We met through our mothers who worked at the Naval Hospital on Camp Lester in Okinawa Japan. As kids Austin and his brother stayed with my family for a couple of weeks. We actually didn't like each other at the time, go figure. Austin, his brother Colton, and I would sometimes go to the park that was right outside the apartment that my family was staying at.

My mom and sister were planning a beach trip to Camp Lejeune. I was not invited, but my mom had told me that she would be inviting Austin over to the cabin they were staying at to get a home cooked meal and to get out of the barracks. She had asked me if I remembered Austin, and I did. Knowing that he was older than me, and a Marine (which I thought was hot), I asked "Is he hot? Is he single?" My mom surprised at that responded with, "I'm pretty sure he's single, but I can't answer if he's hot or not." So then I asked her if I could join the beach the trip. I ended up coming, and the first time I saw Austin he was sitting on a picnic table with my sister. We didn't really exchange words. The next day, my sister and I spent the day on the beach while Austin was at work, and I got really sun burnt, like really, really bad. Austin had come over, and as I was walking to the bathroom, the first words he said to me were, "Holy sunburn!". I was completely embarrassed. Well that same night, my mom, Austin, sister, and nephews mom and I all went to an escape room. There Austin and I began flirting and had actually exchanged numbers and snapchats between each other. Before the beach trip had ended, my sister, Austin and I went to a bar. I did not dance, but I watched my sister dance and have a really good time. Austin saw that I was just kind of sitting around and not having a fun time, so when a slow song came on, he asked me if I wanted to dance. I told him that I didn't know how to dance and he told me that that was fine because he didn't know how to dance either. So we went on the dance floor and we started dancing. Austin did the "twirly-thing", as he likes to call it, he still swears up and down that that is when he knew he got me. Afterwards he told me that he would give me another dance (he never did and still hasn't). Before we dropped him back off at his barracks I had asked him if he wanted to attend my graduation, he accepted. And we've been together since.

I had went down to Camp Lejeune since Austin's mom had asked him to watch the dogs while she was out of town. That night Austin had told me that his buddy Ryan was staying at the cabins on base, and we were going to see if he would take pictures of us the next day. He had explained to me that we don't really have good pictures of us, and that Ryan is a pretty good photographer, and the beach is just a great place to take pictures, especially since it was September and not many people would be there. I told him that I would have to go the PX to pick up a cute dress, some make-up, and maybe some shoes. He told me that that was fine. I was pretty excited to take cute pictures, since we haven't really planned on getting dressed up and taking pictures before. When we got to the beach we met up with Ryan, and Austin handed him his phone. Austin had kept making comments on these two guys who were literally just minding their own business and walking on the beach. He kept calling them "boots" and saying that they were being stupid. Well he stopped making comments on them and we took some pictures. They had walked past us and Austin said "Oh my god babe, you have to look at those boots, like what are they doing? Seriously babe turn around and look at them." I was really confused, and I turned around and said "They aren't doing anything, what are you talking about?" As I turned back around I saw Austin was on one knee in front of me. I was shocked. I could hear Ryan laughing at my surprised face, in the background. Austin said, "Megan Elizabeth Fogarty, would you marry me and make me the happiest Marine?" Of course I said yes! Ryan was very nice to take pictures of us after the proposal. We both thanked him. His mom had come down and asked if it had happened yet, her and Ryan had both congratulated us. And of course I had to call my mom and tell her! To celebrate we went to Long Horn Steak House. Then we started to plan our wedding.