How We Met
Shortly after moving to the city, my roommate and I threw a holiday party. I remember watching Steve walk though the door with his friends and though we never spoke, something about him made me take notice. Over the next several months, our paths continued to cross all over San Francisco. Steve says, “I remember seeing her standing in Monoghans one day – she was absolutely gorgeous. I told my friends that I was going to go talk to her but they pointed out that she was wearing a ring on her ring finger so we figured she must be married”. So needless to say this prospect strongly dissuaded him from approaching me. It turns out that the ring I was wearing belonged to my grandmother and I was in fact still “on the market.”
When Steve found this out he decided it was time to take a chance and ask me out. Despite our chemistry – and Steve’s persistence (he asked me five times) – I wasn’t ready to be anything more than just friends. It took me months to warm up to the idea and thank goodness he never gave up on me. He mustered up the courage to ask me one last time on a low-key date to a baseball game and – to my surprise – that day on August 7, 2011 at AT&T Park (with Tres Agaves nachos and Bud Lights in hand), our story began.
Over the next year and a half, our weekends were filled with adventures: hiking, wine Wednesdays, dinner dates, dancing, stay-cations and a love that kept growing stronger and stronger with every minute of every day. There was no question that this man that I just happened to notice 1 ½ years ago at a holiday party was going to be the man that I’d spend the rest of my life with.
how they asked
On April 5th Steve told me he was taking me to dinner. Like any girl would, I did my hair, my make-up, tried on multiple outfits, and left the house holding his hand just like any other date night. Before I knew it we were headed north on the 101 towards Napa. We arrived at Bouchon for dinner and continued on to our favorite hotel in Yountville. My initial thought was “Crap, I only brought a clutch! I have NOTHING for an over-night stay!” Based on the type of man Steve is I should have known better; as we got out of his car to check in he pulled out two fully packed suitcases. He had packed everything from pants to skirts, tops, dresses, flats, boots and heels. I was blown away when I looked at a bathroom bag filled with duplicates of all my make-up and hair appliances. It was obvious somebody had done his homework and had made an extra trip to Sephora. Steve tried to allay my suspicions by saying, “I just wanted to take you away for the weekend because we both have been dealing with such stressful work schedules.”
In the morning he asked me what I felt like doing and so we discussed which hikes we could do and which wineries we could visit. That afternoon he suggested we go to Silverado Vineyards and try to get a private tasting. To my delight there was a private tasting offered that took place under a spectacular 300-year-old oak tree. Unfortunately when we arrived at the tasting setup our guide stated that she had forgotten the last wine for our pairing and that she would have to go back and grab it. While she was away Steve and I sat alone in a beautiful vineyard, under the historic oak tree listening to music and dancing together enjoying the perfect sunny afternoon. Thinking back Steve remembers, “I had written out a little speech and gone over it again and again in my head. But I was nervous – asking the girl you love to marry you is a big deal, and I wanted to be sure everything came out like I imagined.”
Standing there in the warm sun with James Taylor in the background he nailed his speech, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! In that moment I can honestly say I have never been so overcome with a feeling of love and all consuming happiness!
His Proposal: Everything is better when you’re around. Waking up, eating, drinking, driving, getting in bed. When it’s the two of us the world comes alive in ways I’ve only experienced since we met. And that’s why, no matter where I go or how long I’m gone, the best part is coming back to you. You’re what “home” means to me, and I want to build on that with you for the rest of our lives. i want a kitchen full of friends, rooms full of our kids, hallways lined with memories we’ve made together and our love for each other painted on every wall. I want to come home to you, forever. Will you marry me?
