Our story
(as told by Jelise)

When we first met it wasn't exactly what you'd call "love at first site." And if it wasn't for David's persistence we may not have ever gone out and subsequentially fallen in love. But, it was meant to be, and his determination and confidence won me over. (Thanks honey, for being so hard-headed!)

It all began on a summer’s evening in late June, 1996. I was home from my first year at college and working at Lady Foot Locker for the summer. On my way home from work, the Saturday before Father’s Day, I stopped at the nearby Rite Aid drug store to buy a last minute Father’s Day card. As I was standing in the aisle scanning the bare card racks and kicking myself for waiting until the last minute, a tall guy wearing a name tag and goofy grin came over to me and said "Hey beautiful." (now David doesn’t remember saying that, but I swear it happened that way).

I immediately thought "ok, do I know this person?" (very romantic so far, isn't it?) Well, David proceeded to give me a hard time about waiting until the last minute to buy a card. I politely let him kid me and he eventually went away. I found a card, purchased it and left the store.

Three days later I was working at a different Lady Foot Locker in order to help out a manger who was short on staff. I happened to be out in the mall buying a drink and on my way back to the store, I heard a voice behind me say, "Hey did you ever find a card?" I turned around and to my surprise it was he, the guy from Rite Aid. (Now, although at the time, the thought "stalker" popped into my head, today I like to think it was more like fate). So I laughed and said yes and walked back into the store. Well not even five minutes later he comes walking in the store. He tells me that he's waiting for a friend to get off work in a store around the corner and thought he'd come talk to me for a minute, if that was all right. Well my manager, who was also a friend sensed my apprehension and told him that I had work to do and didn't have time to talk to him. (most guys at this point would have left and our story would be over, but David didn't give up so easily).

David then said to me "well I was wondering if I could get your phone number and call you sometime." I replied with "I don't give my phone number out to strangers." So then he said "well, how about I give you mine and if you're interested call me, if not just let me know and you'll never have to see me again." (you've gotta give the guy marks for persistence). So I hesitantly accepted, after all, he was starting to grow on me.

So after about a week of contemplation and conferring with girlfriends I gave the guy a call, to his surprise. We talked on the phone for about three nights and finally decided to go out. Our first date was on July 3, 1996, and it was great. Although, he was late, he did show up at the door with a dozen roses (very smooth). We went to dinner and a movie, during which he held my hand (awe). From that night on we saw each other practically every day. We crammed as much into the month I had left before I returned to school as possible. And it wasn't long before I knew he was the one. You might say it was love at "second-site."

The next few years of our relationship saw a lot of ups and downs, including one failed engagement, (it was too soon) and a three-month period where we broke the relationship off.

But, it was obviously God's handy work that brought us together, and we're part of something bigger than just the two of us. After many trials, tears, laughing, loving and learning, David and I knew that we were without a doubt meant to be together.

In March of 99 David and I took a trip to New Orleans for a week to see his family and friends. I had a feeling that he was going to propose while on this trip. But each day we'd be on some special adventure or visiting some beautiful place and...nothing. So by Friday, our last full day there, I had given up hope of it happening.

That day we went to the New Orleans Museum of Art, which is located in City Park with his friends Rob and Lisa (who are now engaged, congratulations you guys!!). After touring the museum Rob said that he really wanted to go to the Botanical Gardens, also located in City Park. Well David and I had already been to the gardens on our own earlier in the week and I didn't really want to go back, but of course I wasn't going to say anything.

So we get up to the gardens and they've already closed for the day. So Rob asks "where else do you all want to go?" Well, I'm thinking, 'how about home so we can get changed in time to go out that night, like we had planned?' But I didn't say anything. Then Lisa suggested Lake Ponchartrane. David and I hadn't been there yet, so I said ok, thinking it odd that everyone except me was so key on going someplace else at 5 p.m. when we had plans for later that night.

So we arrived at the lake front and Rob and Lisa ran off to play on the playground while David and I walked up to the Lake and sat on a bench. It was at this moment to my total surprise (and it's very hard to surprise me) that David got down on one knee and asked me if I would marry him. Of course I said "yes!!" It turns out that David had wanted to propose at the Botanical Gardens but forgot the ring in Rob's apartment our first day there. So he and Rob tried to get us back in the gardens, on that last day. It's funny now to think of how they both must have been sweating bullets when we drove up and the gardens were closed, and I was clueless the whole time.

But it all worked out great! And Rob (who I think was more nervous than David about the whole thing) made us do a re-enactment so he could take pictures of the whole thing.

And that brings us to today...