The Early Days

Olivia and I knew of each other and took a Spanish class together our sophomore year, but we never really talked until senior year, when we were two of the few seniors in a year-long art class.

I was coming into my senior year thinking I didn't want to date anyone and imagined myself going into college with a clean slate and a new crowd of people. Inevitably, it seemed, Olivia did not let that happen, and I can't look backward or forward without knowing how lucky I am that it worked out the way it has.

Since we saw each other every day at the same art table, Olivia and I started to get to know each other better. It was fun to grow in relationship with her and I definitely enjoyed that class more than I ever thought I would. A turning point for me was on the night of our senior dinner dance during second semester. I could forget most of what happened that night, but I couldn't forget her! I remember how I felt when I was leaving that dance after seeing Olivia and spending some time with her. I was so happy. She was beautiful, she was fun, and I knew from that night that I had a crush on her.

Since I came into the year not thinking I wanted to date someone, I realized that I had really just complicated things. Talking turned into GamePigeon text games, those turned into real conversations, and soon enough, we were having awkward conversations about prom. I like to joke that Olivia cornered me as I was walking into religion class one day to ask about prom, but even if that's a little dramatic, she was the brave one who put herself out there. Who knows how many conversations about prom happened after that, but we both knew that we would love to go with the other. Even though I was too scared to ask and she received no fun promposal, she still wanted to go with me.

We went to prom the week before we graduated and had a blast. It was like the night I knew I had a crush on her, except this time, she was my date! I had so much fun with her at the dance and at the party at our friend's house that I didn't want that night to end.

After prom, we continued to hang out regularly and get to know each other more and more. I liked Olivia a bunch, but I was so nervous about me leaving for college that once again, I never had the courage to officially ask her out. Well once again, I thank God that Olivia had the gumption to tell me how she felt, and that her bravery gave me the courage to ask "So do you want to do this boyfriend-girlfriend thing?". Yes, I did say that. Was it the smoothest? No. But it's a fun memory that brings us joy every time we think about it.

We both started college and started to figure out how to go about long distance. Many long FaceTimes, several amazing visits, and a multitude of supportive friends helped us grow in our relationship and love, and although the separation was never ideal, we learned a lot about ourselves and about the sacrifices that love entails, and we are all the better for it. Whenever we would reflect on the start of our relationship or talk about our future, prom and my lack of a true promposal seemed to come up often, and Olivia would give me a friendly reminder that she was not going to ask me to marry her and that I was on my own for that. I knew this, and I knew that she was the one, so I really wanted to deliver...

The Proposal

Talking with Olivia about our future always got me excited, especially when it came to engagement and marriage. For most of my senior year, I was pondering what the right time for a proposal would be. Olivia had talked about living in the same state for a little bit before getting engaged, so I eventually thought that 6-12 months after we graduated would be the best time. I took her ring shopping for our 4th anniversary in June, which was a very big help for me! I began to brainstorm proposals and pick the perfect ring in early August. I knew that I would have to use all of my creative juices to really surprise Olivia, who is prone to guessing movie endings and seeing what's coming. I found the ring and was so, so pleased, and I had an idea for the proposal on an August night while driving to her house. I was going to use my love for memory boxes and her love for going through photos of us (and her competitiveness) to create a memory box date night that would catch her completely off guard. To ensure the surprise even more, I made a whole date calendar for the month of November, and picked November 18th as the day to ask her. Sure enough, the amazing decoy dates did the trick and had her on her toes. When it came to the 18th, I was so ready. The ring had been in my room for almost 2 months and I was eager to see it on her hand. The night went perfectly! We had an amazing dinner and an even better time going through memories from the last 4 1/2 years, all leading up to the memory we made that night, when I finally got on one knee and asked Olivia to be my wife with a boldness that I had never been known to have. Even though my hands were apparently dripping with sweat, she happily said yes!

I know that I still have a lot to learn in order to be the best husband I can be, but God has given us this great vocation and great joy to live out together, and I can't wait for Olivia to be my wife!

Photos