The One

August 24, 2022, was the day of my first date with Caitlin. We started the evening at Superior Grill on Government Street and followed it up with axe throwing. I thought it was a unique idea to make the date memorable, and for some reason, I am very good at it. From the start, our chemistry was evident, filled with playful banter at the restaurant. The real fun began when we discovered our competitive sides during the 2022 Axe Throwing Championship in lane 4 at Civil Axe Throwing on Government Street. Caitlin made impressive progress, going from struggling to stick an axe to hitting bullseyes by the end of the night. From that day forward, Caitlin and I started hanging out and talking constantly. We enjoyed everything from Build-a-Bear to state fairs, country music concerts, painting pumpkins, and her first time at Alex Box. At Alex Box is when I started to realize Caitlin was the one. Initially, she wasn’t much of a sports fan, but you wouldn’t know that now as she passionately curses the officials over bad calls. She embraced my love for sports, showing that something that once meant little to her to become an important part of our lives together. This feature of dedication and compassion extended to all aspects of her life, as she invested so much into ensuring all her loved ones' success. She truly is everything I could want in a partner—my missing piece.

The Proposal

Proposing to Caitlin is a story I could share at length. When I worked at Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF), I never gave Caitlin a tour of the stadium because I knew she would be my person. I envisioned proposing on the field, a place where opponents’ dreams come to die but where my dreams would come true. I began planning with my old co-workers, Morgan and Bailey, to create a believable reason to get into the stadium and a plan for once we were there. After coordinating with LSU Athletics, the plan was set. With the help of my former boss, Ross, and Morgan and Bailey, we executed it flawlessly. I told Caitlin we would be celebrating our anniversary the weekend of LSU's game at South Carolina and asked her to dress up for a nice dinner. Before heading out, we made a stop at the stadium, where Morgan and Bailey would be holding some old baseball memorabilia for me, knowing I love to collect LSU items. Ross, who “just happened to be at the stadium cleaning up after an event” bumped into us. He invited us to take a tour. After we took a brief tour, and as we opened the doors to the tunnel and tapped the win bar, it began to pour rain, almost poetically. After about 30 seconds, the rain suddenly stopped. We stepped onto the field, where I proposed and revealed our hidden photographer, Grant Rembert. There is were we created a memory for us that will last a lifetime, and a spot I can point to in the future and tell our children, “That’s where Dad asked Mom to marry him.” I have never been more certain about anything than that Caitlin is my forever. I can’t wait for our lives together and all the adventures life will take us on.

Travel

Home2 Suites by Hilton Hammond

Courtyard Hammond

Historic Michabelle Inn