I was born in Mankato, Minnesota on April 26, 1980 to two amazing people. My parents are John and Brenda. My dad was born and raised in Minnesota and my mom grew up mostly in Kansas before moving to Minnesota as a teenager. They were high school sweethearts and married when they were both 20... they just celebrated their 30th Wedding Anniversary in September, 2007. They are and always have been my greatest example in life.
I am the oldest of four, my sister Caitlin was born 3 years and 6 days after me in 1983 - she was almost my birthday present! My sister Halley was born in 1985 and my baby brother, Evan, in 1987. Being the oldest I have a tendency to want to be in charge and mother everyone!
When I was four years old, we moved from Mankato to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where I basically grew up. I loved Sioux Falls as a child! We were often outside playing some kind of game with just us or several of the other neighborhood kids. I walked to school at Mark Twain Elementary almost every day (up hill, both ways, in three feet of snow!). I played soccer for one year when I was six, but it just wasn't for me. I also played basketball from 4th grade to 8th grade. I love to play sports but am not the most coordinated person in the world so it's usually just for fun and not anything organized. :) My parents also made sure we all played an instrument, I picked the flute and played from 5th grade through high school. I even marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1994. I can still play but not nearly as well as I used to.
Junior High and High School in Sioux Falls were not the best times for me. You wouldn't know it now but I was extremely shy and often let people walk all over me. I was pretty quiet and was often alone. Until... my dad's company transferred him to Phoenix, Arizona at the end of my Sophmore year. Ooooo I was mad! I did not want to move, but it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The first day I was in Arizona I decided that I was going to be a different person, that I was going to be out-going and not worry about what other people thought of or said about me. And it worked! My junior and senior year of high school were the best I could have ever asked for. I had tons of friends, went to the sports games, dances, etc. I also went on a dating spree! :P I hadn't really dated in Sioux Falls and now with my new confidence I had plenty of boys to choose from. It was a blast!
My senior year of high school I met a boy named Tim. We were together most of my senior year and decided to get married after we both graduated from high school. We were married in June of 1999 when I was just barely 19 and he was 18. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for him to change. Though I had never noticed it while we were dating, he was very controlling and became even more so once we were married. After 2 years of severe emotional abuse and some physical abuse, I left him. So at 21 I was divorced and life was a little rocky for a while. I made some poor choices and hung out with some people that were not very good for me until I realized I was heading down a road that I knew would never make me happy and I decided it was time for a change. I packed up my car and moved to Utah in June of 2002.
I had never been in Utah before, not even to visit. But I knew deep down that it was the right choice for me and where my Heavenly Father was directing me. Fortunately, I had some wonderful people to stay with that helped me more than they will ever know, Amanda and Neil. Amanda had been my young women's leader in Arizona and she and her husband Neil opened their home to me. I am eternally grateful to them for all their help and their continued support. After a few months with Amanda and Neil, I was able to move into an apartment with a roommate and started attending a single's ward at the University of Utah. I met some incredible people there, some of which are my best friends and always will be.
Though I know I've made some mistakes in my life, I'm grateful for all the lessons I've learned and feel that it's made me a stronger person. I will write more about how Chad and I met and fell in love in another blog. :)
I am the oldest of four, my sister Caitlin was born 3 years and 6 days after me in 1983 - she was almost my birthday present! My sister Halley was born in 1985 and my baby brother, Evan, in 1987. Being the oldest I have a tendency to want to be in charge and mother everyone!
When I was four years old, we moved from Mankato to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where I basically grew up. I loved Sioux Falls as a child! We were often outside playing some kind of game with just us or several of the other neighborhood kids. I walked to school at Mark Twain Elementary almost every day (up hill, both ways, in three feet of snow!). I played soccer for one year when I was six, but it just wasn't for me. I also played basketball from 4th grade to 8th grade. I love to play sports but am not the most coordinated person in the world so it's usually just for fun and not anything organized. :) My parents also made sure we all played an instrument, I picked the flute and played from 5th grade through high school. I even marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1994. I can still play but not nearly as well as I used to.
Junior High and High School in Sioux Falls were not the best times for me. You wouldn't know it now but I was extremely shy and often let people walk all over me. I was pretty quiet and was often alone. Until... my dad's company transferred him to Phoenix, Arizona at the end of my Sophmore year. Ooooo I was mad! I did not want to move, but it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The first day I was in Arizona I decided that I was going to be a different person, that I was going to be out-going and not worry about what other people thought of or said about me. And it worked! My junior and senior year of high school were the best I could have ever asked for. I had tons of friends, went to the sports games, dances, etc. I also went on a dating spree! :P I hadn't really dated in Sioux Falls and now with my new confidence I had plenty of boys to choose from. It was a blast!
My senior year of high school I met a boy named Tim. We were together most of my senior year and decided to get married after we both graduated from high school. We were married in June of 1999 when I was just barely 19 and he was 18. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for him to change. Though I had never noticed it while we were dating, he was very controlling and became even more so once we were married. After 2 years of severe emotional abuse and some physical abuse, I left him. So at 21 I was divorced and life was a little rocky for a while. I made some poor choices and hung out with some people that were not very good for me until I realized I was heading down a road that I knew would never make me happy and I decided it was time for a change. I packed up my car and moved to Utah in June of 2002.
I had never been in Utah before, not even to visit. But I knew deep down that it was the right choice for me and where my Heavenly Father was directing me. Fortunately, I had some wonderful people to stay with that helped me more than they will ever know, Amanda and Neil. Amanda had been my young women's leader in Arizona and she and her husband Neil opened their home to me. I am eternally grateful to them for all their help and their continued support. After a few months with Amanda and Neil, I was able to move into an apartment with a roommate and started attending a single's ward at the University of Utah. I met some incredible people there, some of which are my best friends and always will be.
Though I know I've made some mistakes in my life, I'm grateful for all the lessons I've learned and feel that it's made me a stronger person. I will write more about how Chad and I met and fell in love in another blog. :)
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