First, a little background: Sam and I have always known OF each other, we started out as neighbors living next to SMU while my brother and I were roommates at this time, but we never found occasion to hang out socially. Sam lived above us and would invite us to a 'social gatherings' and Nick would reciprocate, but I had never attended.

One day in February 2016, Sam asked Nick if he'd like to join him for a Dallas Stars hockey game against the St. Louis Blues. Nick was busy that night, but said, "Natalie's been wanting to go to a hockey game, you should ask her." And so he did. I had no interest in a relationship at the time and my intention was to go, have a good time and then set him up with one of my coworkers that LOVES hockey. She was the one who told me there were three periods in hockey, not four quarters. She also explained "icing" and told me who the top players were. I was prepared to help bring these two hockey lovers together...

So the plan was set - we'd head to the arena in Sam's truck and at some point I'd mention m coworker and set the two up ...

...But I had a REALLY good time with Sam, so I kept my mouth shut for another opportunity to hang out with him before I would introduce him to my coworker...

and then he NEVER called or texted me... (>.<)

(he says, "well, you were my friend's sister so I left it at that.") ...

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Finally, in spring 2016, I got a Snapchat from him one Friday while he was grilling steaks at his new condo. He told me the Stars were playing the St. Louis Blues again on TV and I asked if he had enough to share. "Are you inviting yourself?" he asked. (>.<) (eek he caught me) ... I try to back peddle but I ended up officially getting invited over. Nick had been to his new condo by then so I asked Nick if he could drop me off for what I might now call, our first date; A sports game, wine and steak. Can't get much better than that!

We began dating more seriously that summer, I was hesitant putting a boyfriend/girlfriend label for a while, but at a belated birthday dinner for him that fall, he asked me... "So, are we boyfriend and girlfriend?" Semi-confidently I reply, "Uh, Yes, sure. Boyfriend and Girlfriend." So Sam got a free dinner, and a girlfriend for his birthday and that was it. We were finally official.

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The theme of him leading the way continues with the first "I love you." Halloween night, while he and one of his Groomsmen, Charles, were out in these obnoxious BRIGHT YELLOW Minion onesies from the movie "Despicable Me" ... having a REALLY good time... he ventures to ask, and I quote, "Dare I Say I love you."

What Sam re-calls is my reply the day after saying "YouCantExpectMeToSayThat" as he looked big-eyed and bewildered, but I now know, he was just planting the seed to see how I'd react.

But the "I love you" stuck with me for a while and my reply was, well, not ideal... so the ball was now in my court. How do I say, " I love you" back?...

It was about a three-month wait. In January I gave him his Christmas present as we were heading out of town to East Texas to his family's lake house. It was a painting, with Chinese calligraphy saying, "I've fallen in love with you." (I was still coming to terms with saying it aloud... but it's really easy to say now <3 )

And there we have it, the almost one-year saga from being introduced, ghosted, re-introduced, dating, "Facebook official," Sam's "I love you" and my response months later

Now we're getting married in September!

(For those wondering, I told my co-worker that I need to see things through with Sam, but would introduce the two of them should nothing come of our relationship... obviously that never happened hahah)