How We Met
James and I met in 7th grade when he moved to Perry. I first laid eyes on him in the Middle School cafeteria when I was selling raffle tickets and he bought one. Now James will tell you that he liked me that very first day, but it wasn’t until the next year that I had a HUGE crush on him! We became great friends, but it wasn’t until junior year of high school that we first dated, James and I fell in love so quickly! He would meet me on the playground while I was babysitting my nephews that summer and we would talk for hours! It wasn’t long before I started to get advice from my mom (who also married her high school sweetheart) on how “real” a love could be in high school. She told me of how her and my dad never cared about the rules or the right time for something to happen they were in love and that was all that mattered (they married at 17 and 19 years old – about to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary this summer!) Now before I get ahead of myself, James and I chose different colleges and both pursued our own goals for a while but eventually found our way back together. We bought our first house, found our favorite ice cream shop just up the street, we bought a puppy and continued to love each other every single day, everything was falling into perfect place!
how they asked
I knew our proposal was surely right around the corner so it was going to be tough for James to surprise me. I returned home late from a business trip and woke up to a card with the words step 1 on it (James had already left for work) the letter said “today is finally your day!” and I immediately burst into tears. When I got into my car for work there was the movie the notebook (we always watched it together and admired the way Noah and Ally were so in love but always challenged each other) and my favorite Taylor Swift CD that reminded me of all the love songs we had shared over the years. The card told me to return straight home after work. Now, let me tell you that was the longest day EVER! When I got home James had left step 2 on our kitchen counter along with a necklace I had been wanting, promising to always hold onto our love in good times and bad. This clue led me to our favorite ice cream shop where they gave me my favorite ice cream cone – superman, along with my next clue. Step 3 took place at a beach near my parents home where we had spent most of our summers together. I later found out my mom and sister were hiding in the bushes to catch a photo while I was there! My final clue was on the playground where James and I had first spent time together. As soon as I turned the corner he was there on one knee and I burst into tears. After a few muffled words I had my dream ring on my finger! My mom and both my sisters emerged with champagne to celebrate. James had even planned to have a photographer on site to capture this magical moment!
And now we are busy planning our Happily Every After, which will begin June 22, 2018!
