We're getting married!!

We met at a House Party when I was 16 years old. Jim was on the porch of the Campus House on High Street and he welcomed me with a big bear hug as I came up the stairs. Later that night, he proposed to me as a joke and I responded, "We'll see.." Fast forward 11 and a half years and that seems so crazy cute!

We reunited when I was in college at U of O and Jimmy had moved back to Eugene from Las Vegas. We were immediately re-obsessed with each other but I made him wait a few months to make it official because I was so busy starting up my own painting business (Student Painters). Turns out, I couldn't run the business without him and he quickly became my foreman/production manager so we could be together every day. When I finally said yes to being his girlfriend we were like little lovebirds.

This really cemented Jim and I's bond. We had already lived together, but the road trip to our new unknown home, starting from scratch, relying on each other and living day to day for a while showed both of us we are a great team. I decided to move to New Orleans on a whim after college, and the fact that Jim came with me and we had the experience of a lifetime in uncharted territory was so special. I knew he was The One.

Jim surprised me on the morning of my 28th birthday but annoucing that he had secretly planned an escape night for us and 10 family/friends to celebrate my birthday that evening. An escape room was on my bucket list -You are "locked" in a room and must find clues and solve logic puzzles to escape within a certain time limit. I was thrilled and Jim told me all the hurdles he had climbed to get people on board for the escape room, plan it all behind my back and keep the secret for weeks. I felt so special and giddy. We met some family at my parents house for a delicious salmon dinner and then met our group at the escape room. I was a little nervous but once we were locked inside and the game began it was so much fun with everyone running around, working together to solve puzzles and coming up with names to enter into the magic mirror element. We knew we had to get 8 names and around the time we were reaching completion I had been carrying a clue- a small blue "dictionary" book safe that needed a 3 number combination to unlock. Throughout the room different things had used different kinds of combinations and as I thought about what numbers we could use to open the safe a door opened and a sign read "1 4 3 is the key..to unlock life's greatest mystery" - I was numb with shock and felt something happening as I fumbled to unlock the book safe with the combo 1-4-3. I entered the code and found a handwritten note inside - it was in Jim's handwriting and time stopped - I looked over and he was on one knee. I think I left my body as I read the note out loud and turned to him. "Will you marry me?" He asked. IT FLASHED BEFORE MY EYES THAT I WAS SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND MY BIRTHDAY SURPRISE WAS AN ENGAGEMENT SURPRISE! I have never been more shocked /amazed. I was so full of love that he could plan this and so shocked I felt like I was in a movie. I was barely able to respond Yeahh and fall into his arms. And still now, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!!