I over heard them talking a bit about their future plans. God was clearly a part of their discussion and lives and that intrigued me further. Ofcourse being at a Jars Of Clay concert is a pretty big indicator that the favoring audiences has some kind of faith, or the lyrics wouldn't appeal.
I suddenly recognized one of the voices, I hadn't really noticed him coming in, but a friend from high school named Mike was one of the guys sitting in the group behind me. I turned around and said, "Mike?"
There was a small exchange- mostly awkward when I asked how his engagement with "so-in-so" was, only to find out they had just broken up.
I consoled him, and suddenly Mike's other friends were talking to me. A guy and girl, appeared to be together started asking me about MY future. I told them my desires to study Early Childhood Ed. but my passion above all to be a wife and stay at home mom. The grey shirted boy leaned in further to listen. I suddenly realized he too was involved in the questioning. It started to feel like I was being interviewed, but remained pleasent.
Meanwhile my girlfriends were mostly staying out of it. I got a few nudges in my ribcage while talking, then eventually turned around as the music began. My friend and I whispered about the grey shirted boy. He was cute... I looked behind me during one of the slow songs, he was praying...

MEANWHILE, from the point of view of Brian AKA grey shirted boy. He was visiting his friends who were about to get married. Mike was a mutual friend through YWAM, he was also a groomsmen. Brian was from WA, just visiting. The friends about to be married had a girl picked out for Brian. They were hoping to set them up.
APPARENTLY he noticed me the minute I walked into the amphitheater. His friend must have noticed because he told Brian "Don't even look at her, your eyes are meant for 'so-in-so'" Brian laughed it off.
When they realized I knew Mike, and Brian was becoming more intrigued, the questioning began ;)
The music began and the conversation died. Brian prayed silently for the courage to talk to this red headed girl...

Back to me... I was feeling good. The music was beautiful, the summer night, the lights from the carnival rides, I was gonna do it. I was going to turn around and smile! I gathered my strength, casually turned around and when our eyes met, everything just stopped. I was suddenly shaking and scared. I did it though, I gave him my best smile and he returned.
The rest of the concert I was anxious for it to end to see if we would get the chance to interact.

The concert did finally end, and we casually all made our way to the exit. I knew he was beside me, but he wasn't saying anything. My girlfriend kept nudging me to say something, but I was wanting to be pursued. I had already smiled first! Lol!
As we exited the amphitheater we entered the carnival. Suddenly my friends were gone, they had abandoned me giggling and laughing as if it were all planned. I noticed Grey shirted boy was still next to me walking beside me through the games, also... alone. We were alone walking side by side, a summer night, perfect setting... we walked and walked... silence. It was getting awkward now. I heard a deep sigh, then he was gone.
What had just happened??
A sudden sadness came over me. Ouch. I actually started to cry. My friends caught up with me and asked what happened. Shamefully I explained.
And there you have it. We went our separate ways, and I never saw him, or heard from him again....

Brian went back to his friends embarrassed. He had blown it. When it came down to it, he was just too scared, he was sure that I was "out of his league"... He went back to WA, and casually started getting to know the girl his friends were setting him up with. Back home he shared with his brothers and family about "the red headed girl" talked all about her to the point of annoying them. At his friend's wedding, Mike brought the old highschool year book and showed him my senior pic. He didn't have a way to get a hold of me though, so Brian told Mike that if he ever saw me again, "tell her I want her number"


I started college, and met a guy- let's call him G. He took me to another christian concert, where I ran into Mike afterwards! Weird. G was getting the car and bringing it around for me. Mike started explaining to me about the grey shirted boy, that he had thought I was cute and wanted my number. I freaked out. I must've forgot I was on something of a date and gave Mike ALL of my contact info.
It was a little hard explaining that to G. He asked me if I was willing to break up with him just for a CHANCE with this grey shirt guy. My answer was with out a doubt YES. So.... we ended up breaking up. LOL
I didn't get any calls. I waited and waited...

APPARENTLY Mike "lost" my number...

Brian continued to pester Mike whenever he saw him, but he was leaving for a missions trip soon...

It was now 9 months later. I was doing the whole dating thing- mostly group date type stuff. I figured Grey shirted boy probably had a girlfriend by now. It remained a constant joke among my girl friends though... he was the one... the one who got away....

My college group went out to Applebees and guess who I saw.... MIKE. He came running at me like a wild man, even tripping over a car seat!! He came to me out of breath saying, this has GOT to end. Brian keeps bugging me, but I lost your number. He really wants to get to know you.
"Who is Brian?.... wait... GREY SHIRTED BOY" A unanimous gasp could be heard from me and my girlfriends.... No way... this is crazy, it's been almost a YEAR! How could he remember me? We never even spoke!
Mike had had enough and started dialing his cell phone... I didn't even have time to think...

Brian picked up his phone as he packed his other belonging with his family. They were in the middle of a move. "Hello?"
"Remember the red headed girl from the concert?...." Silence... "Well, here she is!"

Mike Handed me the phone.

We talked for a short while. I asked him a couple questions about the concert to legitimize him. I was still in disbelief. I was shaking the whole time. We exchanged emails and phone numbers and hung up.

I went back to my booth where my friends were anxiously waiting.... "Girls... I am gonna get married" I said as a joke. We all laughed and I told them everything.

Brian's family was in disbelief that the red headed girl was actually REAL. They were astonished when Brian ran into the new house and hooked up his computer and internet before anything else.

By the time I got home that night, I had a new e-mail :)

We e-mailed eachother for a few months, asking 20 questions each time. Then we started talking on the phone.
After 3 months we started realizing that this was getting serious. We were very compatible and clearly this was looking like a "God thing"

We decided to meet. The day I knew he was coming, my mom waited with me upstairs in my bedroom. I couldn't believe we were about to meet... actually touch for the first time.
I heard the doorbell ring and walked down the stairs to meet him. We shook hands and he met my parents. His mom had also come along (our moms started e-mailing and chatting as well and became friends) We went to a local park and our moms went their own way giving us privacy. We swung on the swing together and talked casually.
The time came for him to leave and go back to WA. I gave him a hug and accidentally tripped almost taking him down. He caught me with strong arms and gave me a unexpected tight, warms, but soft hug. We said good bye and agreed to call eachother soon.

It's history after that. I won't bore you with ALL the details, but basically I surprised him in WA, we held hands and a few weeks later he asked me to start courting him. Two weeks after that he asked me to marry him. 6 months later we were married. March 4th 2005.