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Groom History

          I decided to create these history pages for a purpose, and that purpose is to help the many friends and relatives of the bride get an understanding of where I came from and who I am, and in doing so hope you get to know me better.

           It’s possible some have you no idea who I really am, so allow me to introduce myself - - My name is Tim Priest, son of Gary and Debra Priest, brother of Gary W. Priest, and I was born in the very workplace of the bride’s father, Mecosta County General Hospital.

           I started my life in a place I have no recollection of, in a small town named Rodney. As a small baby I moved to Rogers Heights, where some of my earliest memories were made. For instance, I can remember like it was only minutes ago when I first rode a bike without training wheels. I was 4, It was a warm day and the grass swished between my toes, I had collaborated with my brother who was 6 or 7 at the time, and decided it was time to conquer one of man’s best inventions – the wheel. So I climbed upon my stepping pedestal (An old milk crate) and I threw my legs over the sides of the bike and started pedaling and wouldn’t you know it I was riding like a PRO!!! At the top of my lungs I told my brother to get mom and dad and see me ride …circle after circle around the yard, I felt like I could do anything. Ahh, the good old days…of course they were short lived because that fall I started kindergarten at Morley-Stanwood. You couldn’t of convinced me then but 13 years later I was pretty convinced I had enough of Morley-Stanwood. School had its perks though, like…pizza parties…and.. recess? You know, when us wee ones would come home and beg a buck or two to pitch in for the class pizza party? Great times.

         It wasn’t all bad though, if it wasn’t for Morley-Stanwood I never would of met the very love of my life – Katie Marie Wilkinson, or get pegged in the arm in math class because Mr. Ford’s baseball players couldn’t catch the balls he threw at them. Yep. I can definitely say my entire high school education consisted of new ways to make fun of Mr. Ford. But that’s what high school is for right? My horizons weren’t expanded, I wasn’t prepared for college, I was just a monkey being shot into space, but I was lucky. In fact, quite possibly the luckiest person in the world, because I had another very special monkey with me along the way, a monkey named Katie.

          At this very moment Katie is writing her history page, so we’ll see how our stories of meeting each other differ ;). I never really knew Katie until I got into high school. She hated me. Seriously!! I didn’t really pay much attention, I was your typical cocky trumpet player. Then later on my sophomore year her best friend’s sister told me she liked me. It was mildly entertaining at first, this person who seemingly had a sworn vendetta against me, liked me!! It was an intriguing thought. It wasn’t until I broke up with my previous girlfriend I started talking to her on-line. It really started the day of our high school holiday concert, I was running the sound system for the middle school band acting like I was smart and doing something useful, and she was conducting with the middle school band and playing with them, and I looked up at her and she looked back at me, and it was as if god looked down from heaven and tied our hearts. On the 23^rd of that December, Katie asked me if I wanted to go shopping together. I agreed and we both knew we wanted to ask each other out. We were both too nervous to do it, so in a desperate plea Katie asked me if I wanted to take a walk in the cemetery. In the CEMETARY!! But hey, I accepted. It was in the cemetery at her church that we kissed for the first time, at a special tree along the path. Our love sprouted and brings us here and now, and we are getting married July 23^rd, 2005.

           A little more about my past, present, and future. At second grade I decided I was going to be a robotist. I guess at the time it was a neat fantasy. Around 4^th grade I got my first computer. I instantly fell in love with computer technology, and my brother had done the same. I learned oodles of info from my genius brother and at about 6^th grade I decided I was going to be a computer programmer. That lasted for a couple years, and I was extremely determined that’s what I was going to do no matter how many times teachers told me I was going to change my mind. But you know what? They were right. I changed my mind. When I hit high school I fell in love with music, even though I didn’t really know what to do about it, I knew I loved it. I had the opportunity to work with middle school kids and peers and decided I had to be music teacher. I picked up a music scholarship and came to Central Michigan University and am now pursuing a Bachelor’s in Music Education. I’m also studying Euphonium performance under Dr. Mark Cox.

           But I DO have a few pastimes, I enjoy watching movies, watching hockey, attending concerts, fixing computers, surfing the web, playing trumpet and euphonium, and making wonderful use of the opposable thumbs playing a video game or two. I also love good food (Does it show?) over a good joke. I think having food come out my nasal passages enhances the humor ;).

            Well I suppose I’d better wrap this up. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you at the wedding! If you have any questions for me or anything of the sort feel free to e-mail me at tfpriest86@hotmail.com. Take it easy!

           Well, I suppose I’d better wrap this up. Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you at the wedding!