let the adventure begin

We met in Mrs. Donna Johnson's 6th grade homeroom. We only went to school together for that year, then he moved and started school at Thompson. We both played varsity soccer and saw each other when Homewood played Thompson. Fast forward a few years and we ran into each other again after Joey & Beth Lepore's rehearsal dinner. We started playing soccer together, then kickball, and then he asked me to go on a date!

We planned to meet for our first date on Cinco de Mayo... except we both forgot to go! Instead, Rachel Haney (bridesmaid) and I went to Tin Roof in Lakeview for a girls' night out. As we were leaving Tin Roof, we ran into Emilio and Kevin Ratigan (groomsman) who were going into Tin Roof. The boys had just shaved their beards into mustaches and looked fairly ridiculous. Emilio and I realized we were both actually supposed to be on a date with each other and somehow he convinced me to still go out with him the next day, despite the mustache.

Emilio surprised me with a trip to Los Angeles for my 30th birthday weekend. He rented a home on the Venice Canals and wanted to propose in the afternoon while rowing through the canals... except I took the longest nap of my life. While Sleeping Beauty was napping, a very anxious boyfriend had to cancel photography plans, wait to see if the water would come up high enough in the canals to launch the boat, and keep friends and family waiting back home. We finally made it onto the water (wearing jean shorts and tank tops), he proposed, and I said yes!