LAURIN & THOM

Our Story...

How We Met  

 

On the evening of Wednesday, August 29, 2012, I was hard at work pondering the ways of the world and brainstorming business ideas with my good pal Stefan Gomez at a downtown San Francisco institution, Irish Times.  My friend and I scrunched ourselves into an awkward table near the bar.  I was content enough to be off the clock and in the company of a friend, but I could not for the life of me keep my eyes off the lone blonde, confidently perched on a barstool and, curiously, without a companion.  

 

I thought to myself, "Now, that's odd...? What's a pretty girl like her doing sittin' there all alone except her phone, an empty salad plate and pint of Blue Moon?"  I admit, I immediately glanced to see if she was wearing a wedding ring and shocked to find that she wasn't! I couldn't believe my luck.  I surmised that she'd either been stood up or she was waiting on a friend, a date, someone.  And, certainly, she wasn't expecting her future husband to be at the same bar, in the same city, on the same evening whilst on a work trip to San Francisco.  Someone as lovely as Laurin doesn't knock twice and I knew I had this one and only opportunity to talk to her.  

 

I nudged my firend (truthfully, I nearly pushed him out of his seat) and told him to 'hit the head' so I could lay it on thick to the girl sitting across from us.  I jumped up after him, inhaled as if my life depended on that one and only breath, approached Laurin with a dangerously cute smile and said, "so...I was talking with my friend and there's no way you're here alone.  Are you waiting for someone or were you stood up by someone, because there's no way you're here all alone?!"  

 

After getting acquainted with each other that evening, we made plans to meet the next evening for dinner and a night on the town.  I convinced her to stay the weekend and attend the California Bears season opening football game in Berkeley.  The Bay Area weather is at its best in September and we soaked up as much sun and fun as any two could have, knowing that in hours she would be leaving for home.  I had no assurances that I would ever see her again and was determined to make the most of my time with her.  After only one short visit I knew I couldn't just let her fly back home to Omaha without the promise of seeing her again soon.     

 

Within two weeks, I boarded a plane to Omaha to visit.  Nervous anxiety doesn't begin to describe the feeling.  I thought to myself, "this is nuts! What am I thinking?! Our parents must think we;re insane!"  After a perfect weekend of meeting her family and friends, touring Omaha and attending the Nebraska v. Wisconsin football game, I couldn't stand leaving her behind.  Again, I had no assurances that I'd ever see her again.  

 

Within two months, Laurin relocated to San Francisco with a new job and a new zip code.  As fate would have it, she arrived just in time to see the San Francisco Giants clinch their second World Series Championship in three years!

 

She's been a good luck charm since the minute I met her and I couldn't be more blessed to have been in the same bar, in the same city, on that same Wednesday evening in late August.  

​

The Proposal 

 

 

Not long after I'd purchased the ring, I was exploring all my options for the perfect proposal scenario.  I planned to propose in San Francisco where we'd met, or maybe under the picturesque Golden Gate bridge on a beautiful Summer's day.  Maybe, I thought, I'd propose in Sonoma wine country while on a weekend getaway with friends.  All of these were idyllic proposal scenarios, but alas, none panned out.  ​

 

On August 6, 2013, after nearly a year of dating, I flew to meet Laurin and the Hogan family to join them on their annual vacation in Sunset Beach, CA.  After an evening of dinner and fun with Laurin and her family, my excitement trumped all my planning and patience.  After two weeks time, that ring had burned a hole in my pocket!

 

With her family as nervous and impatient as I was that night, I implored Laurin to take a stroll on the beach before turning in that night.  "No Thom," Laurin explained, "it's late, it's dark out, and it's Shark Week!"  If only I'd known Shark Week would stymy my proposal plan!

 

And so, before we turned in for the eveing, I plopped the ring out before her on the bed and got down on my knee to ask for her hand in marriage.  

 

In hindsight, it may not have been the perfect proposal I pictured, but it's a moment we'll never forget and one I know I'll cherish for the rest of my life.

 

Laurin, I love you and I promise to always watch Shark Week with you - xoxoxo.