Our Story

Rita's Version 

This September, Devin and I will celebrate three years together, and although it might seem like a short time, to us, it has seemed like forever (in a good way). 



Devin and I met, in the middle of the forest, at a campsite in the Adirondacks known as Middle Settlement.  He had grown up going there with his childhood friends and brother, and I had heard many fabled stories about the place through a mutual friend.  My co-worker, the mutual friend, invited me last minute to go camping for the weekend, so I scrambled to find time off from work.  

After driving three hours in the middle of the night so we could hike in at first light, and hiking for nearly two hours, I finally stumbled into the campsite, exhausted.  I was met by barking dogs and a huge crowd of people.  I quietly made my way to a rock by the water and thought about the best way to introduce myself to the group, while my friend was relaying our adventurous hike in to the group.  Out of nowhere, this kid comes up to me, reaches out his hand to shake mine, and says, "Hi, I'm Devin.  I'm socially awkward."  I must have mumbled something back, but I cannot remember what or if I even did.  But he made an impression.  

I remember watching him out of the corner of my eye that whole weekend, but I did not say much to him... in fact, I cannot even remember if we spoke at all.  Except when we were hiking out, and I was going at a snail's pace and he whizzes by, shouting back over his shoulder "sorry!  I wanted to make a workout out of the hike out!"  I think I was slightly miffed, but I guess it couldn't have been too bad.  

Devin and I have returned to our meeting
place a number of times since that summer.
This is Memorial Day 2012.

Once I hiked out of the woods, we got down to the good stuff... Pizza.  And from there, I drove off to Syracuse, and then down to New York City.  In the mountains in the morning, in the City at night!  It was there that I remember nervously 'friending' Devin on Facebook, and sending him a message that thanked him for his amazing campfire pancakes and he sent one back about my trail mix.  Odd, I know, but I do love the simplicity.  

We chatted a few times here and there, and I was trying not to seem so giddy and over the top excited.  We had made plans to play the card game Euchre (which we still have never played to this day) but the plans fell through.  He then asked if he could "be a little bold" and ask me to dinner instead.  I, of course, melted, squealed and jumped up and down, ever so thankful that he could not see or hear me, and said "of course"!

Over the next few weeks, we hung out here and there.  I saw him finish his first half marathon.  We walked around town.  He drove for miles to Avon to see me.  Life was blissful.  

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, 

which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. 

I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun."  Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice 

As many relationships happen, we never really had a definitive start.  So, we picked a day, September 25.  And on our Second Anniversary, Devin William Wade asked me to marry him.  

It was a Tuesday, and Devin had taken the day off from work.  I was staying home "sick" so we could celebrate with a leisurely day and have a nice lunch and dinner together.  I was very much looking forward to sleeping in.  Mr. Wade, on the other hand, did not have that same thought.  It was before sun-up when he hopped out of bed, and grabbed the girls (our dogs) and took them out.  I, being lazy, stayed in bed a bit longer.  

I must have fallen back to sleep, because I awoke to two very bouncy border collies jumping all over me and licking my face.  I was quite irked, as Devin is usually so good about not letting them bug me in the morning.  But I dealt with it, and laid there a bit longer.  

It was not until our youngest, Ivy, began chewing at something that I realized they were wearing something around their necks.  I pulled what appeared to be bandannas off of the dogs, and in the dim light, I saw "will you marry my daddy" printed atop pink heart "paws."  I was a little stunned, and thought that maybe, in fact, this was a joke, as Devin was nowhere to be seen.  

Daddy's little helpers <3

So I laid there for a few more seconds, contemplating my options, and then finally got up to find Devin and see what all of this early morning hullabaloo was about.  

As I opened our bedroom door, I saw him in the middle of our hallway, in his good suit, down on one knee, holding out my most perfect vision of an engagement ring.  He shyly smiled, and then asked me if I would marry him.  

Of course I said yes!  

I do remember him asking me what took me so long to get up.  Apparently, he had been kneeling in the hallway for quite some time, and his knee was getting sore, but he didn't dare switch it, in case I woke up and caught him mid switch and ruin the moment.  

My perfect ring, from my
perfect love

The ring is my grandmothers, and my mother and him conspired behind my back to have it work as my ring.  I actually had picked out rings that were similar  because I loved the ring so much.  I didn't even realize, until Devin pointed it out, that it was in fact my grandmothers, and I think I fell in love with him all over again.  

Then I called my mother, to yell at her, for not letting on that she knew Devin was going to propose.  I do not like surprises, and I like knowing everything in advance.  But my mom and Devin pulled off the perfect surprise, and I am very thankful for that.  

Which brings us to today... planning our happily ever after, getting our new house in order... and preparing to have the party of our lives!!!  

 

Devin's Side of the Story

 

The long anticipated reveal! 

We met at a beautiful lake in the Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness, at a campsite I had been going to with friends since I was young.  I was up with a group of friends for the weekend, and I was looking forward to relaxing and hanging out.  But once Rita arrived with my friend Mark, things seemed to change.  Beyond our awkward introduction, we had a few short interactions that trip.  I was quite taken aback when she friend requested me on Facebook as soon as she hit civilization, and I was wondering if she was truly interested.   But, I had a sneaking suspicion that she did when my friend started asking "what I thought of Rita" soon after. I jokingly responded asking if we were in the 3rd grade, but I must admit, I was thinking a lot about her, so it was nice to have confirmation that she was thinking of me too!

We started off just hanging out with a group of friends, but then we got bold and went out a few times for food with our good friend as chaperon. Denny's had never seen better business at 3am! Finally, I worked up the courage to ask her to play euchre.  However, the plans fell through and I said a 'hail mary' and asked her to dinner.  It turned out being at Denny's - go figure.  To this day, Rita has still never even played euchre.  My original plan did not pan out, but it set things in motion.  We had a fairly long love affair with the cinemark movies ten, often spending more time in the parking lot leaning on cars talking, than in the theater. And Denny's was a late night staple, Rita always ordering the whole wheat pancakes with strawberry jelly because she hates fake maple syrup.  One night, I smuggled in a bottle of real syrup, and I am pretty sure she has that empty bottle hoarded somewheres to this day.  But it was enough to keep her interested, and as they say, the rest is history.

Clearly my half of the "how we met" equals the "long story short" version - but fast forward to now, we have three beautiful border collies that are our loves, having brought our newest one home just before Thanksgiving.  So now we have Eva (2), Ivy (1 1/2) and Sully (our bc mix, who is about 2, and amazing).   Plans for a house have been up in the air, but we are anxiously looking for a house to call ours, and I cannot wait to grow our family there!