The Begining of the Story as told by Patrick
I was sitting in Brandon's car about to go up to a friend’s apartment. I was looking out the window and saw a Jeep drive up and turn its lights off and then a girl got out and I remember thinking, "wow, she is good looking". She locked her car and went up to the apartment and we soon followed. We got up there and I really don't remember a whole lot from that night having just turned 21, but I have been told that I introduced myself to Teresa about a dozen times. A few weeks later I was sitting at the apartment that Kyle and I shared and Teresa swung by to visit with Tori. I remember greasing my work boots when Teresa walked in and right past me. I leaned over to Kyle and I said "Kyle, who is that?" Kyle informed me that I had met her a few weeks ago. I quickly put down my boots and walked over to introduce myself, yet again. It was love at second sight. The only problem was that it seemed like whatever I said it either A: came out as stammering nonsense, or B: was ignored by her completely. Over the next few months she would come over occasionally. I had many opportunities to think up some way to get her to actually let her guard down around me. It was only when someone informed me of her fondness of horseback riding that I thought, "All right, I have an angle now to work with". One day she was over visiting again and I began to inch the conversation towards my future weekend plans of horseback riding. The clouds parted and my opportunity appeared. Keeping my cool, I mentioned my weekend plans as being “no big deal” and nonchalantly mentioned that she could come too if she like. She said yes so fast I hardly finished my sentence. We made plans to go and I soon found out after saddling up my horse and a spending a few minutes in the round pen that she was not as horse savvy as I had hoped. Didn't really help that my horse was only green broke, guess I should have mentioned that. Flash forward through a year of living in separate cities and the timing never really being quite right and the Clouds finally parted again. We got back into contact again through the efforts of our good friend Kyle and started talking and hanging out. She asked me to go to an Aaron Tippen Concert at the Benton County Fairgrounds with her and her family so I went. I got to meet Aaron Tippen, dance with her and had a blast. All of our free time the weeks following the concert was spent with each other. It had seemed that I had found someone so perfect for me, the funny thing is I knew I would marry this girl someday. We have been through so many things and went on so many adventures. Anywhere from crabbing at the coast, snowboarding, shooting clay pigeons, hunting, taking a
trip to Hawaii, to getting scuba certified at our final check out dive in the Hood canal, we’ve been through it all it seems. Like I said I had found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life, I know it took awhile but I was
just making sure she knew what she was getting herself into. It’s been the best 7+ years and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
trip to Hawaii, to getting scuba certified at our final check out dive in the Hood canal, we’ve been through it all it seems. Like I said I had found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life, I know it took awhile but I was
just making sure she knew what she was getting herself into. It’s been the best 7+ years and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
The Begining of the story as told by Teresa
The first time I met Patrick I was over at my friend Tori's house. Patrick introduced himself probably a good 10 times before I finally told him, " Yes, I know, your name is Patrick. I have already met you, now please go sit down with your friends." I wasn't exactly thrilled to meet him that night and I am sure that it showed. He and his friends did not make the best first impression on me. I did not see Patrick again until a few weeks later. I had stoped by Kyle's apartment that he shared with Patrick so that I could visit Tori. I walked in and was talking with Tori and couldn't help but notice that Patrick would not stop staring at me. I drug Tori into the kitchen and asked " What the heck is wrong with Kyle's friend, he will not stop staring." She said, " I don't know, but why do you keep looking?" She caught me. More and more Patrick tried to talk with me but truthfully I was trying my best to ignore him. I had to give the guy some credit though for being persistent. Finally one day he mentioned he had horses and asked if I wanted to come up to his parents house and go riding some time. I agreed, but later found out that his horse was not exactly suited for an inexperienced rider.....His horse tried to brush me off in a tree. We hung out a little bit over the next few months, but the timeing was just never right even though all the feelings were definately there. After a while we kind of lost contact. It wasn't until a mutual friend (Kyle) took it upon himself to get us back into contact again that finally the pieces started coming together. For the first time in over a year the timeing was finally right so I asked if he wanted to attend a Concert with my Family and I, thank goodness he said "yes". That concert was one the best nights of my life and start to something wonderful. Almost every free moment has been spent together and we have made it through so much in the 7+ years since that night and I wouldn't have changed any of it for the world.