Our story began 15 years ago at Queen of Peace High School where we shared homeroom, occasional free periods and an elevator. Over the summer before Sophmore year, Julius broke his leg while playing soccer and as a result, needed to use the school elevator when classes were back in session. Having had known each other as classmates, Jannah jumped at the opportunity to help him with the side benefit of getting to free period 15 minutes earlier. It was during that time that Julius made his first attempt at flirting and getting to know Jannah a little bit more. The story of Jannah and Julius took off after a lovely shoulder massage and a dollar bill used to purchase a soda and their story continued to grow in ways they would have never imagined. P.S. Jannah has yet to get the dollar back from Julius

Our most memorable milestone was in January of 2019- when we moved in together. We had been together for almost 11 years. There was really no surprises when it came to embarking on this new journey of living with one another. What we didn’t expect was how much closer it would make us. We loved looking forward to seeing one another every day after work, waking up next to each other, and even doing household chores together. Costco runs, homemade coffee drinks, bbqs and trying new recipes brought so much joy and excitement to our days. Our families and friends truly became one, as our home became the new go-to- gathering spot. Living together has strengthened our relationship and shown us that we want to continue this life we are building- always, together and forever.

Friday, August 26, 2022 was a perfect summer day; not too scorching hot nor uncomfortably humid. On this morning, Julius told Grandma Elaine that he would be proposing later that night and to be ready to look out of the window. Julius called his best friend Selim, and shared his master plan. Besides having Grandma Elaine at the window, Julius planned to have Selim hiding in the bushes to capture videos and photos and a beautifully draped tree with twinkle lights to make the proposal that much more special and intimate. Before Julius proposed, we sat in the darkness of our backyard enjoying this perfect summer night with only the night sky illuminating bits and pieces of our conversation. We reminisced on a similar night about 10 years ago where we were sitting in the backyard of Julius’s childhood home watching a meteor shower at 3am. This was followed by immediate running as we heard some unknown rustling in the bushes around us. We laughed and talked about how far we’ve come and how happy we are to be with one another. Before deciding to go inside, Julius told Jannah that he wanted to show her something near the front of the yard. He walked her near a tree by Grandma Elaine’s window and turned on the shining lights. Jannah’s immediate reaction was confusion but it was quickly replaced with shock and joy as Julius went down on one knee and officially proposed. Jannah’s immediate response was YES! Jannah and Julius embraced in a passionate hug and kiss and through teary eyes an immense excitement took over as this moment meant a future together as husband and wife!

There’s a lot to say when it comes to Julius. For starters, he is and will always be my best friend. He’s funny, down to earth, and is so easily loved by all. He constantly reminds me how loved and beautiful I am. He always puts my grandmother and I first and does anything without question. We have gone through both difficult and joyous times and through it all, he has always been supportive. We’ve grown so much together that he is literally my HOME. Julius has shown me what true love is and I’m so excited to finally be able to call him my HUSBAND!

There is a lot that I have personally said to Jannah over the years but to give everyone an idea of how I feel towards her it’s very simple, I love her dearly. We have laughed and cried with each other. We have experienced hardships and joyous occasions. We have grown with each other and every bit of love I have given her has been returned one hundred times over. She is an incredible woman with a huge heart that puts others before herself, so I can confidently say that spending the rest of my life with her will be a welcomed adventure.

FOR THOSE THAT MAY NOT KNOW… On May 31, 2023, Jannah and Julius officially tied the knot on their 15 year anniversary! They were surrounded by an intimate group of friends and family on the island of Oahu, Hawaii!