In June 2016 I had been single for a year and my friends told me to give online dating a shot. I laughed it off and let them help me make a profile on Bumble. After about a week of annoying and inappropriate messages from guys I told myself I would take a break on my upcoming vacation at Hampton Beach with my daughter. My sister, friends and cousins came up towards the end of the week and they asked how the online dating was going. I logged on once to show them some of the messages, looked through a few profiles and ended up finding Mike’s. I saw that he was a father which was perfect for what I was looking for, and it was a bonus that he was extremely attractive ;). So I swiped right! After I got home from vacation I saw that we had matched and was excited. On Bumble girls have to message first so I didnt waste time. I sent a message asking if he watched Game of Thrones. He replied quick and we carried conversation like we knew each other for years. After about 2 weeks of texting, Mike wanted to meet up in person and I was terrified! I thought I would end up one of those girls that gets murdered. I had been hesitant the whole time and really afraid to start anything serious with Mike because it was new to me to meet someone online. July 5th, 2016 I went to my friend Ashlee’s new lake house and after a long day of drinking on the lake I got “liquid courage” and told Mike he could come pick me up for our first date. My friends hyped me up and literally had to do my make up and help me get changed because I was so scared and drunk. Mike finally pulled up outside their house and my friends gave him the rundown about how they would find him and kill him if he tried to kill me. I was probably the most nervous I had ever been in my life. Mike was so sweet and started telling me how beautiful I was and we talked non stop until we went to the movies to see The Purge: Election Year. He drove me home and the date ended with the most perfect little kiss!

I had been single and doing the whole dating app thing for a couple of months. Had normal conversations with a few people, but never really seemed to click with anyone. One day I was feeling like I wanted to go check out the sunset at the beach, I drove up to Harborside Dunes in Seabrook to catch the sunset. While waiting to take in the natural scenery, I hopped on Bumble to see if there was anyone interesting. I happened to come across Anna's profile and thought she was beautiful, had a mini-me, and understood that family is important. After we matched, it took a bit to hear from her, but she eventually broke the ice by talking about GOT. We talked for hours about it, and a ton of random other things and hit it off talking about the dumbest things. After some time, and her being a big ole baby and trying to run faster than Elaine Thompson-Herah because she actually liked me, we met up after Independence Day. After some back and forth, some yes nos, she told me to go pick her up for a date. After the 2+ hour drive, I showed up at her friend's house, was threatened with death (thanks Maggie... but you aren't that scary lol), a silly drunken Anna came out for our date. We ended up talking more, and going to see The Purge Election Year, which Anna fell asleep during a time or two. After the date, I brought her home and we shared an adorable kiss that we remember until this day.

We were coming up on our 5 year anniversary trip to Jamaica. Mike kept telling me to stay away from his computer and email so I started to wonder what he was up to. We arrived in Jamaica on 7/24/2021 and spoke with a representative about excursions and things and she brought up that they had a private beach dinner. Mike gave her a look so she changed the subject and they both told me to go away. So I went to the bar and he comes back and says “they told me how much the dinner was and its too much money”. So we go to our room and enter to find the bed covered in real flower petals that say forever and towels shaped like swans kissing. We both thought the other set that up but neither of us did. We relaxed on the beach and then got ready for our dinner reservation at the steakhouse to celebrate our anniversary. We walked to the restaurant and I’m expecting to walk inside and they turned us around and brought us to a private beach set up under a gazebo with a huge floral arangment. Of course I never wear heels but I did that night (Mike could have steered me toward the more sand friendly dressy sandals I had). There was a photographer who took pictures of us while the sun set and then we sat down to eat. After a while, we saw a crazy lightning storm off in the sea and then Mike asked if I wanted my gift so he put a folded t shirt in front of me (and I’m thinking seriously a shirt?). He started talking about how much we’ve been through in the last 5 years, how we are best friends and how he can’t wait to see where life brings us. I opened the t shirt to see it said “leveled up to fiance” with an xbox controller (we’re gaming nerds). He got down on one knee and I kept saying “wait is this real life?”, “is this a movie?”. Mike had already asked me to marry him and I was too overwhelmed to notice so he said “I kind of need an answer”. I stood up and said YES!

We constantly joked about being life partners and Anna shouted different types of engagement rings so siri heard and put up ring adds on my phone. After we booked the trip to Jamaica I got to work on everything to make it as perfect as I possibly could. I reached out to the hotel to see if they had a private beach dinner, which they did. Next, I found a flourist and made sure that the order for flowers had something blue and red in the arrangement since they are our favorite colors. Meanwhile, I had been looking at rings because I knew what she liked. I wanted to get it custom made so I went in with my pics, and the ideas that I had to create something in my mind that was perfect. A 3 stone ring, with a blue stone in it. With the plan set in my mind we left for Jamaica. We waited for our room and spoke with concierge who brought up the private beach dinner. I gave her a look, and she told Anna to go away. I told her I already booked the beach dinner and was proposing. I found Anna and told her it was too much money. When our room was ready we found the bed covered with flower petals spelling out “forever” with kissing swan towels. We both asked “was this you?” It wasn’t us so we were confused but I figured the hotel did it because they knew my plans. Before dinner I told Anna I was going to go “try to make dinner reservations for the week”, but I was checking to see if the flowers were there. We went to the restaurant and for the 1st time I shocked Anna when we turned away from the restaurant and headed toward the private table on the beach with the flowers. A surprise photographer showed up and took pics of us as the sun set. Dinner progressed and after the meal I asked Anna if she wanted her gift. It was a custom made shirt that said “leveled up to fiance” with an xbox controller because we’re gaming nerds. I did my speech and had to ask her twice because she was a little stunned. She said YES! with a beautiful lightning storm off in the background at sea.