30 day challenge

Here I go, my first "real" blog experience.  Let's give this a go and learn some more about me.

Okay, so Day 1: my current relationship - HAPPILY MARRIED :)

Yes, I shout this loud and proud.  No doubt we have our moments and I have found myself wondering what my life would be like if I had gone a different direction with my choice of husband but it all ends up with me being completely happy.  I love our story, so here you go, enjoy.  Bryce Clayton Hale and I met in High School Seminary on the first day of my junior year, his senior year. I was already in the classroom sitting at a desk checking out everyone that walked in hoping to have a friend walk in or even a really cute guy ;).  Well, this kid, dressed all in black, with crazy spiky hair and the ugliest twine necklace with a fish charm hanging off of it walked in and my first thought was, wow, this kid does not belong here.  He sat down in a seat by me and I decided to pick up my things and move to another seat.  Yes, I was that girl, anyway, as luck would have it the teacher had an assigned seating chart and wouldn't you know, we got to sit next to each other.  

So we went through many days and he would talk to me and I decided to be nice because he actually was really nice so I guess you could say we kind of became friends.  Although back then I wouldn't admit it.  After a couple of months I actually transferred out of that class due to class schedule conflicts and Bryce and I would see each other in the hall here and there and say hey and that's about it.  One moment I realized he was a really great friend was after I had taken my driving test and I had failed.  I was so upset and just set off on my way to class as fast as I could so no one could see me or talk to me because I was on the verge of bursting out with all emotion.  Of course, who would I run into but him, he asked how my day was and I let it out.  That was when I got my first Bryce hug, (the best hugs EVER, FYI) and I knew I had a good friend.  

One day my best friend, who at the time had a little crush on him, asked me to ask him if he would ask her on a date.  With no hesitation I walked up to him and said, hey, you should take her out.  He replied with, "no, she's not my type, but i'll take you out"  I was speechless, in the not so great way.  I wish I could see the expression on my face.  After him asking again another day down the road I finally agreed as long as it was a group date, not just one-on-one because my mom wouldn't let me go without a group, which is true.  I went home and told my mom about it and told her how I really didn't want to go but didn't have the heart to tell him no.  So she told me to just tell him that she said I couldn't go because I had other obligations.  He called me to set up a time to pick me up and I gave him my little lie about not being able to go because my mom said I had other things I had to do.  

The next day I was not looking forward to seeing him, but when I did he had his normal Bryce smile for me and hug and then let me know that I missed out on a great night out.  He was going to take me out to dinner and then shopping at the mall.  Again, I wish I could have seen my face, he was really wanting to take me out and treat me like a girl deserves to be treated.  

The rest of the year went on and at the end of the year we signed each other's yearbooks.  He also made me promise that when he got his mission call I would go to his farewell.  I said yes, gave him my number and really just kind of forgot about it.  

We didn't talk at all through the summer, but he held up his end of the promise and I got a call from him one day.  He told me he had got his call and he was going to the Philippines and gave me the date of his farewell.  My heart stopped, something hit me and I realized, wow, I don't want him to go, I like this kid, why didn't I do something before now.  Now he's going to leave for 2 years, he doesn't know how I feel, heck, I just realized how I really feel about him.  I went to his farewell, cried through half of it, and then stupid me didn't go to the luncheon after even though I wanted to but my friend didn't want to and I didn't want to intrude on family time.  

The next day he asked if I would come over to get the address to where he would be so I could write to him.  We sat and talked for a minute and then as I was leaving I went to shake his hand because that's what missionaries do right?  He laughed and gave me one of his famous hugs.  I didn't want that hug to end.  

We wrote for the 2 years he was gone, I dated other guys, not to say i'm happy with those choices, but I always talked about Bryce and my missionary in the Philippines.  Little did we know that while he was out he was telling people I was his girlfriend and I was saying he was my boyfriend, I thought that was a fun little random piece of info :)  

When he came home, I was so excited, beyond excited.  He tried to come visit me but I missed him :(  He left an invitation on my door to his homecoming, but I was leaving out of town.  I was so bummed and almost didn't leave.  I called him and explained what was going on, and cute little Bryce said, "that's okay, but we should go out soon".  YAY, we went out on a little outing to a corn maze with his sisters 2 days later :) and from that day on we were inseparable.  We got engaged December 5th, 2005, about a month and a half after he got home.  We were married May 4th, 2006 and here we are 8 1/2 years and 3 beautiful kids later.  It's been a crazy journey but we're in it together and ready to take on whatever comes our way.