How does every great love story start? I'm not sure but ours started in high school when this headstrong, and undeniably beautiful, girl made fun of the hair on my chinny chin chin. It's not that I was lacking in the facial hair department rather it was that it was long enough to be braided, and it was… Little did I know, her making fun of me sparked a fire inside of me that unknowingly drove me wild. Not thinking much of it at the time we started to hang out during school hours and eventually started to hang out outside of school.   The first time I saw her outside of school my jaw was floored. Same girl, far more flattering clothes. The more time we spent together the more I saw of who she really was, how she was and how she carried herself which led me to start grasping that my feelings for her existed and were growing fast. Pushing those feelings aside, not wanting to ruin what we had nor knowing if she felt anywhere close to the same, we continued to hang out and party together becoming the best of friends.   Close to the end of Senior year, as my feelings were disseminating, we had both unknowingly decided to attend the same college. Once we had found that out I realized my feelings weren't going anywhere which led me to go on what I can only explain as a brutal, uphill, crusade. I felt like Mario, running my way through level after level to save Princess Peach just to watch Bowser whisk her away to another castle.

How do you explain the best day of your life? Well, after making me chase her since the end of our Senior year of high school into our Sophomore year of college Shelby finally gave me a chance to take her out. I’m not sure if she was more impressed or annoyed with my persistence but I didn’t really care because I knew what I wanted, and I was going to pursue it to the ends of the earth. Castle by castle if I necessary.   Our first date was a double date, which didn't faze me because I had struck gold and was going to be rich either way. The plan was to go to the beach and walk along the shore after dark. I got ready, gave myself a pep talk in the mirror and went to the flower shop to get a bouquet of twelve white roses; the white representing the beginning of a divine relationship.   I pulled up to meet her but before I knocked on the door I took the flowers to the back of my vehicle to hide them. Once we got outside, I asked her to come help me grab the towels. Her first thought was “You really need help with some towels?”, giving me my first taste of the incredible difficulty of trying to lead this woman into a surprise. Needless to say, she was not expecting the roses. Feeling accomplished in almost getting her flustered I felt I was off to a good start, so we loaded up and headed to the beach.   Once we got some time to ourselves, we took a walk along the moonlit shore. The gentle waves, calm breeze, and perfect seashore air made what was easily the best night of my life just that much better, and hopefully perfect in her eyes. We talked about everything and it was all so easy to say, especially with her. Once we got to the point where the moon hit her face just right, I turned to her and asked “Will you be my one-and-only?”. Without a word she smiled and shook her head up and down. The rest is history. I got the high score.

How do you ask the woman of your dreams to marry you, especially being half a country apart? Since Shelby had shattered not just her leg but the record for shattering a leg, my mom wanted to fly up to Nebraska with me to surprise her and help boost her spirits. I was excited, I could hardly contain myself and all that was running through my head was that I needed to get a ring. Being less about the ring and more about wanting to spend the rest of my life with this magnificent woman and needing her to know that I was ready for her at her best and her worst and that I wasn’t going anywhere, ever, especially when she needed me the most.   Sneakily, I told her I sent her Valentine’s gift a little late and that it would arrive two days later. I ignored her all day that day until we landed in Omaha when I told her that her gift was en route. About 30 minutes out, she called me. We talked for a minute or two, but I asked “Can I call you back? I’ll be home in 30 minutes.” [Just in case it wasn’t clear; I was the gift (man-candy) and I really was headed home, to my heart.]   We got there, and I started a video chat with her while I was walking up to the door. Oblivious to my face under the Nebraska sky, she knew nothing. Once I got close, I switched the camera to show the front of the apartment, which she thought was a glitch. And then I knocked, confusion and surprise ensued, and Shelby came rolling around the corner on her scooter squinting her eyes in disbelief.   Once everything settled down Shelby traded her scooter for a chair and I decided to take it for a ride. I rode across the apartment, dropped the ring box in the caddy on the front and scooted back over to her. Once I got back , I asked “Is that your stuff in there?”, she said, “Yes baby.” So, I reached in, grabbed the box and asked “What about this?”. It may not have been traditional but technically I was on one knee!