We met our freshman year of high school in geometry class. Our first date was to see a special feature of the Phantom Menace Star Wars movie and the rest is history. We've grown and experienced life together for the past seven years, and we are very much looking forward to this next chapter in our lives.

Everybody asks me if I was surprised when Thomas asked me to marry him, but after seven years I can't say that I was. I knew we were going to get married, but when was another question. Thomas started asking my relatives for their permission 8 months before he proposed to me. I knew he had been going around asking for my hand, so it was only a matter of time before he popped the question. He kept me in suspense for 8 months! My friends and family know I don't do well with uncertainty and I am definitely not a fan of surprises. Only a few days before we got engaged I looked at him and said "Are you going to marry me or what!" He just laughed at me and said be patient, only a little longer now. We got engaged in Panama City Beach Florida in exactly the same spot we had our first kiss when we were fourteen. We went to dinner before and Thomas was so nervous he ate 5 loaves of bread. Thomas said he wanted to take me somewhere after dinner, and when we drove up to the golf course at Bay Point I knew what was about to happen. He held my hand with his very very sweaty hand and walked me to the spot. He said the sweetest things, got down on one knee, asked me to spend the rest of my life with him, and I said yes! Thomas asked if I liked the ring and I exclaimed "I can't see it!" Thomas thought I was stating the diamond was too small, but I actually couldn't see it because it was pitch black outside! Thomas is the love of my life and I can't wait to marry him. We love and appreciate all of you and are so excited to share this day with you.

This story begins months before I actually popped the question. When we first started talking about the possibility of getting married, it was evident that Ashton was very avid about me asking more than just her father for her hand. I decided to start with Carlton, her brother. Since we are pretty close, I didn't think it would be that difficult or nerve racking. I was wrong. I was extremely nervous because I knew this was the beginning of my life with Ashton. The conversation went well and over the next several months I asked every member of her family. It never seemed to get easier like I thought it would, rather quite the opposite. I powered through and the time had come to finally ask Ashton to marry me. The original plan was to take her hiking during Spring Break and ask her on top of a mountain, but the weather was horrible. We decided to go to the beach for a few days instead and then head to Disney World. I didn't want to wait any longer and I had no idea when we would be able to go hiking again, so I brainstormed an alternate plan. I decided to ask her at the same spot we had our first kiss. When I asked Ashton's family for their blessing, I was only nervous the few moments leading up to the conversation, but the day I proposed to Ashton I was nervous all day. My heart never stopped racing, my hands were constantly sweating, and I even seemed to forget how to hold a conversation at dinner that night. The words "will you marry me" played in my mind on repeat. I remember thinking why in the world am I so nervous? She is my best friend, the love of my life, and I was 99.99% positive she would say yes. After my behavior at dinner, I was pretty sure she knew what was about to happen. We drove to the golf course, walked to the spot, I got down on one knee, and finally proposed. She said yes and it was the happiest moment of my life. I've known I wanted to marry Ashton since I was 17 and I'm ecstatic it's finally happening.