October is a special month for us. We met at the Mix Bar in downtown Denver on Oct. 16th, 6 years ago. Over drinks, Todd told me about his beer allergy and I told him about my DU studies. I thought he asked interesting questions. Standard first date stuff. We continued the conversation down the block at Jazz at Jack's where we got dinner and more drinks. On the way there, we passed bridal shop where I made Todd admire some wedding dresses with me. I did it on purpose to freak him out but he kept his cool. Women like to put guys through tests, someone once said. The icing on the cake was chocolate truffles at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. In sum, it a fun and delicious first date after all!

Todd did good! He worked 1-1 with a jeweler to create a truly one of a kind ring. Inspired by a vintage 19th century Tiffany's design, he decided to go with a classic and timeless look. Composed of 3 hand-picked diamonds and yellow gold, with platinum mounts for strength, the ring is a work of art. Flawlessly engineered and made entirely by hand, the four-prong setting virtually disappears and allows brilliant diamonds to float above the gold band. The triad design of the ring symbolizes 3 phases of one's life -- the past, the present and the future. To create the band, Todd used gold that was a mix of 18 and 24 karat gold that goes back 4 generations in his family, bringing his personal ancestry into the ring and making it even more special. It's safe to say...I'm in love with my ring!

An engagement as iconic as the location! Central Park engagement was one of the best (and unexpected) of all Christmas presents. We were taking a family hike in the park, passing through The Great Lawn, Belvedere Castle and the Ramble when Todd pulled me aside to 'take a photo'. We went down to take a shot against a perfect backdrop --- glistening Hernshead Lake with towering Upper West skyscrapers behind us. Before I knew what was happening, Todd went down on one knee and asked me to marry him! OMG.

We moved into our new home in Winter of 2016, just before the engagement and Christmas. After checking out about a dozen properties all over Denver and the surrounding areas, we ultimately made an offer on the first property we saw and settled into a town home in Golden, CO. The move had us swapping our 1 bedroom apartment in Capitol Hill for a larger, quieter spot with great views and easy access to the mountains. We traded howling hipsters for howling coyotes and have loved the change. While the bones of the home are solid, we're looking forward to renovating the space enough to bring in more of our own personality and an updated style while removing some of the more dated features. Todd has seriously bonded with his Dad (and learned a ton) as each new project is completed. Some projects are planned and some plan themselves but they all take us just a little closer to where we want to be.

We are the luckiest pup parents in the world! Brooklyn is a lovely 1 year of Australian Shepherd that brings plenty of joy and adventure to our lives. She was born on a ranch in Mora, New Mexico but is Denverite by heart. She enjoys playing ball, chasing bunnies, eating almond butter, jumping on rocks, stealing socks, sleeping on our Casper bed and going on hikes. From 'wild thing' to 'brown-eyed girl', she is the apple of our* eye! *Gosia & Todd