How They Met (His Story): Every year for the Christmas/New Year break, I have two weeks of vacation. This year I spent the majority of my time in NOLA hanging out with friends and family. On this particular Saturday I was with my friend Troy, and he told me he was going to a place called Tipitina's. He asked if he should get me a ticket and I said "suuure". Once we got there, I headed straight to the bar to get a water on the rocks. It was overly crowded so instead of patiently waiting, I decided to squeeze myself in and get the bartender's attention. I knew I was skipping people, so I didn't look left or right to avoid appearing guilty; only straight ahead until I got my water. Afterward, I felt bad for these three short young ladies next to me (they would've still been trying to get the bartender to see them today), so I asked if they wanted me to get the bartender's attention, and of course they eagerly said yes (I think they thought I was buying them drinks or something). One of the three ladies caught my attention and has had it ever since. I am so happy to know her, to love her, and to share my life with her.

How They Met (Her Story): It was January 2nd, and I had just finished a 28-hour shift at work. I was über excited about getting some rest and spending the evening with my friends. We were going to Tipitina's for "Lagniappe", and I was hyped about hearing one of my favorite DJ's on the 1s and 2s. I was cute that night, but I honestly wasn't looking for anyone to notice. I was all about the music and having a good time. As we walked in, we stopped at the bar to get a drink of water, and that was when I saw Chris. I will admit that I gave him a second look but was happily distracted by the jams filling the room. I remember my friends and I were having trouble getting the bartender's attention. Apparently, Chris noticed our struggle and valiantly stepped in to help (later I found out he had cut us in line and felt guilty about it). We passed each other a few times and exchanged words throughout the night. As I was leaving, Chris stopped me to see if I were headed out. When I said that I was leaving he asked for my number. I was a little surprised (because I wasn't expecting that), but I gave him the correct number anyway. He asked that I let him know when I made it home safely. I did. The next day he CALLED me, and we have been on a path growing closer to each other ever since. That night at "Lagniappe", I got the music, the fellowship, and a little something extra...my Forever Love.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day...hot, but beautiful! Chris and I had decided to go to the Jazz Festival in New Orleans just days before. I was ecstatic about seeing Stevie Wonder, and after packing up our cooler and chairs, we headed out with a fun-filled, family day ahead. It wasn't until we departed from the house that I realized that I had forgotten to take my old, peeling nail polish off. I had planned to go get my nails done first thing that morning (it was pretty bad, y'all), but as fate would have it, I was unable to make it. Since I wasn't getting a professional 'cure, I had determined that I would just do something to them myself. Then, I got busy and ultimately forgot. But I digress...I'll get back to the nails later. We arrived at Jazz Fest, made our way to meet our (Chris') cousins, and went straightaway to setup our section for Stevie's arrival. Chris and I were actually apart for a good segment of the show because I got caught up in walking traffic either from getting food or going to the restroom, and he got caught up in a game of sand bags with Rob. We finally made it back to each other, and Chris asked me if I knew the words to "Ribbon in the Sky", admitting that he didn't and then listening to it on Spotify. He seemed super interested in the song, but I didn't think any thing of it at the time. We carried out the evening singing and dancing to Stevie Wonder live, and it was a blast. He sang the last song, and as we were packing up I noticed in my peripheral vision that Chris was changing levels in height. I thought he falling, so I immediately turned around to see if he was okay and found him kneeling on the ground, looking up at me. It wasn't until he pulled the box out of his pocket that I realized what was happening. He asked me to marry him, and I said "yes!" As he put this beautiful, sparkling ring on my finger, I looked down and saw...my horrific, chipping, aged nail polish. Moral of this story: Always make sure your nails are on point!!!

This is how Chris asked me to be his girlfriend and was the first time I said "Yes!": http://shesaid.simplesite.com