Michael and I met in the Schmidt's backyard at some point in middle school... the timing we both are unsure of and continue to debate this topic regularly. We barely talked in person, but would always catch each others eyes' while the guys played basketball and the girls' watched. I knew it was something special...twenty years ago! He was the sweet boy from Kansas and oh so cute! We would stay up late chatting on AIM. At one point, I even got the computer taken out of my room because it happened too many nights in row and I got caught staying up WAY too late! We would watch The OC together, meet at Priory Park or Concordia Field to watch the stars, and I could always count on him to "skitch" me on his bike to Panera or 7/11 for a slurpee. He was my first love.

Many years after Sheila and I dated in middle school I got a text on Saturday night around 7:30pm. Apparently Sheila had a couple margaritas (the size of her head as you an see in the picture) and decided to see if I still lived in Chicago. I didn't have the number saved, but I still had the number memorized so I knew who it was. I played it cool, and invited her over for dinner the next day. I made dinner for us and even convinced her that I was the type of person to eat a pre-meal salad. She was very impressed.

The night I went over to Michael's, I remember one of the first things I told him was that I was moving back to Nashville early summer. My lease was up end of March and after being back in Chicago for 3.5 years and not settling down... it felt like the right thing to do. This plan changed very quickly.

About 3 or 4 weeks into dating, Michael insisted I join him at his parents for family dinner. It was one of those 70 degree days in March, he picked me up in an Uber, and I was excitedly nervous the whole way there. We pulled up to the house I have been to plenty of times before... and we could hear the crowd from the street when we pulled up. I had no idea what I was in for!

My family can be a little bit loud, but they sure are fun! My mom made meatballs, and Sheila showed up in a cream colored sweater. I told her, if she could go through dinner without spilling red sauce on her sweater, I would propose to her right there and then. Sheila spilled on her last bite… but of course she crushed her first of many family dinners.

A year and a half later...I was ready to propose to Sheila. I had the ring. The photographers (who happened to be her best friends). And the perfect place. Sheila was at a bridal shower and would be at "Family Dinner" around 3. I asked her to meet me at the park we used to hang out at as kids. I think by the time she got there she might have known what was happening. I hit my mark and asked the love of my life to marry me and I couldn’t be happier with the answer.

Now let's make this official!