I first met Natalie when I was living in Evanston and she was living and working downtown.  We met pretty randomly just before Thanksgiving my first year of business school and quickly hit it off- I immediately recognized the beauty, poise and sense of humor I have come to love in my soon-to-be wife.

After several weeks of failed attempts to see Natalie again, I was about to give up on her. On the night we met, we had talked about our passion for running, so I decided I would send her a note mid-week to see if she was interested in meeting for a run on a Saturday afternoon.  I figured if she blew me off again then maybe we hadn't hit it off as well as I'd thought.  We went for a jog on the Lake and a cup of coffee; it was the start of a wonderful life together.

When I decided I would propose to Natalie, I wanted to surprise her, and tie the occasion to our first date.  This past Thanksgiving, we visited Natalie's parents in Naples, FL.  I told her we were going for a jog on the beach, but as soon as we got to a secluded spot, I got down on a knee, professed my love for her and asked for her hand in marriage.  To my everlasting joy, she said, "yes."

See you in September,
Mike