our story

With our anniversary being this week we have done a lot of reminiscing about our relationship and what has lead us to this point. I have been meaning to document our story for a while now, so here goes nothing.

Preston and I go WAAAYYYY back.  Like fourth and fifth grade way back.

I can remember very clearly in my mind my earliest memory of Preston.  I was in 4th grade and he was in 5th.  I was in the laundry room at my parent's house one day after school when I got the call from one twitterpated little boy.  He asked me to be his girlfriend and I being the goody-goody girl that I was, said no.  I wasn't old enough to date yet.  He was crushed and I didn't think much of it and probably went back to playing with my dolls or something.  He continued to be head over heels for me, drawing hearts around all my pictures in the yearbook and asking me to marry him on the playground every chance he got.  I kept breaking his poor little heart and turning him down time and time again.

^^Preston's yearbook circa 1998^^

The years went by and we were close but never boyfriend/girlfriend.  We were in the same ward growing up, his Dad was our bishop, and he worked for my parents at their furniture store.  We were the best of friends.  It never occurred to me that he might still like me when we finally came to dating age.  We both dated other people and often talked to each other about our significant others.  It was pretty common for him to refer to me as his "little sister".  He was always trying to set me up with one of his brothers or cousins but never with him.  So as oblivious as I can be, the thought never crossed my mind that after all these years he would still want to be with me.

^^Preston working at the furniture store.  He's the handsome one in the middle :)^^

There were many instances where I had people tell me that they thought I would end up with Preston or one of the other Bishoff boys.  Each time they said this I'd think, "yeah right! Those boys are like brothers to me.  I can't imagine dating one of them".  I had a boyfriend, a best friend, one of Preston's girlfriends and numerous other people tell me that they thought I'd end up with Preston eventually and each time I'd just laugh and not think much about it.  We continued to just be good friends.

^^Preston as Prom King circa 2006^^

^^Preston's High School Graduation^^

Preston graduated a year before me but since he was young for his grade, he worked a whole year in Moab before leaving on his mission.  He started working at Williams Pipeline and I started my senior year.  And this is where the magic finally happens.  For the first part of my senior year I had a boyfriend and that was the first (and probably only) time that I had Preston ignore me and give me the cold shoulder.  Let's just say he wasn't super happy about it.  But that didn't last long and even though I was dating someone at the time, Preston asked me to be his date to his company Christmas party.  I can remember telling my boyfriend that Preston had asked me to be his date but that it wasn't going to be anything more than just friends since Preston was like a brother to me.  And that was when my boyfriend told me he thought I would end up with Preston one day. (Not sure how I responded to that at the time but I should have known that relationship wouldn't go far if he knew that.)  

So I went with Preston to the party, partially thinking that we were going as just friends but mostly hoping that it would be something more.  I can remember buying a new outfit for the occasion and that he picked me up in his Dad's convertible.  As he was driving me home, I can remember looking over at him and knowing at that very moment that I was going to marry him.  At that point, I still didn't think he liked me but somehow I knew we would end up together.  As simple as it sounds, it was like my whole life flashed before my eyes and I could see us sitting there as a married couple one day.  I just knew it was bound to happen.

Several months passed and we began to hang out more and more, sometimes in small groups of people and sometimes just the two of us.  During this whole time I was convinced that we were still just friends and that was how it was always going to be.  He asked me for advice of what tie to wear for his missionary photo and I can remember thinking "oh my gosh! what if I get married while he is gone?? what if he marries someone else?? things would never be the same between us!".  But even with these thoughts going through my head, I still never had the guts to tell him how I felt.  We continued hanging out.  He took me rabbit hunting in his rusty old truck while I maneuvered the spotlight for he and his friends.  We went skiing.  We had many campfires...just the two of us.  Sometimes he would sing and play the guitar and I would melt every time. We would go to lunch several times a week. We went to the movies where his favorite thing to have me do was scratch his back.  One time I thought he was going to hold my hand but instead puts his hand on my leg and whispers in my ear "hey bud, will you scratch my back??" BUD?!?!? Ugh. Talk about a let down. :) But still, we were just friends.  Nothing more.  It was getting frustrating.  

Finally, a day or two after my high school graduation we had gone to the movies with some friends and he FINALLY made a move - he held my hand!  After the movies we took a drive and ended up down by the river bridge where we had a very classic, awkward first kiss. :)  The best part about the first kiss was that afterwards as he was driving me home, I meant to text my sister back and let her know how our date went and that we kissed but instead I accidentally texted Preston the message!! Needless to say, he was pretty confident after that. :) 

^^My High School Graduation^^

From that moment on, we were inseparable.  We spent every waking minute we possibly could together before he left on his mission to NYC, which in total was only about a month.  He kissed me the beginning of June and left on his mission July 5.  But the relationship was literally years in the making. But talk about an emotional time!  Probably the hardest thing to tell him goodbye and I was lucky enough to have to do it twice.  Ugh.  He broke his hip while he was on his mission and got sent home for 4 months. (Read more about that HERE) As hard as it was to have him come home like that, it was also a great experience.  We grew so close that summer he was home. 

^^Warner Lake 2008^^

^^Lake Powell 2008^^

^^Preston and his cane!^^

^^Swimming at Left Hand^^

^^HE'S HOME! 2009^^

^^Engaged 2/13/10^^

He came home from his mission October 1, 2009.  We got to go through the phase of awkwardness when he was first home but we made it through.  We dated long distance, he lived in Moab and I was in Provo, for about 6 months.  He proposed the day before Valentine's Day 2010 and I was oblivious as can be (what else is new).  He caught me completely off guard - just how I wanted him to.  I had no idea he even had the ring because we had only looked at rings once for like a total of ten minutes.  But he had it and I had no clue.  He is so good at surprising me, but then again, I guess it doesn't take much to surprise me :)  We were married August 5, 2010 and the rest is history!   I love thinking about the long road we had to get to where we are today.  Love this boy of mine with all my heart!