Isn’t it funny how we think we’re the ones writing our own stories. It’s our hands that guide the pen, or our fingers that type the words on the pages of our life.  We love to think we’re the ones in control, but then we flip the page and what’s written was nothing we as the “authors” had planned on writing.  And perhaps we do attempt to draw out a “rough draft”, but ultimately there’s an Editor who has the final say in how the story will go.  This Editor develops the plot and usually throws in a twist or two.  I’d say a few times we, as the author’s of our story, have disagreed with changes made to our writing. But as we all learned in English class, every good story has to have a conflict…and a resolution.

The story of Blake and I was definitely a twist thrown into the book of my life.  The first time I ran into him since high school, I’d been living in the mountains of Ocoee, Tennessee and loving every minute of it.  I had come home for my birthday and was planning on hog wrestling with my out-of-town friends who didn’t really believe that was a thing. (I proved them wrong). Anyway Doctor Kennedy, who is a good friend of my family’s and the local vet at Hilltop Veterinary Clinic, had told me to come over and grab some leftover salmon he’d made that he wanted me to try. Of course, I am not one to turn down food so I hopped in my little Celica and booked it over to the clinic. As I was getting out of my car a black truck pulled up beside me and from that stepped two well muscled man-legs in a pair of red wing boots who happened to belong to a very handsome and smiling Blake Voges.  My heart-rate picked up a little bit. Immediately I felt guilty because I happened to have a boyfriend at that time. It didn’t, however, keep me from having a short conversation with Blake.  He told me his dog Fargus had broken his leg back in July and needed to get the pin taken out.  I told him I was living in Tennessee and had come in for the weekend.  I invited him to come watch the hog wrestling match. He invited me to come out on the river. And then we went our separate ways.

I went home and spilled everything to my mom.  I felt so guilty. Why was I flirting with this man when I had a perfectly nice guy back in Tennessee?  She told me perhaps I needed to think about that.  A month went by.  Then two.  I came home over Thanksgiving break and ran into Blake again.  This time we talked for a long time.  And this time I realized I needed to break up with the guy I was seeing.  Not an easy decision to make. I had to pack up my whole life (which I LOVED) in Tennessee and move back home and in with my parents.  (The Editor of my story had definitely decided to throw in a curveball.)  However, Blake and I started hanging out, going on runs together, then a date or two, and before I knew it…I coudn’t imagine the story of my life without Blake in it as one of the main characters.

Where before it was MY story leading me from one adventure to the next, now it was Blake and I, and with each turn of the page something crazy and exciting and new was taking place and I couldn’t wait to see what the next chapter would hold for us.  We went from kayaking in the snow to rock climbing Red River Gorge to completing a Tough Mudder to booking a four week trip  to Costa Rica.

The day he proposed we were planning on going to the island and camping.  It was August 28th, a Wednesday and we didn’t expect anyone to be there.  However, when we pulled the boat to the island’s shore there were three other boats there already.  I was clueless as to what Blake had up his sleeve so to me it wasn’t a big deal.  I set my chair in the sand and then proceeded to get out my book and pour myself a glass of wine.  Two of the boats took off leaving one left.  Blake told me he knew the owners and walked over to talk to them for a bit.  I sat soaking up the sun and enjoying the breeze.  After a while Blake came back and I saw that the other boat was taking off.  Blake said they had to get home because they were working the next day.  What I didn’t realize was that he told them he was going to propose and so they took off. (Sneaky man).  Then he told me he was going to go watch the sunset and took off across the island. 

A photo from my chair.

Blake and Fargus getting ready to watch the sunset.

I strolled over to join him.  I started to tell him what a perfect evening it was. How I wanted to remember it forever because the weather was perfect, the sunset was perfect, and I never wanted to forget it.  He laughed and said, “Really? You never want to forget this evening?” And I said, “No. It’s a great day.”  He said, “Allison, do you know how much I love you?” I laughed. I said, “A lot?”  And that’s when it happened. He dropped down on one knee.

To be honest, I thought he was messing with me at first. That is, until I saw the ring. How could I have missed it?

I still look at my hand at least 50 times a day because I can hardly believe it’s real.

I didn’t sleep at all that night. I turned the light on in the cuddy of the boat and and stared at it until Blake made me turn it off because he was worried I would run the battery down.

Now it’s our story we’re writing together.  The last few chapters have been pretty great. I can’t wait to see what the next pages and chapters hold for us.  Every good story has a little adventure, a conflict or two, and definitely some romance.

But to think . . .

Our story began at a little place called Hilltop.

*Thank you Emily Higuchi for photographing these amazing images of Blake and I.