Some of you may have heard this story before, but you might have only heard one side. Here's the story of our proposal (and the moments leading up to it) from both of our perspectives.

Preamble to the proposal: Despite Mark's initial dislike for this term, we are a "COVID" couple through and through. Our first official date was March 20, 2020 and lockdown was issued four days later. What this meant for us? We quickly became exclusive, quarantined together, and spent the first year of our relationship mostly just the two of us, learning about each other, and setting the foundation of our relationship. The deets: Okay fast forward about a year later....Mark and I started talking about the future, including getting married. I distinctly remember getting packed for our first big trip, to Hawaii nonetheless, where he would meet all my college best friends. As a surprise to them (and what earned him major brownie points), he brought our favorite college drink (raspberry smirnoff and simply raspberry lemonade) all the way to Kauai. While prepping for this trip I realized "I think I'm going to marry this man someday". Two years later, March 2023, one year living in our house and we were ready to take the next step. We went to a local jeweler in Boulder to design my now engagement ring and to-be wedding band. Mark's mom generously gave us family diamonds which we reset. While I was heavily involved in the design process, I didn't want to know when the rings were ready, though I figured we would likely get engaged that summer. When I think back on the summer of 2023, a few things come to mind. (1) I was CONSTANTLY getting my nails done and (2) I was CONVINCED that any plan was "the plan", including but not limited to, our trip to Iceland, camping with friends in Jackson, biking in Steamboat, and multiple planned date nights in Fort Collins. My 'spidey-senses' would have never predicted we would get engaged the morning of Tour-de-Fat, Fort Collins' huge bike parade where everyone dresses up and rides bikes around the city. For those that know me, you know these are some of my absolute favorite things in life; being with loved ones, dressed up in costumes, participating in a community event. When I say "my 'spidey-senses' would have never predicted we would get engaged on Tour-de-Fat" is mostly true....I would have never predicted it was going to happen that day UNTIL we were getting ready to walk Milo that morning. Mark looked at what I was wearing, my baggy sweatpants and college sweatshirt, and very sweetly asked "Don't you want to put on some normal clothes?" In my head I'm thinking "why would I put on normal clothes to walk Milo??" and then it hit me (baam!), "I think this could be THE PLAN". I remember the drive to Horsetooth reservoir, we played some of our favorite songs and chatted about the day ahead. It was a gorgeous morning, it had rained the night before and the sun was starting to peak out from behind the clouds. Walking along the path, I was taking some photos to try and distract myself from thinking this could be the moment. A few minutes later, I remember Mark saying "I think you're missing something" after I snapped a picture, and me seemingly confused by that statement, turned around and Mark was on one knee. The rest is history <3 though I will add we spent the rest of the day dressed in Mario-Kart themed costumes, biking around our favorite place with our favorite people. It was perfect.

We first met at a Halloween party in 2019 at Maddie's house. At the time, Maddie was starting her graduate program in Public Health, and I was in my second year of my PhD program. After our conversation, I asked for her phone number and invited her to join my soccer team. I had heard she played soccer at Santa Clara, which is known for having an excellent program. For those who don’t know, Maddie played recreational soccer at Santa Clara, not on their Division 1 team. But, I had already told the 15 or so players on the team Maddie was joining, who were all meeting her for the first time, that she played D1 soccer at one of the best universities in the country. So, when I picked Maddie up to go to the soccer game, she discovered she was not only meeting a bunch of strangers but also that they had some misconceptions about her soccer background. Despite the awkward situation, Maddie handled it with grace and humor, proving her character and talent on the field. From that moment, I was determined to get to know Maddie better. And this time the real her! While our relationship began in 2020, we’re definitively not a “COVID” couple. Case closed. -- Now that we can all agree on that, back to the proposal story! Maddie helped design her engagement ring, but once she chose the style, she had no idea when or if I had actually bought it. The summer of 2023 was filled with trips, but one in particular stood out—our trip to Iceland. My plan was to propose before we left, so we could celebrate our engagement while exploring Iceland. Between wrapping up the semester, teaching, getting the ring, and planning our trip, I picked a weekend for the proposal. I knew it should be Horsetooth Reservoir, a scenic spot overlooking Fort Collins where we met and lived for the past three years. We don't know where life might take us next, but I wanted to mark this special place with our engagement. I started the day with coffee and breakfast and then took Maddie to Horsetooth to kayak, a throw-back to one of our early dates. I had a fear of dropping the ring in the water, so after our morning on the reservoir I planned to propose at a picturesque overlook. All morning we played music that reminded us of each other and shared stories about our first dates and important memories. However, plans sometimes go off course, and our original proposal spot didn’t work out as planned. With our Iceland trip just days away, my chance to propose before the trip slipped away. I brought the ring with us to Iceland, Jackson, WY, and on all our other summer travels. Still, I knew I wanted a simple, intimate proposal at Horsetooth with just the two of us and our dog, followed by a celebration. Tour-de-Fat was no Iceland trip, but being with our friends and amid the buzz around Fort Collins I hoped would make up for it and more. It really emphasized the "Fort Collins" part of the proposal, at least! On August 26, 2023 and one of the most festive days in Fort Collins, we drove up to Horsetooth and I asked Maddie to marry me! Sometimes, things don’t go according to plan. That summer brought many challenges and unexpected events that I haven’t included. But through it all, we’ve grown stronger together. We’re excited to celebrate our wedding with you—whether near or far—and until then, we’re sending all our love!