I remember the first time I met Blake after moving to Fairview in 2008. A mutual friend introduced us during lunch and I remember seeing Blake and thinking he was the cutest thing in the whole world. However, we didn't really become friends until our sophomore year of high school, where we would subconsciously be drawn to each other for years. After being in relationships with other people, fate eventually had its way our senior year of high school and we found our way right into each other's arms, where we were always meant to be and never plan to leave.

After finally finding our way to each other, Blake asked me on a date on a Friday after school. We went to Bowie Nature Park and just walked around and talked. I remember him making me laugh the entire time until we found our way to a small tree on the field where we sat and talked for a little, and eventually had our first kiss. For the next week, Blake would drive me home from school every day and sit in the foyer and talk with me until he had to go to work. On April 18th, we went on a picnic with my family at Bowie, then went to a movie my sisters. After getting home late after midnight, Blake asked my parents permission to be my boyfriend, and (thankfully) they said yes!

During one of my turns to visit Blake after moving an hour away, I was coming home from work and we had plans to go to dinner since his family was not home that night. When I walked into the house, it was pitch black, and I remember thinking that Blake had been playing video games so long that he didn't even turn on the lights. He walked into the living room from his bedroom and insisted he give me a hug and a kiss, which I responded "I'm gross, let me go shower." After him begging me to just wait, he hugged and kissed me then took my hand and started leading me to the hallway outside his room. He turned on the lights and I froze. Pictures of us and our memories were hanging from the ceiling. I stood there looking at all the moments we were able to capture. Then Blake got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and I cried for about 10 minutes before I finally said YES!