We're getting married!

After 13 years of dating we would love to say that we had a memorable first encounter however, that's not exactly what happened. From what we remember our exchange went a little something like this... T: Hey, I'm Tony, to which J smiled and shyly (according to Tony) turned away. We met, as teenagers, at Hollywood Video; a place where we met some of the greatest people and had some of the best memories.

It seems so long ago and I guess that's because 13 years have past by, so forgive me if I don't recall every detail. I remember being nervous about asking Jessica out on our first official date. We are both huge movie buffs so it's kind of ironic that we met a video store and only fitting that our first date would be at a movie theater, watching Tristan & Isolde. We had dinner before the movie, and for those who know me, you know that I've never been much of a talker so she carried the conversation. I remember enjoying her presence, smile, and confidence. It was pretty clear that although we were total opposites, we had great chemistry.

The day was August 25th, another beautiful morning in Hawaii. We decided to take a walk around the resort, where we unexpectedly encountered a beautiful statue of Buddha. With a gorgeous and endless view of the ocean as our backdrop, my brother suggested meditation. As I reflected on life and all the blessings along the way, it became clear to me that this was the women I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I felt a sense of calmness and after a brief prayer and words of gratitude, I opened my eyes. The very first thing I saw was my beautiful fiancé deep in meditation. I had been carrying the ring everywhere with me since we had arrived in Hawaii; waiting for the perfect time to pop the question. My brother and I opened our eyes at the same time. I looked over to him and whispered "I'M GONNA DO IT!". His eyes lit up with excitement and he scurried down the hill. I stood there gathering my courage and waiting for Jessica to open her eyes. A few moments later my brother came back up the hill and I handed him my phone. We stood there nervous and anxious waiting for her to finish her meditation. I had butterflies in my stomach, knowing that at this very moment I was going to ask her to spend the rest of her life with me. I got down on one knee and said, "I cannot see my life without you, you have helped my become who I am today. You never gave up on me and I want to spend every moment of the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" She said yes. I cried. My brother teared up. She was... well, crying (tears of joy, I think so) and upset because she didn't have makeup and wasn't ready for the "picture perfect moment". My brother led us to the side of the hill where he showed us what he had worked on. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect and memorable experience.