So I messaged her on FB in October of 2019 saying that I needed someone to sing with me while I played guitar at old folks homes. She ignored me for two days and I don't think I checked my phone that many times in a long time. Then she finally messaged me back and I asked her if she wanted to go with me to Henryetta and she foolishly said yes after not even having met me in person before. And then she fell in love with me on the car ride down there. As soon as she saw my truck she said, "WOW. What a maaaaaan!" And that's how we met.

So, technically, we met at some point while going to school at Jenks. But Paul likes to remind me that I don't remember being in the same eighth grade vocal class as him... which is true. I don't. Paul messaged me on Facebook because he knew I sang and he needed someone to join him playing music for people in retirement homes (we started dating before even doing that once). I messaged him back a few days later since I didn't know who he was and we got to talking. I ended up going with him on a 1 hr+ road trip a few days later and that was our first official time meeting. He came to pick me up at my parents house and I walked out and remember thinking, "Woah, truck. Woah, cowboy." And the rest, as they say, is history.

(Paul's Version) I think I worked that day. I ran home and showered and went to pick her up. We then went to Reasors and two different Walmarts looking for a pumpkin on Halloween which is apparently impossible to find. Finally, at the Glenpool Walmart we picked the biggest pineapple there and decided to carve that. I took her back to mom and dads, grabbed my collection of knives and we carved the pineapple. We also talked the whole time and it was the best first date I ever had. (Tatum's Version) Halloween. I love Halloween. We had already been on that trip to Henryetta but it didnt count as a "date" because we didn't establish it as one first and he had to ask me :) So, our first date was Halloween. It was late because he worked that evening. So it was probably 10pm and he comes to pick me up and we can't find a pumpkin anywhere. I thought there would be at least one. But no. So we get a pineapple. We went back to his parents house and I was so nervous. I remember we were in the dining room the whole time and I was just giggling non-stop. Probably out of awkwardness but also because I was having a lot of fun. Its one of my happier memories to look back on. What a fun first date.

She said no first. I had gone out that day in search of an engagement ring. I was just browsing and then I saw this ring and just knew. I was like "oh my gosh that's the one" and bought it immediately. I went home and showered and put on my tight fitting blue jeans *wink*. I made her spaghetti for dinner. As we were eating she would take a bite of food and then start crying a bit. So I would go over and hug her and she told me that she had just missed me so much and her back had been hurting. So after we ate, I realized she had spaghetti all over her face so I told her to go wash up and then come in the front room. She had just moved into the house so she was sleeping on an air mattress in the living room. I had slipped the ring box under the frame of the couch because it was pretty obvious in my jeans. She usually laid pretty close to the couch but for some reason she chose to lay as far away from where I hid the ring box as possible. I started giving her a back rub to help her feel better. My plan wasn't really to propose that day, but I couldn't wait any longer. So I told her some of the reasons why I love her and then reached for the ring. And then I said something along the lines of, "I want to marry you" or "I want you to be my wife". She thought I was joking because I had proposed to her approximately 567 times before. But she turned around and I opened the ring box. Then she was crying again. I said, "bad timing?" Then she said "No! wait. Not no, yes!" And then we were engaged. But she said no first.

So a lot happened in August 2021. I bought my first house, turned 25, got a puppy, and was performing in Matilda the Musical. So I was feeling run down and just missing being able to spend quality time with Paul. I came home one day and my back was hurting and I just wanted to spend time at home with Paul. He had been texting me throughout the day and I could tell he was excited about something but I had no idea what he had been up to. He came over and made one of our favorite meals, spaghetti. I was teary and emotional because I had missed him and I was just happy to be home and relaxing. So he was comforting me and wrapping me in his arms, which I love. Then after dinner we went into the living room to spend time together. He offered to give me a backrub because my shoulders and head had been hurting. As he was giving me a back rub he started telling me all of these reasons why he loves me and is thankful for me, He is sweet like that so I was just soaking it all in. But then he stopped for a second and then said he wanted to marry me. Again, I knew this because he had said it before. But there was something in his voice this time. So I turned around and he had the ring in his hand. I started crying, covered my face and didn't answer right away. In fact, I think I said "are you serious?". He assumed it was bad timing so i yelled "no" before realizing what I just did and correcting myself by saying "no, not no. Yes!" And now we are about to be wed. So come see that happen! WOOHOO!