Michael and I started talking, mostly through text, but some phone calls, around the middle of September after being introduced through a mutual acquaintance and agreed to a first date on October 10, 2018. From there we spent nearly two months just getting to know each other and I was introduce to the kids a few at a time where they would accompany us on a few of our dates. We learned the meaning of "It's a small world...", because ironically, I went to college with his son's teacher, I taught his niece 3 years prior and had therefore met his sister and her kids, my dad had worked in the same building with his grandmother for a few years previously, and my step-mom knew his pastor's wife. On Thanksgiving, I was introduced to pretty much the entire rest of his family. Everyone was nice and welcoming. I think most people were shocked because they hadn't seen him in a while and he now sports a very nice, beardless, face. (After our first date, I made a small comment that I preferred men without facial hair and I haven't seen it since.) He received many nice compliments. ;) Two weeks later was the children's Christmas play at his church that his oldest daughter was in. She had asked me to come see her, so I happily obliged. Afterwards, I had invited my parents and little brother out to eat with us so they could be introduced as well. From there, I spent nearly 5 days a week at Michael's house helping out with the kids and getting to know him, his parents, and the kids a lot better. Just before Christmas we had told each other we loved each other. By the beginning of January, I think we had already decided that we were going to be married one day, we just hadn't set a date or even talked about rings or proposals or anything like that. However, by the beginning of February, Michael asked me what type of ring I would like (flat, so my clumsiness wouldn't hit it on anything or any kid) and what ring size I would need (super small, evidently it is a 6).

I had been wanting to do some family pictures for a little bit because the kids did not have any recent good pictures of them for well over a year. So my sister was coming into town and volunteered to go shopping for coordinating outfits for all of us. Trey happened to be out of school that day so he went with her and Katie said he was super helpful in making sure everything was coordinated and matched. The weather was very uncooperative for several weeks, but finally on March 10 (ironically exactly 5 months after our 1st date), the weather was nice enough. So after church, and a couple of haircuts, everyone got changed into our new clothes, and we headed up to a park in Germantown on Poplar Pike not far the Commissary. We got some great shots of the kids, individually, together, with Michael, and as a big group. Then we took a little break and allowed the kids to run around a bit and play. Kaden and Emma crawled up next to me. Emma has always claimed me from the beginning as "My April" and her best friend. Talon and Trey joined us and a chorus of, "My April" came on from the other 3. Michael said, "Allow me to officially make the 5th claim," and he got down on one knee and proposed (even despite his bad knees). Of course I said YES! This was the start of the our Spring Break week. Katie was taking our pictures so she was with us, and spent the week with us having a lot of fun, but I will be totally swamped with school work from now until the end of the school year. So we set the date for October 12. That will be our fall break and give us me enough time to plan over the summer. We hope to see you there!