Denise & Justin met around the end of 2019. Their first date was at Sidewalk Café. She really didn't want to go because dating is hard, but her friends encouraged her to just see what happens. On the way to meet Justin, not being in a hurry, Denise stopped for Band Aids at CVS. Justin patiently waited at the bar texting friends for advice if he should stay or leave. Denise was 20 minutes late, 45 minutes if you ask Justin. The length of tardiness is still highly debated to this day….. When Denise arrived, she explained why she was late. Justin still wasn’t sure what to think which of course prompted her to pull out a 10 ft long CVS receipt. She also proceeded to show Justin the cut she received while trying to change the spark plugs on her car that day. Justin laughed, not at her cut, but at the never-ending receipt coming out of Denise’s purse. They spent hours talking that night over tacos, Tito’s and Miller Lite. The conversations lead to a second, third and fourth date which ultimately lead to this website and this story because Denise & Justin became inseparable. They realized they loved going on adventures together and spending time with one another. The proposal: Denise is hard to surprise, she has some way of knowing what's going on at all times. Somehow, Justin pulled off the biggest surprise ever when he proposed December 31, 2021 in the OBX (Denise's favorite place). Having spent the previous New Years locked in the house with COVID, Justin was determined to surprise Denise with a fun trip. He surprised her with the OBX trip on Christmas as the last gift was written on the back of a Christmas card. He mentions “I got us a small beach bungalow for New Years so pack a bag.” Justin had been planning this for weeks and keeping the real reason for the trip a secret from everyone. He failed, as Denise’ friends already had suspicions of what was about to happen. Now, in OBX, Justin pulls up to a BIG house and Denise instantly says " I know you didn't rent this huge house for just us...." Justin confesses that he may have invited a few of Denise’s friends for the holiday. Later that night two couples joined them. The following day her brother and his Fiancé showed up, another surprise! The trip continues as a normal surprise trip with friends and family. Denise still had no suspicion of a proposal, she honestly just thought it was all part of the holiday celebration. That afternoon, the group decide to take a walk on the beach. Side note: on almost of all of their adventures, Justin likes to take panoramic photos of Denise with scenic backgrounds. They have an adventure book that they like to fill with pictures for memories. So….. Justin says, "Denise, sit down and face the water so I can take a picture." She sits, Justin takes a picture of the ring and Denise facing the water in the background. He nervously walks up and says "what do you think of this picture?" Denise, at a loss of words and not sure if she's seeing this correctly, takes a minute and comes to realization that Justin is PROPOSING! She stands up, Justin drops to his knee and starts to recite the words he’s practiced for months. After some endearing, heartfelt words, Denise with tears in her eyes finally says “YES!”