It’s (finally) happening!

I met Doug in the chill, perfect autumn of 2009. I was a senior in high school, and he had graduated a couple years previously. Our first date was at the Crestwood movie theater to see Zombieland, and I knew we both felt a strong connection pretty quickly. A few days later, on October 12, he asked me to be his girlfriend (and I said yes, obviously). We had so much fun together, especially going on dates to the pumpkin patch, coffee shops, haunted houses, and concerts. He was my date for my senior prom, and my true first love. We broke up after awhile, but found our paths crossing again in autumn of 2013. We stopped for coffee (of course) and went to a park to go for a walk. By now Sophia was a part of my life, and I was worried that might be a dealbreaker. However, as we reminisced and caught up on each other’s lives, it felt like nothing had changed between us. If anything, the connection we felt was stronger. We started dating again and Doug was so good to Sophia from day 1. I was amazed at his dedication to us and the love I knew he had for both me and Soph. After breaking up again (lol) I felt like maybe Doug and I weren’t meant to be after all. But in the summer of 2018 I found myself missing Doug immensely. I wasn’t sure if I was just reminiscing about our past or what, but I found myself eventually reaching out to him. I wasn’t really expecting anything, I thought maybe he was dating someone or didn’t feel the same way I did anymore. We met up for drinks and, after talking for awhile, discovered we both missed one another. We had both been through a lot, both good and bad, while broken up, but being together felt like old times. At the same time, it felt like the start of something new, something more serious. We were older, more mature, and had been in other relationships and realized we were never as happy with anyone else as we were with each other. We got together again and on October 5, 2019, Doug popped the question! It was a moment I’ll never forget💛

Becca and I met in the Fall of 2009. When I first met Becca, it was as close to "love at first sight" as one could possibly get. I had (and still have) the biggest crush on her. We started talking and we just hit it off right away. We started texting a lot, and I mustered up the courage to ask her out on our very first date. We went to see Zombieland at the Crestwood movie theater. The date went well, and not long after that, I asked her to be my girlfriend. As time passed, our connection grew stronger. We had too many inside jokes to count. We did everything together. We loved going to concerts, listening to music together, going on dates in downtown Chicago, watching movies and TV together, and of course snacking. We have so much in common, and I quickly realized that Becca was not only my girlfriend, but my best friend as well. After a little over a year, we broke up. I was still young and didn't know what I wanted in life. I didn't realize that this would be one of my biggest regrets in life. We were apart for 3 years, and we both dated other people, but I never got over Becca. I would think about her all the time hoping that she was happy and doing well. I would see her in my dreams, and that's when I was happiest. In 2013, I was away at college at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL. I found myself really missing Becca, so I sent her a friend request on Facebook. I was so excited and nervous when she accepted my request and she messaged me asking why I sent her a friend request. I told her how much I've missed her and just wanted to catch up. Shortly after that, Becca came out to Bradley to visit me. We got Starbucks and went to the park and trail at Perry Farm and went for a walk. It was as if no time had passed. We still just clicked, and everything seemed right with the world again. It was also at this time that I met Sophia - the beautiful little girl I would eventually call my daughter.

After 3 long years apart, we were together once again. This time we dated for about 7 months, and we were both talking about moving to Texas together. I had my mind set on it, and one of my flaws is that I can be very stubborn once I get my mind set on something. I wanted to move after my semester at Olivet was finished in May, but Becca wasn't ready at the time. So I moved down to Houston, Texas with my brother and my dad. This ended up being the second time Becca and I broke up. I was still young and still didn't know what I wanted in life. We kept in touch for a little while, and then drifted apart. Again, another 3 years pass by... A lot has changed in these 3 years. I worked a job at a restaurant in Houston for about a year. After a year, I ended up getting homesick for Illinois (I think I missed the food the most). I decided to move back to Illinois and continue my education at Olivet. I finished a couple semesters before deciding to transfer to UIC. Before I ever got to start school at UIC, I was involved in a motorcycle accident. I suffered ligament damage to my right ankle, and I couldn't walk without crutches, so school was put on hold. I then moved to New Lenox with my groomsman, Rey, and my friend Brad. I stayed single for the entire 3 years. I simply couldn't find somebody that I connected with like Becca and I connected. In August of 2018, I was taken by surprise when Becca messaged me on Facebook. She told me she has been thinking about me a lot and that she wanted to meet up to just catch up. Without hesitation, I agreed and we decided to meet at The Brass Tap in Orland Park for drinks. Again, we connected like no time had passed. This time we were both more mature, and I was finally ready to settle down. I wanted nothing more than to have Becca back in my life. If given another chance, I would not lose her again. We ended up dating again for the third time and I popped the question in October of 2019. I'm so excited to finally call Becca my wife.