How We Met: Nick and I met in the fall of 2012 as students at Oklahoma Christian University, where I also ran cross country and track and field. Every fall our cross country team throws a “Holiday Hustle” 5K.
The year we met, I spotted Nick running as I stood at the mile marker, cheering on all of the competitors. Nick loathes running so the fact he was running the Holiday Hustle is a miracle all in itself. As he ran by, I cheered for a friend of his, hoping to catch Nick’s attention.
Nick and I exchanged a few quick words and after that, he was gone. Nick often says that he searched and searched for me during the pancake breakfast that followed the race, but had no luck.
Thankfully, a friend of his helped him find me later on and not long after, we went on our first date. Nick’s heart for Christ, and hilarious personality are a few of the reasons why we have been inseparable ever since.
how they asked: I’m both a Disney and Hot Air Balloon fanatic. The week that Nick and I were engaged involved both. We were spending the week at Disney World with his Mom, Dad, brother, and sister. I had never been to Disney World before, so to say I was excited about this trip is an understatement. I had been looking forward to it for months. The first few days of our Disney World vacation were fantastic. We had lunch with princesses, enjoyed a pint at Gaston’s, and of course reveled in the fireworks in front of Cinderella’s Castle. However, on the morning of our fourth day at Disney World, I was told by my future mother-in-law to be ready by 4:00am to go to All Star Sports. I have no clue why I believed we needed to be at All Star Sports at 4:00am, but when your future mother-in-law tells you to do something, you do it. Early that morning we were on our way. Unexpectedly, we stopped at a Starbucks for a little early morning coffee. Somehow I managed to miss the huge hot air balloon basket sitting in the Starbucks parking lot, waiting to carry us all into the sky. When we walked into Starbucks Nick introduced me to our pilot for the day, and I nearly burst into tears as he began to reveal that my dream of flying in a hot air balloon was about to become a reality.
After, we drove to a near bye field where we excitedly unrolled the hot air balloon envelope. Soon after, the whole family jumped in and we floated into the sky. The view was simply breath taking. As the hot air balloon soared higher and higher, we couldn’t hide our amazement as we flew over Mickey Mouse shaped lakes and gazed at Cinderella’s Castle from afar. Just when I thought the flight couldn’t get any better, Nick turned to me and began repeatedly telling me how much he loved me. Before I could think twice, he told me to look over the side of our balloon. On the ground two men held a gigantic banner that read “Will You Marry Me?”
As I turned back toward Nick I saw that he was on one knee with the most perfect ring.
In tears, all I could do was nod when he asked if I would marry him. Time stood still.
We were both so lucky to have his family with us in the Hot Air Balloon during the engagement. After we landed, we had breakfast in an open field, complete with mimosas. Nick’s parents presented us with “just engaged” badges for the parks and we spent the rest of the day enjoying being newly engaged. To make the day even more special, after a celebration dinner later that night, Nick showed me a journal he had written explaining his many adventures while creating my flawless ring. The day we were engaged was absolutely picture-perfect. Nick’s attention to detail and selfless heart are just a few of the many reasons why I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with him.
Hot air balloon ride by: Orlando Balloon Adventures
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