A little background for those of you who don't know already.
Duncan's version/Krista's version
Krista was a bridesmaid in her college friend Kirsten Cullen's wedding on July 15, 2000. I know Kirsten from all of our years in school here in Jackson, WY. I got invited to the wedding and though I missed the ceremony I did make it to the reception where I met the girl who changed my life. The story goes something like this: (Though, I am sure Krista will want to put her own details in for your reading pleasure) I was standing at the reception getting caught up with some old friends about the last couple of years when I saw my parents. I decided to chat with them for a bit while everybody waited for the wedding party to arrive. When they did arrive I saw Krista come around the southeast corner of the house (right next to Chelcie's enormous poppy flowers). I was stopped short in my conversation, the reason being Krista had arrived.
I continued my conversation knowing that I would eventually get to meet her, but I didn't think it would be so soon. A few minutes later I heard some very strange commotion over my shoulder and when I turned to look I happened to catch sight of Krista laughing hysterically and then proceeding to bonk her head on the guywire holding the drink tent up (no coincidence that it she had a very large glass of something from the bar in her hand) . She was walking with one of the other bridesmaids, Christy Marvin, who walked up to me, said hello, and proceeded to introduce Krista to me.
Krista and Duncan at Kirsten's wedding.
Dinner was beginning shortly after this and the bridal party didn't have enough guys to sit at the bridal table so the bridesmaids were given instructions to find someone to bring to the table. Krista for some reason decided that I needed to be one of those people. Over the next few hours I had one of the easiest most interesting conversations I have ever had in my entire life. Krista and I talked about everything under the sun (including the sun, actually, as there was supposed to be a huge display of the aurora borealis that night). When the band started up she tried and tried to get me to dance and was actually very successful with (much to my surprise because until this night I had never danced).
Over the next three days Krista and I were almost inseperable, as I showed her my life and where I am from. I showed her the sights and we went to dinner (hell we went to breakfast and lunch too) while learning about one another. When those three days came to an end it was sad and difficult but we decided to take things as they came. Krista just happened to be moving out of the country a week later to St. John. (Thank God St. John is in the US Virgin Islands because long distance calls to St. John are the same price as they are within the States.) For the next two months we had no choice but to get to know each other through phone calls and email.
Krista and Duncan in Yellowstone
At the end of her tenure in St. John I decided to surprise her by showing up in Ohio without her knowledge. I contacted Doug and Lois, Krista's parents, and arranged to have them pick me up at the airport and bring me back to their house to see Krista. When the time came closer I realized that I had no idea of who to look for at the airport. So I called Doug and asked what I should look for when I landed in Toledo and he responded with, "Look for a 6 foot version of Krista with short hair." This alarmed me a little but I am a pretty easy guy so I figured it's best to roll with the punches. (You can judge for yourself how much they look alike from the picture below.)
So Doug met me at the airport and took me back to the house, (no offense Doug, but I am not going to lie, I was a bit scared during that ride, though to your credit you did everything in your power to make me feel at ease) . Now Krista's parent's told her that the furnace guy was coming by so she needed to look presentable; I told her FedEx was coming with a package from me, so she took "presentable" to mean she should stay in her pajamas. As we rolled up to the house Doug told me he would go in first and I should follow him in. He walked in and said, "Hi Krista, I am home for lunch" to which she responded, "I can't get the mold off.... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Obviously I had just walked around the corner. From that moment on I have had no question about what was going to be the end result between us. I knew she was it...
To make a long story short (I know, I know, it's too late) I have been following Krista around the world for the last four years because simply put, she is the most amazing thing to ever happen to me.
As Krista tells it:
Well Duncan has an exceptional memory for the important details. Couple of changes though: I was in fact holding two, not one, large Bay Breezes (vodka, cranberry & pineapple juice). This would insinuate that I'm a lush, but really I was just nervous because it was the first wedding that I've been in as an adult (being a flower girl a gazillion times doesn't really count). I needed to take the edge off so I wouldn't be so nervous. While I was casually attending to both of my drinks (ok gulping), one of the bridesmaids, Christy Marvin, managed to spill shrimp cocktail sauce all down her chin. I found this to be hysterical (not certain why, guess you had to be there). So hysterical, in fact, that I ran right into the actual metal tent pole itself, and not the measly little guywire, as Duncan so blatantly misinformed you. Of course there were many witnesses to this and lots of people wanting to see the bridesmaid with the large, swollen red bump down her forehead. That of course was the commotion that Duncan spoke of. So to divert the crowd's attention from me, Christy dragged me over to a group of people and introduced me. I remember meeting Duncan and shaking his hand and thinking, "Oh he is hot." Within minutes the crowd dissipated and I needed to refresh my drink(s). Whilst casually attending to another round of drinks, I needed someone to talk to. No need to stand all by my lonesome with two drinks (not that I was going to give one away). So I sauntered over to Duncan to again introduce myself. The only brilliant thing I could think of to talk about was my newly acquired rash that was on my hand. You see a few nights prior to the wedding I partook in a bit of imbibing-of alcohol, of course-at Kirsten's bachelorette party. On the drive home both Kirsten and I needed to (there is no easy way to say this) yak on the side of the road. Only genius here planted her hands in a patch of stinging nettles. So the next day I had a large, very attractive red rash on my right hand (which by the way lasted six months). And this was all I could think of to talk about. Quite the first impression, huh?
The rest of the story as told by Duncan is rather accurate. I must give myself props, though, for being the only girl ever to get Duncan to dance. Not just to one song, but the whole night. (Plus three weddings since then.)
The only other thing that I will tell is the story of our engagement.
(Hold your mouse over each picture as the alternate text is humorous on some of the pictures.)