KARLENE'S STORY
I grew up in Rohnert Park. I lived with my Mom until I was 14 then I moved in with my Dad. I graduated High school in 2001. Graduated SRJC with my nursing degree in 2005. I moved away to Foster City to work at Stanford CHildren's Hospital after graduating and now I am back in Santa Rosa.

RICH'S STORY
I grew up in New Jersey until I was eight or nine then moved out here to Fairfield. I graduated high school in 1993. In 1999 my son Brent was born. Shortly after he was born I moved to Cloverdale with him. Later on Dominc was born. There I started my career doing drywall. For awhile I was into import cars, it was a huge hobby of mine to race and fix them up. Then four years ago I found my newest passion...softball. I for awhile too moved down to Foster City, but am now too back in Santa Rosa

OUR STORY
May of 05 we first saw one another at the Safeway parking lot in Rohnert Park, but we didn't really catch each others attention until later that day at the Freemont softball complex. Rich asked to borrow Karlene's magazine and thats how we first talked. Later that night we all went to dinner and we sat across from each other. Then on the way home Rich calls Josh's phone to talk to me and get my number, the coversation ended with him saying he would call me Monday. First thing Monday morning around 6am Karlene is woken up by a text "Good morning, told you I would call". We began texting and talking on the phone alot that week. The following weekend Karlene was graduating from nursing school. Rich, the morning of, met Karlene and gave her a card with no name on it. Then later that day he came to her grad party. That night a few of us went out to a bar called Michelle's, and that was the beginning of it all. The next week we had our first date at El Toritos. We slowly became inseperable. We hung out everyday and night for a whole month until Karlene went to Hawaii and then when she returned we picked up right where we left off. Then in July Karlene was moving, we decided to just see what happens. Once being apart, we realized we would do what it took to stay together. In Novemeber, Rich decided to move down to Foster CIty to be with Karlene. In August 2007 we purchased a house and moved back to Santa Rosa.

OUR ENGAGEMENT
Rich proposed on 11-16-07 at John Ash. Rich out of nowhere just pulls out the ring and all Karlene could say was "Are you serious" over and over, then said yes. We called our families and began planning!