It was Freshman Year and the first ADPi Date Function was a week away. I suddenly found myself without a date when a friend from home had to cancel on short notice. I turned to my friend Rachel to see if she had any guy friends who might be interested in being my date. She told me she knew this great guy, Cody Sims, that she would ask. Rachel set us up to go to a party as a group a few days later. I remember being SO nervous to meet him. With a little liquid courage and some encouragement from my friends, I made my way to the door to meet him when he came to pick us up. We immediately hit it off and spent the whole night talking and hanging out together. When it was time for the night to end, he walked me home like a perfect gentleman. We went on the Prohibition-themed Date Function later that week and had our first kiss. A month later he showed up at the ADPi house to pick me up and had the passenger seat covered with my favorite candy, flowers, and a stuffed puppy. He asked me to be his girlfriend and the rest was history.

Cody decided we needed a date night and made reservations at one of my favorite places. That Friday I had a bad day at work and wasn’t sure I was up for dinner tonight. Cody told me I should get dressed up because he was sure my day would get better. My mind was racing at that so I called my best friend Alana and gushed how tonight might be THE NIGHT he proposed. She said we had thought this before so I should just enjoy the night and not overthink it. After work Cody met me at Amelia and my apartment and hung out with her fiancé Robby while we got ready. The boys decided to do a happy hour picnic at Curtis Hixon Park before dinner. Still cranky from work, I complained about doing a picnic when I was dressed up. The boys weren’t budging. When the sun started to set the boys said we should take pictures on the River Walk. Still being cranky, I said I didn’t want to put my shoes back on so couldn’t we just take pictures here. The boys insisted we couldn’t. As we walked to the river I wondered about how Cody was acting but it didn't look like there was a ring box in his pocket so I let it go. By the river, Cody held my my hands in what I thought was a gesture to move me for pictures but instead stood facing me and told me he loved me. I instantly started crying because I knew this was it. Cody made the most beautiful speech about how much he loves me and why he wants to spend our lives together. He pulled a ring box out, got on one knee, and asked me to marry him. I said yes and could hear Amelia, Robby, and a bunch of bystanders clapping and cheering as Cody and I kissed and hugged each other. We went back to our picnic spot, popped champagne, and talked about how Cody planned the picnic, pictures, and even for Robby to hold the ring so that I wouldn’t see it. Cody and I went to dinner afterwards and enjoyed our dinner with a bottle of champagne his family sent to our table. Cody planned the most incredible proposal and it was the perfect start to our lives together!