We're Getting Married

Whether it was bravery, Bud Light or a combination of both... Derek mustered up enough of it to go talk to the girl whose eyes kept locking onto his from across the bar. It was Spring Break in 2012. Years earlier, Haley and Derek went to the same high school but their paths never crossed. When Derek approached her, he knew full well that it was the beauty from the grade ahead that he had been eyeing. Haley didn’t know him, but she knew she wanted to. Derek bought her a drink and they talked and smiled. Looking back, neither can quite recall what one said to the other. It was nervous small talk. But it was going well. They danced. And before the night was over, they shared a kiss that sent confirmation to the heart and the brain: ‘Yep, there’s something here.’ They went their separate ways and spent the next few days texting each other. Derek nearly ruined everything by jokingly telling Haley that he worked as a bouncer at the strip club. Luckily, he dodged that silver bullet and Haley learned to appreciate/put up with his bad jokes. From there, God planted the seed for a special relationship that has continually grown, held its ground in tough times and sprouted the kind of love you don’t often see.

It was their annual trip to St. Louis for the Braggin' Rights game. Derek knew this year's trip would be one to remember forever, one like no other and it would change their trips for years to come. Derek had this day all planned out. First, they would go to dinner at their favorite spot and enjoy a few glasses of wine. That helped to calm the nerves a little bit. Haley had asked prior to the trip to visit the new ice rink that was being put up in front of the Arch. While Derek isn't one for ice skating, he knew this would be the place to fall to one knee. They walked around the city for a while, and finally made it to the ice rink. Derek had been acting off all day. Haley thought it was about the game the next night, as we all knew it was a big game as always. Derek can't skate well, but knew how to make Haley happy. After a few laps around the rink, Haley wanted to stop to take a picture in front of the Arch. "One more lap," Derek kept saying. By this time, Haley was getting a little impatient. She ended up asking a guy near them to take their photo. After a few snaps, Derek asked to do one more pose. The next thing Haley knew, Derek was down on one knee with a ring and asked her to marry him. Lucky for us, our photographer stayed poised and made a pro move to switch to video for the entire proposal. It will be a day to remember forever. Even though Illinois didn't end up winning this time, Derek did for a lifetime.