I had just left a Move-In Day event on Boise State campus when I was told that I needed to get to a house immediately. Some of my fraternity brothers had decided to have people over that night, and they wanted more brothers there. I rushed there, and was standing in the kitchen when I first saw her. When I saw Abbie walk into the room, I thought that she was from out of town, or just waiting until the next week to go back to a school that started a few weeks after Boise State did. There was no way that someone as beautiful as her didn't have a boyfriend, or didn't go to a different school. There was no way. I honestly don't remember what was said or by who, but I do remember that we both commented about someone who had drank too much, and we laughed at how similar what we said was. But when she said that she was friends with my fraternity brother Rene and his girlfriend, and that she was a sophomore at Boise State, I smiled, thinking about future days of walking past each other on campus now that I recognized her and was talking with her. She said that she was a Political Science major (my minor) with a Communication minor (my major), and we started talking about politics. I know, great topic for a party, right? I mentioned I was from California, and she continued to play fun with me about that fact. After she left, I (surprisingly or not surprisingly, depending on who you ask), couldn't remember her name, and frantically asked around what her name was. I didn't have to wait long, because the first day of school that week, I saw her sitting in class. I was so happy. However, it took me about 5 months to get smart enough to ask her out on our first date, where we ended up shooting our old textbooks from the classes we had together, and had lunch together. It may have taken until the next semester, but I'm so thankful God put you in that class with me, Abbie Jane.

It was Saturday, and we had both been dealing with the last rush of tests and exams before the stress of Finals Week. I called Abbie and asked if she wanted to get some ice cream, and take a walk through Downtown Boise. After getting our ice cream, we found ourselves several blocks away from where we had started, and I thought that we should keep on wandering, and eventually we would make it to my car. She didn't know it, but I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend. She had told me that she was a page at the Idaho Capitol when she was in high school, and that it was her favorite building. So I thought we would go to a nice view that overlooked its night lights. We went up to a parking garage that was private, and hanging out there without paying and being in your car wasn't allowed, but there was nowhere else in town where we could clearly see the building in all of its timeless glory . After dodging security cameras and guards that Saturday night, we finally made it to the top of the building. From hiking up several flights of parking spaces, and the nervousness I felt, my heart rate has yet to come back down to normal. Standing up there, and watching her look at the lit up Capitol grounds across from us, the whole view made me so nervous. From how beautiful she looked, to hoping she wouldn't see how nervous I was, I somehow asked her to be my girlfriend. And somehow, she said yes. Since that day standing up there with her, I have stood on the piers of San Francisco on New Year's Day, the mountains of Idaho and California, the tallest buildings in Salt Lake City, the streets, tattoo parlors and bright casinos of Las Vegas, and now our own house that we own. Together. There is no one else that I would have rather began this journey with, and I am so lucky that you said yes to that nervous kid on top of that building. I can't wait to see where else we will have stood together when it is all said and done.

On the day marking 2 1/2 years of us being together, I thought that I would take Abbie to a place that we both had history working at. When we started dating, she worked as a barista for the nicest restaurant in town, and I would eventually work for their valet service. So I thought what better place than Chandlers Steakhouse to celebrate? I had just picked up the ring that Abbie would wear for the rest of her life, and somehow thought that putting it in my front shirt pocket was a good idea. I didn't lose it, if that's what you're thinking. But it sure didn't help with the nerves that come before asking your best friend if they will marry you. During dinner I was texting her mom, attempting to coordinate times and locations for that evening in where we were going to meet. Once again, I wanted to take her to the Capitol, and propose to her on the steps. A perfect place to text your soon-to-be fiancé's mother and family. Under the table. Definitely not stressful trying to hide the jitters and nerves! Once we left the restaurant, Abbie wanted to get ice cream (and so did I, honestly). But her family and my sister were already hiding behind the bushes in front of the Capitol, and I had a plan to get there. Even if it meant waiting for ice cream. I made sure they could capture the moment with their cameras, and be there with us. Sitting down on the steps, we talked about all the other times we sat on these steps. Before dances, on date nights, and during Christmas tree lightings. And now, our proposal. I turned my head toward the street and asked if she saw what I saw. She got up and tried to look for what I asked about, but when she turned around, I had the ring in my hand, and got on one knee. I almost put it on the wrong hand, but it was still to my left, since she was turned toward me. I'll never hear the end of that, but if that's what I have to hear while being with you the rest of my life, I am perfectly fine with that. Because that means she said yes.