Nikki and I got engaged in the early morning on Saturday, November 10th. I had just picked up the ring earlier that day and had sworn to myself up and down
that I would wait until the following weekend. But, fate and love had other plans (as usually happens).
The weekend before I had told my parents and had asked the Lobach’s for permission. I was out to lunch after one of Shelly’s NCAA field hockey games with Dan, Ashley, Shelly, Jessie, Boor, Nanny, and the Lobach’s. After putting off for as long as I possibly could (and with a little help from Ashley) I managed to ask for Nikki’s hand in marriage. They said yes.
So, I knew that I would be leaving to go out of town to Phoenix for a whole week on Sunday the 11th, so I knew that I would 
want to wait until the next weekend so that we could spend some time together as a newly engaged couple. I talked with Boor for hours about it on Thursday and with both Kevin and Dan on Friday for about an hour each. Everyone supported my decision to wait (except Dan). I knew that I would have a whole week to make the final plan on how to propose and Ryan and Kate would also be up visiting that weekend.
Nikki and I decided to go out for a date night that Friday (the 9th) to spend some time together before I left. The whole week prior I had been really excited and giddy at the thought of getting engaged. Nikki on the other hand, was stressed out from her last semester of school, the start of her senior basketball season, preparing to live in her older sister’s unfinished basement, and of the unknown life post graduation. We had a good
evening and ended up coming back to my place. It was getting pretty late when we finally started talking a little bit about the future. That’s when the floodgates opened. Nikki let me know about all of her worries and fears that the next year would bring and especially about her uncertainty of my thoughts on marriage. After quite a while of trying to reassure her that everything would work itself out soon I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t keep trying to calm her emotions all the while knowing that in just a few days I was going to pop the question. Finally I decided that I could not control my excitement anymore! I told her that I would be right back and headed out the door (I still had the ring in my car from earlier that afternoon).
When I came back in the house I tried to play it cool, but instead I began sweating and 
breathing heavily. I then dropped down on to my knee and asked her to marry me! She was awestruck and breathless. All she could say was “Is this really happening? Is this for real?” as she brushed away the tears.
By this time it was almost 1 AM and we decided that we would have to wait until the morning to tell everyone the good news. Boor was asleep for his volleyball tournament the next day and Dan and Ashley go to bed around 7. Fortunately, it was a late night in State College and we were blessed by a great and unexpected call from Justin Boor around 1:45 AM. We told him the story and couldn’t stop smiling and shaking in excitement the whole time.
The next morning we were able to tell our families and the rest of our friends the great news. The rest is history.
