It’s finally happening!

The short story: We met at work. The long story: On Mayra’s last day at the bank, in which she worked along side Joel, coworkers and friends decided to go out for dinner and drinks as a goodbye celebration. It was later that night that Joel and Mayra got a chance to talk for many hours into the night and early morning. Over the next few years, we had a couple of on and off dates, but never anything too serious. And then after running into each other one night, somehow, we reconnected instantly. We finally happened to be at the right place at the right time in our lives. We both took the jump and decided to date more seriously. Soon after, it became clear to both of us that there was something there that wasn’t there before, something quite special. Fun filled dates, meeting each other’s families, and moving in together with our two crazy dogs only solidified and confirmed what we knew to be true...we were in love and this was meant to be.

Who knew that Joel could masterfully put together a very elaborate proposal involving many family members, without a bit of Mayra’s suspicion?! He began by convincing Mayra that they were going to a fancy brunch with Joel’s mom, brother Kyle, and sister in law, Nicole. Unbeknownst to Mayra, this was a trick. Joel did take her to a brunch spot, but Mayra was severely disappointed to find out that this fancy brunch was at Denny’s. After walking into Denny’s, the same place where Mayra and Joel first began their connection after their last day of work together many years ago, Joel had prepared and read a letter to Mayra to remind her of their first memory together. He would then take her to several other locations that held significant memories throughout the development of their relationship, including where they reconnected and shared their first kiss, where they met each other’s families, and where they moved in together for the first time. Sharing a prepared statement in front of friends and family at each location along the way, Joel then finally took Mayra’s hand for himself. He took her to the Edith Moore Nature Sanctuary, not far from where they live. As they walked through the sanctuary, Joel talked about how important all of the memories they had shared together were to him. He then explained how continuing with new memories together was important as well. The Nature Sanctuary is heavily wooded and full of beautiful nature all around, but along the path opens up to a beautiful bridge crossing a creek. It is there where Joel grabbed Mayra’s hands, got down on one knee, and asked for Mayra’s hand in marriage. And she said, “Yes!”...