We're getting married!

Our story is similar to a lot of people our age…we met through a dating app. It was just after my 23rd birthday when we first connected online and we talked for about a week before we decided to meet in person. A local park was where we agreed, with my family’s approval (because stalkers, DUH!), to meet up. I was so into him and lost in the conversation that I didn’t look at my phone for a good 2 hours, which made my cousin anxious…so anxious in fact that she came rolling by the park to make sure I was still alive! It was the funniest thing ever and I’m pretty sure we both turned bright red with embarrassment! But the one thing I’ll never forget is Austin texting me as soon as I walked away with the sweetest message. From that day on, we wanted to be around each other every day we could. A month later he wrote on the dirty back window of my car “Be my girlfriend”! Awe, it was the cutest thing ever. As the months passed the distance got real tough at times but we made up for it by taking trips, showing each other so many new places. You could say our first 2 years were a real “balls to the wall” adventure. Here we are, 4 years later, and the adventures are still going strong but instead of new places all the time, we go through these new stages of life together. Growing, learning, and really understanding what it’s like to create this new life with the person you want ‘forever’ with. I believe the best is yet to come…

I had no clue. Like really ZERO!!! I was already buzzing from the drinks flowing and had seen the same lake a good 50 times in my life. I was not in the mood when everyone said “let’s go on a hike” but I just hid my resting bitch face and went along with the group. I should have known something was up when everyone wanted to take pictures by the water, but again, I just kept posing and asking “who’s next?”! Just as I was getting over smiling from the photo shoot activities, Austin and I pose up for another photo and my brother and his girlfriend tell me to look at the cute little duck couple that was swimming behind us. It was a real “aweee” moment for me so as soon as I turn back around, he drops to one knee! All I can think in this moment is “There’s no way this man just surprised me” cause let me tell you, I don’t do surprises!! He asked and with tears in my eyes I said YES! Honestly, that whole scenario could not have gone any better.

After many months of living with each other and the ups and downs that come along with that, I had finally decided to pull the trigger on a ring I had my eye on for her. I always made sure she had no idea and kept her in the dark about it. TRUST ME, this was no easy task as we went through what most people go through. The “am I ever going to get a ring?” arguments and such. All the while, I had the ring the whole time just trying to find the time and place to make it special. After all the moving and getting settled in our new place, we finally had a trip planned to Lake Tahoe. Luckily, it was her dad’s birthday one of the days we would be there so she didn’t think this was the reason we were going. I talked to her parents and was very glad to know I had their blessings. So I started to try and plan where and how to do it, with the help of her brother and his girlfriend. We were barely able to get her to the beach that evening. She fought it every step of the way but I was able to play the “I’ve never been there” card. So as dusk fell, we made our way on this pretty long walk from the hotel down to the lake with the beautiful sunset backdrop. It was kind of hard to still get the cameras rolling for more than a few seconds without suspicions arising. I felt her being “done” with the pictures situation and asked if they were ready? I got down on my knee and asked this beautiful woman to marry me and was so happy when she said yes.