I met Michael working at the Texas Rock Gym; it was one of my first jobs in college and besides the free climbing, there weren't many perks--besides meeting my future husband! The first thing I noticed about Michael, no surprise, was his height. I'm sure I exclaimed something unique and memorable like "you're so tall!". Eventually I noticed much more and a couple months later I asked him out to see Despicable Me in theaters--yes, I asked him! He said yes, and the rest is history! When I met Chloe, I was 23, working at the Texas Rock Gym, a job that my mom set me up with because she knew the manager. My first memory of hanging out with Chloe was sitting in the "hold closet" where we organized the rock climbing holds and that's when she asked me out. On our first date we ended up talking for hours at her old house. I guess I realized things were getting serious when I cut a lunch date short with my mom so I could go clean my room and car out to impress her.

After ten years of being a couple, the proposal wasn't a TOTAL surprise, but Michael still did a good job of catching me unawares a few days after my birthday on June 26, 2020. We had planned an outdoor social distancing sort of hang at Mandy and Joe's house in their backyard to celebrate our birthdays having recently passed and Michael and I had dinner at Helen first. I remember feeling hesitant to go out for dinner since things were not going so well pandemic-wise, but Michael convinced me to go. He was so dressed up which surprisingly didn't raise any flags for me. Once we had dinner and arrived at Mandy's for desserts, Michael was suspiciously insistent that we enter their home through the backyard gate. When I resisted he gently ushered me into their backyard which had been decorated with lanterns and roses and that's when it really hit me--it was finally happening!!! The adrenaline rush caused me to giggle nervously as he led me down to the patio but when he finally asked the question, I felt completely calm. Saying yes to him that night gave me the same feeling I had on our first date when I reached out and held his hand for the first time and felt like I was home.