Our Story – His Side

Our paths crossed long before we knew. Starting in kindergarten and first grade of course we were in different classes but we were at the same school. Then a few years went by and our paths cross again. In our home town there were 6 grade schools and they all shared the same band teacher Mr. Macafee, once a year the 5th and 6th grade band classes from all 6 schools would come together for a few practices and 1 performance.

Again we still did not know each other but we were in the same place at the same time. There was only one Jr High school so when we hit the 7th grade we finally had a class together… (can ya guess what it was?)….. that’s right it was Band. so we talked a few times in 7th grade I think and in 8th grade, then in the 9th grade we had a second class together. Animal science and boy was it interesting, I probably would not have passed that class had it not been for Nicole. We would even annoy the teacher together.

Then in the 10th grade in High School we had 2 classes together again band and English. Again in English she kept me awake and helped me pass the class. (Now is where the good stuff begins.)

During band that year we got the opportunity to go to Florida to Disney World, that place is where the beginning of the magic happened. We spent a lot of time together in that magical place and crushes developed. However it wasn’t until a few weeks later I believe that either one of us admitted that. (Here is where i go dumb for about 9 years!)

I finally asked her out on a date and was told that she needed to ask her parents. So… what did I do duhhhhh I went out and found a girl who would go out with me!! 😉 (I love you hunny!!!) And I broke her heart!! 🙁

So 9 years of Dumb and I have just returned from a tour in Afghanistan and I am sitting on my friends back porch one night when I get a push notification on my iPhone. It said that I had a facebook friend request. So I opened Facebook and was sooooo excited to see her name that I couldn’t wait to send her a message and see what she was up to.

So we began to talk through facebook then text and phone, and finally I asked her one night if she had plans for the next weekend that I was going to be in our hometown and she said actually she was going to see if I wanted to go to a thing with her and some of her friends… Little did I know that that night would be the beginning of the rest of my life.

We went to a restaurant called Touch in Springfield and that night I knew that I loved her. We continued to date for a few month’s and I decided I was tired of being so far away from her and my daughter, so I moved back to Missouri and started spending most of my time with her and her family, they took me in.

I spent a lot of time wondering how I was going to come up with the money to buy her the ring that she deserved… and one evening, the night before we were leaving to go to Ft. Worth with her parents her mom approached me and proceeded to offer me her mother’s Nicole’s Grandmothers wedding ring. at that moment I began planning how I was going to ask her. Of course I had to ask her dad first which is in itself a whole other story. But finally I asked him… But I didn’t tell her that in fact I made it a point to keep telling her that I was scared to ask him because I “was afraid he would ask me how I was going to support her without a job”.

So I finally figure out that I want to ask her at work. So its 2 days before Valentines day and I had sent her flowers. I conspired with people she worked with and got them to call me when the flowers arrived at the front desk and I had them hold them until I could get there. When I arrived I told them they could call her and let her know that they were there. When she walked up front to get them I snuck in to her cubicle with her mother.

While she was walking back to her cubicle she called me and my phone was playing the ring tone that is set for her and it is one of a kind so I was scared that she would hear it and I dropped the ring box and the ring went flying and I was grabbing at my phone trying to turn the ringer off. I picked the ring back up and one of her coworkers who was standing in the hallway announced as planned very loudly that she had beautiful flowers so we would know she was coming.

When she walked around the corner I asked her Tiffany Nicole Johannes I love you with all of my heart… Will you marry me?……………. and it seemed like 5 minutes went by of her just staring at me. Finally she squeaked out the word that ensured my happiness for the rest of my life… Yes!!! I pryed her death grip off of the flowers and set them down and then…… that’s right you guessed it… she tackled me and almost took us both to the ground!!!!

Now we are engaged we have found a place to live and are looking forward to our upcoming wedding and spending the rest of our lives together!!

The end!