Engaged!

We're engaged! Tuesday, March 22nd. Cabrillo National Monument, near San Diego, California.

Here follows the account of the best (and most important) decision I've ever made (Ok, Annette had a part in it too). You can read it if you like, or else you can just enjoy the photo of us, the happy couple.

I met Annette in 2000 at Texas A&M; we were both members of the Wesley Fountation and did a lot of activities with the group (we particularly enjoyed going dancing on Thursday nights). On Easter weekend of that year, I asked Annette to come out to Utopia, TX and celebrate Easter with my family. We were just friends at the time, but something deep inside me said (or maybe it was God whispering) that I needed to find a way to convince her to come home with me. At the time she was studying for the CPA exam, but for some reason she agreed to make the trip. The adventure began in earnest that weekend.

When we started dating, netither of us expected the relationship would continue past the summer since Annette was moving out of town to begin work, and I had another year and a half of school before graduation. That summer Annette and her sister went on a backpacking tour of Europe and I attended summer school in Germany. After classes ended, we met up to do some traveling together and got to know each other even better over train rides through the Alps and dinners on the Italian Riveria. Over the next five years Annette and I grew closer through many more adventures, including a year that I spent in Salt Lake City while she remained in Houston.

After praying about the decision for over a year, I felt that it was time to take action in March of this year. Everything fell into place as Annette got a rare week long vacation and we planned to go visit her parents in Louisiana. At work, I received a bonus which helped finance the ring and a surprise trip to San Diego for Annette and I.

Everything was set as Annette and I traveled to Louisiana to see her family. We had a fun weekend there visiting with her parents and riding bikes on the Tammany Trace. On Sunday night I called my parents to let them know what I was planning, and on Monday I sat down with Annette's Mother and Father to ask for their blessing (while Annette was in another room folding 10 loads of laundry that she had brought with her). That evening I told Annette to pack for a trip.

The following morning we headed to the airport, and Annette finally found out our destination when we boarded the flight to San Diego. After arriving we decided to go for a drive along the coast down to Cabrillo National Monument. As we walked along the park, I worked up my courage and looked for a place to propose. Annette and I sat on a bench where we could see the sun beginning to set over the water, while a cold wind came blowing in off the Pacific.

Annette was about ready to head back to the hotel but I asked to take one last walk along the path on the edge of the steep hill. As we walked, I stopped suddenly to "tie my shoe." Realizing that my shoelace was not in fact untied, Annette quickly began to figure out what was going to happen. On my knee, I asked Annette to marry me and thankfully she said yes.

Annette and I have many things in common (most importantly a deeply rooted relationship with Christ), and where we have differences they are complimentary (for the most part!) . I'm overwhelmingly excited about starting a new chapter of life with Annette, and I'm pretty sure she feels the same way. Take a look at the photo and see for yourself. (Hopefully she isn't just excited about the ring!)