My wife is easily my favorite person in the world. I thank God for her every day because it’s apparent to me that I wouldn’t survive without her. I wouldn’t have much fun either, and I really like to have fun. I prefer to be with her, my kids, or alone to really have fun (in that order). So maximum good times require that I be with her. Here is a non-comprehensive list of dates throughout our history, they sort of encapsulate where we were at in our lives. I’m positive that I will leave out important dates that we had, but when you have fun non stop with your best friend it’s not easy to remember every single experience you have.
Pre date January 2006
The second time AdriElle and I ever hung out was when I asked her to come to a metal show in Denver with me. She told me she liked that kind of music, but later I found out she hated it. We saw Sinai Beach and August Burns Red (who we met at Noodles & Company before the show) at my favorite venue of all time- Rock Island. It was one of the last shows allowed there and I was really glad to get in one last show. I liked Adri as a friend and was super attracted to her, but never thought about dating her. We volunteered together in the Jr High youth group at church and I wasn’t going to get involved with a girl that would jeopardize the most important thing in my life at that time. I had a blast. I’m not sure she had nearly as much fun, but we did start hanging out frequently after that. Brutal metal music and my overly talkative personality didn’t completely turn her off of me, SCORE! The most memorable and important part of the date is us walking up 16th street mall in Denver. I saw this clock tower building and I knew where I would propose to my future wife (who in my mind was not AdriElle at the time).
1st date May 5 2006
We went to see Mission Impossible 3 in the morning, and didn’t stop hanging out till the end of the day. I wanted to be with her, so I called into work and said I’d be late. They let me have the whole day off, so we didn’t have to separate. She did have to go into work, but I just came with her. I met her mom for the first time. She had dinner with my mom and I for the first time (Armadillo in Ft. Collins, cinco de Mayo). We played mini golf, drove around, talked about relationships and fell in love. At the end of the night I kissed her. The date didn’t end there because we spent the next couple of days together, fighting the feelings we had for each other.
We didn’t want to get in trouble with Pastor Bob and Tammie, the people we both looked up to the most. We were serving their ministry and it was so important to us not to screw up. I pray that God would bring us kids that would love ministry and fall in love with each other and Jesus at the same time like we did. When we told them that we thought maybe we wanted to date but would stop if they told us too, you can imagine the relief we both felt when they blessed us and were excited. They have been such an important part of our relationship since the beginning. So we were official, I had a girlfriend who I could spend money on!!
5th month anniversary
AdriElle is the first and only girl I have ever said I love you to. In my teenage years I was careful not to let sentimentality be the basis of my romantic life; when I fell in love for real I would say it and mean it forever. It was probably the only real wise thing I did as a teenager. So I’m really in love with AdriElle at the point of our 5th anniversary, but I’m also torn about what is going to happen in my life. As a 21 year old I knew I wanted to be a comedian and I knew I wanted a girl who would like all the same music as me. It was a big deal to me. She told me that she wouldn’t run away with me to L.A. and that she hated most music I was into. I was in a real crisis. I knew that I was in love, but everything that was important to me was slipping away. I couldn’t bear the thought of breaking up with her, but was so grieved at the thought of giving up two seemingly very important dreams.
5 months is the longest I’d ever dated anyone. It was going to be a fun and special night. We went to Rasta Pasta in Ft Collins and talked shmoopy talk. We went to a big band jazz concert that I was required to go to for a jazz history class I was taking at the time. We laughed and enjoyed ourselves, and I just knew that my love for her wasn’t going to give way to my dreams. She was so pretty AND she was into me. The advice we had received that night (before we went out, from Pastor Bob and Tammie) individual from each other was that as we grew in love for each other that we would become more like each other. We both enjoyed the music a lot that night. This was going to work. That and we made out a bunch in the car. These were the good times.
Engagement weekend
How do I tell this story and not be long-winded? The details are important to me.
I saved up, bought a ring, got permission from her dad and planned a romantic way to pop the question. I knew where I would ask her and had a brilliant idea on how to ask her. The where would be the clock tower on 16th street mall in Denver. The way involved something called a Kinder Egg. AdriElle had grown up in Germany and enjoyed the delicious and whimsical treats that the land had available (they’re actually Italian). Kinder Eggs were a hollow chocolate egg with a prize in the middle of it, sort of like cracker jacks. When I found that a place in town sold them the wheels in my head started turning. I would somehow slice that egg open, hide the ring, and seal it back together. I bought two eggs, and immediately drove to my girlfriend’s to see how she would react to a regular Kinder egg. She loved it, and I knew I was on to something great. I got back to the car where the other Kinder was and tried to conceal it in the middle consul, where it was crushed. I panicked for a second but then thought to myself ‘I’ll just sneak in and steal the one I gave her.’ So the next night I waited for 15 minutes after I dropped her off thinking she’d be fast asleep. I sneaked the best I could into her room and swiped the egg, but she was still awake. ‘What are you doing in my room!’ I had to think fast and came up with ‘I needed some gum. Oh, here it is. Good night!’ I screwed it all up and AdriElle told me she knew my brilliant plan, and because she knows me so well knew I’d be crushed if I didn’t genuinely surprise her. So I came up with a new plan.
The new plan was much simpler. We were together all day May 5 2007. I took her to Estes and we played mini golf like we did the year before. Then we ate pizza and got caramel apples. The entire day I kept tricking her into thinking I was going to propose. We sat on a bench at one point and I told her how much I loved her, reached into my pocket and grabbed a stick of gum. She was definitely thrown. We drove down the mountain so we could be at the Jr. High service, which doesn’t sound romantic but because ministry is what was in our hearts it makes sense. After service we went to my house. My mom had set up a super romantic picnic for us in the living room. All the foods that we had grown to love with each other were present. Candles were lit. This was it, I was going to ask my girlfriend to be my wife or so she thought. I don’t think it was cruel, and she didn’t cry so I have no regrets about being romantic and not asking for her hand that night. She kept waiting for it but it never came up in our conversation.
The next day we spent on 16th street mall. I waited for the right moment. We had a pre dinner snack at Noodles & Company (our first date), where I started to get really nervous. She could tell something was up, but I think I had confused her enough to still be unpredictable. We walked out of Noodles and I brought her to where we could see the clock tower. We were talking about something casual, and then I shifted gears. I told her I loved her for the hundredth time that weekend, got down on one knee, held her engagement ring in between two fingers and asked her to marry me. She shrieked with excitement and said yes! Passerbyers cheered and took pictures for us. We walked back to the car and she started calling people and telling them the news. We headed over to the Spaghetti Factory and I told her there was one more great surprise. We walked in and her family, my family and the Groeneman’s were waiting for us. We all celebrated together and my mission was accomplished. I had got my girlfriend to agree to marry me AND surprised her.
To be continued…….
thebearplane 
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