JR & Diane

JR and I met at Great Expectations. Our first date was in early November 2008 at Olive Garden in Fairlawn. JR drove up from Wooster and I traveled the short distance from Akron. Knowing that I was a teacher, he brought me an antique math book of algebra as a gift. We had a nice dinner and got to know one another. I found out he was a grill cook for fourteen years and also delivered pizza, working double shifts every weekend.

About two weeks later, we decided to see each other again. JR brought me a long-stemmed red rose and it was then that I realized how romantic he is. We shared our first kiss in the parking lot of the restaurant. We communicated through emails a lot at this point. I later cooked dinner for JR at my home shortly before the holidays. While I cooked dinner, he entertained my cat, Licorice with her laser mouse toy.

Because of our busy schedules, we finally got together again and I asked him if he would like to spend Christmas day with me and my family. He accepted and thus met many of my family members that day. We rang in the New Year together at my sister’s home a week later.

Almost from that point on, we saw each other weekly and talked every night on the phone. We realized early on that we wanted to be together, so JR set about looking for a full-time position to consolidate both jobs into one.  He succeeded and would be transferred to a restaurant closer to me.

On May 2, 2009 my sisters and I traveled to the restaurant where JR worked.  He proposed to me on bended knee in front of his friends, coworkers and all of the customers in the restaurant. Needless to say, I accepted and we are now planning our wedding schedule for June 26, 2010.