Updates, updates, updates!

So, I'm sure some of you are waiting for some actual updates! Well, we hope. Haha. We are still SUPER excited! It has been difficult trying to study for tests and managing my online class when all I can think about is the wedding. It shouldn't come to a surprise that I'd much rather spend the day on Pinterest or The Knot. Daniel and I spent over an hour (wish it could've been more, haha) yesterday at Barnes n' Noble looking at wedding magazines. I made a little notebook titled "Best Day Ever!!" with notes and ideas all over the place. We're looking at late May of 2013! (May 25th would be ideal, since that's the day he proposed) And for colors: yellow and gray (in case you haven't seen my Pinterest, haha) As far as location goes, that will just have to wait until we are back in Ocala. We are looking for an outside venue and have been told about Shalom Park and Golden Ocala. If anyone has any other ideas, please let us know! You can Facebook us, email us, or comment here. Hahaha. We wanted a smallish wedding, but with two large families and so many friends, this is looking more and more like a challenge. Both my mom and Daniel's mom are making guest lists for our families, while Daniel and I are making one for our friends. I started the list and it's constantly growing! There's just so many people that we would love to be there, but as the list grows, so does the cost! AH! Hahaha. As far as other plans go, Daniel and I were looking at honeymoon cruises for fun tonight. Hoping for a little Caribbean week long getaway! ;) Also, we finished reading Proverbs today! Which was super nice! I loved ending on Chapter 31, talking about a wife of noble character. I am so excited to be one step closer to becoming a WIFE, and to the man of my dreams! Well, I think that's all for now!


Hope you all are having a splendid week! God bless! :D


"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." Proverbs 31:25

How I Asked

Okay, so now it's time to tell the story, at least from my perspective. First thing that has to be explained is why I chose what I chose... Well, Tori and I had been talking about getting married three months after we started dating. Because of this, surprising her became a very challenging task. I wanted this moment to be memorable and clever; something she'd want to tell her friends and family about.  So I started planning about a year before I would ask. Ideas came and went and it was a bit frustrating that I couldn't think of a way to surprise her without one day randomly saying "here's you're ring." A month and a half before I asked and I still had no idea, but at least I had asked her dad, purchased the ring (shipping was a month and a half) and decided I would ask at the end of the Summer. But when I got the ring, things changed. I started contemplating over when really the best time was. Every week I waited, every trip to our hometown, was another opportunity for her to think I talked to her dad, or think I bought the ring! It wasn't just that I had the ring, got impatient, and wanted to get it over with. I just suddenly realized, with all variables in place, the best time was now, at the beginning of the Summer!

So I began to make plans, and somehow this time everything just clicked. I decided I would make my plans around her plans. She had been creating a list of things she would like us to do over the Summer. So I took a look and decided which activities would work best for my plans: Hiking and picnicking. I did decide to modify her plans just a little though. I suggested to her that we dress nice and take pictures, which she thought was a great idea! ;) Now I had my idea, I had her thinking she was making the plans for the day, and finally the day was here.

The first main part of our day was the hike. It was fun and all, but I really had other reasons than hiking. The most important reason being that I would have to go to my apartment after to take a shower/grab the ring. So that's exactly what happened. After going home and getting ready I headed to her house to pick her up. We loaded up the car and left for Baldwin Park where we would have our picnick. We set up the spot, which was right next to the photo above. The problem occurred when I couldn't eat because I was so nervous! Tori asked me if I was okay a couple times, and I said yes, then she said I seemed anxious, and I was! Then I had to shove food in my mouth before she really caught on, I had only eaten as much as her! Finally, she was ready to take pictures. After setting up the camera on the tripod and taking a couple pictures of her, I set the camera on "timer". In reality, I set it on video. Then I sprinted to her side, we stood waiting for the camera to capture our photograph for a few seconds, then I looked to her. I began to tell her how much I loved her, she started freaking out. Then, I got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and put it on her.......wait a minute, yes or no?... then she said yes! And then I put the ring on her finger. The only things that kept coming out of her mouth was "are you serious?" over and over again. I was definitely serious! And that's how we started this chapter of our lives.

How We Met

Here it is, our first picture together. Go ahead, laugh. Notice the awkward fist around on my shoulder as well. This was the first time Daniel and I had seen each other in person, after we had met. For those of you who don't know it, I'm going to tell the wonderful story of how we met.

