We are so excited to celebrate with all of our friends and family!

I was sick to my stomach. There we were, Tori and I, swirling and twirling atop Rehoboth Beach’s most pedestrian rollercoaster at the local “FUNLAND” that was anything but. Admittedly, I don’t do well with rollercoasters. It’s the lurch for me. But seeing the pre-teens in the cart next to us virtually yawn of boredom didn’t help. I looked over at Tori, cheerfully waving her hands in the air, clearly having a better time than I…and something came out. This wasn’t the first time that feelings of uneasiness had entered our relationship. Rewind to July 7, 2018, when Toots and I went on our first date. She had just moved from California to DC for graduate school, and I decided to play tour guide at one of DC’s finest attractions: the U Street Corridor. We were feeling dangerous that evening and asked our bartender if he could make us a custom beverage based on several criteria that we felt befit two young adults enjoying a night out – “something with tequila…but also refreshing…and with ice, also.” To our delight, the bartender returned with a delicious concoction and we were eager to learn the name of his new cocktail. The bartender paused, glanced at the two of us, and replied, “first date jitters.” Ironically, this calmed our nerves and we went on to have a fantastic first date, that led to a second, a third, and so on. Over the next couple years, Tori and I built our relationship on love and support of each other’s endeavors. She completed her Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology, while I advanced my career in the government industry. What I love about Tori is her selflessness; her ambition and passion in her field inspires me, her care and affection for people moves me, her INDECISIVENESS to EVER decide what to eat motivates me to learn the entire Uber Eats menu. My favorite part, however, is her honesty and patience to talk things out, even when things get tough, which motivates me to be a better partner every day. Perhaps the toughest test to our relationship was when I received orders to depart for military training. To go from hanging out almost daily, to not seeing each other for nearly a year, was difficult to say the least. Tori and I would have limited communication to include letters and occasional phone calls. While I was away, Tori wrote me every day. From trivia and news updates, to handwritten heartfelt letters. Anytime I had a moment to myself, I thought, I’m marrying this girl. On October 27, 2021, two months after returning, I proposed to her in Key Largo, Florida, with her friends and family. I don’t regret it for a moment, but don’t ask me what happened after I dropped down on one knee. Despite the first date jitters, every moment of happiness, confusion, loss, and anger, I thank God we went through it together and made it to where we are today. And it all started on that rollercoaster, when I saw that beautiful, carefree, loving girl next to me, and in a moment of instinct, something came out. The words, “if we survive this ride, will you be my girlfriend?” Jokes on the bartender. I still get the jitters. 😉