We're Getting Married!

We first laid eyes on each other in person at a Starbucks. She had her regular Iced Venti Americano, with a splash of half & half sugar-free Vanilla. He had a Frappuccino of some Carmel sort. We spent our first date talking, laughing and just enjoying the comfortable company we were having. We became fast friends and even closer partners. Was the start to this amazing journey we are on.

Brides version: We took a trip back to Doug's old stomping grounds in San Diego, CA & explored where he used to reside, best eats, beaches & i got to meet his sister & nephew for the first time. Absolutely love them. California was beautiful & so much fun. My future husband can read me like a book & has incredible spidey senses like you wouldn't believe! so, he could tell i was exhausted & wanted to go back to the hotel. Well, he was really wanting me to continue on because he needed me to take a walk around Belmont park in Mission Beach because he needed an hour or so, to track the sunset time down into point loma & i was jacking up those plans lol. Long story short, i didn't walk around the park, we went straight to Sunset Cliffs where he tied his shoe a couple of times while making a joke only we would get & as i was looking at the sunset & coming back at him with a quick witted sassy remark, i turned around to not find him standing in front of me because he was kneeling instead! i was blown away & overwhelmed with joy. The scenery, the proposal & the ring was absolutely beautiful. There is so much more detail to what went on that day before we made it too Sunset Cliffs & maybe we will share that at a later point but i'll never ever forget that moment.

Grooms Version: I found the perfect time to bring Nicole back to San Diego to meet my family there and give her a little history lesson of “Doug”. Little did she know there were larger plans afoot. Being that we already went (engagement) ring “window shopping”, I learned what she liked, her ring size and of course up-sized the section, I had key component one in hand. When we goto San Diego we stayed right on the bay in a beautiful hotel so she could hopefully experience a start that all the city to offer. On the first day we met my Sister and Nephew for a great dinner and intros. But not before giving her a quick tour of all the places in ‘East County’ Doug lived, ate at and where he used to hang out. Now being ‘from’ San Diego you learn about how the best spots can be found and when to see them, we spent an early morning walking and shopping around Seaport Village, touristy yes, but it was right there and it couldn’t be missed. After a couple of hours, people watching the plan was set into motion. First and foremost I wanted to do the whole open box ring thing proposal so I had the roughest 4? Hours in trying to hide this square pointy-edged box in the pocket of my shorts without her seeing or noticing. I do not recommend this technique and understand why dudes hide rings in glasses of Champagne at dessert.. but I digress. I took her on my personally infamous “beach tour” that starts by heading up to Mt Soledad, down the mountain, into La Jolla and down mission boulevard, and across into OB and to Sunset cliffs with great stops all along the way. The day was clear so we were able to see all of San Diego and pay our respects at the Memorial. Walked around La Jolla Cove, and saw sea lions fighting, seals sunning themselves and everything that was to offer. We then headed down to my next stop, Pacific Beach (Law Street) for another reminiscing location before we headed off to get her the 2nd best fish taco ever created at Rubios (note: my fav was Wahoos but had since closed) Regardless, she got the goodness and was just loving every moment. So my timing on all the stops was on point, I checked the inter-webs and knew the time of sunset so I was good, just to get her to walk around Belmont park for 45 mins, get a t-shirt, souvenir the standard. Well, that wasn't happening. The parking lot was full to the brim and I could tell she just wasn’t down for another stroll so now I just lost 45 mins of my plan. The next stop was Hodad’s in Ocean Beach (OB). She had seen Hodads on the Food Networks and was one spot she didn’t want to miss so off we went. Thankfully there was a little bit of a line to get in paired with the classic ‘slow’ OB culture and I got near all my time back. It was my first time too and have to say, it was awesome. Food is great and you think people watching at Seaport village is fun? Do it in OB and get your entertainment dollars to work. The clock then struck, it was time to go and all I had to do was find the right cliff that wasn’t so populated. As we drive down Sunset Cliffs Blvd all we see are people setting up for proposals, both big and small. I made jokes, trying to redirect Nicoles' potential ambitions but all I could think inside was ’stop it you fu*ers, you’re messing with my game right now. My first spot was full, second was the same. Finally, I found one, we parked and walked out to the cliffs, as of course, someone was setting up a table with yet another forthcoming proposal. (Continued....)

So we waited, and looked at the water, I made a very nervous conversation and just enjoyed the moment. Then it was time, I pointed at something incredibly trivial to distract her attention and kneeled down proclaiming, “I’M JUST tying my shoe” , for the record I inconspicuously untied as we walked out to the cliffs previously. Pulled that literal pain in my leg box out grabbed her hand and asked the Woman I want to spend the rest of my life with to marry me. I was truly in a daze and can’t remember every word I said, as my soul and my heart were doing all the talking. She said yes. And we even saw the “green flash” minutes later to seal the deal. I am blessed.

To Communicate, Listen w/o judgement, Hear & Understand w/Empathy, Remember our LOVE, There's NO problem we cant overcome, NO discussion we cannot have. Live, Laugh, Love one another & our family each & every day. You & I become WE & US. Our Bond & our Love is the strength & glue that holds us together. Forever & Ever. ~Amen