How We Met
HIS VIEW: Scrolling through social media I saw a familiar face. I recognized this girl from my junior year pre-cal class, sent her a friend request and the courting began. I remember talking to her for hours and finally asked if she would want to meet up in person the next day. She said yes, but made it clear that this would not be a date. We decided to meet at the park near her house and chat after my dentist appointment that left part of my mouth still numb. We sat on a picnic bench and talked for a while, then we both got a little chilly and a little hungry, so we decided to go somewhere for dinner. While we ate, we continued to talk and connect. When we got back to her house my car wouldn’t start so I got to meet her dad and he gave me a jump. By the time we said goodbye, I got a kiss on the cheek and a pretty girl saying ” I guess this was a date.” I got in my car and knew there was something special about this girl, and that I wanted to see her again soon. I giggled all the way home from the excitement of the night and was beaming from ear to ear not knowing I had just met my future wife.
HER VIEW: We connected through social media and once we began a conversation we couldn’t stop talking. The next day we decided to meet in person and I insisted that this was not a date. He had just had some dental work done and his face was still numb, and I had just baked some very ugly looking chocolate chip cookies to bring him (in my excitement to meet up with him I’m pretty sure I used baking powder instead of baking soda). He ate them anyway. I had only intended to chat for a while at the park but I quickly realized that I didn’t want my time with this funny, sweet, handsome guy to end. We talked until the sun went down and then continued our conversation over dinner. His car battery ended up dying and the poor guy had to meet my father on day one (luckily my dad was really cool about it and gave him a jump). I knew by the end of the night that I didn’t want to let this guy go, so I gave him a quick, nervous kiss on the cheek and told him that I guessed this could be considered a date. From that point on we were pretty much inseparable.
how they asked
This is how it happened: My mom and I were due for a nail appointment and we usually go on Saturday mornings, but this time Mom insisted we go after work on a Friday night. She was extra involved in helping to pick my color, and I ended up with a pretty pale pink. The appointment took forever and we didn’t get home until close to 8 pm. I had asked Cody to meet me at my house so we could grab some dinner together and when I arrived home I found a glass bottle on my bed with a message inside! We had both been having a really stressful week at work and the message said that we would be leaving in the morning for an overnight trip and gave me a list of things to pack.
Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t do well with the unknown and can’t help but ask a million questions; Cody finally gave in and told me that we were going to San Francisco! He had everything all planned out, so all I had to do was enjoy the weekend. The next morning I was running a bit late as I debated over what to wear and finally ended up in blue and grey, which just so happened to match what Cody was wearing that day. He was so patient about my running late and calmly ushered me out the door.
On the drive to SF, he told me that he wanted to stop at a beach one of his coworkers had recommended for great pictures. We arrived at the beach and Cody went to grab the camera out of the trunk as I followed, offering to help. He quickly distracted me by asking me to put something away inside the car (little did I know he didn’t want me to see him put the ring in his pocket!).
As we walked down to the beach, Cody pointed out a message in a bottle at the bottom of the steps. He started to pick it up and I quickly told him to leave it alone because someone was clearly trying to set up a surprise for someone else. He picked it up anyway and it only took me a few seconds to realize that was the same type of bottle as the one I had found on my bed the night before! I opened it up to read the message inside which was a list of the dates of all of our firsts… our first date, our first kiss, dance, overnight trip, etc. and as I was reading, Cody keeps me walking further onto the beach. This is the point where everything becomes a blur, not just in a sense of what was taking place, but literally because I could barely see through my tears as I had finally realized what might be happening. I then looked up to see that we were standing next to a picnic blanket with pillows, our photo, flowers, chocolate covered strawberries and champagne, and Cody was telling me how much he loved me and how much he loved us together.
Next, he got down on one knee in the sand, opened up a ring box and proposed!! Of course, I said “YES!!”, and then gently pointed out that the ring box was upside down, which I absolutely love because it is so quirky and so us. He flipped it right side up and I saw the most beautiful, sparkly ring ever!! We hugged and kissed and he put the ring on my finger and led me to sit down on the blanket so we could pop the champagne he had waiting. I was in complete shock, happy tears streaming down my face.
It took me about a minute to somewhat gather my thoughts and wonder how on earth he pulled this all off ahead of time and I looked up to see someone in a hoodie crouching in the sand, far away, taking photos of us. I instantly knew it was Cody’s sister, seven months pregnant, capturing the entire proposal in photos. She had helped him set everything up based on his sketches and the two of them had even driven out to the beach the day before to scope out a spot. I had no idea that he had taken the afternoon off of work! I have never felt so loved or so special.
It all made sense now, why my mom insisted we get our nails done early and why the color was so important. Why Cody had managed the lunch arrangements so I wouldn’t make reservations elsewhere, why the timing of when we left was so important and why he had been extra patient and sweet. Cody had planned everything so well – it was perfect. He opted out of our family summer trip so that he could go ring shopping with his sister, and he had met with my parents weeks before to ask for my hand. He had even thought to invite his father, brother, and sister, along with my parents, to lunch at Pier 39’s Hard Rock Cafe to celebrate immediately after the proposal. All of this AND a romantic dinner/ overnight trip, just the two of us. It was the perfect engagement weekend.