One Story. Two Sides.

I shared with Conrad that I was going to talk about our love story and he said he wanted to write something too. So we are going to introduce each other and tell our side of our love story. Get ready. Warning- possible mushy stuff ahead.

Take a second. Go ahead and stare at the handsome man above. WOW! That is my fiance, Conrad! (still is so weird to say). HE IS SOOO FINE! His personality is even more attractive than his looks. I know, you are wondering how that is possible- keep reading ;)

This love journey began a long time ago (almost 6 years) in the best town ever. I knew of him from sports and school and thought he was definitely a hottie! I knew he was on the football and basketball teams. I knew he was the perfect height and his winks in the hallway melted my heart. We were sophomores in high school, each 15 years old. I remember a birthday party and playing underground church and snuggling while we were hiding. I remember text messages and AIM exchanged. I remember our first date. Sledding and Chilis date (which became such a memorable booth).  March 3, 2007 while hanging out in his basement Conrad drew on my back with his finger "let's go out". I did the ARE YOU SERIOUSSSSSS and the rest is history. :)

Favorites of our relationship: Our first date, high school football games, all the Christmas dates, all the tears and growth, traveling to see each other, surprise visits, and dinner dates.

Conrad proposed November 24th 2012 at Chili's at the same booth that we had our first date. It was the most perfect and beautiful thing that has ever happened to me. I had no idea it was coming, and thought it was at least a year away from now. He picked out the ring with the help of his mother and sister and it is AMAZING. Everything I have ever imagined and more.

Our wedding day is something I think about ALL the time. I can't wait to walk down the aisle and see his smiling face. 

Things you should know about Conrad:

• He is such a man. He is honest, forgiving, and the strongest person I know.
• He loves the Lord. He is always wanting to grow closer to God and I love praying with him.  
• He makes me laugh. No one can make me laugh like he does, I sometimes act like he is ridiculous, but that's because he is so hysterical. 
• He is literally the hardest worker I have ever met. I have never met someone who pushes past their limits all the time. He works out so hard and puts in a lot of extra time to better himself and be the quarterback his team needs. 
• He is a dreamer. He has huge dreams and is not afraid to follow them. He wants to help so many people. Which is why he has started a non-profit with his best friend to help others. 
• He loves me like Jesus does. He sees past my flaws, forgives me, and loves me no matter what.

I am so thankful that I have such a God loving man in my life and can't wait to share with you all the fun things that are ahead on this road.



CONRAD-

Well this is my side of the Schottel story. My account of the original events that would eventually throw two personalities the equivalent of William Wallace and Cinderella into a roller coaster of Love and War that Samantha and I call our own story. 6 yrs later it proves to be true that these initial scenes of our life together would lead us into the ecstatic yet challenging process of planning a wedding together. But that post is for another day.

1^st let me introduce you to my fancy fiance Samantha West. I refer to her as ‘Samantha soon to be Schottel.’ She is a beautiful soul with a captivating smile and one quirky personality that I love and cherish. She loves softball, she loves her family, and she loves me (Most of the time).  She is extremely competitive and strong willed. Samantha has knack for listening to and identifying with others, no matter what place in life they find themselves.  She loves to dance goofily, and typically owns an original quote or slogan she will consistently use no matter if a situation calls for it. She is finishing up her last year of softball playing at Drake University and she loves to be around her teammates.

Now I’ll start with the official time period in which Samantha and I first became tighter than butt cheeks. This time period of euphoric love began for us in 10^th grade. We were both sophomores at the illustrious Kearney R-1 School district. She was one cute gal, and I had always had a thing for her. We had been friend for a little over the year at this time. I wanted to pursue her but there was a slight problem. She had a boyfriend who was a senior at the time… So I naturally did what any young man in his right mind does to a taken woman he is attracted to….I walked her to and from Biology 6^th hour, and utilized a charming wink to her across the hustle and bustle of high school traffic during passing periods.

To make a long story longer….. We went to a party our sophomore year. A really crazy one. Raging Kegger. And when I say a really crazy raging kegger, I mean a birthday party at which there were multiple chaperones serving us cake and ice cream while we recreationally played board games. One thing led to another, and I found myself in a life and death game of Underground church (it's like hide and seek, only on steroids.) Samantha and I were on the same team and we were hiding partners. Ooo la la. While being searched for by the enemy we quickly jumped into a nearby bedroom, and hid under the covers. TOGETHER. (I was one nervous/giddy schoolboy). While our captors entered the room to look for us, I performed the courageous act of pulling Samantha very close to me. We dodged a bullet and were not found. As our opponents left the room, we decided to get out of the bed, and hide in the loft area of the room. There we sat and talked nervously and giddily for a few moments, neither of us bringing up the recent groundbreaking occurrence of a 5 second snuggle we shared. While we continued to chat, I gently put my arm around Samantha and pulled her closer to me. We talked for what seemed like hours, and as the saying goes, the rest was history. 

 and Conrad