We have quite a long history, so I will give you a summary. Since we have grown up together there was not an "at first sight" moment, but we have shared a special friendship for years. Sharing the same friends and hanging out a lot laid a foundation for our relationship to begin in January 2005. Our first date marked the beginning of our journey together for the next four years.

On our first date, Mikel arrived looking quite handsome with flowers for me. He was such a sweetheart opening the door for me into his truck and as we went into Mexican Inn. It was so romantic. The best part was that we did not have to do any "getting to know one another" small talk. We immediately starting cracking jokes with one another. That is one thing we really enjoy and admire about each other: our sense of humor. The laughs we have shared are why four years have gone by so quickly.

Just shortly before we celebrated our four year anniversary, Mikel took me on a horse drawn carriage ride in Highland Park on December 17th. He had planned this Christmas surprise for me. I thought we were just going to look at Christmas lights until Mikel got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. After that the ride is sort of a blur, but I do remember that our driver serenaded us the rest of the night. Looking back upon that night makes me think how God's plan has guided us together. As we were searching and finding a best friend, we also found the person we desire to spend the rest of our lives with.