Below is our story told by both Patty and John. There are 2 versions.

In 2006, the Cards won the World Series. I (Patty) was standing outside our new stadium (gravel lot where the old stadium used to be) with a disposable camera snapping pictures of the crowd.

John's Side: A group of friends and I headed to the PBR bar in ballpark village after a full morning and afternoon of tailgate shenanigans. As I peered across the over crowded dance floor to the bar on the other side of the room I saw her. It was as if the heavens opened up and shone their glorious lights down upon the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes upon. I had to meet this angel. So I quickly worked my way across the dance floor using my most seductive signature dance moves. I was within striking distance so I used one of my finishing moves, the ol' hip bump, and started to say hi. She immediately hip checked me with the force of a thousand suns, knocking me to my knees. As I struggled to regain my footing, it occurred to me that my dance moves were successful and she was clearly into me. I was in. Over the next hour or two I chatted her up, Made arrangements to ride the mechanical bull together(ask me later how that went), and got her phone number. The rest is history. True love at first sight. Aaah, say la V or something like that.

But here’s the kicker: later that year, while talking about the 2006 World Series, I (Patty) dug up those old photos I had taken outside Busch Stadium that I told you about in the beginning of the story, and there he was — John, right in front of me eight years before we “met.” Same gate, same spot, just waiting for the timing to be right.

And if you don't know the area... where I took this picture, is exactly where Ballpark Village was built (that gravel lot); which is where we "met"

So really, this story isn’t just about baseball, or fate, or synchronicity, or even a perfectly executed hip-check.

It’s about timing, persistence, and a little Cardinals Redbird magic. ❤️