One thing COVID was good for - birthday drive by parades. Amanda and Ben's mutual friend was hosting one for her mom's 60th birthday. Unknowingly of each other, we both showed up; however, Amanda was in her work truck and Ben was behind her on a bicycle, wrapped in wrapping paper, and blowing on a vuvuzela. Amanda recorded this on video and could not help but giggle. When they both parked and got out to say hi, they instantly started talking to one another. Fast forward a month, and they finally go for their first walk on the beach (7.14.2020) and the rest is history. Needless to say, Smith Point is where it all started for us.
This summer was one of building things together - raising our puppy, growing a vegetable garden, installing a new fence, and constructing a new deck. Ben had pressured Amanda into finishing the deck by a certain timeframe because he wanted to celebrate with a special seafood dinner. When the deck was finally finished, Ben planned the dinner for Thursday, July 27th. As soon as Amanda came home from work, Ben asked her to change into "something fancy" for our special night. Ben cooked a 5-course meal from scratch; whether it included items from our garden, the local farm, or the local seafood market. By dessert, Nash joined us; Ben stood up to kiss Amanda and said "I love you", "I really love you", "I really REALLY love you" and with those final words, he was down on one knee.