Before we had our first date, we had already been speaking on the phone quite a bit. I knew from our conversations that I liked Cydney a great deal. But now we had to face the real test; meeting in person to see if each other were the real deal. At the time Cydney was living in Ann Arbor and I had just moved into a new place in South Lyon. I decided when i asked her out that we should have our first date in downtown Ann Arbor. I had a few spots in mind and made plans to start the night at the Jolly Pumpkin, a great spot for casual food and homemade craft beer. As some of the great love stories go, i almost killed the night before it even began. We were set to meet at 8PM right outside the restaurant. I wanted to make a good impression, and spent so long getting ready that i was running late. As Cydney tells the story, I left her standing outside for what seemed like forever. She thought that i stood her up and considered leaving. I'm so glad she didn't. I made a mad dash from my car to the restaurant. And there she was. I'll never forget how she looked that night dressed in this red outfit and adorned with a gold necklace and earrings. Her hair, lips, nails and make up all done and perfect. I played it cool, but from the second i saw her i was practically hypnotized by her beauty. And then came the second hiccup of the night! Not only did Cydney not care for the food there, but she told me she also didn't like beer. Oh no! Strike two. After only one drink, I decided we had better move on to a different spot if i wanted to save the evening. While we walked together in the streets of downtown Ann Arbor i couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She looked so gorgeous. Walking and talking on such a beautiful Spring evening and enjoying the company of such a beautiful woman, i was overcome. Right there on the street i grabbed her and pulled in close and we kissed each other for the first time. We could feel the electricity between us!

The night was turning around. After a few setbacks, everything was back on track. Cydney and i were enjoying each others company. We talked about everything under the sun; ourselves, our family, our lives, history, movies, our plans, dreams, what we want in life, what we want in a relationship. After we had shared our first kiss, we decided to head over to Vinology, a popular spot in Ann Arbor to enjoy a glass of wine. The crowed had died down at this point and we were fortunate to be able to enjoy the intimate ambiance of the restaurant. We sat on the same side of the booth as we enjoyed the wine and continued to talk. By the time we finished our first glass, we both knew that we had found something special, and that we were going to see where it could go. Cydney and I both love history. With that love, we also very much enjoy historical dramas. One show that we are both fond of is called the "Tudors", which is a period piece revolving around Kin Henry VIII. Even with her enthusiasm matching my own when it comes to history, I couldn't believe it

I was so excited after out first date. I couldn’t wait to see Cydney again, but on Monday morning while walking in to work i recevied a message. “I can’t see you again. Sorry” i could not believe this! I better play this cool though i thought. I messaged back ok and let it go. After a week though I decided I better do something. In truly redicous style I composed a song for Cyd. Half love song and half making fun of her. It worked! She caled me right away. I was back in the game. We had our second date only a few days later.

Once Cydney realized that we were on the same page regarding building a long lasting relationship with each other, we took the opportunity and ran with it. Aside from that first week right after our first date, and a business trip or two, we have never been apart. Not even for a day. We have be fortunate to share some truly amazing times together. We've moved to a new place together, picking out all new furniture.

When we started discussing the idea of getting married, we took a tour of different venues that we thought might be a good fit. At the top of our list was the Inn at St. John. We really love everything about this place. It is gorgeous, especially the chapel. They offer the entire package. This is where our big day will be held! I always told Cydney that for my proposal, i wanted to do something really special. Originally, i had these grandiose ideas on how i should propose. After much thought, however, i knew it was best to keep it simple. I never thought i'd propose on Valentines Day either, but after careful consideration, i began to develop a plan on how to make the proposal a special night she'd never forget. Last year, we started a tradition to stay at the Inn at St. John for Valentines Day. When we booked for this year, i knew that this was the night i'd pop the big question. The Inn has been really great to us, and so i wasn't surprised when they helped me to set up the opening of the chapel so that i could pop the question to her there. Cydney knew something was about to happen, and i was so excited to make this finally happen. I held her hand as we walked down to the chapel. I had written a very personal letter to Cydney. It was things i wanted her to know, reminiscing about the cool places we had been, the fun things we have done together, about how grateful i am to have such a strong woman in my life. As i read my letter to her, she began to cry tears of joy. I couldn't have asked for a more special moment. When i finished sharing this letter; my most deep and intimate thoughts to her, I dropped to one knee and asked her to be my wife.