Brian and Deby
Married 17 1/2 years
Brian and I met in the Harris Fine Arts Center on the campus of Brigham Young University. I was studying there with a friend when Brian walked down the stairs and waved to my friend. I was immediately drawn to Brian’s gorgeous eyes. He tells me that he thought I was pretty darn cute too. When our friend introduced us and Brian said, “Hello,” I was shocked by the deepness of his voice. It was not what I expected at all!
Our friend decided to try out his matchmaking skills a few days later and presented Brian with my phone number telling him, “That girl I was studying with wanted you to have it.” Brian was pretty shocked by “my” forwardness! This friend also told me that the guy he had introduced me to had asked for my phone number. I was elated and waited for the phone call that never came!
We kept bumping into each other all semester in various places on campus, and finally he asked me to attend a concert in which he was a participant. After the concert he asked if I would like to go get some ice cream. As we were leaving the concert, we ran into two girls that Brian knew, and he offered them a ride home!
When we got to his car, one of the girls held the seat for me, so I could get in the back and she sat in the front!! I learned months later that she was his ex-fiance. When it was finally just the two of us, we stopped by an ATM to get some money, and he realized he had lost his ATM card. I lived close by, so I offered to stop by my apartment and grab some cash. We went to McDonald’s and had ice cream sundaes.
Despite a disastrous beginning, four looong years later, after I served a mission for my church, and he graduated from BYU, we finally got married! We now have two beautiful children and have been married for 17.5 years.
How We Strengthen Our Marriage
Some of the things we do to strengthen our marriage:
- Read Laura’s book(literally…I am not trying to get on her good side, but this book saved our marriage this year. Thank you!)
- Go on dates every week and little get-aways every 3-6 months
- Praise each other
- Kiss a lot, in front of our kids (even though they gasp and cover their eyes!)
- Laugh together…after 17.5 years, he still makes me roll my eyes and laugh!
- Every year on the anniversary of our first date, we hop in the car (sometimes with the kids) and go to that sameMcDonald’s we went to that first night, and get ice cream sundaes.
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This is one of the “How We Met” stories featured here on “Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog.” You can enter to win a Romantic Getaway to The Anniversary Inn by sending us a favorite photo of you and your spouse, and/or a wedding or engagement photo, by Saturday, February 14th, 2009. Tell us the story of how you met, how many years you’ve been married, plus something you do to strengthen your marriage (500 words or less). Send your photo and story here.
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