the fellers

I have something special this Monday morning. It's been about a month in the making, so I'm really excited to present a guest post from the future mister introducing his "fellers." Without further ado:

Haaaaw Heee!


Best Man Pap - My father is my Best Man, as he is my best friend and mentor. Growing up, I was constantly by my father's side, so much so that he was forced to sneak away in order to go to work or a dental meeting. He always encouraged me in various outdoor activities, be it football, baseball, soccer, hunting, fly-fishing, or snow skiing. Yet, after every minor activity, he would somehow pull me aside in order to point out some deeper life lesson. I constantly tell him that he should be the college professor, not me. We have enjoyed going to Green Bay Packers football games (especially against the Carolina Panthers where we almost got into a fist-fight with a random drunk businessman), fly-fishing in Colorado and Wyoming, and even hunting Cape Buffalo, one of the most dangerous animals in the world, in Tanzania. My father is not only the finest outdoorsman I know (be it hunter or fly-fisherman), but he is also the man I emulate and aspire to be like.

(me, Jonathan, Patrick and Glenn at Patrick's wedding this July)

Groomsman Patrick - I met Patrick in the fall of 2003 at one of our university's dining halls (it was the first weekend of college). Who would have guessed that we were 4th cousins, one generation removed. Because we felt we were the only "mountain boys" from western North Carolina on campus, we hit it off and became roommates from sophomore year until we graduated. Patrick is very charismatic and brings life to any room he enters. At college, I was one of "Patrick's roommates" and I hated walking across campus with him because we could never get to our destination as he would constantly stop and talk to girls. He is a great fly-fisherman and outdoorsman. We have had many good camping trips together, especially on Hazel Creek. He recently married one of my good friends from college, Katelyn. Congrats again, but remember that you are both beholden to me because I introduced you two.

(Glenn, me, Patrick and Jonathan - Hazel Creek, fall 2006)

Groomsman Jonathan - I met Jonathan the spring of sophomore year at college. We were roommates junior and senior year. Jonathan is the "smart and stable" one. He is studying to be a "real Doctor" at Marshall University's medical school and the type of person who would give you the shirt off his back. We've had quite a few memories on the creek bank. The first time Jonathan and I went fly-fishing on Hazel Creek, we had split up, but suddenly he came running up the creek yelling that he caught a fish. I congratulated him, but was worried that the game warden would fine us if the fish came up to be a few centimeters too short. As Jonathan pulled out his creel and showed me the fish, he asked, "do you think this is seven inches and a keeper?" As it turned out, the fish was about fourteen inches and the biggest fish of the weekend.

(Glenn, Patrick, Jonathan and me in Charleston after graduation - May 2007)

Groomsman Glenn - Glenn and I met in the spring of Freshman year. We had several Biology classes together and were roommates Junior and Senior year. Glenn is "the Italian Stallion" or "the Yankee," and is from Buffalo, New York. He is a great friend and has a great sense of humor. Glenn typically has a room full of people enthralled with some hare-brained story or rolling on the floor laughing at a joke. Not only was he a Sudoku prodigy during a business class we had together, but he is also a technology genius. As a roommate Junior and Senior year, Glenn connected a projector and TV antenna together so that we could watch HD television on a pull-down screen that covered one entire wall of the apartment! Trust me, the girls loved our apartment on Grey's Anatomy night.

(me, Heather and Grant zip lining in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - May 2009)

Groomsman Grant - Grant is Heather's younger brother. He attends Temple University and will graduate the week before Heather and I get hitched. He is laid back, quick with a joke and doesn't make too much fun of me on the golf course. I am honored that he agreed to stand up with me on the big day and I look forward to being brothers-in-law.

Well there you have it - the other half of our wonderful wedding party. Maybe I can convince the future mister to write a few more guest posts in the future...