How We Met
On a warm day in Fort Worth, Texas, in the summer of 2015, I was moving into a new house for my senior year of college.
I remember meeting two of the neighbors in our complex parking lot and right away shrieking to my roommates, “Joe Cokingtin is so cute and seems like a great guy, I need to get to know him”…and little did I know, coincidentally, he said the same thing to his roommate. My roommates and I coordinated a taco Tuesday night to christen our new apartment, but even more so for an excuse to invite our new neighbors over. Joe brought a Jose Cuervo tequila bottle for his contribution (to this day we still have the bottle) to make our first cheers! That summer, with the combination of pure luck and good friends, led me to the “guy next door” that would become my forever.
Over the past three years we’ve shared more laughs, smiles, and special experiences together than I could have ever imagined. We’ve grown as individuals, as college graduates and as a couple. Joe moved to Southern California (where I grew up and now live) in January of 2018 so that we could begin the next phase of our relationship together. I thank God every day that he placed Joe as my next door neighbor.
how they asked
Texas Christian University has always remained a special place in our hearts, a place we’ll always cherish as both our alma mater and the backdrop to where we fell in love and on October 19, 2018, where we got engaged. I couldn’t have asked for a more special place to say yes to my future husband, than at the place we met.
A few days after our three year anniversary, we made a trip to TCU for homecoming to visit friends and my brother, Peter, who is a freshman at TCU. I thought it would be a weekend full of excitement reuniting with friends near and far. On Friday, October 19th, I was treated to a spa day with one of my best girls before the weekend commenced. After getting pampered for a few hours, Joe and I met up to go get my brother and walk around campus. While exploring our old stomping grounds we made our way to the beloved heart of the TCU campus, specifically “Frog Fountain.” As we approached this iconic spot, my brother slowed down a bit then Joe asked me to hold the umbrella to “grab something.” When I turned back around to find Joe, the world stopped as he knelt down on one knee. If felt like we were frozen in time, with his eyes looking up at me glistening with excitement and love, as he asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I’ve never been faced with an easier question to answer, saying yes to forever with my best friend, Joe Cokingtin.
Some of our close friends and families had flown in for the engagement, and were eagerly watching from the windows and balcony that overlooked Frog Fountain. After I said YES, a roar cheering from our loved ones filled the campus commons – a moment that will be forever imprinted on our hearts and story. We popped celebratory champagne bottles and danced in the Texas rain, and celebrated love in the best way. The day ended with a surprise engagement dinner and a night of dancing on the town to celebrate the day and all that lies ahead. October 19, 2018 hands down became the best day of our lives, filled with endless love and PURE joy, and a lifelong commitment to each other. Here’s to dancing in the rain forever!
