WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!!

How we met is actually a funny story & spans over the course of several years. As most of you know, we are former collegiate gymnasts that had decided that gymnastics should continue to be a very important aspect to our lives. Coaching was the perfect avenue to fulfill our need to be involved with gymnastics. We met while coaching gymnastics at a small gym in Michigan. Ironically, at this time we were both already engaged. Yes, we know - crazy, right?. For the next couple of years, we got to know each other and became fast friends. However, since we were both engaged to other people, we never thought about anything other than friendship. Time passed, and both our lives took us in different directions. Marriage, breakups, jobs, etc. are all a part of life. However, two years after moving on in life, we reconnected at a girl’s gymnastics competition in Midland, Michigan. We were still both coaching gymnastics, but for other gymnastics programs. This time things were different, we weren’t engaged in other relationships. We talked all weekend and caught up on life. That following Monday, Taylor made the first move and invited herself over to hangout and ever since then we have been together.

Around October 2019, Dan started planning the perfect proposal. He was planning secret trips with his dad to look at “cars” but he was really looking at rings. They went to the same jeweler that his dad got his mother's engagement ring. Come December 2019, we went down to visit my parents for christmas. I was asked to run some “errands” for them. While I was gone running “errands” Dan sat down with my parents and asked if he could marry me! Dan was at a gymnastics meet in San Antonio, Texas when he started to craft his plan. He told his boss and fellow coaches that he wanted to propose to me at our home competition in a few weeks and needed their help. They came up with the plan during that trip. They decided that a handstand contest between the coaches would be the best way to bring everyone together. At the end of the 2nd competition, all the athletes would come together on the floor where the handstand contest would take place. Our boss had informed me that I was going to be needed at the meet to help with administrative duties.

January 25, 2020 I went to the gym and had a normal work day. I got off at 3pm and headed straight to the meet to “work”. Once I got there, the session just started and our boss didn’t have a job for me at the moment and proceeded to tell me to just hang out until she finds something for me to do. I sat there and waited and waited and waited for her to give me a job. The session came to an end and a co-worker dragged me out to the floor to be a part of this coaches handstand contest, while our boss was announcing over the PA system that she needed all the coaches on the floor for a handstand contest. I didn’t want to take part in the handstand contest, but felt that I should be a good sport and participate. Earlier in the day, Dan had already informed all of the coaches about the plan to propose at the end of the competition. They asked to kick up to a handstand and then come down to make sure that I won the handstand contest. I kicked up to a handstand and before I knew it, I was announced as the winner. Dan was looking at me goofy and I felt like everyone was staring at me. Dan started to approach me, then I realized what was going on. I was confused and in shock. Dan got down on one knee and popped the question “will you marry me”. Of course I said yes! The crowd broke out into cheering. After cheering from the crowd and hugs from some co-worker, Dan turns me around and shows me that my parents and brother were there along with his parents as well! I completely lost it, I ran to them to hug and celebrate.