To Brian, the new husband . . .

I have never known a better man than Brian B. We grew up together in the old Cherry Hill First Ward. He taught me how to lick batteries to see if they still had any charge. We wrote love notes to girls in our kindergarten class together. For that matter, I wouldn't even leave my mother's side to go to kindergarten for the first time until I saw that Brian was in the room. We learned Spanish together, played soccer together, built robots together, and wasted away afternoons playing more games of Tic-Tac-Toe than really seems reasonable. It was a dark day when Brian's family moved to another part of Orem. When my family moved to north Orem, the only thing that dried up my 10-year-old tears was when my father measured the distance from our old house to Brian's and from our new house to Brian's, providing incontrovertible evidence that our new home would be closer to Brian's than our old one. We finished elementary school together and continued to share our lunch-time pretzels through junior high.
I was at Brian's baptism, his mission farewell, and he was there when I returned home. He has always shown me what it means to live what I believe- to live my testimony. He is the most kind-hearted, genuine, loving man you could know. When Jenny and I were married Brian was a whirlwind of service. It seemed like he worked from dawn till midnight without ever being asked to do anything. I have always known Brian would be there to help if I ever needed anything- without his help we never would have accomplished our move from Provo to Pleasant Grove.


It was a great honor this past weekend to fly out to Utah and join Brian for his sealing. It's been a while since we had much of a chance to be together, bit I wasn't suprised I cried through his sealing (didn't pack a handkerchief . . .). As busy as the day was, Brian was most concerned that Jenny was taken care of, pregnant as she is. Like I said, you will never know a better man than Brian. I love him like a brother. Congratulations, Brian, on finding a wife that meets and exceeds your own stature!