My mother invited Matthew on a family cruise with us back in April (guess she really had faith he was the one). After months of waiting, arranging flights and getting things together, Matthew and I flew out to San Diego to meet my family. We have our first Thanksgiving together and spend two wonderful days in San Diego before we hop on the ship. The second night of the cruise is elegant night (you dress up and eat fancy food in the dining room) . We all get dressed and head to dinner. All ten of us are sitting at our big table; Matthew and I on the end. The whole dinner he barely ate. He was super sweaty and I kept asking him if he was okay because I started to worry he might be getting sick. He kept assuring me that he just had really bad heartburn. All throughout dinner he kept saying the sweetest things to me. How much he loved me, how we couldn’t wait to marry me one day, how we are perfect for each other, etc. When it was time for dessert, the waiter told me he had a different dessert for me. He opened it and it was a fudge shaped heart. I was so confused about why I got it that I barely had time to read the “will you marry me?” written on the plate when all of the sudden I hear Matthew’s voice, “will you marry me?” I look over and he’s down on one knee with the ring. It was perfect. My family was able to get video and pictures as it was all happening. We will always be able to look back on that special moment in our lives, and for that I am so grateful.

I bought the ring about three weeks prior to embarking on my first ever cruise. I kept it in my backpack and made sure Gabriella never put her hands on it. I was super scared during TSA that they would search my bag and unveil the ring. At last, I made it to my private cabin with it unseen. The second night of the cruise was fancy night, I had arranged for her mother to talk to our waiter to see if we could get writing on her most favorite dessert: the chocolate melting cake. The hour before I was hot and sweaty, while putting on the fanciest clothes I could pack in a suitcase; my heat erupted with a burn, heartburn, that is. But I had never been so sure of anything else in my entire life; I wanted to marry her. It was a three course meal, so I sat, uneasy, for the first two. Gabriella worried constantly about what was wrong with me. I told her it was heartburn. Finally, I see the dessert trays coming our way, and it was go time. Before she had a chance to read what was on the plate, I was on one knee, asking her to marry me. Boom.

Matthew and I first met at his grandmother’s funeral. My family has known his family since before I was born; but yet we never met. Because Matthew was in town for the funeral, my dad invited him to church the next day. I did the announcements that day and was sat down next to Matthew for the service. After church, we all went to eat. At lunch, Matthew spent most of the time talking to me. I could tell he was nervous because of all the rambling. His topic of conversation? How he hates when public bathrooms don’t have a thing of the bottom of the door that he can pull the door open with. He was severely passionate about how his hands are clean and then become unclean when he has to touch a door handle. It was definitely a weird first conversation.