Our story began in good ole Ellenwood. At the time we both lived in the same subdivision, and I had no idea who Sterling was … let alone that he would eventually be my husband. Unbeknownst to me Sterling knew of me because he would come over to jump on the trampoline and play video games with my brother. In hindsight I believe he was coming over to stalk my pictures and see me in person… I kid ...I kid…  Fast forward to our junior year in high school and that’s where our story really began. While on a school field trip, I spotted Sterling as he strolled alone through the museum’s exhibits. He stood out to me because he was the only male student wearing a suit, and I was attracted to his energy.  I asked my friend Darien (a mutual friend) who’s that guy?! And she causally replied, “who him?”  That’s just Sterling.  I was like he’s cute! Give him my number. She forgot to give him my number after I expressed interest. He caught wind of my interest and insisted that I take his number instead. Once again, Darien misplaced the note with his phone number. So, we decided to talk face to face one day in the hallway and the rest is history.

I always knew I wanted to surprise Isis with the proposal but couldn’t quite figure out how. If you know me then you know I’m very attentive in general, but even more attentive when it comes to Isis. One thing I distinctly remember her expressing to me was that she always wanted to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. She thought everything about the estate was magical from the picturesque garden and ponds to the grand estate. I told myself I must make it happen. Sometimes I feel like I’m not the best at planning things but somehow, I always rise to the occasion when it comes to surprises. So, I picked a weekend and planned a two-day trip to the estate making sure to include all the things that she loved. The first day included a chill evening with a nice dinner on the patio at the hotel. The next morning, I told her I bought us tickets to tour the estate, so she had to get dressed up nicely! To her surprise, I had already bought her a dress to wear that complemented the outfit I had. This is definitely something I don’t normally do so she began to get curious. I told her I was trying something new. On the trolley ride to the estate, I was praying that it didn’t rain. Isis hadn’t put her heels on because she was worried about walking in the gravel and the weather. I insisted she put them on because she looked amazing! She finally came around to putting her heels on as we exited the trolley and the first thing I wanted to show her was the beautiful ponds that were filled with lily pads. I already told the camera lady to meet me by the ponds to capture the moment and that I would scratch my head when it was time to take pictures. So, I begin to explain to Isis why she was so important to me and being able to experience this moment together was very special. However, as we were conversing, Isis told me that her shoe wasn’t tight enough, so she wanted to stop and adjust it. So, we stopped, and I adjusted her heel. She turns around to pick up her umbrella that she put down. When she turned back around to face me, I was down on one knee asking the love of my life to marry me. She said yes! The camera woman start taking pictures and Isis starts laughing in complete shock. We take pictures by the pond, through the beautiful garden and then tour the prestigious estate. Following the tour, we go to an intimate wine tasting and I take her to brunch afterwards because who doesn’t love brunch? Then we drove back home happy as ever to celebrate with family. Mission accomplished.