Our Meet-Cute at Blueprint Coffee

We crossed paths at Blueprint Coffee Delmar in St. Louis. Tiffany had just embarked on her journey as an employee there, while Rick had established himself as a seasoned regular. Rick left an indelible mark on Tiffany, not only due to his charming appearance but also his distinct coffee preference - a shot of espresso coupled with an iced white tea, an unexpectedly delightful combination. Tiffany captured Rick’s interest with her beautiful smile and the occasional free drink.

As the days unfolded into months, our connection blossomed over the pour-over station. Tiffany meticulously crafted coffees, while Rick would linger. Our chats quickly became the highlight of both our days. Somewhere along the way, Rick mentioned playing frisbee with his cousin, becoming the catalyst for a pivotal moment. Tiffany, a casual frisbee player in her college days, seized the opportunity and extended an invitation, ultimately securing Rick's phone number.

And so, that simple invitation marked the inception of what would soon become our first official date, an afternoon of frisbee by the lake.

What do we love most about each other?

Tiffany: I love Rick’s balance – he is caring, emotionally aware, funny, and incredibly intelligent all at once.

Rick: I love Tiffany’s commitment to herself and her values, she committed to love me long before I felt worthy of it and has never once wavered.

A special anecdote from our relationship

Occasionally, we both talk in our sleep. It’s hard to overstate the importance of these two sleep poems in our relationship, some of the most foundational and richest texts of our time together.

Tiffany actually said:

I met the guy who owns McDonalds and Burger King.

His name is Nug.

He has fryers in his house.

He has unlimited French fries and onion rings.

Rick actually said:

Dilly dallying, suspended with one arm.

Dying in a paper sack.

Y’all suck.

How did the proposal happen?

Tiffany and I had this ongoing plan to check out a cool park nestled at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. But, life had other plans. The park took a hit from some serious floods in Missouri, and every time we tried to visit over the next couple of years, it was under construction. We gave it three shots, but it seemed like bad timing.

Funny enough, just when I was ready to pop the question, we got word that the park was back in action. This was right before we were about to make the move to LA. Now, Tiffany had an idea that I had the ring – I mean, I wanted to get her something she’d love, so we’d talked about rings before. What she didn’t know was that I'd added a few surprises (more diamonds) of my own to the mix.

So, there we were, standing at the confluence of these two massive rivers – the Missouri and the Mississippi. I had this whole plan to propose right at the tip of where they meet, but wouldn’t you know it, there’s some dude fishing there with neon green fishing line. Not exactly the romantic third wheel I had in mind.

No big deal, though. We found this cozy little spot where we could still see both rivers coming together. It wasn't some grand, staged moment, but it felt genuine and just right. With the rivers as our backdrop, I asked Tiffany if she'd join me in continuing this incredible journey through life. Spoiler alert: she said yes. And just like that, hand in hand, we embraced the next steps of our ongoing adventure.

R&T