I concocted a plan with the help of Shane (Logan’s cousin) to lure Logan onto a vessel so I could turn on the charm and entice her to go on a date with me. Logan originally said that she was coming and I was convinced that my rugged good looks and damning charisma would surely land me a date with her – after all, I was a Fire Fighter and a Frat God at the time. I woke up early the day of the fishing trip to get well prepared for… the fishing – obviously. Unfortunately, when I arrived at Shane’s house, I discovered that Logan had changed her mind and was no longer coming with us. This was bad for two reasons; my plan had failed and I was going to have to spend hours on a boat with Shane… Just kidding Shane, I’m just still sour you caught fish and I didn’t – anyway, back to the story: After she foiled my original plan of fishing with us, I convinced Shane to “have a bonfire” and MAYBE invite Logan too. Shane saw that I was struggling to successfully convince Logan so he took it upon himself to ensure that she came. He did this by telling her that her brother Cory would be there and not me. I didn’t find this out until later of course, so for all I knew she came to see me. So, stage 1 of my plan was complete and a huge success. Onto stage 2, The Proving Grounds.

Stage 2 began when Logan showed up to the bonfire. Luckily I had called in backup, Josh Stewart, to be my wingman in case things went south, so that he could cause a diversion and allow me to regroup or make a strategic retreat if needed. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that. However, he did support me by playing horribly at cornhole and making me look really, really, really good in front of Logan. That took some great self control Josh and I appreciate your sacrifice. Now that I had shown my physical prowess, I invited Logan on a date the following day. This was the turning point for my plan – the make-or-break moment – and thankfully she said yes! Stage 2 was now complete and I moved into the final stage to win over Logan: Stage 3, The Entrapment.

Stage 3 began the following day when we had a late lunch at buffalo wild wings, a very near and dear place in my heart that I spent countless hours and money at in my high school years with Reese Wharam, Josh Stewart, and some other great friends along the way. They also had some pretty good deals which were very attractive to a poor college kid… but I digress. We had a great meal together getting to know each other, but I wasn’t ready for the day to be over. So, I asked if she would like to go downtown and visit Bell Isle in Richmond to walk the pedestrian bridge. She agreed and we drove downtown and walked across the bridge. At the end, there is a pathway down to the river's edge that we followed and found a large rock to sit on and talk. I was very nervous trying to find the right time to make my next move in the plan. Logan sensed this nervousness and asked if I wanted to head back and cross the bridge to head home. I knew I needed to act so I agreed and got up, and as I helped her up I went in for the kiss. SUCCESS! Stage 3 of my plan was making huge strides. I was on cloud 9 and my brilliance had astounded even me. We finished off the night by watching movies and eating popcorn – as any triumphant night should end. Stage 3 and my efforts continued throughout the week until June 11th, 2020 when I asked Logan to take the next step with me and become my girlfriend. She graciously agreed and with that, I marked stage 3 complete. Onto stage four, Trial by Fire.

Stage 4 was a much longer stage since this was when our summer ended and we both had to return to college and move away from one another. This was very stressful for both of us – neither of us wanted to do long distance but we both felt that we could make it work together. Throughout college and the years of long distance we both made sacrifices, but Logan was extraordinary, and I still don’t know how she did it with all the responsibilities and successes she had throughout her time at Queens University. She was a full time collegiate athlete, a captain on her team, received a 4.0 for all 4 years, while also working part time in season, and in all of that, she still made time to spend with me when I came to Charlotte or when she came to visit me in Buies Creek. Stage 4 of my plan was quickly turning into OUR plan. As even I, the great Robbie Bass couldn’t have pulled it off without the efforts and sacrifices she made to be with me. With my eyes opening and college coming to an end for Logan, we both were looking for the next step in our journey. I still had a year left of school, and Logan had just taken the MCAT and was taking the next steps to apply to medical school. We talked about where we needed to go as a couple next and where God wanted us to be. We thought and talked a lot about it, and we decided the best thing for us was for Logan to move to Buies Creek with me while I finished my MBA and she applied to medical school. This marked the beginning of the final stage of my plan: Stage 5, The Proposal.

Stage 5 was another long stage in my devious plan, but I knew this was going to be the best stage yet. Our first year living together was a rollercoaster ride, as I’m sure many of y’all know who are reading this, that learning to live with someone is not an easy feat. But, we always knew that we would make it through because we had each other. And that is what stage 5 was created for – to ensure we always had one another to lean on, and to help each other up when we fall down. Throughout the time we shared living together with me graduating, Logan choosing to follow her calling and attend Drexel Medical School, and moving to a new city where neither of us had ever even visited – we grew exponentially as a couple. We stared down more unknowns than either of us had ever seen and overcame many obstacles that neither of us expected. So, it was my time to offer Logan to complete this stage and her choice to decide if it was a success. I had been listening and researching for multiple months on what kind of ring Logan wanted and deciding where I wanted to ask for her hand, and I kept coming back to where it all began. This time around I didn’t ask her out, I simply asked her to get dressed for a nice lunch for her birthday. We had gone back home for Christmas and (luckily) Logan’s birthday is the day after Christmas and I had scheduled a nice lunch the Saturday prior to Christmas, the 23rd. She agreed and got dressed, always looking as beautiful as ever. We went and shared another great meal (this time it was a little nicer than Buffalo Wild Wings) and then I began to make the familiar drive back to Bell Isle. We walked across the same bridge, down the same pathway to the river. This walk was a bit more quiet than our walk 3.5 years prior (I think she was onto me!). We reached the same rock that we shared our first kiss, and I held out the ring and asked her to be my forever – she said no. JUST KIDDING – Gotcha didn’t I? She said yes and completed Stage 5 with me. With that, on December 23rd, 2023 my devious plan was complete and Stage 1 of OUR plan began. With our story being told we want to take a moment and thank each and everyone of you for celebrating the beginning of the next stage with us. We are thrilled and blessed to have all of you in our lives, and are ecstatic to share this moment with you. Cheers to Stage 2 of OUR plan!