HOW WE MET
I had originally met Cory through some mutual friends and a love for fitness and competing. Years later and perfect timing would lead us to reconnect and fall completely in love with one another. After I introduced him to my two sons, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this man was going to be in our lives forever. The way he interacted with them and continues to do is so admirable and gives me all those ‘feels.’ They have grown accustomed to the fire life (Cory is a firefighter) in that they look up to and respect him, pray for him at the dinner table when he is at the fire station and always greet him with the biggest smiles and hugs. Since we started dating, Cory has included them in everything…which is why it was no surprise that when he decided to spend the rest of his life with us, he wanted them to be part of that too.
how they asked
I had planned a mother/son sunset photo session with our good friend and photographer, Maggie. The location was set a way out of town at a gorgeous, countryside barn house with a field and hills surrounding it. When I had originally set up the photo session, I had made a comment to Maggie about the boys getting older and my relationship with Cory growing.
I wanted these photos of the three of us because I felt our time as the three musketeers would eventually come to an end and it would be the four of us. It was bittersweet, but in the best way possible and I just wanted to have that captured. Maggie’s husband, Alex, is also a friend of ours and joined us that day for the shoot. Little did I know, Cory had ridden out with them to the location, met the owners of the house and was waiting inside.
At one point, Maggie asked if she could take some photos of just me while Alex took the boys around the house to see the chickens. She helped me pose and asked me to stay still. I didn’t move but heard a “critter” of some sort behind me. As the noise became louder, I had turned around and to my surprise, was not an animal, but Cory…walking towards me, smiling the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. He took my hands and spoke the most amazing words to me.
Kneeling down, asking me to please be his bride, I burst into the best ugly cry and said yes. Almost immediately following, my boys came running down the hill with two roses and shouting, “OUR MOM IS GETTING MARRIED!!!!!” The smile on their faces said it all.
We embraced one another and celebrated and it was the best moment. To have it captured in our photos is the most precious gift. I re-live that moment every time I look at them and I cannot wait to marry my best friend!
