Our story begins in the summer of 2013, we started working together in a nursing home kitchen. As we continued to work together a friendship began to blossom. The first time we hung out was a complete accident. I wanted to go to Sheetz after work, and Tyler, being nosey like always, was listening and offered to drive. While my friends backed out, I still was willing to go with Tyler. He had to come meet my mom before I was allowed to ride in the car with him. We spent the night talking and growing our friendship. We would continue to hang out throughout the next year.

Fast forward to August 2015, I was attending college in South Carolina. Tyler and I would talk from time to time, but not very often. That February, I got a phone call from Tyler telling me he had been in a car accident. I was concerned about his well being, while Tyler only cared that his tools were scattered all over in the snow. From that point on, we started talking more, but still off and on. When I returned home for the summer, Tyler reached out and wanted to hang out. I was a bit hesitant, but agreed to go. We spent the entire summer going on Sheetz runs, hanging out with Tyler’s friends, and riding in the woods. This would be the first time I came home covered from head to toe in coal dirt. I think this is when my family knew something was special about Tyler.

October 2016, Tyler and I were both home from college for fall break. Tyler asked if I wanted to go on a picnic to Locust Lake. This is where Tyler officially asked me to be his girlfriend. That fall, I would transfer to Lock Haven University to continue my education due to medical reasons. Since Tyler was so close at Penn Tech, we would continue to date and hang out.

In 2020, when we are at the height of the pandemic, Tyler and I both graduated college and needed to decide what we are going to do next. We decided it was best to both move back in with our parents due to all the unknowns of the pandemic. Tyler started his project manager career and I started teaching Preschool. Throughout the year Tyler and I talked a lot about where we would live and what we wanted to do. It was in July of 2021, when Tyler accepted a job offer with Ryan Homes, which meant Tyler was moving to Delaware, and I was going with him. I would start working as a teacher and Tyler would continue his project manager career. We were both working towards our dreams.

I would continue to annoy Tyler about getting engaged. I would even make shirts for the holidays stating that we were still not engaged. In January 2023, Tyler bought a ring and hid it in the garage, not knowing how or when he wanted to propose. One weekend, my mom and dad came to visit. Tyler and my dad made a trip to Home Depot. While driving, Tyler said to my dad “ I think it’s about time I did this” and handed my dad the receipt for the ring. My dad said “it’s about time”. That was their extent of the conversation and they went on talking about whatever they were going to Home Depot for. A few months later, Tyler and I welcomed our niece into the world in. After getting a facetime from his sister to meet her,, Tyler and I argued about who was going to hold her first. Tyler jokingly said that I was not even her real aunt to which I replied that it was his fault. This is when Tyler hatched an idea. He quickly called his mom and asked her to get a onesie made. Three days later, we went to his nan’s house to meet our new niece. When I saw Tyler’s sister pull up, I told him to go out to the car and help her with the baby unknowingly feeding into his plan. When they came into the house, Tyler’s sister said the baby needed to be changed and took her in the bathroom and Tyler went in with them. I started telling his mom and nan that Tyler only went into the bathroom, so that he could hold the baby before me. Tyler came out of the bathroom holding the baby, and told me to read her onesie. The onesie said “Will you be my real aunt?” and she was holding my ring. I was so surprised and never expected Tyler to propose in this way! Of course I held my sweet baby niece before putting on my ring. Here we are 11 years of friendship, 8 years of dating, and a little over a year engaged we are finally getting married!

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