10 years later... we finally decided to do it

Ten years is a long time. Picture baby Mike and Steph in their junior and senior year's of high school respectively. Mike played the saxophone and Steph played the violin. Not a likely pair you say? Well after both being convinced by two completely different friends to join the Emerald Ridge High School Musical Pit Orchestra for their incredible rendition of Bye Bye Birdie, Mike talked to Steph a total of two times throughout the months of rehearsals. Mike definitely knew our call time for the night of the show but it was his first way in to get to talk to Steph. Steph was thinking she was just there to get her volunteer hours completed in order to graduate, and Mike... well I am not sure why he decided to join but we're glad he did. We're also glad they ended up in the end together because when Mike asked the conductor if he could sit by the clarinet section to be able to better play his part, it was really just so he could be closer to Steph and look at her from the top of his music stand. How cute. Once the musical ended, their path's wouldn't cross until a few weeks before the end of the school year when Mike volunteered to sit at a welcome table and provide help to the senior class in finding their room to present their end of year senior boards. Queue Steph and being too nervous to be sure of where she was going, she stopped at Mike's table and even though he didn't mean to, he helped calm her down. A simple dorky smile and, "Hey what should me and my friend Dallon sing, we're bored!" went a long way. The song Steph would recommend would later become "their song" and hold a special meaning to them. She probably aced her senior boards because of Mike but who is to say, that was over ten years ago!

After NOT proposing to Steph on their 9-year anniversary in Portland, Maine, the same two Sabrina Carpenter songs on repeat all morning were gearing up to bring Mike and Steph the best day of their lives on July 20th, 2024. So dramatic, I know. "It's a great day to be a great day!" said Mike over and over. And why was he wearing his apple watch and checking it constantly? He usually wore that to the wine bar because he couldn't use his phone when he was on the floor. And why did he brush off her having a tummy ache and insist she keep her Friday night girl's nail party plans? Usually he was so kind and caring when she wasn't feeling well. What may have tipped the scales was when he told Steph she must be okay for Saturday because he booked them "non-refundable plans." After 9 years and 17 days, Steph wouldn't let herself think that anything would be happening soon, because she was content to be just where she was with Mike in another 9 years and 17 days in the future. Just minus the tummy ache. Bright and early, Saturday morning rolls around. Mike hadn't seen this side of the sunrise in years but that didn't stop us and my gosh, today was going to be a great day. Wearing much cuter than normal outfits for a morning bagel run and a walk in the park, they set off. Not needing to ask "which way or that way," they went to their favorite spot, the Conservatory Waters, and sat down. When they first moved to the city and had only each other, they would spend almost every Saturday in the park and by the Conservatory watching the mini electric boats race around, eating their breakfast sandwiches and drinking their iced drinks. As almost as if someone had planned it, like clockwork at 11am on the dot, Mike took a big breath, set his coffee down and slapped his hands on this thighs and told Steph to, "get up and go stand over there," just pointing by the water. Playing along, Steph got up and asked, "why, you wanna take my picture?" only to realize he was also following her. He gave her a big hug, Steph heard a camera clicking somewhere off in the distance, and Mike got down on one knee. Don't ask Steph what Mike said or what happened next, but through tears Steph probably said yes? The jury is out on if she ever gave him an official answer but here we are. And we are so glad we're here because that day truly was a day to be a great day.