Maggie & Paul
#ClappilyEverAfter
Paul's Story
I knew Maggie was amazing from the start. We were throwing around ideas on places to meet up for drinks, when I suggested Melt -- and she actually said yes -- I knew she was my kind of girl.
Around the time we started to date, I happened to also buy a Jeep Wrangler. While the Jeep itself turned out to be a lemon, it was the BEST purchase I ever made.
Maggie and I would take the top and doors off, and go for random summertime drives with the wind in our faces. It was during these sporadic mini getaways to places like Geneva-on-the-Lake or the dirt roads of Ashtabula County where I grew up that we got to know each other, and fall in love.
I knew Maggie was the one within the first month (although SHE will tell you I knew on the first date). Maggie is almost as competitive as I am, which is awesome. We always would bet $1 that I was right whenever we disagreed with anything, which didn’t happen often.
The biggest difference between Maggie and me is how we grew up. Not our upbringing, because we come from a similar family. My parents are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in May and Maggie’s parents are only a few years behind. Maggie is the youngest of three and so am I. Both families are two girls, one boy, and there are many more similarities.
Anyway, back to us growing up.
Maggie didn’t realize how "city" she was…until she met me. All it took was one trip to my home town (actually, to the Village of Jefferson), or was it one fire in our back yard? Either way, Maggie and I complement each other in the mixture of City vs. Country.
I’ve always heard people say, “You’ll know when you know!” and I always thought that was just a cliché…but with Maggie things just are easy. She is my best friend, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her.
Maggie's Story
I texted Paul that I was going to be a few minutes late to our first date and he replied "No problem, I'm the one in the red jumpsuit." He either had to be hilarious or was actually a weirdo in a red jumpsuit, fortunately, the former was true. Ignore what Paul said in his story - he was for sure in love with me after the first date, a girl knows these things, and if I'm honest, I wasn't far behind.
There are a million qualities about Paul that I love. I fall in love with him over and over again when we are out with friends or family. He has a way of making friends with everyone in the room, its inspiring and so much fun! I love having family and friends approach me just to tell me how much they love him :)
After just eight months of dating Paul popped the question. He took me to the Felice, where we had our second date, and proposed with a soliliquy of prose so romantic I couldn't say no - he said, "I have something to give you." He got down on one knee... and stood back up. After repeating 'oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh," about 50 times and then begging him to actually ask me, he did and I said yes!
As Paul told me once (as he stuck his hand directly into a fire in the backyard), "you can't hurt steel, babe." Well if thats true, than our love is like steel. I'm so happy to be marrying Paul, and am looking forward to the fun adventures life has in store for us!
