James and I went on our first date on April 30th, 2021. I sat in my car for a little bit and, after a long day at work, really didn't want to socialize with a new person. THANKFULLY, I didn't stand this man up! We spent hours talking about anything and everything under the sun. The conversation flowed so easily that I didn't even realize how late it was and how I still had to drive back to Brenham. We parted ways and I hoped that we'd have more opportunities to hang out. After going on a few more dates and attending the wedding of one of his friends, we knew this was going to be something special. I don't remember a time when James wasn't there to cheer me up, make me laugh, tell me how incredibly funny I am, or make me the most delicious meal.

This will always be my favorite story and I'm pretty sure I'll never get tired of telling it! It all started about two weeks before. My friend Jillian scheduled a meeting on December 1st and titled it (PTL Planning). If you know me, you know that if something isn't on my google calendar, I will either be late or I'll forget it altogether. In my current position, I have a lot of "planning" meetings, so I didn't even bat an eye and accepted. Well, December 1st came around. I followed my regular morning routine and went off to work listening to Fleetwood Mac. I remember driving to work and saying to myself, "Man, today is going to be a good day!" Well, 11:30ish rolls around and I'm at BHS waiting to test a new student. The Hope Pawlik then informs me that MY mother is bringing her lunch...AND NOT ME! So I immediately call Monica and demand she bring me a Zippy J's salad. She agrees and tells me she'll stop by around 12:15. So I'm just waiting, talking to my very first group of students EVER...this is where I thought the "good" day had reached its peak. A little while later, Hope goes to get our food and when she comes back, she's packing it up and telling me I better not be late for my meeting. I told them that it was okay, I'm always late anyway...but she was very persistent that I make it to this one! Again, I am on my way to KES to meet with Jillian and Arlene. I walk in and go to her office and start eating my lunch. After a little while, she looks at her phone and then says, "OH NO!". I get nervous and ask her what is going on and she says that Nikki's house has fallen through and they wouldn't be able to move in that weekend!! INSTANT panic hits, so I immediately get up and start walking to Nikki's classroom (as if I am somehow going to fix this situation, lol). As we're walking down to the third-grade hallway, I see kids sitting outside with signs and lights... for some reason, I think NOTHING of it. I then turn the corner and there surrounded by our families, friends, and KIDS is James on one knee. You'd think I would've run to him and he would've said sweet words and that would be the end. Fortunately for this story, that didn't happen and in total shock and surprise I yelled out, "holy sh*t!" in front of a hallway full of kids...then I ran away not once but twice before making my way to James. He then spoke the sweetest words to me and asked me to marry him. EASIEST YES OF MY LIFE. PS: I also told him that I was late for my meeting, so I'd have to see him later....yall THIS WAS MY MEETING!!!**