Derek seen my picture on our mutual friends Instagram and BAM! Done deal for him! (haha) But for real though, he said he fell in love with my eyes in a picture first! During Covid of all things, there wasn't much to do. Some friends and I decided to get dressed up to go get some dinner, but not before taking some cute selfies together! Little did I know, my friend posts them to Instagram. Derek messages her, asking about who I was in the pic, and she tells him how amazing I am. So she of course talks him all up too. He adds me on FB, which she talked me in to because I was very skeptical. Then we message back and forth for a couple days until we decided to go on a date! Our first date was the most memorable ever! After an awkward intro from our drunk neighbor (lol), Derek took me to Texas Roadhouse (he didn't know it was my favorite at the time). Then we went axe throwing with a group of friends. We had a blast that night! The next day, we all decided to go to the lake together, where I met his ENTIRE family and his daughter! Yes, on the 2nd time ever meeting him. lol I was already nervous, so this didn't help, but you know what, we had a blast that day too! Since then, we've been inseparable! Covid definitely sucked, but at least we got a few good things from it. We met, we dated, we fell in love, we made a baby, and we became a family. 3s... I guess this is our number... -3 days in: He took me on our 1st date! -3 dates in: He kissed me for the 1st time! -3 months in: We found out we were pregnant!! -3 years in: He FINALLY asked me to marry him!!! They say you get 3 loves in your life... the 3rd is said to be your soulmate... I truly believe that we both found our soulmate in each other. We can only think God for bringing us together and making this happen. And a little help from a truly amazing friend! I love you!

When Derek worked up the nerve to FINALLY ask me to marry him, I couldn't be happier how we went about it. He did it in a way that was more meaningful and special to me than I think he realizes. I love him even more for it too. The day he bought the ring, Derek called Jess (my best friend) to tell her that he finally took the plunge and his ideas of what he wanted to do! He always said he wanted to plan something special and different, but also didn't want me to know when or how it was going to happen. From then, his planning began. Derek called my parents and asked if he could come see them. Mind you, I told him a long time ago that he still had to ask permission from my my parents and my son before he could ask me. And he did just that because he knew it was important to me. (They already loved him so it's not like he was worried about that part. lol) He secretly bought things without me knowing and stashed them away for the special day, and took off work to set things up. What's so special to me is that he had my parents involved in every step, especially my daddy. He had him help set everything up at their land. He will never know how much this meant to me. You see, our parents aren't around forever, and Derek knows this more than anyone. My parents are like my best friends and to have them be a part of this special day meant the world to me. The day of we had my nephews birthday party to go to at my parents house, but Derek wanted to have a "date night" that evening without our kiddos since it had been a hot min. Well during the party, he said we needed to go home to get ready to go out. I felt a little awkward and bad for leaving the party early, but hey, I was ready for date night! Derek doesn't always plan things, so I wasn't second guessing it! We get home to change and head to leave. He hands me a little scroll that's wrapped with a red ribbon. I opened it, and it was a written poem by him that was a clue on where to eat. Texas Roadhouse. After dinner, he hands me a second scroll, and it was another poem clue on where to next. Axe Throwing. He was re-creating our very 1st date. I go into Axe Throwing, and they hand me a bouquet of flowers that was all lit up with another scroll clue. The Boat. Our Second Date. So we head home to find yet another lit up bouquet with a scroll clue. My Parents House. We get there and he leads me around back where there's a big bonfire that my dad had going. I was told to close my eyes while he turned things on. I open my eyes to a lit up path with flower petals, and it was beautiful. At the end was a table with a lit up "Marry Me" sign and dangled pictures of us throughout the years! It was so pretty! Then he finally popped the question after his funny and cute speech! He was so nervous and I was crying. He points over and I see my niece and Mckenna videoing us behind the trees. My family was lined up watching from the back in the dark as well. It was the best date night ever where there was many hugs and happy tears with our family and our kiddos all there. And so begins the next chapter of our lives!