How it all started

When? presidents day weekend 2003

Where? Greenport

It was a freezing cold day and there was a lot of snow and ice on the ground. Every presidents day weekend Greenport FD has a parade on the Saturday of that weekend. (I am not really sure what the parade is actually for..not that it really matters :-))

Each year Smithtown,Hauppauge,Kings Park and St. James march together in the parade. Before going out to Greenport, Kings Park meets up with Smithtown at Smithtown's main for a hearty breakfast. One or 2 engines from KP and 1 or 2 engines from Smithtown are usually part of the parade. Also KP has a bus they bring out so if people want to stay a little longer, they can. (It has a bathroom....that is the best part!)

My friend Jonathan who had recently moved here from Michigan and joined the department wanted to go to the parade. He wanted me to go, but I honestly had no desire to freeze to death in the wind, snow and ice. The snow that was on the ground was a dusting compared to the snow that he would get in MI. But to make a long story short...he finally convinced me to go.....

This is how it all began.......

After the parade was finished, all the participants of the parade go to the VFW type of place to gamble and have some adult beverages....After some...(ok a lot) of adult beverages my favorite Bacardi and diet coke....I started talking to a member of Hauppauge, Becca. (Who at this point I had never met before). Standing next to her was Erik....so I started talking to him also.....So at somepoint we left the VFW hall. All four of us (Jonathon,Becca, Erik and I) went across the street to another bar....consumed additional beverages)....At one point, the only truck that was going to be left going back was Kings Park bus. So we spoke with the a KP member, and asked him if it was OK that all four of us go back with him on the bus when he leaves since that was going to be the last truck back....he said yes it was fine.....

So after spending a little time at the bar across the street from the VFW hall, we all hopped on the bus to start making our way back....We make a little detour at a food place in Ridge....There were maybe 10 people on the bus....So all of us eat and drink a little bit more and then start to head home.....

I fell asleep on Erik shoulder on the way back....we dropped off Erik and Becca at their Main and Jonathan and I were dropped off at our main.....

At all times, Erik took care of me to make sure I wouldn't injure myself where ever we went that day.....

This was the beginning of it all.......


I went over to his house in the AM. After we finished wrapping my dad's V-day gift Erik couldn't wait to give me my V-day present. He came out of room with 2 bags. One bag had several candles in it. The other bag had a nicely wrapped in cellophane basket. There was several items in the basket. There was heart shaped chocolate candy, chap stick, "lovers dice" ;-), a sudoku for dummies book,a red heart shaped pillow that had be mine written on it, a box of chocolate that had a train on the cover that said cho cho choose me, and there was a white monkey holding everything together. Attached to the red heart shaped pillow was the box that the ring was in. Once I open the box he then asked me to marry him......

He worked so hard on making sure everything was perfect with his friend Becca...and it all was great!.....


Oh...on a side note....One of our first engagement cards from a family member was addressed to Heather and Kevin and not Heather and Erik