How We Met
Daniel and I first met when my family joined First Baptist Church of Arlington when I was in the first grade (or at least that’s when Daniel claims to have first met me.. But fast forward to middle school to where my memory of him actually begins. Oops!). We grew up together in the church and then attended the same high school. Although we considered ourselves “church friends,” our true friendship didn’t actually begin until senior year of high school. We began attending the college service together at our church on Wednesday nights, and we joke that our relationship began in the youth building at our church because of the amount of time we spent there together. Following a mission trip spring break of senior year, we began to realize that there was something more to our friendship… And after the most uncomfortably awkward DTR of my life, we decided that there was no dating relationship in our future.
I guess he wasn’t as deterred as I was, however, because he continued to pursue me despite my lack of interest. I had a plan for my life: I was going to go to Baylor University, meet the perfect Baylor guy, and have the perfect Baylor family. I had no interest in a long distance relationship (he wasn’t going to Baylor), and I especially wasn’t going to be dating someone when I started college! God had a different (and obviously WAY better) plan though, and after two months of my incredible stubbornness, I woke up with a completely new attitude toward Daniel and our relationship. My thought was this: we could give our relationship and the long distance a shot, and the worst thing that could happen is it not work out.. Or I could completely miss out on what I felt the Lord was handing me. We started dating the week before we graduated high school, and, almost three and a half years later, we are here!
how they asked
Two days before the proposal, one of my best friends, Ashton, texted another friend, Courtney, and myself telling us that her dad had set up this fun “girls day out” in celebration of her taking her GRE on Saturday and asked if we wanted to go. Of course we said yes (I mean, who am I to turn down free mani/pedis and a free fancy dinner?). Saturday morning, my mom took me to get a massage (another free and unexpected offer that I didn’t turn down.. Saturday was clearly my day!). Afterwords, I met up with my friend Lauren for lunch and then went to meet Ashton and Courtney at the nail salon. When we arrived, I told them that I couldn’t have my nails painted because I am in nursing school, and we aren’t allowed to have painted nails for clinicals.. Which I obviously later regretted in pictures, but, hey, there are worse things in life. We then went back to my house to get ready and went to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants.
As we were leaving the restaurant, Ashton asked if she could go fill a prescription on the way home. We made our way in a direction opposite from my house and eventually drove past my church. Ashton and I met at a Baylor Dr. Pepper hour at the youth building of my church, and she wanted to show Courtney where we met. She pulled into the parking garage, turned to me, and told me to go to the youth building. At this point I am super confused because I literally thought she wanted me to walk there and come back, which was super weird.
I told her I wasn’t going to do that and that the doors would be locked anyways. Courtney then turned to me and told me to go to the youth building. I kept protesting, but they basically forced me to get out of the car. By this point, I had a feeling I knew what was happening and felt my heart pounding as I walked to the building. I walked inside and opened the door to the main room and immediately freaked out (in a good way) and closed the door. I opened it again and saw him standing there in the midst of lights he had hung and couldn’t contain my nerves and excitement.
On both sides of the doorway leading to where he was standing, he had strung up pictures of us from birth throughout our lives and relationship. I was supposed to look at all of these pictures first, but of course I looked at maybe two and then walked straight to him.
He grabbed my hands, said a bunch of things I can’t remember, got down on one knee, and then asked me to be his forever bride.
We then went back to my house where our friends and family were waiting to celebrate! I also learned that he had planned out my entire day for me without me ever suspecting a thing. Now on to forever with my absolute best friend.
