From Day 1

On March 21, 2012, I was introduced to a shy, southern boy with a deep southern accent in Destin, Florida. It was the night before I left to head home from my spring break trip with my Phi Mu sisters. My Phi Mu sister had invited some friends over for dessert. One of these friends was a boy whom I had never met. This boy was invited to go crabbing on the beach by my Phi Mu sister. I was laid back with all of my girlfriends and, as usual, wiped out after a day in the sun. However, I had such an urge to go walking on the beach and to go crabbing with these new friends.

Needless to say, I asked him to be my facebook friend the day after.

Less then a month later, my friends decided to plan a trip to a Braves game in ATL. When deciding what group to go with, I had one specific boy that I wanted to be invited. That southern boy I met in Destin. Thanks to mutual friends of both myself and the shy boy I went crabbing with, we were both invited to tag along. The closer the trip got, the more excited I become. Riding in the car back from a trip home to Tennessee, I texted one of my girlfriends going on the ATL trip suggesting our group to hang out before ATL.... Although, no one else did, I knew what I was doing :)

I ran into this Destin boy one time on campus. We made eye contact and he looked away and walked right on by. Something very out of nature happened. I yelled out, "Hey!" He looked back at me and came to sit beside me on the Samford fountain. We shared a quick conversation about the Braves weekend, neither one knowing of our double date plans for the upcoming Friday. 

Later that week I was "set up" on a double date with part of the group for the upcoming ATL trip. My date just so happened to be the Destin boy. After taking pictures of outfits and sending them to my mom and sister, I was ready to see the Titanic in 3D. 

The night ended and I immediately called my mom saying that I had met the nicest boy and if nothing else happened between us, then I really just wanted to be his friend. 

The ATL weekend was full of flirting and laugher! However, when we returned home, that shy boy gave me a side hug and we went our separate ways. 

I texted my best friends and consulted my future brother-in-law, Elizabeth's prince, at the Samford Caf about how this boy did not even ask for my number.

Then something happened that I wouldn't normally do. I got on Facebook and gave this boy my number. How desperate can I get?

To my surprise, I got a text the next day from my mysterious Braves crush inviting me to attend an intramural game with the couple from our double date.

That is when I turned my switch to "hard to get". I said that I had so much homework, but I would try my best. Little did he know, I cancelled an Education meeting I was supposed to be a part of, and left my group work early to make it to the game.


Fast forward to October 25, 2013.

I had loved dating my not-so-shy anymore, best friend and was excited for our future together. However, he was off to law school and we were letting him really focus on his first semester.

The weekend of October 25th was a random weekend that we both had free, so we decided just a couple of weeks before to meet at my home. Elizabeth's husband was gone for the weekend so she decided to ride home with me at the last minute. As we are driving home, I get calls and texts that are right on schedule for class breaks and times to be hitting the road from my, still to this day, biggest crush.

Elizabeth brings up marriage and we decide that Thanksgiving could be the first date that I could really foresee a proposal. Boy, was I surprised.

We pull in the neighborhood and down Hawthorn Place. I see my crush, who should still be on the road for several hours, jump off the front porch. "Wah" is all I can get out to Elizabeth. I begin crying and she tells me to park and get out of the car. Still crying and now shaking, I get out of the car and freeze. My crush tells me to walk to him on the front porch, which has hay bells, pumpkins, and fall flowers strategically placed. I was asked the question that I dreamed about as a little girl. I was given a Bible with my future name and T-shirts that represent one of our first memories of a Braves and Red's game.

My parents came out of hiding at the neighbors house, with binoculars and all. One of my best girlfriends came from the bushes and we all celebrated with a Champagne toast. I was filled in on the chaos of carving pumpkins and finding hay in our hometown just hours before I arrived. I also discovered that my dad gave permission the weekend before when my now future husband Ben drove a total of 8 hours just to take my dad to lunch.

Since October 25th, we have been shown so much love and have truly been blessed with such supportive families. I am so thankful I decided to go on my random night adventure crabbing with Ben, the boy with whom I will grow old with.

 Ben said he was "not looking for a girlfriend" ...little did he know, he was walking away with a wife :)