Allie's version of how they met

When I first saw Steve in 1994, he was surrounded by women at the end of our hallway (we lived in a co-ed dorm at Penn State). Since he was obviously preoccupied, and I already had my own group of friends, we never really said much except the occasional "hello" in passing. There was one time, and he'll always deny this story, when I tried to say more than a hello to him and he flat out ignored me. Okay, so at that time he was trying to pick up this friend of mine (who looked like a model). He was sitting in her room with his back to the door. I stopped by to say good night to her and she introduced him to me. He just turned and said "hey" in the MOST boring tone. Mr. Stuck Up, I thought, and left it at that.

Months later, we started running into each other more often around campus and in the dorms. It was at this time that he actually started talking to me. He turned out to be quite the witty guy with a great sense of humor. We started hanging out together with mutual friends and a friendship formed from there.

Fast forward to the Summer of 95. A group of us decided to stay at Penn State for summer session, including the two of us. By this time, we had become really good friends and did almost everything together. He was someone I could trust and confide anything to without feeling like I was being judged. The one thing I never really got used to were "the girlfriends". Yes, Mr. Stud man was also dating five women at once. Casual dating, nothing really harmful, and they all knew about each other. Personally, this is not my style but I wasn't about to tell him what to do with his personal life.

THEN, one night, he turns and asks ME out. "Wha?" I say, "...and become part of your collection?" No way. I told him that I preferred one boyfriend at a time and that I didn't share. I was also nervous about dating someone that I had been friends with for some time. He seemed a little upset but was okay with that. But weeks later, he asked me out again. I told him the same story and he backed away again. Finally, it seemed that he had given up. Fortunately, by this time, I had started to become interested in him. So, I asked HIM out on one condition...if he was serious about having us work out, then he would have to take us seriously. The other women suddenly disappeared...and now I'm stuck with one of the most handsome, smartest, thoughtful and caring man I've ever met. I'm a very lucky girl.

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Allie's version of the engagement

Steve proposed to me on my 28th birthday. I had a feeling he was going to by the way he had been acting the past few months. Normally, Steve is a good humored, casual and witty guy. Right before the engagement, he had become very reflective and quiet (more quiet than normal) and he kept mentioning phrases about "the rest of OUR lives" and "when WE have kids". I did not know EXACTLY when he would propose, I just had a feeling that he would.

The day he did propose started out with a huge bouquet of red roses and an "I Love You" bear at my office. The bear arrived later in the afternoon but the roses were delivered right in the middle of an all staff meeting, so everyone in my office could see them. (Nice touch!)

Before we went out for dinner that night (which is when I thought he would propose) we were sitting and talking in our living room. The scene was almost too perfect...the weather was comfortable, the sun was setting, the birds were chirping and our cats were snoozing around us. Steve got on his knees and said that he had something important to say to me. He told me that he loved me, that he always loved me, for my warmth and compassion, my humor, my intellect (and some other stuff that I can't for the life of me remember because I started to tear up at this point) and would I do the honor of being his wife.

Rather than immediately saying yes and spilling my tears all over the place, I thought I'd play one last trick on him. In a way, it was to get back at him for waiting so long. ;-)

I told him that I would think about it.

The look on his face was priceless. But I immediately told him that I was only joking and that yes, of course, I would love to marry him. How could I not say yes to the most handsome, loving, caring, thoughtful, intelligent man I know?

And here we are today.

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Steve's version of the engagement

Over the past few years I realized that I absolutely could not live without this warm, compassionate, funny, intelligent, beautiful woman by my side. Nothing was real to me unless I told it to her, no plans were constructible without her thoughts, and no dream could be explored without her unwavering support.

I proposed to Allie on her birthday, April 11, 2002. It was a quite, warm, beautiful day in Northern Virginia. Birds were chirping, cats were sleeping, and I was already on my knees (as I often am) talking to Allie as she sat on our loveseat. I had already made up my mind that I would propose that evening, but I was so moved by the tranquility of the moment and the warmth of our home, that I decided to ask her before the moment slipped by. To my surprise she told me "I'll think about it." I was stunned. That was not the answer I was expecting. Surely, I thought, she must have been joking. But in a rare moment of complete deadpan she appeared unmoved. Not knowing what to do, I squeaked out "What?" She smiled and laughed, then said "Yes, I was just teasing you." I was elated, and yet confused. That was the first time she had pulled a fast-one of that magnitude on me, and I just asked her to be with me forever! I knew then, that I would be in for a ride.

Apparently, that quick repost was designed to get back at me for past transgressions. There is a great, and completely unfounded, rumor that I was quite the ladies man in college, and that I had completely ignored her when we first met. It had been said that I was "working my way down the hallway" of our dorm searching out for single women and had ignored her "because I wasn't at her end yet". These are all rumors, do not believe any of them. I have no counter information to provide, because I cannot believe that anyone would accept such mendacities at face value.

:)

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