How We Met// Reese and I met though a mutual friend in the "year of 21's"-- the year everyone turned 21 and blow out parties were a constant on everyone's weekend calendar. She was my friend from college, his friend from high school, and it was her turn to participate in her slice of the year of the 21's and Reese and a few friends from Louisiana came down to Texas to celebrate. We met, talked, and he made me a margarita before asking my name (something, he finally admitted recently, he knew because of Facebook stalking the guest list for her "single" friends). The rest wasn't exactly history, but an all night Facebook chat, another visit to Texas and the movie Cruel Intentions started to sway my opinion of this new boy in my world.
We officially started dating on May 29, 2010 when he asked me to be his girlfriend on the swing on the dock at his family's lake house. A party followed suit (not for us... just cause parties are fun when you are 21) and 4.5 years, 6 cities, countless hours in the car, and approximately 1 million miles driven, we are here.
How He Asked// Reese had spent the last 3 months training in North Texas for his new job. He was graduating from the program and I had sick days to burn, so I decided to take two days off of work and celebrate his graduation on Thursday and then drive back to Louisiana with him on Friday. Friday morning I got up, knowing it would be a driving day, threw on yoga pants and a t-shirt on and hit the road. When we got to his house his mom immediately asked us to run up to their lake house and fix a speaker on the dock that had been damaged in a storm. Reese protested fairly loudly and although I didn't vocally object we had made plans to hang out with friends and a 45 minute drive up to the lake wasn't on the top of my to-do list. Thirty minutes later, though rolled eyes Reese said we would run up to and fix the speaker. Still wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt and knowing that we would soon be meeting up with friends, I stood up and declared I was going to go change clothes. Reese protested. I went and changed under a barrage of "hurrryyyyy upppp's". (All I have to say on this matter is thank god for my female intuition to change clothes because I reallllllly didn't want to get engaged in yoga pants.)
We headed up to the lake chatting the whole time about vision insurance and road work projects... it was some really romantic stuff let me tell you! I didn't suspect a thing.
Once we were at the lake Reese proceeded to fix the dock speaker... which now that I am thinking about it I have no clue whether it was actually broken or not. After he finished with the speaker he asked if I wanted to sit on "the" swing. Now you have to know that for YEARS every time we went up to the lake I would beg Reese to sit on "the" swing on the dock where he asked me to be his girlfriend. Most of the time the answer was "no" or we would sit for a few moments and then quickly move on leaving all hope of any romantic moments, so I kinda just gave up asking to sit on the swing. I, wanting to get back to town, told him "no, lets just get going". He persisted and we sat.
A few whirlwind moments, some sweet sweet words and one ring later we were engaged on the same dock at the same lake on the same swing we had started our relationship. It was perfect, and us, and everything I ever wanted.
When we got home, after calling all my friends and family, we were met by some of our closest friends who in striking accord greeted us with a resounding "about time" followed closely with "congratulations". I am seriously so lucky to have inherited this group of crazies over the part 5 years!
Fun Facts about our Engagement//
1. I have paid at least a semester of a Vietnamese students tuition with months of nail preparation for Reese to pop the question. So no, I didn't know just because my nails were done.
2. Reese actually had the ring tied to his belt loop with dental floss to avoid dropping the ring in the lake. Which was the cutest thing ever.
3. His parents came after the actual proposal to snap some recreated pictures... hence my goofy because-of -delirious-happiness face.
4. The first person other than family to congratulate us was the insurance representative Reese insisted we call first because ya know #adults
5. Man am I glad I changed clothes.
We are so happy and feel so blessed to have so much support and love. We felt every bit. Thank you for your kind words and continued prayers as we enter this new and very exciting chapter of our lives TOGETHER... in the same city (eventually)!
