Howdy Folks! Where the West Lives On!

Welcome to Golden Colorado. Home of the Colorado School of Mines, the Coors Brewery, and Mannie & Bo's Pizzeria. Nestled in the foothills of the Rockies, cradled between the two towering mesas known as North and South Table Mountain, and perpetually blanketed with the aroma of dirty feet, Golden Colorado is eventually where the two of us would get married.

So how is this charming Desert Rat end up with this dirty Hippie Chick? Good question - we think it started when his good friend offered her a ride home.

Before Katie moved to Denver for grad school at Regis University to get her Physical Therapy degree she made what she thought to be a wise decision. She bought a practical, dependable, and economical Honda Accord. Lucky for Brent & Katie both, it was not so reliable and the radiator blew up shortly after arriving to the state. In somewhat of a bind, and so new to the area, Katie did what most girls would do...bike as primary transportation until the radiator could be fixed. As Sunday approached, the situation the same, she again biked what she imagined would be a quick 14 miles to church. To her good fortune, looking out of breath, pathetic, and sweaty scored her a ride home from Brent's roommate and good friend - it also scored her a first and seemingly inconsequential introduction to a quiet backseat passenger - Brent.

The second encounter, or the officially recognized "meeting" occurred when Brent came ill-prepared for a long hike up Mount Bierstaedt. A mutual friend had arranged a friendly hike to introduce Katie to a longtime girlfriend and recent grad of her program and some "other friends." Among the list was an anxious and shy younger brother eager to make an impression, and Brent, the old roommate who came in skater shoes and a windbreaker planning to knock out a 2 mile trail. Katie quickly came to the rescue supplying Brent water and good conversation. In Brent's mind - he was rescuing Katie from what happened to be a horribly attempted set-up. Although both rescue missions were a success, Brent had many ladies scoping him out and was engaged. Katie had to wait a long year before she could get another opportunity to capture Brent's heart.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving of 2009, Exchange #3. The one that sealed the deal. It was Brent's entry into this 3rd meeting that sparked Katie's attention. White collared button-down, open to the chest, holey sand blasted jeans, singing Backstreet Boys and dancing with a lip-syncing boy band. Katie couldn't help herself. Before she knew it she found herself in front of Brent's dinner table - hand on her hip - asking "What exactly are YOU doing here?"

Brent, a little taken aback quickly retorted, "Who's that boy you are with?" Katie replied casually, "Oh, that just my friend Walter, but I DO kind of have a boyfriend." With all the awkward elephants in the room now exposed and out on the table, Katie then asked Brent out - well really just made him accept a ride to the airport - but Brent wisely took advantage of the opportunity and turned it into a date offering breakfast as payment for her kind offer of transportation.

Days later, and what would later be known as the "first date," breakfast was served. Chocolate cake followed - a strange choice but Katie's idea - as a German bakery happened to live only next door from the Egg Shell breakfast window. After breakfast and dessert, the drive to the airport on full stomachs fueled the candid conversation that would set the scaffolding for the relationship that would eventually find itself.