How We Met: Our parents took birthing classes together, and we were born at the same hospital less than a month apart. Our parents sent us to the same preschool, too!
(He’s in the middle row with a red shirt, and I’m all the way on the right of the middle row!)
After preschool, we lost touch. He was looking into transferring to my high school, and visited at the end of our sophomore year for a day. I saw him in the hallway, he looked familiar, but I didn’t think anything of it. He was visiting with one of my good guy friends, so I went up and talked to them after the school day. A few weeks into summer vacation, he found me on Facebook and messaged me. He said that he told his mom he had met a girl at the new school, so he had to transfer. He got my number, and we started hanging out every single day. We started dating at the end of the summer, and when our parents met they realized that we had known each other all of our lives! We like to say that fate had a little bit to do with it.
how they asked: I was having a huge family and friends 4th of July party at my house (Baltimore, MD). He told me he was at work (US Coast Guard Station Tawas, Michigan) and then attending a parade with his friends at night. Right around sunset, my dad called everyone out on the deck for a group picture. He started fumbling with the camera and asked for my help fixing it. Just as I got up to the front, my dad picked me up and started to tell me how proud he is of me, and how much he loves me. Then he said, “and I’m so happy that Donnie is in your life.” At this point I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. Then, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and Donnie was standing there!! I jumped into his arms, and started crying because he had surprised me all the way from Michigan. Little did I know he was reaching in his pocket for the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen. He got down on one knee, and I lost it. I don’t think I said yes for the next 5 minutes because I couldn’t get the words out! I was so surprised and so happy!
Engagement photos by Natalie Franke