How We Met
Joe and I actually met online, on OKCupid. He messaged me first, on June 1st, 2016. We messaged a LOT! Quickly the messaging turned into texting, which turned into long, late-night calls. We had our first date on June 18, 2016, at Applebee’s in Allen Park, MI. Conversation flowed so naturally and we were even standing in the parking lot talking for a couple more hours after the restaurant had to close! After a few more dates, as well as our first kiss, we made it official on July 2, 2016. A couple weeks after that I knew I loved him, but I wanted to wait to be sure that’s what I was really feeling. Turns out he started feeling the same way right around the same time! I finally realized it was definitely love and I couldn’t wait any longer, so I made the first move and told Joe that I loved him first, on August 8, 2016. Of course he returned the feelings and sentiments. We moved in together in early October of 2016 and took our first big vacation, to New Orleans, in mid-March of 2017.
How They Asked
On July 6, 2018 we were headed to Belle Isle so I could take pictures. When we left home Joe said we were taking a detour. I figured that he probably wanted to stop at his parents or that he was wanting to go a different way than we usual. I just let him continue to drive and do his thing. We soon pulled up to the macaron shop in town. Joe said he had a hankering for some macarons. I thought nothing of it because we really love their macarons and stop in often. When we walked in Joe said that he had a special order. I figured that he must have placed the order earlier to be sure we had some of our favorite flavors. Being dense like I can be sometimes, I was still oblivious to anything. Joe handed me the box of macarons and asked me to open it. As I slowly opened the box to reveal the macarons Joe dropped to one knee. The box began to reveal the question “Will you marry me?” written on the top of the cookies. I began to smile widely, cry, and laugh at the same time. I definitely didn’t see it coming, even though I knew that the day before he had gone to my parents to get my mom’s old ring. As Joe knelt there he pulled a tissue paper wrapped box from his pocket. I don’t know how I didn’t notice the box in his pocket before. He handed it to me to open. As I unwrapped the box, with shaky hands, another lovely surprise was revealed, a new ring box. On the top of the box was a design that is special to us, because it is a symbol that I have tattooed on my wrist and because of both of our Celtic heritages. It was a claddagh design on top with clovers around the sides. This made me cry again, of course. I opened the box to reveal my mother’s old ring, which I knew would be inside. Of course my answer to him was yes, so he took the ring out and slipped it onto my finger. It was sealed with a kiss and words of congratulations from the girls in the macaron shop. Definitely the best day of my life so far!