How We Met
Luke and I went to high school together. We know we met our freshman year, but for the life of us neither of us can remember how or when. Anyway, we were always kind of flirty and usually texted off and on all through high school. We even went to a dance together our Junior year when both of our moms thought we were going to start dating, but no such luck. Fate had to work its magic on our relationship. In July right before our Senior year of high school, we were both at a Royals game, but with different people. In fact I was on a date with another guy… Oops. Well I saw Luke on the jumbo-tron and texted him asking how he was. And the rest is history. We started going on dates and hanging out most nights after school. On October 21st 2011 he asked me to be his girlfriend after going to dinner at Nick and Jake’s.
how they asked
Luke and I went to school at two different colleges. We “tried” breaking up when we went our separate ways. I went to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and he went to Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg Kansas. Our attempt to break up didn’t last long and we started our long journey of a long distance relationship. I graduated in 3 years and moved back to our home town, Kansas City Missouri this year. He had one more year in Pittsburg. I had spent pretty much every opportunity I could down in Pittsburg this past year and tried subtly or not so subtly to hint at an engagement each time I was there. Around Christmas time Luke told me I needed to narrow down my ring selection but he refused to go with me. I was convinced it was coming in the next few weeks.
Finally around spring break, my not so subtle comments got to Luke and he requested that I just be patient until after graduation. I understood and tried to lay off the engagement jokes. So when Luke came home for an eye appointment I thought nothing of it. I had spent the whole week before planning an engagement party for my coworker which I was going to throw on Friday. Friday rolled around and I had everything planned for the perfect engagement party, including cupcakes with plastic rings on it. After work I called Luke like always and told him how well the engagement party went. I also told him I would come straight to his house and we could decide what we were doing that night. He informed me that his sister was also over hanging with his mom. Luke had brought up earlier in the week that he wanted to go for a nice dinner on Friday and apparently I had said “only if you propose.” Little did I know he actually was planning a proposal, so he decided to keep the dinner casual so I wouldn’t catch on. Let me also take the time to mention that I am a teacher and I get to wear jeans and a college t-shirt to work on Fridays. So I show up to his house with jeans, a Park University t-shirt, and Converse on. I walk in and Luke’s sister is painting his mom’s nails, which still wasn’t unusual to me because I knew she wanted to practice doing some else’s nails for a prom thing we were doing the next day. Jamie offered to do my nails and I went right along with it. Around 5:45 Luke said we should go to Nick and Jake’s and I agreed willingly.
So off we went with my freshly painted manicure. We sat on the patio, ordered beers, an appetizer, and delicious entrees. Right when we were getting our check, Luke got a phone call from what I thought was his friend Matt but was actually his sister pretending to be Matt. Luke had a very exciting phone call and hung up to tell me that Matt was getting engaged. He proceeded to tell me that we needed to go stand on the Riss Lake damn, so his girlfriend Sam would want to get out and talk to us. When they got out of the car we would walk away and Matt would propose. So, naturally as any girl would be, I got very excited to join in on the engagement fun! We get to the lake and I am so focused on looking for Matt’s car I don’t even notice that Luke was fidgeting with something. He grabbed my hand and we start walking down the damn. All of a sudden Luke stops and says “Okay Dannie, I’m just kidding.” And he got down on one knee.
He showed me the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen and I was honestly speechless. When I came back to reality I could hear clicking and I look across the road to see a photographer. He had lined up a good friend of his sisters who just happens to also be a professional photographer to hid in the bushes and take pictures.
She also had a change of clothes for me in the car so we could do a little mini session, since again I was in jeans and a t-shirt. After we took a few more pictures we said our goodbyes to Felicia and I got back into Luke’s car where he convinced me to calm down before I start calling everyone. We drove 5 minutes up the road to his house and during that time Luke asked me why didn’t I cry? I had always said that I was going to bawl when he asked me to marry him. I said I was too numb and excited to cry. He said well now I think you may cry and we rounded the corner to his house and I see his fraternity brother’s truck, my best friend’s jeep, and all of our family’s cars.
That’s when the water works started! I walk into his house and our family and friends are all there ready to celebrate. Including the photographer Felicia, who of course had to capture the water works! So after 4 years of long distance, Luke and I will soon be Mr. and Mrs.
