How did you meet?
Scott and I initially met though a dating website, eharmony. I realized right away that we both attended Suncoast Community because one of his profile pictures was him playing the guitar at church. I recognized the backdrop of the stage to be that of Suncoast of course. We had a few conversations over the phone and decided we would like to meet each other in person. We decided to meet at a Starbucks in Sarasota.
Describe your first date:
We met at Starbucks coffee shop for our first date where we immediately hit it off. We ordered drinks and sat and talked for three hours. We shared quite a bit about each others lives and I could tell that we would be seeing each other again. I’m sure I could have kissed her good night on that first date but decided to be a gentleman and wait.
What do you love most about Erin? What I love most about Erin is how sweet and kind she is. It is clear that she has a genuine concern for me and others. She understands others needs, listens well and has a great sense of humor.
What do you love most about Scott? What I love most about Scott is that he is very caring and is always concerned about my well-being. He is a great listener and I feel I can tell him anything. I love spending time with him; we truly enjoy each other’s company. We enjoy doing the same things and have a lot of common interests. I love that he is a devoted Christian and that we can grow together on our love walk with God.
How did he propose? Scott had set up an “appointment” with a pastor that we had met with before for a dating counseling session. We decided to leave early enough to stop for a cup of coffee before we went to our appointment. We stopped at the Starbucks on University Pkwy, where we had first met…..I thought it was a little weird that we were stopping at that one, because we had to pass one near my house and we would have to actually pass another one on the way to the appt, but really didn’t give it any more thought. We went in and ordered our drinks, and the barista apologized and said that the espresso machine was “malfunctioning” and suggested we have a seat and she would bring our drinks to us as soon as they got the machine “up and running”. A few minutes later, she brings our drinks over and I was confused b/c it didn’t feel right….it felt kind of light. I shake it a little and there was no liquid in it. I opened the cup to find a red box inside…….I was a little confused. I open the box and inside was the most beautiful diamond ring ever! I was a little stunned…….truly not expecting it. As soon as I opened it, Scott down on one knee and proposed, and I, of course, said YES!!!!
Favorite date: I think my (Neil) favorite date would still have to be our first date. I picked Traci up and took her to Indigo I love how we shared our meals with each other, it was very comfortable and we had so much fun! Half of the night at dinner Traci was mesmorized and in disbelief about a replica of a giant manta ray hanging from the ceiling. No matter how hard I tired I couldn’t convince her that they really are that big. After we finished our meal we hung out with Steve and Keeley (the restaurant owners) a little, then left. Next we went to Buffalo Wild Wings to meet up with a few of my friends and watch the UFC pay-per-view. I was really impressed with how into the sport she was. It was a great night and I’ll never forget it!
How did he propose: I proposed to Traci On July 3, 2008 in Charleston, SC. I was up there for work and asked her if she would be willing to come up for the weekend. I already had the ring and a “grand scheme” of how I was going to propose. She loves Peanut M&M’s so I decided to hide the ring in the bag of M&M’s and trick her. She flew up on a Friday morning, I picked her up, and we hung out in downtown Charleston a while. Later that evening I took her out by the harbor and found a secluded dock with no one on it. With the M&M’s in my pocket, I was standing behind her and started telling her that I had a surprise and that it was burning a hole in my pocket. I continue to toy with, and got her to turn around to give her the surprise. After she turned around I pulled the bag of M&M’s out of my pocket and her excitement quickly turned to disappointment. She bought it “hook, line, and sinker!” She then got a little whiny while I was eating the M&M’s. I finally convinced her to eat a few M&M’s, and as I poured a few into her hand out came the ring, and her frown turned up-side-down 
Then she gave me the ring, I said a few mushy things, and nervously fumbled through my proposal, and we were engaged!
From him – My Favorite thing about her is: There’s too many too list just one but here is a few: her love for the Lord, her caring and giving heart, her cute ”tired voice”, her pretty green eyes, her flat tummy, and her bubble butt
From her: My Favorite thing about him is: My most favorite thing is his relationship with Christ and his daily goal to make that relationship stronger, He loves God more then he loves me, his big strong arms that he can wrap completely around me, his laugh, his patience and how organized he keeps his fridge. 
What I’m looking forward to: Waking up everyday in Neil’s big, strong, loving arms knowing that he is the man that God intended me to spend the rest of my life with.
I thought it might be fun to share the stories that go along with the pictures. This one is especially cool! Thanks Neil for putting it into words for me. Julie
It all began at the January 2008 Group Link. Neil was a group leader at the time, and Traci was in a Life Group and volunteered to greet people at the front desk. As the event was starting, Neil approached the front desk to find out where his table was set up at and saw Traci for the first time. She immediately caught his eye with her “warm and inviting” smile and personality. As the night progressed and the event ended, several people including Neil and Traci stayed afterward to stack chairs. Watching the spunky girl running around stacking chairs captured Neil’s attention even more. The two of them spoke very little that evening; however, by the end of the night Neil had definitely developed a crush on Traci.
The following day, with Traci still on his mind, Neil went to the church office to pick out a new curriculum for the Life Group he lead.. While he was there, Neil asked Julie about Traci, however he didn’t feel comfortable enough to tell Julie how he really felt about her. Later that day Neil emailed Julie and told her that he was interested in Traci, and to find out if she was available. Julie jumped right on it and did a little investigative work for him, but found out that Traci was in a relationship at the time. So Neil ended his pursuit and moved on…
Several months later, in October, Traci’s friend and Life Group member, Deborah was in the church office with Julie and asked about the guy who inquired about Traci some time back. With out Traci’s knowledge Julie and Deborah decided to do a little ”match making”. Julie then sent Neil an email out of the blue that said Traci was “back on the market.” By this time Neil had moved up to Lakeland to take a job at the Publix corporate office. After taking a minute to remember who she was, Neil was pretty excited and asked Julie to get her phone # and email address. About a week later Neil called and then emailed Traci. The next day Traci called back, and the rest is history…
