Beginnings
Kent Christopher Burgess was born on August 14, 1981, in Fresno, California. Kent was a rambunctious youngster, developing his love of explosives, dirt bikes, the desert and the ocean at a young age.
Melissa Clare Omphroy was born on March 5, 1982, in Iowa City, Iowa. Her family ditched the snow for Hawaii when she was 2, then made California (specifically Clovis) their permanent home before she started kindergarten.
Both Kent and Melissa attended Clark Intermediate School. (If you'd like junior high stories, talk to Coach Wesson at the wedding.) Then attended Clovis High School. Melissa did theater, dance, choir, and leadership... Kent played football, worked on cars, and drank a few banquet beers.
Fun challenge! Find Kent in the CHS 1999 Football pic below... bonus points if you can find Eladio Venegas, Chris Torres and Chris Whitehead!
FLASH FORWARD a decade and a half...
Melissa and Kent reconnected in Santa Cruz one magical Wharf to Wharf weekend... (If you'd like the full story, Ken Hatfield would be happy to provide you with an eye witness account, including how Kent's boxers ended up on the roof.)
Kent was living in Santa Cruz and Melissa was living in Oakland. Though they lived far apart, they managed to visit each other every weekend.
THE MOVE IN!
After almost two years of commuting, they decided to take the plunge and move-in-together in San Diego.
They started off at Kent's condo in Pacific Beach, using beach chairs as furniture before the movers arrived. They spent most of their time surfing in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach or Scripps, hiking Torrey Pines or Cowles Mountain, jogging around Mission Bay, or cooking together in their tiny kitchen. They expanded their family by winning a pig at the Del Mar Fair, who they named Kalua, and by adopting a classy 1990 VW Vanagon, who they named Ron Burgundy.
After 8 months of living that PB life, Kent and Melissa got the keys to their forever home. Kent's grandmother and grandfather bought the home in Del Cerro in 1960. And Kent and Melissa put 3 months of love, sweat (and a little blood) into the house before moving in two days before Christmas 2017.
