We're Getting Married!

Annie and I were each out celebrating MEA Break. Annie was out with her friend Brooke, and I was having a guys night out with Ross and Pete. Both of us happened to notice one another sitting across the bar at Maynard's in Rogers. While we were each having a good time with our friends, I knew that I just had to talk to this girl I had been staring at for the last hour or so. I decided to have the bartender send Annie a drink. She chose a gin and tonic, her favorite. We talked, we laughed, we salsa danced (without salsa music) and the rest is history!

Let me just start by saying that I am not proud of how much lying I had to do the day of the proposal. On a day that I was supposed to be heading down to Austin to see Annie and her family after I finished my classes and soccer practice, I did none of those things. The day started out with all three of my classes at St. Cloud State getting canceled, but I texted Annie to let her know that I was on my way to class and when I was leaving St. Cloud to go to soccer practice. She had no idea that I had already canceled soccer practice because of the ridiculous heat that day. While Annie thought I was in St. Cloud and Elk River, I was calling her parents, Neal and Liz, to let them know that I was going to propose to Annie that day and to ask them for their help. When I got to Austin Neal and I set up the backyard for the proposal. Annie took her time getting to Austin, stopping at the Owatonna bowling alley for happy hour with some other teachers. I wasn't supposed to get to Austin until later in the evening, so I had to make one more phone call to throw Annie off my tracks. I called her from Neal and Liz's front yard pretending to be out of breath and upset about practicing on a very hot afternoon. She had no idea what was about to happen when she got to her parents. When she arrived, her dad greeted her and handed her an envelope that held a card I had written. The last line of the card read, "Come to the backyard when you're ready ." When Annie got to the deck, she was greeted by two dozen roses, and a bottle of wine set up next to two glasses. I came from around the corner, and we immediately started smiling and laughing. Then I got down on one knee, told Annie how much she means to me, and asked her to marry me. She said yes! Then we were able to spend some time together with our bottle of wine before her family came outside to celebrate with us. It couldn't have been a better day!