I had been attending Church @ the Springs for three years and was actively involved in everything I could be. Among those things, I was in an all-girls small group led by the amazing Colleen Wade and Sarah Leppert. It all started on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 9th, 2010. If you're from Ocala, you probably know all about Symphony Under the Stars... If you don't, it's a Mother's Day tradition of a symphony under the stars. Obvious, I know. Anyways, since I lived fairly close to the event at the time, my parents and I walked there. On our way there I saw a familiar van coming around the round-a-bout. When I realized it was Mrs. Sarah from Church @ the Springs, I began to wave frantically and probably jump too. When I saw her (frantically waving back), it looked like she was trying to tell me something... So, I texted her after she had passed by, asking what she was trying to say. She replied that she wasn't trying to tell me anything, but rather was explaining to her mother and sister that I was the "famous Tori Wyns from Church @ the Springs." She then sent me a text that went something like this: My sister would also like you to know that she has a hot, single son, who is smart, loves the Lord and plays music, and that they could hook me up. I replied with, "Only if he's as hilarious and stylish as me." Looking back, I'm not really sure why I said that... but whatever. Hahaha. That night, we ended up texting for a while about this mystery man. When she told me his name, I remembered exactly who he was. Daniel Ramirez. He went to Forest High School. There's pictures of him in her house. He sang that senior song. He sang at Katz Kapers and melted me right there before I even knew who he was. But the text reply was more like: Yeah, I think I know of him... Hahaha. The conversation had ended shortly after that.

The next day, I was at school on Facebook (you know, rebel) and noticed I had a new message on Facebook from someone named... Daniel. Ramirez. My heart, of course, was pounding in my chest. Yes, I know you're probably thinking... Facebook? Really? Yes. It was perfect. From then on we messaged back and forth getting to know each other. A week later, we took that picture. At David (red shirt), Rebekah, and Jonathan's play. (The other one in the picture is Daniel's older brother, Tres, who is also engaged right now!) I had so much fun, especially after at Steak n' Shake. I couldn't stop laughing at anything anyone said. I already knew, just from the little things I knew about him, that he had the potential to be the one. Though, we talked a little more after that, we stopped talking when Daniel was getting ready to move to Orlando to go to UCF. He called it off because he didn't think I liked him enough or was in for a serious relationship. (Which I didn't know at the time, I had no idea why he suddenly stopped talking to me, he feels horrible about that now. Haha.) Though we had abruptly stopped talking and for several months, I still had hope.

About four months after we had met, I had gotten a text from Daniel inviting me to another play of his cousin's, even though I had seen it the week before with his sister, Kristina, and I had homecoming that night. I turned to my best friend, Maggie, and said something like: "Oh my gosh, Maggie. Look who just texted me. WHAT?" Though I said it with attitude, I was thrilled. Maggie and I ended up leaving homecoming early and headed to Steak n' Shake. I was hoping the entire drive there that we would happen to "bump into" Daniel and David, and we did. PERFECT. Daniel says that when I walked in that night, I walked in slow motion. (He failed to mention that in the last post) About a month later, we were dating. My first real boyfriend. October 25, 2010. I never had a moment like Daniel did, when he knew I was the one... But I always tell people that I knew he was the one, before we started dating, before we started "talking" the second time, I just had this amazing feeling.

A bit lengthy, I know, but I hope you enjoyed it!
Fun fact: The day that Daniel first messaged me on Facebook, was also the day I got my nose pierced.
Special thanks goes to Sarah Leppert, the connection between it all! ;)

Tori and I

Isn't she beautiful?! I remember the first time I saw her when I knew she was the one. Flashback: It was the night after my cousin, David's, play. He and I went to Steak and Shake, as we always did, and in came the most beautiful girl I had ever met. It was after her homecoming dance so she was dressed in a formal dress and her smile lit up the room. We had met before, heck I even already liked her, but for whatever reason, tonight felt so much different. We later decided that this change of heart was no more than a simple fact; the timing was right. One month later we were dating, one year and seven months after that and we were engaged. Now, just three days later, we have decided to start a blog about, us. This blog is for anyone and everyone who is interested in being updated on our lives. Be it family, friends, coworkers, or classmates, this blog is for you. There is a large gap and many missing pieces in the above story between the day we met and the day she said yes, as there are between now and the day we say I do. We look forward to the journey ahead, and appreciate all the support on the way. Now we begin the first phase, planning the wedding! What is step one? Location.