.

Jennifer & Jason

How we met? The first time or the second time?  That’s right, Jason and I TECHNICALLY became acquainted back in 2008, well before our official meeting in 2011.  Confused?  Let me explain...

The year was 2008 and Facebook had just begun to take off.  This was when Facebook was just for college students.  People were “friending” (and unfriending) each other.  Your pal Jason happened to spot a nice looking girl (me) on his timeline (because we have so many mutual friends).  Jason took a chance and messaged me on how awesome he thought I was.  And here’s the kicker, I ACTUALLY responded to the stranger.  So what happened next?

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Ziltch.  Jason wanted nothing further but to tell me he thought I was cool.  He went back to Jasonland for another three years until 2011.  By that time, I had since forgotten about our random encounter on Facebook...

On April 1st, 2011 one of my good girlfriends from college just so happened to be marrying Jason’s fraternity brother.  And guess who was the photographer?  Yup, Jason.  I’m not going to lie, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him (well at least not until the food was served).  But in true calm and collected Jason form, he never approached me at the wedding (which was great since I was having a blast on the dance floor)...

It was the bride who ultimately played match maker and hooked us up.  Jason asked me out one week later.  We went to the Edison for our first date and we talked for five hours STRAIGHT.  I’ve been hooked ever since.

Life as a long distance couple- So after the butterflies and stars in our eyes, the reality set in.  We met in April, and I was moving to Ohio for medical school in July.  Jason assured me that we’d take one day at a time.  One day turned into months and months turned into four years of facetiming, two timezones, three hour time difference, lots of air miles traveling back and forth, and lots of trips to the post office.  He told me “Babe, my train is hitched to yours; I’m in for the long haul.”  And just like that, it worked.  It has all been worth it and God has blessed us tremendously.

The Proposal
Jason's Version: I planned Jennifer’s 30th birthday party in LA, and I knew that it would be even more memorable if she was newly engaged with a ring on her finger. But at the same time, I wanted the proposal to be private, so I planned to pop the question a couple hours before her friends arrived. We were set to meet up at a nearby loft in Hollywood, not far from where her party was going to be. I stopped by early to set up a video camera. When she arrived all she wanted to do was relax and take a walk to get a hotdog from one of the street vendors. She was ready to walk out the door, but I was trying to set up this proposal, so I had to stall her. I figured I'd ask her to dance to get her attention. During our first year of dating we took a ballroom dance class together, and she is always ready to perform the number that we learned. During the dance there is this one move where I spin her. So in the middle of dancing, I go to spin her. Midway through the spin, with her back turned to me, I got down on one knee, and when she completed the spin, she saw me holding up a ring and asking her to marry me. She was shocked. She had tears in her eyes as she said yes. Later that evening at the party, all of her girlfriends where screaming when they saw the ring. Her birthday was epic, and I have the proposal on video!

Jenn's Version: Okay....  Let me just clear up the hot dog part lol.  So, a little background.  Unfortunately I was in Ohio on my actual birthday.  So Jason, being the awesome guy that he is, volunteered to throw me another birthday party in LA.  I had flown into LA to take my board exam and interview at a couple hospitals while I was in town.  When he asked me to meet him in Hollywood, I had just finished a nine hour medical licensing exam and was exhausted.  Yes, all I wanted was to relax with some sweat pants and eat a hot dog (you know those LA bacon wrapped hot dogs from those mobile grill on wheels that randomly appear after a night out on the town).  Instead, he asked me to dance and then out of nowhere came this beautiful ring from a man that I could not imagine my life without.  There was uncontrollable crying, a surreal feeling, and a "of course I will marry you."  By far, the best birthday present a girl could ask for.

Match Day- In that envelope that Jenn is holding has the name of the hospital that she will be working at for the next four years.  Seems pretty simple, but the hitch is that out of her 20+ interviews she had, she only had two in Los Angeles, and a third in the Inland Empire.  That envelope could have sent us to Bakersfield (yeah…), Fresno (just as bad), Santa Clara (I could have done that), Las Vegas (I told Jenn we’d be living on The Strip), or three hospitals in Ohio (oh no…no no no no no no no…oh no…no no no no no no no).  So we’ve been waiting for this Match Day for nearly four years, and the anticipation had reached its breaking point.  The day finally came.  In front of her class of about 100, and all of their family, we walked on stage when her name was finally called to read our fate…

LOS ANGELES!!!!!!!!! WE AREN’T GOING ANYWHERE!!!!!!!! LIFE WILL CONTINUE TO BE AWESOME!!!!!!!! NO COWTOWN OR CITY WHERE THE SUN DOESN’T COME OUT FOR SIX MONTHS!!!!!!! WE’RE STAYING HOME!!!!!!!