Manuel and I met in 7th grade. We were on a class field trip. He was in the back of the bus with the "cool" kids and I in the front of the bus with the "smart" or not so cool kids. He came and sat next to me and I thought he was going to be mean or play a cruel joke as all the "cool" kids in the back of the bus were laughing.

I would open my locker and find love letters, drawings and gifts. The gifts always had something to do with Snoopy. A Snoopy shirt, a Snoopy stuffed animal, Snoopy cards. I became his Woodstock...It was not long after that field trip that I had my first boyfriend.

Eventually middle school came and went. We had our 8th grade graduation and soon summer break came. Everyone was excited for high school. Manuel called and informed me that he was going to a private school and was going to meet new girls at the local swimming pool and he would not be my boyfriend any longer.

I was devasted! I was supposed to marry him (well at least that is what I believed...) I would sing "She's in the love with the boy" over and over...Heartbroken, I went on to a public high school.

Luckily my best friend lived near him! I would keep tabs on his baseball games, where the next basketball game would be held, and even drive by his house. I guess I was a stalker!

Our paths would cross through out high school and on into college. He went to KU and I went to Avila. They are only about 45 minutes apart. Slowly my heart moved on...I did have a high school sweetheart as well as a college sweetheart...

The George Strait festival was a big thing to do in the summer in KC. My mom had bought four floor tickets. I went to the concert and ran into Manuel, his girlfriend, and friends. I was able to get them down to the floor area of the concert. Everyone danced and had a good time. The song "Carrying Your Love with Me" came on and Manuel and I were slow dancing. He told me that he loved me and had always loved me...I blew it off as he was drunk and his girlfriend was there...uncomfortable!

That was the last time I saw Manuel...and I did not take what he said to heart as I was in love with someone else, not Manuel.

A few years later.

One day I was with a friend who went to middle school with both Manuel and I, she knew how my heart would melt every time I would hear his name...she showed me a newspaper article featuring Mother's Day. There was a picture of Manuel, his Mom, and Sister. I laughed and thought why would she show me this? She said you should call him...I never did call...I had moved on (at least that is what I believed).

After college I took a job as an Office Manager at a graphic design company...one of my responsibilties was to answer the phones...ring ring...the caller ID popped up, Manuel Aquino. I found that odd and I answered, it was him...with that one hello...all of my hopes and dreams came back into focus.

We decided to meet for lunch at Minsky's in the River Market. I was so nervous...he pulled up in his little red escort. There was the same 7th grade little boy that I first fell in love with. I had never been so nervous in my life.

Manuel and I would meet as much as we could for lunch. It was always as friends, due to both of us being in relationships.

Time slowly moved on and both of our relationships ended. I did not want to jump into another one...I told Manuel that I just wanted to be friends. He said that would work for him as long as he could be my friend and in my life.

Slowly that friendship turned into the continance of our love story...19 years later, paths criss crossing over and over, a beautiful little daughter, Ella, and finally I am Almost An Aquino.

Christmas Eve 2007...after visiting five different family members homes for the holidays we finally made it home around midnight.

Exhausted and wanting to go to bed...Manuel wanted to do "Our" holiday tradition of opening our presents to each other at midnight. Grumpy and wanting to get into my pjs I said fine...let's get this over with.

He said that he did not have much but he wanted to add to his photo album (I created an album for him that I add to at each holiday that documents our lives). I thought great what a present! (Can you hear the sarcasm?)

We started to slowly look through the album and recollect on the past few years together and the fond memories. We got to the pictures of me 9 months preo, which was a sore subject as he had not proposed yet nor were we married when we had our daughter in Oct. 2006.

The last of the pictures were coming up and they were of our daughter, Ella. Manuel began to tell me how important both Ella and I were to him and that he wanted to spent the rest of his life with me. I looked down at the last picture of Ella and there sat in the middle of the pages a beauiful wedding ring set.

Manuel asked me "Would you spend the rest of your life with me?"

I said yes!

Antique, Hollywood Glamour! The photos below are our inspiration.

This is an electronic version of the invitaion I designed for our wedding a photo of the original is soon to come.

I was trying out the candles to see how they would burn in the glasses. I have three different heights of the candlesticks with the globes. They will be on the twelve tables in the theatre with a total of 36 candlesticks placed on square mirrors with ivory crystals sprinkled about.

The six tables outside the theatre will have 1 two foot vase per table filled with flowers and an assortment of three glass teacups around them. These tables may have mirrors and ivory crystals, I have not decided.

The other ten tables with have an assortment of the crystal teacups with mirrors and ivory crystals...

It is still a work in progress. Please let me know your thoughts and ideas! Only positive ideas and inspiration please.