How We Met
Mark and I met at work (Buffalo Wild Wings), after he transferred to my location. I remember seeing his name on the schedule before his first day and thinking “who is this new Mark guy, coming over here and working in the bar right away?” Turns out, he was a very nice guy – and cute, too! We became fast friends and made plans to hang out with other coworkers for 4th of July but that didn’t work out and then I caught the flu. He texted to check on me for several days while I was at home and when I returned to work he said we should hang out and do something on our next day off. At this point I didn’t see him as anything other than a friend and coworker. I suggested going to the Oregon coast/beach for the day and he immediately liked that idea, saying that he hadn’t been yet, having only been in Oregon for a couple years after moving from California. So on Sunday, July 12, 2015 he picked me up and we spent the afternoon getting to know each other at the beach. We found a sushi restaurant to go to and I tried to split the bill with him but he insisted he’d take care of it if I bought a Redbox movie for us to watch at his house – THEN I finally clued in that maybe this whole thing was actually a date and not just friends hanging out! Since that day we’ve only spent maybe 5 nights apart and I am so happy and blessed to have met this amazing man.
how they asked
Mark and I have had an amazing but rough few years since we’ve been together. About 6 months after we started dating, I unexpectedly and suddenly lost my beloved maternal grandmother due to a brain aneurysm on February 24, 2016. My grandparents were a huge part of my life growing up, I’m incredibly close to them both, and I was devastated, along with the rest of my family. Mark was by my side as we all grieved and slowly started to recover. We travelled to Hawaii and California and moved in together that spring and started to get back to a sense of normal. Until the following February 2017 when tragedy struck again – this time it was my mom, who had also had a brain aneurysm, like my grandma and her mom. My world was drastically changed again and Mark stayed with me those 2 days we spent at the hospital and sat with me at home after she passed, when all I could do was cry or sleep.
My mom had a German Shepherd named Patton that became her baby after my sister and I moved out on our own. After she died, we suddenly had to figure out what to do about his living situation. No one in my family could take him, already having pets of their own and not enough room to take on a 98lb. dog. I just couldn’t see myself giving him away and not knowing what his life would be like afterwards so Mark and I decided that we would keep him. Unfortunately, we found out that the owners of the duplex that we were living in didn’t allow animals – what were we going to do now? The only way we could keep him was to move and buy a house. Thankfully, we were able to make a deal with the dog trainer that my mom used and board Patton with him until we moved.
While we were on the house hunt our realtor advised us to write a letter about ourselves with pictures to send with any offers we decided to make – I was sure to include one of Patton, as well. After nearly 4 months of searching and 5 different rejected offers, Mark and I found our first home together. Early in the morning on June 14, 2017 we signed our papers and became home owners. We went to the trainer’s to visit Patton, went out to breakfast, and then picked up our keys from our realtor. After we made it back home Mark insisted that we go check out the house, especially since we’d had it professionally cleaned a few days ago. I was exhausted and didn’t see any reason in going right then but didn’t protest. We went to our new home, inspecting the bedrooms and living room and kitchen, seeing it as finally ours. In the dining room, Mark gives me the biggest hug, telling me he is so happy to be here with me and how I am the best thing to ever happen to him. I start crying and before I can say anything he gets down on one knee and pulls out a pink ring box, opens it, and asks me to marry him. I, of course, cry even more when I see the beautiful pink sapphire halo ring but manage to say YES! But the surprises weren’t over yet – in our bedroom was champagne with engraved flutes that he had made with the date, and rose petals everywhere. It was the biggest surprise of my life. Turns out our realtor, mortgage broker, and his mom had been in on it from the beginning and had helped him get in the house beforehand to decorate and plan the whole thing! He’d also included his own letter to go along with the one we sent with house offers that said whatever house we found would be the one he’d propose to me in, the one where we would begin our lives together. I’m still incredibly shocked and impressed, to this very day! We moved in 2 weeks later and brought Patton to his new home the day after.
We’re getting married Saturday, August 11, 2018 – one day before my mom’s birthday. My heart hurts that she and my grandma won’t physically be there, but I am so incredibly happy and thankful that they met Mark, were able to get to know him, and knew that we would be getting married one day. The proposal was just him and me so we don’t have any photos but I don’t need them, it isn’t something that I’m likely to ever forget in my life.
