The Brintons

How this all began...from my perspective (Spencer writing)

Back in the early summer of 2001, I had just gotten back from South Africa and was headed off to pursue my education and football career at the University of Michigan.  After two months in Ann Arbor I came back home (so. cal) for a mini vacation for a week.   I was in dire need to just go on a date, so I asked my Mom if she knew anyone whom I could ask out.  She quickly told me that she did.  She went on to explain how she knew a man by the name of Kerry Clegg.  Kerry told my mom that next time I was in town he wanted me (Spencer) to take his daughter out on a date.  His daughter's name was Whitney.  I quickly shot down the idea of a blind date, especially one that my Mom was trying to set up.  I went back to Ann Arbor, dateless, and finished another month of summer school. 

After I finished summer school I went back home again for another week and the first thing I asked my Mom was if she knew anyone I could take out.  She of course said, yes, and that I really need to take out this Whitney Clegg girl.  She explained that her Dad had asked her again to make sure next time I was in town to take out his daughter.  I continued to say no and made a statement that she "probably wasn't even cute."  

I went back to school and started the fall semester.  My Mom called me and told me that Kerry Clegg had asked for my email address to give to his daughter Whitney.  I do remember thinking several times that this guy was way too persistent.  I grudgingly said that he could have my email address.

My first email came from Whitney in the early part of October 2001.  She introduced herself to me, stated she was going to school at BYU, and even apologized for her Dad's behavior.  It was well thought out.  My response to her?  well it goes something like this..."good hearing from you, things are going great, tell me more about yourself."   What a total looser.

She emailed me back and told me more about herself.  I decided that because she was in Utah and I was in Michigan, any type of relationship was completely pointless.  Besides, I still didn't know what she looked like!  So I didn't respond to her.  Her email was forgotten to me and fell further down my Inbox as time went on.  

How we met...Fast forward 2 months.

After the season ended I had a week break.  It was at the end of November, and I decided to go visit my sister Eliza.  She was going to school at BYU and had lined me up on some dates (which I asked her to do).  November 30, 2001 I was at lunch at the "Cougar Eat."  I was sitting with my sister, my best friend Kyle, and a big group of friends.  One of those friends was a girl who I was going to take out the following night.  As lunch went on I started to scan the eatery.  I stopped scanning when I saw a girl sitting 3 tables away from me to my right.  She was beautiful.  As lunch went on I kept looking at this girl to see if I could get her attention or make some kind of eye contact.  I never did make eye contact, so I got up and walked by her and put my trash in a bin that was next to her.  I thought for sure she would at least glance my way.  There was no glance, no head movement, nothing.  Just a stunning girl who looked straight ahead like a robot.  I gave up and took a seat at my table with my sister, friends, and my future date.  

Lunch came to an end and we all got up to leave.  As we were about to leave I turned and to my surprise this girl I had been looking at was walking up to our group.  As she got up to us she stopped us and started asking questions...I was totally confused, excited, and just enjoyed the moment.  She asked the group but directed the question towards my sister and I, "are you guys from Temecula?"  I quickly said YES.  She then asked my sister and I, "Are you the Brinton's?"  By this time I was too excited and didn't know what was happening.  How did she know who we were? who is this girl?  oh who cares, so I asked her, "who are you?"  She said, "I'm Whitney Clegg."  

The first statement out of my mouth was, "you're email Whitney?"  

Yes, totally dumb but it was the only thing that came out.  My first initial thought was, "I never emailed you back, what an idiot and you probably think I'm a looser."  

We talked for 5-10 min (my date was there still) and split ways.  I called my Mom right away, she told me to take her out the next day for breakfast, I retrieved her email from my Inbox, I emailed her asking for her phone number, she sent it back, I called her and asked her out to breakfast the next morning and she said yes.

I took her to Magelby's and the rest is history.   That's how we met from what I recall.