Matthew and I met using an online dating app (something we both never imagined for ourselves) and instantly had a connection. We were both pleasantly surprised with the experience, and quickly scheduled our first date. Because we lived so far apart, we met half way in between in Newport Beach. We talked for hours, and knew we wanted a second date. Unfortunately, the distance got overwhelming, and so we decided to break things off after two dates. However, both Matt and myself still felt that there was something between us that was worth going the extra mile. We started dating again 4 months later, and the rest is history.

On January 4th, 2020, Matthew and I had planned to go out to a nice dinner with my sister Amanda, and her fiancé Andrew. We were (supposed to be) going to a nice Italian restaurant in San Pedro. About 15 minutes before my sister and her fiancé were supposed to be arriving, she texted me that she was recovering from a horrible migraine, and that they would be running behind. Matthew then recommended that we go down to the beach and watch the sunset to kill some time. We headed down to a nice private beach, and watched the sunset together. That's when Matthew popped the question (I of course said YES). One of his best friends Kevin was also hiding (in disguise) so that he could take pictures of the whole thing. His disguised friend also delivered my favorite wine that Matthew gave him so that we could enjoy a celebratory glass on the beach. After some alone time, Matthew asked if we could get back to the house so that his mom could take some pictures. As we pull up to the house, I recognize my family's cars in the driveway (which was not part of the plan). They brought balloons and gifts so that we could celebrate together, and Matthew's mom made the most delicious dinner and bought a beautiful cake for us so that. we could celebrate with (almost all) of our family. It was the most blessed and memorable day in our lives so far, and we know that many more days like this are ahead of us.