Adventures in Wedding Planning

Everyone always asks the question, “How did you two meet?”  So here’s story, from my side!

I moved to Park City in October of 2005 to take an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) course before starting my first season of ski patrol at Deer Valley Resort.  I was living with a fellow ski patroller, Christin McCurdy, and attended a house warming party for another ski patroller, Peter Rude and his wife Lara.  Many other patrollers showed up, one being Edward Arriola (who had just returned from his summer job as a wildland firefighter and looked like a caveman with all his bushy hair and beard).  There was food, a keg of PBR, and a light hearted game of poker.  Ed claims he was impressed when I was drinking PBR and playing poker (even though that was my first time playing poker).

I should take this moment to mention that this was not the first time I met Ed.  The previous year I shadowed at Deer Valley and did sweeps (closing runs) with Ed.  It was spring skiing and that lovely time of day when the slush solidifies into a solid mass of crusty ice and death cookies (for those of you who don’t ski, death cookies are cookie sized ice chunks that attack you and try to kill you as you ski – hence the name).  I was trying to make a good impression, being that shadowing is basically a job interview for ski patrol, and my main goal was not fall!  Luckily, Ed took care of the falling business and that allowed me to relax a little bit!  According to Ed and Brent, after that day Ed addressed my brother, “Brent, I’m just going to tell you this once, your sister’s really cute.” and Brent, the ever protective older brother responded, “Ed, I’m just going to tell you this once: stay away from my sister!”.  That worked well (but Dad, he did try).

Mountain Man Edward

In October I ran into Ed a couple more times.  Once was the PowderWhore premiere in Salt Lake City (a local group of guys who make telemark skiing videos).  After the film a group of us went to the after party and Jenny Lewis suggested that Ed ride with me to show me how to get there.  It was a short drive full of an akward silence, you know the type.  Then there was another game of poker (I have to admit I was really bad at poker – however, now, with more practice and lots of tips from Ed I can hold my own, in our small games at least).

After completing my OEC course, I took two weeks to travel to Colorado and visit college friends in Aspen and Denver.  I received a phone call one morning from Ed.  I had just finished a run and it took me a few moments to figure out who was on the phone, especially since I knew Ed was in Mexico on vacation.  Ed asked if I would like to go to see a Dave Chappelle show in December (mind you this was the beginning of November).  Sure, why not I decided – I was new in town and it’s always a good idea to get out, meet people, and make friends.  In the back of my mind, I thought he was probably drunk at the time (to this day he claims he wasn’t and has witnesses to prove it)!  I should also mention that I did not give Ed my phone number…he called Phong (my brother’s good friend who had patrolled at DV the year before).  My dad still blames Phong for everything!

Ski patrol was under way, it was the week of the show and Ed still had not mentioned it again to me.  Not knowing whether it was a date, or something casual I was a little confused.  It ended up being myself, Ed, and two of his guy friends…what a great first date, a little awkward, yes, but fun!  Ken Meeks, the assistant patrol director, put Ed and me on the same crew for the first rotation (later he disclosed that he, “wanted to see what would happen,” so I guess some of the blame for our relationship falls on him as well).

Amy and Ed Enjoying the Snow

Ed and I spent four days a week working together and skiing and started hanging out with friends on the weekends.  Our friend Colleen Winters helped with little nudges here and there – inviting both of us to her choir concert, suggesting I ride with Ed after our patrol christmas party so Ed would have some company.  So let’s put some of the blame on her too! Ed invited me to a fancy Christmas party as his date…so maybe that’s more the official first date.  We spent more and more time together and I guess, in my opinion, we were “officially dating” by about Christmas day.  The rest leads us to now!

The summer of 2005 I had made a list of what I wanted in a man, (a recommendation from the women of San Juan Safaris – my summer job). After completing my list, I never really believed one individual could match all the points.  When my parents came down in January, I showed my mom my list, and told her I had found someone who fit the description perfectly!  Some of the things(not all) include:

• someone who can cook
• a man who cleans
• someone who loves the outdoors (skiing, biking, climbing, hiking)
• a man who is intelligent
• and most importantly, of course, someone can keep up and challenges me to keep up with him

So there is a perfect person out there for me, I have found him,  his name is Edward Arriola and I will be spending the rest of my life with my perfect man!

Amy and Edward