A LITTLE ABOUT US

OUR FIRSTS

First Meeting: Audra and Michael met each other on a retreat with St. Monica’s Catholic parish in the Los Angeles area. Neither of us had been to Mass there more than a couple times, yet for different reasons, when we heard it announced (it seems we must have both been at mass on Palm Sunday), we felt strongly that we must take part. We were probably the only two people who attended without knowing anyone else there. On a rainy Friday in May, we were crowded with others into the registration room at the Serra Retreat Center. When Audra was registering, Michael overheard her name, and introduced himself.

Michael’s first impression of Audra: When I saw her registering at the retreat, I overheard her tell someone that she had just come from school, that she was a teacher. I had an “in”, as I had just come from student teaching that afternoon. I could tell right away that I wanted to get to know her more, and that we had much in common with our interests and values. I was pretty bummed not to be in the same group, but was constantly aware of where she was sitting, and if there was an open seat next to her (and if not, who she was sitting with).

Audra’s first impression of Michael: After he introduced himself, and we talked for 10 minutes, I was excited that I had already found someone I would be able to have a real and comfortable conversation with on a retreat full of strangers. There seemed to be something familiar and reassuring about him, and as we chatted, I found myself excited by how much we had in common. There was so much I wanted to find out about him, and I remember feeling very disappointed when registration time was over because it meant that our conversation would be interrupted by the start of the retreat! As we started the ice breaker activity, I tried to be aware of where he was, so I could try to end up sitting next to him! The entire weekend, without thinking, I would catch myself walking into a room and instantly searching for where he was! There was something about him…

Throughout the weekend, we found time to talk to one another. As Saturday evening drew to a close, a group of people continued talking outside. By 1am this group dispersed, but we didn’t feel like we could stop our conversation. After talking about our families, college experiences, a mutual distaste for USC, and our faith lives, we realized it was getting lighter outside. We figured the couple hours of sleep we would get might end up being counterproductive, and we both knew that we’d likely lie there waiting to see each other at breakfast…so we walked to the beach to see the sun rise instead! When the retreat ended a few hours later, we still hadn’t gotten enough of one another, so we spent a few more hours at the beach.

First Date: When we left the beach after the retreat, Audra asked Michael what he was doing on Thursday (hint, hint). So it happened that he picked her up and took her to a family favorite Italian restaurant. He knew there was always plenty of street parking, and an ATM on the corner, so he wasn’t worried about the empty wallet in his pocket. Turns out that the street was under construction, and the only place to park was a lot. $2 is cheap in LA, but $2 more than he could afford at the time. Audra covered him then for the first of many times. On to the meal…when their chicken dishes were served, they interrupted their conversation to take a bite…Audra seemed happy with hers. Mike’s was a little tough. He looked down, so he could discretely eat around the bad section…but the chicken was raw inside. The evening gave us lots to laugh about, but even more to be thankful about, and excited about in the weeks, months, and years to come. Within two weeks, we were talking nearly every day, and spending time with each other’s families.

First Movie: When Michael’s brother Matt was in town, we met him in Pasadena and watched Bruce Almighty. Audra spent half the movie laughing at how Mike and Matt would just get hysterical with each other. Our first unchaperoned movie was Finding Nemo. We thought it was hilarious, even though the rest of the audience seemed too young to be catching all the movie’s jokes! Now we enjoy both movies on DVD.

First Kiss: MYOB!!!

The Proposal:

We were already at a point in our relationship where we knew that we wanted to be married, and knew our engagement was coming up sometime within the next six months or so. Over our birthday weekend in October, we were at dinner at P.F. Chang’s, and Michael hinted to Audra that his parents were engaged January 2, 1971, and reminded her that he was a very traditional person (all true). Somehow, Audra got it into her head that Michael was meaning to propose to her on January 2nd. Michael played the part well and pretended to be upset about telling her his “plans,” although all he did was merely mention his parent’s engagement day and act upset he let it slip. Audra tried to make Michael feel better about telling her, and pretended not to be too anxious about having to wait another 3 months or so…But that was all part of Michael’s plan…

Michael was in Morgan Hill visiting his family the weekend of October 17th, 2003. He drove down on Sunday, and as he talked to Audra on the phone, they decided they would go to dinner at the marina or go watch the sunset. When Michael returned, he brought her a bouquet in a beautiful Waterford vase. Michael drove her to the beach, and seemed to get behind the slowest drivers! But they made it to a beautiful, peaceful beach in Playa Vista, and as they watched the sun set, there were sailboats crossing the horizon creating a breathtaking view. Michael stood behind Audra, whispered a prayer for their future and relationship, and got down on one knee and asked Audra to be his wife…She said yes… Audra is learning that Michael is almost as fond of surprise as he is of tradition.