I was checking my email one day and received a "flirt" from someone on the LDS singles site so I logged in, looked...laughed...gagged a little and was ready to log out when I decided to browse through some of the newer profiles. There was one in Claypool, AZ that caught my eye, not because of the "guy" but because I knew where Claypool was. It's a little town right next door to where my Dad was born and raised. The guy was a couple years younger than me, no picture on his profile so I just read his introduction and moved on. A few days later, I logged on again and browsed. The same profile came across but this time there was a picture. I am going to be blatantly honest...there was nothing that jumped out and grabbed me, my heart did not do flip flops and again I moved on to browse other profiles. A couple of weeks later, I received a flirt from none other than Mr. Claypool himself. Ok...so this is where I have to be nice and send a response (as I normally do). The flirt indicated that he was looking for "friends" and would I be interested in being a "friend". It's one of those canned lines from a drop down menu. So my response? Sure, I'd be happy to be friends, after all...you can never have too many friends. That's a safe enough answer. No strings, no promise of a relationship...just a simple and nice response.
I told my Dad..that there was a guy on LDS mingles from Claypool and he said really, what's his name? I told him that I thought it was Bradford since his profile name was sbradford. My Dad said he didn't recognize the name. Later that day I was online and I received an email from sbradford. I replied and let him know that my Dad was from that area and that I used to go up there for Holidays, etc...and that I loved going to a specific Mexican food place there. He responded and said, "No, Way...that's where I ate lunch today!"...thus began a series of emails and IMs asking about my family, and his family..with my Dad sitting behind me asking the questions. It turned out that my Dad went to school with his uncle, and they knew a lot of the same people. Crazy...small...world! As the days went on, we sent several emails back and forth, and then several weeks later I could tell this guy had an internet crush on me. Internet crushes are not good. I'd had them, thought I'd fallen head over heels for someone, then you meet and you realize it's not really what you expected. Unfortunately people get hurt and you end up looking feeling like a real jerk...unless it's you that got hurt and then the other person is the real jerk. I told sbradford that it's not good to have feelings until after you've met..and I went on with my whole spiel on my past experiences (sbradford was new at the internet dating thing afterall.) So, sbradford was ready to meet (and of course he was sure that it was going to be a good thing, I on the other hand was skeptical and hesitant) and we set up a date for a Saturday. We met at a mall parking lot, went to lunch (mexican food of course) and then he met close friends. It was an enjoyable date, I wouldn't say it was love at first sight for me, but it was one of those dates where you feel comfortable and there wasn't any pressure.
That was January....and by February 27th, we were engaged! ....... I could make this novel even longer and tell you how I was really wishy washy for most of that month and wasn't sure it felt right, but my daughter felt it was right and I knew how great sbradford was, and how he had all the qualities I'd been looking for. I'd prayed for Heavenly Father to send me a man for so long that I realized that everything I had been looking for and praying for was right there in front of me...if I let him get away because of my insecurities or stupid reasons that had no warrant to them I wouldn't have any right to ask Heavenly Father to send me ANOTHER man...when he already had sent me THE ONE. I put down my barriers and the rest is history! Scot, aka sbradford was and is an amazing man. I couldn't have asked for someone that could love me and my daughter any more than he does...I could not ask for another man that has his feet planted firmly in Gospel soil, I could not have asked for more than the wonderful man that he is! I could not ask for more period. I love him with all my heart.
On June 5th, 2010 we were married and the Jacklins-two became the Bradford Bunch! Our family consists of two crazy adults, 4 loud, sometimes wild kids, a yorkie named Gidget and some huge tortoise (that I don't like too much) named Petey! I love my family and I find that I fall in love with my husband over and over! Couldn't ask for more than that!
