Trisha is entering her last year of college at Marymount University in Arlington, VA, where she is studying to be a nurse. When she's not rushing between classes,
clinicals, and the library, she is a part-time nanny for a wonderful family. Upon graduation, she wants to continue her work with children and become a pediatric nurse of some kind.
John just graduated from the American University in Washington, DC, with degrees in History and Economics. He is a brother in the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and counts his fraternity brothers among his
closest friends. Throughout college John was actively involved in Air Force ROTC, and he is now a 2nd Lt. on his way to Air Force training.
We met in the Junior ROTC program at Rancho Cucamonga High School. The professor thought it would be a good idea to sit us next to each other, since John was a goody-two-shoes know it all, and Trisha was quiet and shy. At first, Trisha thought
John was mean and scary, but it turned out he wasn't so bad.
WHEN WE GOT ENGAGED
July 28, 2007
HOW IT HAPPENEDJohn was studying at the London School of Economics for the summer, and Trisha came to visit. After spending a week in the
English countryside, we went to Brussels and then to Paris. Our first night in Paris, we went to Montmarte, and had a wonderful dinner at a back alley restaurant. After much embarrassment (and a little help from the guests at the next table) we learned
how to remove escargot from its shell. After dinner we walked around Montmarte's hilly and crooked streets found a gated park near the Sacre Coeur. The gates were already locked, but John (not exactly the rule breaking type) suggested we hop the
fence and sit on a bench so we could watch the sunset and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Throughout our journey we had been struggling with the language, and we had been relying on our little French pocket dictionary for help. While flipping
through the book, John asked Trisha something from the dictionary (not really French, but he tried). Then he asked what Trisha thought he meant (look up "will you marry me" in french... it rhymes with an anatomical term in English). Trisha said what it
sounded like, we laughed and then he handed her the translation book so she could see for herself. He then got down on one knee while Trisha was focused on finding the translation. She finally found it (it took awhile...), and was shocked to see what
it meant. All she could ask at this moment of romantic climax (and sheer terror for John) was "Are you kidding me?" At this moment, John realized he needed some backup, so he pulled out Trisha's great grandmothers wedding ring (which he had
dutifully carried around Europe as if he were Frodo Baggins). Feeling a bit nervous that Trisha still might not get it, John sputtered out some mess of wanting to spend the rest of his life with Trisha, none of which she heard. Instead she became a sobbing
mess, and John, fearing that he had somehow missed something and made a giant fool of himself, began to cry a little (this is rumored, but not confirmed). Between sobs, he repeated the question (in English this time), only to receive more wailing
sobs in return. Finally, in one last desperate move, John asked, "Well do you?" Trisha, realizing that she had forgotten to answer in between her tears of joy said, "Of course!" At this moment, the heavens opened up, a group of onlookers began to clap
and cheer (while probably thinking to themselves, "man, that was close"). A moment later, the sun having just set, the Eiffel Tower burst into its dazzling spectacle of sparkling lights, and John and Trisha ventured into the city in engaged bliss.
Afterward, John was pretty pleased that, having gone into the whole ordeal without any kind of a plan, it turned out perfect and seemed as if it were out of a movie.
Wedding Date is July 3, 2009!!!
Posted on 07/19/2008 at 11:28 am |
yay!!! congrats!!!
looks like 2009 is when alot of us are moving back to SoCal!!!
BBQ and drinks for sure!!!