Our Humble Beginnings

So rather than just starting with today for our Family Blog, I decided that I wanted to back track to the time when our little family first formulated. And since Paul and I were a family long before our kids arrived, I thought I'd start from our beginning. So for those of you who know the story of Paul and Nikki, please bear with me while I take a trip back into the year 1997............

Me and some of my favorite gals on the night before I met Paul.... if I had only known what lay in store for me!........

Paul and I met on the night of May 10th, 1997---- my 18th Birthday. We met at a dance club in Salt Lake. (and I don't care to disclose which one cuz I know I'll catch all sorts of crap for it) But here was this adorable, green eyed boy from Missouri who still had a slight Midwest accent and he literally knocked me off my feet......Paul's friend had pushed him into me and I had fallen to the floor. But being the polite person he is, Paul was quick to offer me his hand to help me up. (I found out later that the whole knocking me to the floor thing was planned--- it was an easy way for Paul to meet me) Needless to say, I was pretty smitten with him from the moment I met him--- you'll have to personally ask him what his initial impression of me was, since he's not one to bear his soul to the masses on the Internet.

For the longest time I thought his name was Paul Walker, since that was what he told me his name was. His mother's last name is Walker, by the way. It wasn't until I saw his High School Diploma that I learned the truth---- his real last name was Rash. I'm sure you can understand why he would fib about his last name, but like Paul's Dad says, it's a source of strength. You either become emotionally strong by ignoring the snide remarks and strange looks, or you become physically strong by beating the tar out of anyone who teases you!! Now that's the Rash way of doing things--Thanks Steve!!

Paul has always been very interested in any kind of off-roading/motorsports activities. When we were first dating, my biggest competition was never any of the other girls that were interested in him--- and believe me, there were plenty--- it was always a two-wheeled vehicle of some sort. His 2 greatest loves when I first met him was his Honda 250 dirt bike and his BMX bike. He was constantly out riding up in the hills above Stansbury with his buddies on his dirt bike, or else he was at a local skate park or dirt jumps tearing it up on his BMX. But somewhere in between the dirt bike and BMX bike, he found enough room in his heart for me and we finally moved in together in April of 2000.

Paul tearing through the hills above Stansbury

.... and tearing it up at the Skate Park!!!(kinda crooked picture... sorry!)

More tearing!! (It's hard to tell, but he's wearing a home-made SLAYER t-shirt. Black magic marker, baby!!)

Our first little place was a basement apartment of a 4 plex in Tooele. We had a lot of fun "playing house"--- we'd both go to work during the day and then our evenings were spent either at the skate park or dirt jumps, or we were entertaining our friends at our little pad.

Oh, and it was a 2 bedroom apartment--- guess who stayed in the extra bedroom?? The BMX bike!! Yep, we used to read it bedtime stories and everything!! And no, I'm not kidding! Paul would really go in and read stories out of Ride Magazine to it!!

As you can see, I made sure that he knew what my priorities were, and what his should be!!

Paul always clamied that he was going to be a bachelor for life.... but I just knew that if I was patient enough that he wouldn't let me down. Never once did I nag or beg--- and I never would have dreamed of shedding any tears over the matter in front of him. Although, I did drop some very subtle hints--- things like "You know Paul, we are living in sin and my parent's aren't too excited about it. Maybe you should do something about it." or "Hey Paul, I saw this really pretty wedding ring last time I was at the mall. Maybe you should buy it for me!" See, I was very subtle---the epitome of patience. And finally on April 29th 2001, Paul finally asked me to marry him. I know, I know... it took him 4 whole years to finally come to his senses and reward me for all of my non-naggingness and non-tearful tantrums. But he was worth the wait!!! We were married the following year on April 20th 2002.

Right after our "I do's!"

I loved our wedding cake!! It was my favorite part about our reception. I also had a really sweet groom's cake made for Paul . That's a picture of him on his bike on a little boingy wire thing to make it look like he was jumping a dirt jump. Paul's friends all thought I was a pretty cool wife for doing that for him.

We went on a cruise to Alaska for our honeymoon. If any of you have never been on a cruise, but are considering it, I would highly recommend it!! It's the best way to travel!! However, Paul and I didn't see much of our cruise ship since we spent almost the whole time in our cabin!! (My eyebrow's are waggling up and down right now!! ha ha!! ) Hey!! We were newlyweds!! What do you expect???

That's the Mendenhall Glacier behind us. It's the one you see in all of the magazines. It's really cool, except it's a lot dirtier in real life.

Shortly after we were married, we left Tooele and moved into my older sister Julee's basement apartment in Bluffdale. I still miss the "extra wardrobe" I had when I lived at Julee's house. I also had a lot of fun watching my little niece Bailee grow up, since she was only about 2 when we moved there. Julee and I became even closer while we lived there and I still consider her one of my best friends. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful sisters--- I love you both, Kym and Julee. We stayed at my sister's for 1 year, and then moved to Bountiful to be closer to where Paul was going to school to become a machinist. In May of 2005, we ventured back out to Tooele Valley and bought our first home in Stansbury Park--- and not a moment too soon, since our son Beau Daniel was born 2 months later on July 30th.

So this is the part where the blog turns from Paul and I and focuses almost completely on Beau.... and I'm sure most of you won't complain since he's so stinkin' cute. And as most of you know, once the kids start arriving, the parents' lives pretty much just revolve around the kids, and they become the center of their parents' world. I will however, try to squeeze in a few tid- bits about Paul and I as I start the bragging session about Beau.