How We Met
Ryan and I met when we were 17 years old and about to be seniors in high school. His best friend was in the video production program at school with me, so I saw Ryan in his videos all the time. He stuck out to me because he was hilarious, witty, and so handsome. He really was one of a kind! (He was also a red head, which really caught my eye!) I had never seen him before which was weird because I had lived in Clarksville, TN my whole life and knew of everyone. Come to find out, he was the new kid in school. After watching him in a few more videos, I knew I had to meet this guy! I found a mutual friend of ours and BEGGED her to introduce me to him. We began texting and getting to know each other. Our first date was the fireworks show in my hometown and I had such a wonderful time! He made me laugh constantly, I felt like I had known him my whole life.
A few weeks later after hanging out and getting to know each other more he asked me to be his girlfriend and I couldn’t have been happier! We started senior year together and got to experience all the happy and sad things that it brought. After graduation we both decided to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and I think it was the best decision we have ever made.
We have learned so much about each other these past four years, being away from our families and learning to depend on each other. We are seniors now! He is a Geology major and I am an Early Childhood Education Major. I don’t know where I would be without Ryan these past 5 years. He has seen me at my best and my worst and loves me more than ever. He is truly my other half and I can’t wait to experience everything life has to offer together!
how they asked
One day Ryan called me and said “Hey, let’s go to Clarksville this weekend (my hometown and where we met) because I want to play fantasy football with Tyler and Hayden.” I said “Isn’t fantasy football online?” He answered with “Yes, but I just want to hangout with them while we play.” Me, not knowing anything about the game, said “Okay, fine. We can go. Maybe I can see Joanna” (our best friend that was about to study abroad in Spain for a semester who was in Clarksville at the time). So later that week we packed up our stuff and headed home. The next morning we went to the Farmer’s Market with my mom and had a nice lunch. Honestly, I was a little angry because I thought he had brought me home to propose, but there were no signs pointing towards it at all, and I always figure out a secret.
After lunch, all of a sudden he said “Ok, I’m going to Hayden’s.” I literally sat there in silence as I saw him walk away. I wasn’t going to say anything to anyone, but once I got in the car with my mom, I exploded and started to rant about how I thought he was going to propose and how much I love him and can’t wait to marry him! My mom just looked at me once I finished and said “Do you want to pick up some Beachaven peach wine (my favorite) and go get a pedicure?” And of course said “Yes!” After we did that we went shopping for a little while. I ran into a friend and we started talking, all of a sudden my mom rudely interrupts and says “We have to go get wine from Beachaven before they close because we need it for dinner tonight!” I just looked at her like “ok?” and off we went.
Once we got there, we were looking at the different wines and she said “Lets try something new, we can do a wine tasting!” As I said ok, she asks me to go get her I.D. out of the car because she accidentally forgot it. As I walk out of the front door of the winery, with the vineyards in front of me, I look to the right and Ryan is walking towards me with the biggest smile on his face. I immediately start crying and apologizing for how I had been acting all day. He interrupted me and said “Kayla, shut up, I’m about to blow your mind.” He took my hand and started walking me through the vineyard. He is talking to me the whole way as I’m still balling my eyes out. As I start to look down the vineyards, I see our best friend and roommate, who is about to leave for a semester taking pictures of the whole thing. He then gets down on one knee and asks “Kayla, will you marry me?” and starts to cry, which I have only seen once in our history together.
Of course I said “YES!” As I’m hugging and crying with him my best friend is to one side of me and my mom is on the other.
I could not have been happier and Ryan couldn’t have made that proposal anymore perfect.
He then planned for our parents and siblings to all have brunch together the next morning where we got to celebrate our love for one another with everyone we love. Ryan is truly my best friend and other half and I can’t wait to be his wife!
