On September 30th, 2024 I had the surprise of my life. 


Mark had made arrangements to go fishing with his life-long friend (and Best Man - Gerry), that evening, or so I thought he had. I had made plans to go “out” with my cousin, Gretchen, for what had started to be just dinner, but at times she was talking about going out to a bar or “who knows what”. 

Now mind you, Mark and I work all day and each night, like clock work, Mark and I go visit my dad at the memory care facility. So I wasn’t really in the mood for much more than dinner. Not to mention that I had my stubborn mind made up that I wanted to try out a restaurant called Whiskey Cake. 


So the Saturday started and I’m kind of lazy and Mark decided that he was going to go meet Gerry at the store in the middle of the day to look at fishing stuff, BEFORE they went night fishing. OK, not impressed, but whatever. Somehow, I’m still gonna get dressed, Gretchen is gonna finish work and then come over after work, and we are going to dinner. We shall see. Oh, and Gretchen and I are somehow going to make it to go see my dad before we go to dinner. Well somewhere along the way, I get a phone call from Gretchen that she wants to go to Eddie V’s and she made a reservation for 6 pm. I’m slightly put out but whatever. So much for Whiskey Cake I guess. I talked to Mark since it becomes apparent that there is no way I will be able to make it to dad. Being the sweetheart that he is, he offered to go see dad before he goes to meet Gerry to go fishing. All is good. 

Yeah, no. Gretchen gets to our house about 4:30 or so and I’m asleep in a chair and haven’t showered yet and there is no way I have time to wash my hair or paint my nails. I have time to shower and do makeup and that’s it. Clothes were an entirely different topic as is evident by what I was wearing. I was planning on a girls night with my cousin, not a wedding proposal. I was lucky I found clothes that fit and that I had heels on. Gretchen did good to get that much accomplished from someone as stubborn as I can be. 💗





What happens after we arrive at Eddie V’s can only be described as something from a movie script. Mark had orchestrated the most unbelievable surprise proposal, it was amazing. 

Gretchen and I walked in and were seated in the small, private party room at an intimate table for two, where the middle of the room had been set up for a mock 21st Birthday Party. 

We ordered our magnificent cocktails and into the room walks my nephew and his wife Kyle and Colleen Richter from Spring, Tx. They had come to dinner since they were flying out the next day to go on vacation. We started chatting and then they asked if they could sit down and join us. I texted Mark to tell him he was missing the chance of seeing them and he couldn’t believe they were there. 
A few minutes later, I look towards the door and in walks Marks aunt and uncle Ronny and Brenda Everett from Salado, Tx. I walked over to greet them and find out why they were all the way down at the Arboretum, and they explain that they come there all the time since it is only 45 minutes away. I was so shocked. I made introductions and was excited to see them. 

I sat down for a second and in walks Marks sister and brother-in-law, Tom and Joan Ancy, from Conroe,Tx, who were at Eddie V’s to meet Tom’s mom and his sister who live in Georgetown. Again, I made introductions and then sat down with Gretchen for a few minutes while I explained to her that I was concerned about what to do since Mark’s family was standing on one side of the room and I felt like we needed to order our food so that we wouldn’t have an issue with getting finished before the Birthday party started at 8pm. 

Well, as I wondered what I was going to do and had gone over and was talking to Mark’s family some more, in walks my best friend from college, Nydia Heintz and my dear, long-time, personal and professional friend Mona Oliver, both from Austin, Tx. Nydia was there for her Birthday and Mona was there for a Bumble date. 

Again, I made introductions. 

Finally, my aunt Barbara and uncle Kenneth Richter and cousin Karl, from Madisonville, Tx, all walked through the door (Gretchen’s parents and brother) and Kris Norton (Gretchen’s now Fiance). 
In case anybody is curious, it wasn’t until this point in time that I actually figured it out that Mark was not fishing and there was something else going on. 
Mark then walked through the door within 5 or 10 minutes. 


He made a beautiful speech and then got down on his knee and proposed to me at the same restaurant he took me on our first date. 
I said yes!! 💗🥰💍