let our forever adventure begin.

In 2014, the couple met while working at a restaurant in Thornton Park called Wildside. Mike already had worked there a few months prior to Coley being hired. He was a man of many hats, working as a host, food runner, and busser while she served and eventually bartended. Just like any other day at the beginning of your shift, it was known to go up to the host stand to find out where your section is. Long and behold, Mike was manning his station (cute yet confident may Coley add). As Coley approached the corner where the host stand was tucked away in, she snuck in behind him to take a gander of the floor map, grazing her hand behind his back to let him know she was there. After exchanging names, they quickly dove into conversations about where one another went to high school and much to Coley's surprise, they previously had met before. Apparently, the first encounter happened the summer before 9th grade in a mutual friend's driveway. A tiny crush for one person sparked then, but this time... that spark just so happened to turn into a mutual flame.

Coley's point of view: Every summer, my grandma on my moms side, Nancy, has blessed us over the past several years by taking us on trips via Tauck Tours. The one last summer will surely be one I and we, will never forget. To start things off, I was totally and utterly surprised.. And I'm being 100% about that fact (there's a video to prove it). However, I am going to say yes.. in the back of my mind I was looking for signs. Signs of how my family was acting. Signs of how accessible Mike's luggage was to me. Signs of someone making sure my nails were done before the trip (you know what I’m talking about ladies, SIGNS). I was looking for these signs because we were heading to some magical places out in California. Fairy tale proposal places. But because of previous discussions, I didn't think it was going to happen this trip. We knew we wanted to be together forever, but we both agreed we weren't in any kind of a rush. About three or four days into the trip, I reached the conclusion that it wasn't going to happen. My family was acting completely normal. I was able to freely get in and out of Mike's belongings. And my nails were in their natural/ ratchett state. It wasn't until the fifth day when we were in the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. We were being guided around this beautiful wildflower meadow surrounded by majestic and mesmerizing Sequoia's. I went off the path towards the meadow to take a video of the butterflies grazing from flower to flower. Mike followed behind and asked my cousin Catie to take a picture of us. After a couple shots, I see him go down out of my peripheral vision thinking he tripped or something. It wasn't until I turned to "help him up" that I saw the ring in his hand. The whole experience was beyond my wildest dreams, and the best moment of my life. It also meant the world to me having my family there to share the experience with us! Mike's point of view: What Coley said.