I first saw Mat in our 8th grade PE class with Mrs. Ferguson. I immediately thought he was so cute and I definitely let all of my friends know. So my friends and I would stalk him at school, and for 4 months I obsessed over this guy I had never had any sort of conversation with, except for a small squabble over a volleyball call (which Mat does not remember). At least four times a day, my friends would go up to Mat and ask if he liked me and all sorts of things. We also went to the annual 8th grade trip to Washington DC/New York together; my friend Christine and I even played cards with Mat’s Dad, Dennis, in the hallway with a bunch of other kids; meanwhile, we are making comments on how he would be “my future Father-in-Law.” Needless to say…I was a typical 8th grader who was obnoxiously infatuated with some boy!

So, one night while talking online with my friends about Mat, aka Tam in our secret code (clever...I know), one of them suggested I just go and ask him out and that he was confident Mat would say “YES! Of course!” Doubtful, I disagreed. So he bet me to ask Mat and said “I will give you five bucks if he turns you down, I’m that positive.” Now, I am thinking…My friends want me to commit social suicide?? I don’t even know his last name! If he turns me down, I will be the butt of all the jokes, but on the plus side I’d be five dollars richer!! Lucky me! (Love the 8th grade drama, right?)

So with five dollars(and my sanity)on the line, I went up and said “Hi. Well, I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but would you go out with me?” and reluctantly he said “Sure.” I got a “sure!” Is this a “Sure”-I’ll-go-out-with-you-and-dump-you-next-week “sure” or a does he really like me???? Ends up, Mat really liked me! After having my friends harass him for 3-4 months, he still liked me. As a result, I lost five dollars, but in the end, it was COMPLETELY worth it because I am totally in love and have amazing memories and good times ahead of me and I couldn’t be luckier! So much for my first experience in gambling, huh?

The proposal actually starts a few years back when Jenn brought me to Catalina Island as a surprise for our anniversary. We had such a great time parasailing, dominating the miniature golf course, and eating Chex Mix on the beach that I knew when the time came, I had to ask her on Catalina. So everything had fallen into place; Jenn was out of town for a weekend and I was able to get the ring and talk to her parents, and the devious plan was already in place to head over to Catalina the following weekend for a belated Spring Break trip.

The day was perfect (except the choppy boat ride), and we again spent the day taking in the sights on Catalina, battling on the mini golf course, and enjoying the sun on the beach. We found our way over to a secluded rocky beach aptly named “Lover’s Cove”. We spent about an hour sitting there watching the glass-bottom boats and the snorkelers out in the water as I nervously rehearsed my lines in my head and waited for the moment to be right. Right before we were about to leave I was able to shakily get out, “You know I love you more than anything, and I wanted to take you somewhere special, somewhere that we both love to give you this something special”. Then I handed her a little box with a bow neatly tied on the top (which she had a hard time opening). When she opened the box I had her stand up and I got down on one knee, right there amid the rocks and the crabs and asked her to marry me which, to my amazement, she said yes to. And so goes the story of the middle school sweethearts who, with any luck, lived happily ever after.