HOW WE MET~
Ken and I met at Lady Luck Casino in Bettendorf in 1999. I was a dealer there and he was an occasional player. I remember asking the other dealers if they knew "that guy at my table". They said "which guy?" to which I replied, "the tall cute guy with the gorgeous blue eyes and great sense of humor." They ALL said Ken was a nice guy, which is something you never hear about any guy at the Casino, and this alone impressed me. He always made me laugh and I wanted to go out with him but I would never ask a man out. One night while Ken was playing at my table, he won quite a bit of money. He said, "I want to thank you, but not just tipping. Maybe I could take you out to dinner sometime." I (too) quickly replied, "I get off in twenty minutes". He laughed and said, "Alright, I'll wait". He took me to the Village Inn at 2:00 AM. I had not seen anyone eat that fast except for my father! We talked and laughed and agreed to see each other again. He was funny, adorable, intelligent...and after dating for a while I found myself falling in love with him. He, of course, was a CONFIRMED bachelor and was very honest with me about this. I tried, but found I could not continue to see him as only "friends" and promptly accepted a dealing position at a Casino in Elgin Illinois, changed my number and "moved on". I never forgot about Ken and occasionally would email him. The distance seemed to help but I thought of him often.
Flash forward about eight years. Family issues had brought me back to the Quad Cities. I emailed Ken, then we talked on the phone. We both had been through the dating routine and the "I just want to be alone" phase. I had made a pizza run to Angelo's Pizzeria in Sterling with some friends and had made arrangements to stop at Ken's on our way home. That was March 11, 2007 and we have been together since. We truly feel blessed to have found each other...again.
OUR ENGAGEMENT~
Last November, Ken planned a trip for us to Playa Del Carmen. Friends, Steve and Jaimie, had been there before and thoroughly recommended it. We arrived there November 11, 2007. Little did I know that Ken had been working with our Travel Agent, Margie, and had planned a surprise. Margie emailed the resort and let them in on the planned surprise. While Ken and I were having dinner that evening, the hotel staff was transforming our room. When we returned to the room after dinner, Ken hustled me in to see the whirlpool tub. It was brimming with bubbles and there was a heart made of flower petals on top. I thought, what a lovely surprise! Then we went into the next room and on the bed were two swans made of towels, flower petals, and the most beautiful ring I have ever seen! He got down on one knee and said "Tina Brown, I love you....I have for eight years. Will you marry me?" There were tears of joy streaming down my face. I was so surprised and overwhelmed I did not hear him ask again. I was thinking, "This wonderful man who makes me feel like the luckiest woman alive is going to be my husband." After asking the third time, he said, "Honey, I need an answer. I'm down on my knee here, not getting any younger." A joyous "YES" burst through my lips.
I thank God every day for Ken...hope he does the same-lol.
OUR WEDDING
We will be joined in marriage November 11, 2008 in Negril, Jamaica. It will be a simple but romantic ceremony, right on the beach at Couples Negril. Ken was thinking it would be even more romantic to get married barefoot on the beach. At first I thought, how sweet! Then it occurred to me maybe he was just trying to keep me from buying another pair of shoes....hmmmm.
There will be a reception March/April 2009. Details will be sent as the date approaches. Beach theme
