We're getting married!

We matched on the dating app called Hinge where we both connected over talking about travel. On the app, Grant fell in love with a picture of me picking apples while I loved his dreamy blue eyes. After chatting over the New Year, we were wanting to meet soon once Ashley came home from a trip to her grandparents. Grant then asked if we could meet for dinner on January 9, 2019. Ashley was doing a Bar Method Challenge and did not want to miss a class and asked if it was okay if we went somewhere where she can wear her workout clothes. Grant then chose Lulu's Mexican Restaurant across from the Bar Method which worked perfectly and why we now joke about Ashley wearing her lululemon yoga pants to Lulu's (wearing lulu's to Lulu's). After a riveting conversation over Pollo Asado nachos, Ashley dropped Grant off at his apartment but not before we sealed the first night of the rest of our lives with a kiss.

Grant had been talking up his family ranch in the Santa Cruz mountains and invited the DeBauns up there for a visit. After a nice picnic with both families and waiting out the weather they set out to explore the property. They started out heading down the river bank before they came out of the lower grove. Once they passed beyond the tree line the sun finally started to shine through. They then rode to the upper meadow with blue skies now above them to check out Grant's favorite spot. Grant and David headed off first as this was the only chance Grant had to get David alone (for over a month) to officially ask for his daughter's hand (he said yes). Once the families regathered in the meadow, they started taking pictures in the middle of a ring of redwood trees. Grant then averted Ashley's attention to a hawk nest behind her (there was no hawk's nest). When she turned back around he gave her the surprise of her life as he knelt and proposed. She said yes, of course, and now they are engaged! When Ashley thought the day could not get better, Grant let her know they had a dinner reservation to celebrate the engagement with our parents. When they arrived at the restaurant the waitress went to sit them at their table but instead took them to the back where she opened the door to a room filled with wonderful friends from all over California. The rest of the night was filled with lots of food, drinks, and of course dancing!