How we Met
Eric and I grew up in the same town. We “met” in 5th grade having the same group of friends. We became closer in high school though, especially our Senior Year, we really hit it off. Our first year of college he went away to Florida and I stayed in New Jersey. We kept in touch more than anyone else and realized or feelings were stronger than we thought. He claims he planned on having me as his “summer fling” while he was home, but it was way more than that. He transferred schools to New Jersey to stay home and we started officially dating in the fall.
how they asked
Fast forward 6 1/2 years, he had been getting major flack for over a year from family and some friends about when he was going to ask. But he wanted it to be perfect. A lot of our close friends were getting engaged and being the gentleman he is, he wanted them to have their special time/moment and us to have ours. He is also a very private guy and sometimes near IMPOSSIBLE to read. So I was sure he’d do it on a random week night, just me and him, in his own special way.
Flying from New Jersey to Lake Tahoe, he never seemed nervous or shady about having a ring on him, and while it briefly crossed my mind a week before, I truly did not think it would be done in front of family, let alone in public!! We were having the time of our lives the first day discovering the mountain, but my sister is a beginner, and her boots were too tight so I stayed behind with her while Eric went on the Nevada side of Heavenly. (The mountain is on the border of California and Nevada so there’s “two sides” both equally breathtaking.) My sister and I got caught up on the California side. I texted him and said how I missed him and wanted to go down once with him before we call it a day, he said he was just about to text me the same thing. We all finally met up at a pit stop, and had some lunch. Everyone was exhausted, (no one wanted to go up the mountain again ?) but everyone, but me, knew what was about to happen. So they all said let’s get our group shot at the top of the mountain – something we do every time – and then call it a day. I went up on a ski lift with Eric, his sister Casie and my sister Emma. Eric said his heart was beating out of his chest the entire ride up.
He and I also take a picture of me on his back at every mountain, so I quickly said “let’s get ours first!” when we got to the top. I should have realized then, when all 16 had their phones out of us taking this silly picture that something was going to happen… I did make a comment, that it felt like the paparazzi, but really was so blindsided.
We finished the picture and I turned around as he ripped his gloves off and got down on one knee. He was choking up as was I so he couldn’t fully even ask me!! I dropped to my knees and hugged him. And whispered so what are you trying to say here? As everyone cheered we had strangers stopping and clapping as well, and my favorite is you can see two strangers with their heads turned smiling at us in one of the pictures.
I found out the next day, when we skied to the Nevada side, that all day long he was trying to figure out where and how to ask me. He wrote “Corinne will you marry me?” In a huge wall of snow the day before, and we took a picture next to it the next day
