How we met
Woodie and I met in the summer of 2014. Woodie had been working in Mobile, Alabama and I had just moved home after graduating from The University of Alabama and starting a new job. A co-worker invited me to join her kickball team and I thought that would be a good way to make new friends. I was so nervous walking up to that first game because I only knew one or two people on the team. Woodie was the first team member to introduce himself to me. He waltzed right up, stuck out his hand, and said “hi, my name is Woodie with an i-e.” I was surprised by how friendly he was and, wanting to impress, tried to be quick on my feet by responding “hi, my name is Claris and an i-s.”
For the next six months I did what any adult female would do… had a super big crush on him, talked to all my friends about it, tried to be good at kickball, but was too nervous to make a move. It turns out he had a super big crush on me too and around Christmas time of that year that we started to spend more time together. New Year’s Eve 2014 was mine and Woodie’s “first date” and New Year’s Day (at midnight) we had our first kiss.
how they asked
The day Woodie proposed was a typical stormy summer day in Mobile, Alabama. When I woke up and heard the rain I was excited to spend the day watching movies and lounging around. Woodie had a different idea. He proposed every activity we had ever done together. He suggested playing tennis, trail hiking with my dog, painting furniture, bike riding on the bay… you name it, he suggested it. We did a few of those things but ultimately ended up right where I wanted to be, listening to the rain with a movie.
My apartment is near a popular reception venue and that evening I could hear the band playing. Woodie and I like to walk down to the weddings and see the fun going on and since the rain had stopped we did just that! When we got back to the apartment and could still hear the music going, Woodie suggested I give him some swing dancing lessons. So there we were, dancing in the street, listening to the music from the wedding nearby. Pretty romantic, right? But not the moment he proposed.
At this point it was pretty late and I was ready to wind down. I changed into pajamas for finishing out the movie marathon we had started. Before pressing play, I got up to go to the bathroom. I flush the toilet, wash my hands, and open the door to see Woodie buck ass naked on one knee. With the sound of the toilet flushing in the background, Woodie says, “This is the most vulnerable moment of my life, will you marry me?” We both immediately busted out laughing and I said “of course.” The rest of the evening was spent sipping champagne, laughing at his proposal, and planning how we would tell our parents the next day.
