We're getting married!

We first crossed paths in early 2018 in the most random way. I had just dropped friends off at a party while Alex was outside trying (unsuccessfully) to get his friend home. When I realized we lived in the same complex, I offered to give them a ride. He declined and probably thought I was a serial killer (lol). A few weeks later, on March 11th, he messaged me on Instagram. After making him wait a couple days (of course), we started talking, went out for drinks, and have been inseparable ever since. In September 2019, we found out we were expecting our first baby. Around the same time, I lost my childhood dog, Bella, which was one of the hardest things I’ve experienced. Alex never left my side. My pregnancy came with medical concerns, and by March 2020, COVID turned the world upside down. Being two months away from becoming first-time parents during a global pandemic was indescribably scary. But on May 14, 2020, after 22 long hours of labor (with our poor moms watching from FaceTime under a table), we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Joelle Elise. That season also gave us the unexpected gift of time, nearly eight months at home together soaking in every moment. We got our first apartment in October 2020 and embraced life as new parents. Over the next couple of years, we navigated toddlerhood, work, school and building our life together. In January 2022, we moved back to SCV into our little townhome, adopted our first dog, Lyla, and I started working at Houzz from home - something that truly changed our family’s day to day life for the better. In July that year, I lost my Papa, another heartbreaking moment where Alex was my constant support. In 2023, we continued growing welcoming our first cat, Kylo, celebrating career milestones, and embracing this season of life together. That June, we found out we were expecting again. While I was nervous, I truly believed this baby was meant to complete our family. On March 10, 2024, we welcomed our second healthy daughter, Emmy Maeve, and Alex officially became a full blown girl dad! As if we weren't busy enough with a newborn, we moved into a single-story home for our growing family and somehow added two more “creatures” to the mix - Onyx, our sweet but derpy surprise puppy, and Arlo, a tiny kitten Jojo and I rescued from the street (and obviously kept, have you ever tried to say no to a three year old with teary puppy-dog eyes??). Later that year, we experienced another deep loss when we said goodbye to Alex’s dad after Thanksgiving. It was very sad and difficult for everyone, but it reminded us how important it is to lean on each other through everything. In July 2025, we moved into a larger home in a nice, peaceful neighborhood. Jojo started kindergarten, and Emmy’s silly and SPICY personality continues to grow each day. In January 2026, during a birthday trip to Big Bear, Alex completely surprised me. After a morning of candle-making and walking around town with the girls, I was convinced to go down to the lake. While I was distracted by taking a pic with a cute group ducks, Alex appeared with an INSANE bouquet of 200 roses, got down on one knee, and proposed with my dream ring. I don’t remember a single word - just nodding, hugging him, and saying yes. We started planning right away and cannot wait to celebrate our love with all of you in Lake Arrowhead. 🤍