our love story

    Rod and I met in August of 2009 when I accepted a position with Southern Convention Services in Madison, AL. in Madison, AL. One weekend, I was moving some things to keep at a friend’s store until I found an apartment. Rod stopped by the store to hang out and while the guys were hanging out in the store, I started unloading my car since it was getting late. I remember Rod was the first of the three to offer a lending hand!

A couple weeks later after I was all moved in, I had some people over to hang out at my new
apartment’s pool. Later on that evening we all met up for dinner at Mellow Mushroom as well before heading out to downtown Huntsville! Rod had come up again from Tuscaloosa to visit that same friend with the store and happened to join us for dinner. He and I immediately hit it off! We talked the entire night non-stop. The next day we all met up at “The Bluffs” just outside Decatur on the Tennessee River that were probably about 40 feet high from the water. We jumped off these, and looking back, I probably only jumped because he was there. I HATE heights!!


After spending the day at the river, he asked for my number and invited me to a movie that
evening. Obviously I said yes! He had to go back to Tuscaloosa that night right after the movie, however, as he was finishing up his final year of graduate school. He called me later that week and we continued to stay in touch. He wanted to take me out on a date, so he drove back into town and took me out for an amazing meal at Connor’s Steakhouse at Bridge Street! We had a long wait for a table so that allowed us to get to know each other even better.


The next day, he asked if I wanted to go back to Tuscaloosa for the day to help him move into his new house in Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa was a place I never in my life thought I would visit, and definitely never thought I'd actually desire to go there. I agreed though and met him at his parent’s house in Decatur, AL on Saturday morning to take the truck to Tuscaloosa. This would turn out to be only the beginning of many, many trips to the “City of Champions”. (Rod made me put this in here).

One of my many visits to "T-town"

After a year of a long distance relationship, Rod graduated from The University of Alabama and moved back home for a few months as he searched for jobs. It was nice being in the same city, but after about two months he was offered an internship at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL! This was a tough decision, but with the way the economy was, an internship was his shot at a full-time job. He accepted the position and I had several “mini-vacations” as I liked to call them, driving down to see him and hang out at the beach (which was only 8 miles away from his apartment)! It was tough, but we persevered and spent many conversations via “iChat” during this time.

Easter at Jax Beach!

After 9 months of interning at North Florida, Rod accepted a position with FEMA in Birmingham, AL to assist with the April 27th tornado damage. This was the closest we had been together and it was nice to be able to drive down on a weeknight for dinner to see each other! He was in Birmingham from about June to mid-September and during this time, unbeknownst to me, he purchased the engagement ring! I do not know how he kept it a secret for over three months, but he did. After leaving FEMA in September, God’s timing opened up a position in The University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Athletic Department. Despite being turned down after applying and interviewing for positions at the University of West Alabama and the University of West Florida, those contacts were still impressed enough by him to refer him to the hiring committee at UAH, where he was immediately called for an interview. Rod was soon offered the position and he accepted! To us, this was perfect timing and location - much better than West Alabama or West Florida considering Huntsville is where my job is too!


Now for the proposal… :)


A little more backstory first:


After the Iron Bowl in 2010, an Alabama fan, Harvey Updyke, allegedly poisoned Auburn University’s Toomer’s Oaks. These Oak trees are very old trees that hold a very rich tradition of Auburn fans “rolling” the trees with toilet paper after a win. Many thought the Oaks would survive, but they’ve quickly regressed since late summer.


Rod and I spent Thanksgiving with my family at my Grandpa Clyde’s house in Atlanta, GA. We had a great time and I also took Rod for his first “Black Friday” experience. Friday morning, I decided to take a long nap (to recover from midnight Atlanta Walmart shopping) and Rod used this opportunity to speak with my mom and dad about his desire to propose to me and request their blessing! My sister sat quietly in the next room trying to hear their conversation… After about a two-hour long conversation (daddy being a good daddy of course), they gave Rod their blessing and we packed up to head down to Auburn for an early birthday dinner since Rod’s birthday fell on Iron Bowl gameday.
The next morning, we met at my friend Rachel Stricklin’s tailgate and walked across the street to grab breakfast at Chick-fil-A. Rod could barely choke down his chicken biscuit, but I didn’t think much of it. Come to find out later, it was because he was nervous! We had plans to meet his sister, Kristina, and her new boyfriend, Chris, at Toomer’s Corner. We got to Toomer’s around 10:30 a.m. and sat down to wait for them to arrive. I started to get upset because a lot of fans, Alabama mostly, were taking pictures
with the sickly Toomer’s Oaks. Rod was telling me it wasn’t because they were dying but because it’s the iconic area of Auburn and people just wanted to get their pictures taken there. It didn’t help. There were branches missing and the trees just looked absolutely pitiful. I started to recall all the memories I had at Auburn, winning games and then my friend Courtney Porter and I would go out to Toomer’s corner at 3 a.m. and take pictures under the rolled trees when no one was around. I also remembered taking pictures after my first Iron Bowl in 2005 with my dad, sister, Holli Vining (my college roommate) and her
family. I told Rod how upset this was making me, “I just have so many good memories here.” I snapped out of it, however, because Kristina and Chris showed up!


Again, unbeknownst to me, Rod, Kristina and Chris had already planned the upcoming proposing scenario out. Kristina asked us to take pictures of her and Chris in front of the trees and then she came over to check out the picture on the camera like any girl would do. Rod switched places with her when she walked towards me and she turned me around and was asking how to zoom in on the camera. She was holding my arm and I remember thinking it was odd that she was holding onto me so tight...


I finally turned around and Rod was bending down behind her boyfriend, Chris, and the first thing I said was “What are you doing”. He got down on one knee and opened up a box with this gorgeous ring inside and of course all I say, “Are you serious?!” and immediately started crying. Everyone around us seemed to disappear, and then I found myself getting down on my knees with him, and he said, “Why don’t we make another good memory here (cue more crying), will you marry me?” I was only able manage a nod from all the crying and he slid the ring on my finger! It was a perfect dream come true engagement for me and it could not have been planned to be any more perfect. I was also so surprised and had no clue it was coming! I cannot wait to make a lifetime of more memories with him! This is only the beginning of our happily ever after!

Our friend took this picture and we had no idea... Please note
my face and then look at the other AU fans reactions around us to the game!!