Show and Tell Tuesday: How I Met my Hubby & Engagement

Today I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals for another Show and Tell Tuesday and this week I'll be sharing all about how my hubby and I met and how we got engaged. I love hearing love stories. There is nothing greater than love and I am that girl that tries to set everyone up because I just want everyone to have that person and feel the happiness I feel with my husband.

For us.. 

It all started back in April 2007. I decided to apply to a summer camp in the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania. After I was hired, new staff and returning staff can discuss topics on an online message board; what to pack, where to get food on days off, etc. I had asked a question about something on the message board and Mike (who was a returning staff member for his 2nd year at camp) answered my question. After that, he friended me on Facebook and we continued our conversation discussing camp. Over the next few months, we got to know each other, and I started to think "this guy is pretty great" and had a feeling we could possibly be something. I even told my sister, Gabby, and my best friend, Angie, before I left that I had a feeling about him. He seemed like such a great guy!

To get to camp, I took a bus from Massachusetts to NYC to the Poconos. A camp van driver picked me up and so when I arrived, it was dinner time and no one else had arrived at that time. So here I am, all alone, about to walk into a dining hall with over a 100 people that I don't know. The first person to stand up and introduce himself was Mike. There was an immediate connection, and honestly, I just knew. I know that sounds crazy, but I just knew. He invited me to sit at his table, introduced me to everyone, and helped me with my luggage back to the bunk (such a gentleman!). We spent the summer getting to each other and falling in love.

                                     

 At the end of the summer, we decided that we wanted to make this work long-term. Mike was going to school in Oregon, and I was going to school in Massachusetts, but we decided the distance was worth it to be together. 

Before Mike left for school, I had to take him to a Red Sox game for his birthday. We said our goodbyes thinking we wouldn't see each other again until December for Christmas.

Mike, however, surprised me in September for a weekend trip out to my school and to watch me play volleyball.

 Then I went out to California and Oregon for 3 weeks over Christmas break.

Then Mike came to see me in March over Spring Break and I took him to a Celtics game for my birthday.

 We spent another summer together at camp.  Before camp, we made the big decision to have me transfer to Oregon for school so we could take the distance out of our relationship. I was already planning on transferring from my current school and decided we should take a leap of faith. I found my own apartment and roommate and joined the Club Volleyball team. It was a big step in our relationship.

So in September 2008, I moved cross-country to continue my studies at the University of Oregon. We spent the year in Oregon and then another summer at camp.

On August 3, 2009, Mike and I got engaged. We spent the day with friends in Atlantic City on one of our days off from camp. Little did I know, Mike had the engagement ring with him the whole time.

That night, when we got back to camp, we headed down to the lakefront to look at the stars and talk. At one point when we were talking Mike stands up and takes me hand and tells me to follow him. He takes me to the spot where we shared our first kiss. Then he says to me "We had our first kiss here as boyfriend and girlfriend, and we're going to have our last". Then he says "I love you, I'm going to love you forever, will you marry me?" and takes the ring box out of his pocket and gets down on one knee. I was speechless. All I could utter was "of course!". We called our families, who already knew, to tell them the great news. Mike had asked for my parents blessing in the weeks prior to proposing. . Then we headed up to main campus to tell all of our camp friends. Everyone was so excited for us! I ran to tell my campers and they got so excited they literally pig piled me on to my bed! Mike's campers we so excited too! The next day, they made us a cake and we celebrated with everyone. It was such a special time for us and to share it with the people who have seen our relationship from the beginning was extra special. I couldn't have asked for a better engagement.

After camp, we celebrated some more with our families and took engagement photos.

We started wedding planning, and decided we wanted a long engagement. We were planning a wedding in Massachusetts all the way from Oregon and didn't want to rush and we wanted to finish school first. Our date was set for October 15th, 2011, 2 years and 2 months after we got engaged.

We couldn't wait for the day to finally get here and what a wonderful day it was!

Over three years into our marriage, I am more in love with my husband than the day we met. Our wedding day was beautiful, but our marriage is what is most important. We have our trials, but a lot of happiness too. He is my best friend and my partner. I couldn't have asked for a better man to spend my life with or a better father for our daughter. I feel truly blessed.

Happy Tuesday!