The Future Mr. & Mrs. Thormaehlen

Ryan and I met in college at THE University of Texas at Austin through a student organization, the Kinesiology Club. It was the first semester of my freshman year and the start of his senior year when we were both at a club meeting. We played on a few intramural teams together through the organization and that's really where that story ends. Fast forward to Christmas Eve 2013, my family and I are sitting in St. Gertrude's Catholic Church in my hometown for midnight mass. During the mass, there was this woman singing loudly, and off-key, in the back of the church. I noticed this group of guys laughing (semi-loudly) so I turned around and looked to see who it was. I wasn't 100% certain that one of the guys laughing was Ryan, but then I noticed his brother Eric who I had previously met. So, I basically ran out the door after mass to see what Ryan could possibly be doing in my small hometown. We hung out the next day while he was in Kingsville and texted back and forth for a little bit in the coming weeks but that's really where that story ends. Fast forward (ONE MORE TIME) to Thanksgiving 2014, and sure enough Ryan and I see each other again at mass in Kingsville. After that, it was (FINALLY) the girl meets boy, love at "first" sight, kind of story!

To celebrate the end of me finishing another semester of graduate school, Ryan and I decided to take a trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas. That location has a special place in our hearts, since the first time we went to visit we made so many wonderful memories. This trip we decided to invite our parents with us, so that they too could see the beautiful little town, woodland gardens and all glass chapel that we fell in love with on our first visit (or so I thought). We purposely chose to re-visit in December so that we could see the gardens covered in Christmas lights. So just like the first time, we went to go see the woodland gardens but decided to see the chapel before it got dark. (I can't quite put into words what it is about this chapel, but there's something about seeing it that takes your breath away. I remember the first time Ryan and I saw it I said if only we could get married here.) We took a few pictures inside, then went outside to take some more. As the photos continued, Ryan couldn't seem to find one that "he looked good in". But when the right time came, he turned to look at me, said "Laura" and I knew exactly what was happening. He didn't get any other words in before I broke into the biggest bout of ugly tears that brought him up off the knee that he had just got down on. After he had calmed me down, he tried one more time to properly propose to which I once again started crying. Since we couldn't get married there, he made sure to do the next best thing by proposing at this magical location. Neither of us can actually remember if I said yes or not, but what we can say is that it is easily the best day that we have ever been able to share together as a couple. It filled us with happiness, excitement, and all the love that we have for each other.