She didn’t know much about him, but when her friend insisted on setting them up to go bowling, the first thing she thought was that she really liked his smile. They were in high school at the time, in different cities, but made the drive to see each other often. Neither can remember a specific first date because they were young and spent a lot of time hanging out in groups of friends, but they do recall spending a lot of time talking sitting by a local pond and even having picnics there.

I met up with Emily & Shamus this past Saturday at Lake MacBride for their engagement session. It holds a special place in their heart since this is where Shamus proposed last September.

“We had decided the day before to go for a hike the next day,” Emily said. “Shamus woke up earlier than usual for a Saturday and told me I could take a quick shower while he got our dog, Ace, ready to go for our hike. It was cloudy and cool and Shamus packed a backpack and his fishing pole. We got to Lake MacBride and followed a path to our spot overlooking the water. Shamus threw his fishing line out and we say there talking for quite a while.

“Shamus said he had made something for me a pulled a scrapbook out of his backpack. It had photos of us, postcards, and souvenirs that I had given him and from trips we had been on together, and a map quest printout from the first time he had come to my house. I started tearing up so much that I couldn’t see the pages very well. I thought the last few pages were blank so I began to shut the book, but as I was shutting it, I realized there was a photo on the very last page. It was a picture of Shamus holding a chalkboard that said, ‘Marry Me?'”

I asked both of them when they knew the other was “the one”. Both of them spoke of their short breakup after high school, right before starting college. “After dating about a year, we were headed to college,” Shamus told me. “We (Emily) wanted to take a break (rolls eyes). It lasted a few months and for the first month, I sent her at least 3 letters a week and tried calling her, but always left messages. She finally called me back! Ever since then, I knew I wanted to marry her because during the break, nothing else matters but getting her back.”

Emily added that it was during that time she decided she couldn’t live without him. He had sent her those letters and flowers and she recalls telling her roommate how much she missed him. When she finally saw him again, she knew with no doubt that she wanted to be with him forever. She ran to him and gave him a big friend. “I was so excited to see my best friend again.”

Despite the fact that it looks very much like autumn in these photos, it is indeed April and we’re anxiously awaiting the green buds on the trees. 

Ahhh!!! Favorite right here. How cute are they?!