The Setting: Vermont The Date: well, it's literally right above this The Occasion: a mutual friend's birthday celebration where we rented a house for the weekend to, as Greg says, “Get After It.” With 15-20 people geared up at a beautiful vacation home, people settled in quickly. Before you knew it, the dinner was devoured and the drinking festivities were underway. As the night progressed, riskier activities would start to flirt in the minds of the more adventurous. Yes, you guessed it - sledding! With the house being perched on a massive hill, the only natural idea was to try and tame it. An overaggressive lad I will admit; I pushed my luck too far and crashed my sled into the base of a tree in the nearby woods and ultimately, split my finger open. As a novice in first aid, I spent several minutes in the bathroom until Eva walked in and I’m pretty sure, made fun of me for being an idiot who looked as if he was going to bleed out. Nevertheless, she stopped the bleeding and bandaged me up, leaving only a moment of time where we were alone together. The two of us and our families knew each other well for all of our lives and I always admired how stunning she was from afar; but now having that big, beautiful face right in front of me, I had to act quickly. I boxed her into the corner using my athleticism and went in for the kiss! She kissed back (and very well, might I add). The weekend had ended, but those moments with Eva wouldn’t fade. I asked for more time with her, I’m so glad I did!

It was just a regular Wednesday, or so I thought, as I tried to rush home from work to get dinner together. Gianna and Greg were extra annoying, as they were both calling, asking when I would be home, pretending to be interested in helping get dinner together because they were both "starving." Finally, I arrived home and quickly ended my routine commute chat with my cousin, Anna, by saying "I have to go, the lights are off and candles are lit." Curiously, I walked upstairs to the sounds of Thomas Rhett's "Die a Happy Man" while rose petals and candle light lined each step. Greg was on bended knee, looking dapper, in the center of a rose petal heart. It was a moment I had been waiting for and everything I could have ever dreamed of: a random weeknight with no prior significance, with my favorite babies present. Gianna huddled in the corner and acted as our sobbing photographer for the big moment. Lena was dressed as a bride, trying to steal all the attention, per usual. Fast-forward and here we are planning a wedding! The boy whose face has hearts drawn around it in my 6th grade yearbook is my husband to be!!