We're Finally Getting Married!!!!

We first met through friends. Our mutual friend Sara invited me to her house party for New Year's Eve after my original plans fell through. I was suppose to go Downtown Sarasota for the Pineapple Drop with my coworkers. I didn't end up going, so Sara had texted me saying she was having a party and to drop by. It was at this very party that I met Mike and all of Sara's coworker/friends from Publix. Mike and I started a friendship that night. We would hangout with the group throughout the week/weekend. 3 years later we started seeing each other casually until we decided to date one night.

After a few months of not speaking, Mike and I saw each other at a friend's going away party. I had been single for awhile, but had been missing something. After seeing Mike; I asked Mike out to get drinks and hang out. We were out bar hoping and drinking IRA's. While in Gulf Gate at "Chester's Reef" we were discussing our situation-ship. We decided that there was something more than just friendship. We said we would give it 3 months- all in. If we could make it through the Holiday Season which included our birthdays and & Valentine's Day; We could probably make it awhile. That was almost 10 years ago.

Christmas morning 2023. My mom and I had come home from church and was busy with opening gifts and eating breakfast. We were rushing to leave to go to Mike's Moms house for Christmas Day festivities. My mom reminded to check our stockings before we left. I reached into my stocking to find a small wrapped flat box. When I saw the box I remember thinking " Aw he got me earrings". When I opened the box, the Ring popped out. I blankly starred at Mike asking him what it was. He said "a ring". I asked him for clarification as to what kind of ring it was, when he said " well do you want to get married or not?" I screamed "F**k Yeah!". There many have been some other colorful language used during this whole thing. We were standing in our living room and he proposed. It was all caught on our Ring Camera.

I think about our relationship and how things have changed for us over the last 10 years. Its crazy to think that we've been together this long. We are each other's longest relationship. We have been through changes in careers, grief, loss, hardship, and just life. But everyday we still choose each other. We built/moved in to our house and have lived together for the last almost 4 years. I cannot imagine doing this life without Mike. We've had friends tell us that everything will change once we're married etc. I asked Mike after this, do you really think being officially Married will change anything. Mike told me no, other than our last names will be the same. We've begun the steps of building a life together like our home; I cannot wait to see what this next chapter has in store for us.