I would love to write our story as some amazing work romance drama. To write something like Joe and I both worked at a non profit organization that feeds hungry youth but were not in the same department so we rarely crossed paths except for staff meetings and the occasional work event. Until that one glorious night at a gala to raise money for starving children, our eyes met, sparks were flying, hearts pounding and it was love at first sight. This is not the case. We became acquinted at a golf outing and while greeting golfers, we got hit by a car in our golf cart. Yes, I was driving but it wasn’t my fault, I swear.

Well we became closer friends April 2019, as in he asked for my number but then I quickly friend-zoned him, like extremely hard. Like we had a "let's sit down and have a hard conversation", because I am that way and needed things to be crystal clear. We would hang out occasionally and we did text often enough. I had friends tell me at one point "I think he likes you" so we actually had many conversations of being 'just being friends" because that is how on my end, at least, wanted it to be and established it to be. Did it stay that way for long? LOL nope 😬

So apparently Joe liked me back in 2018 and put off his feelings when I friend zoned him. (You can ask him how he really felt during the time we were "just being friends") I had glimpses of truly seeing him and would get thoughts of "wow, he is a really great guy", "He's such a servant". I talked to Jesus about it a lot and after a summer of missing Joe because we were on various trips, I decided "yep" I like him. And let me tell you, I really wanted HIM to come out and say he liked me because I knew he did but he didn't. He will deny this but I was the one that asked if we both like each other lol. So with my dad's blessing (Yes, like a gentleman, he asked my dad to date me), we made it official Sept 5, 2019. Did I get a date tho right away? Nope. Not until a week later. I'm not salty. And if you are thinking dating starts when on the first date, we don't follow those rules. It started when my dad gave his blessing.

How did he propose? Well it definitely wasn't how he had originally planned but that was cause he couldnt wait to propose. Now I was in almost the whole process of him buying the ring. Yes. Yes. You may be asking where is the surprise in that but we are communicative in everything and don't, well can't, keep secrets from one another and so he told me. Am I mad? Not at all. Because I still didn't know when the ring was going to be done and when he was going to propose. He got me dad's blessing to marry me. My dad's answer to him asking him: "Go for it." Great answer dad. Wednesday, a day we normally hang out, was nice outside so we decided to go down by the lake. There is a spot we go to walk on the beach and skip rocks. While we were walking to the spot, I did have a thought of, “man, this would be a good spot to propose" but I put it out of my mind because I thought the ring wasn't finished. We were skipping rocks and he tells me to skip some. I am horrible at it but I proceed to attempt to skip one. He was behind me but I paid no attention because that was normal. I turned around and he was shorter than me. Now let me go thru the process with you. I did not have it in my mind he was going to propose, all I was thinking is why he was shorter than me. Then I saw he was on his knee but it still didn't register what was in his hand. My eyes finally focused on his hands and there was the ring, And what came out of my mouth you ask? "Seriously?" "Are you serious?" Why I could not comprehend and only say a few words is beyond me but there you go. He got the ring that very day. He proposed. I said yes. He thinks I cried. I say it was because it was because of allergies but no matter. We are getting married!