We're getting married!

Jon and I met through one of his best friends while I was visiting my sister in North Carolina. We were all staying in the same apartment and ended up spending the day together as a group. We all got drinks together, playing putt putt and enjoying sushi for dinner (yay sake bombs). By the end of the night we both knew we liked each other and exchanged numbers. Jon immediately texted me after I left, and I obviously immediately replied. And suddenly a first date was scheduled for the next weekend. Over the past five years, our relationship has been filled with fun memories. Some of our first dates included a walk around an art museum, my first steakhouse experience (the warm napkin isn't for your face?), and Jon pretending to enjoy watching Finding Bigfoot. We have gotten to travel to so many fun places together! Our first trip together was a weekend in Shenandoah, getting day drunk at a vineyard and then exploring the Luray Caverns. And then some of our favorites include traveling to San Diego, Zion National Park, Phoenix, and Belize, all places that played a special part in developing our relationship. We knew things were serious when Jon had the opportunity to move to Chicago for work and asked if I wanted to come with him. Starting a new chapter together in a big city brought us even closer, and supporting each other through difficult losses in our families showed us just how deeply we cared for one another. Jon proposed on April 13th, 2025 at Northerly Island near the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. It was one of the first nicer days in Chicago, after months of dark, cold, and snow. We got lunch with one of our closest friends, Kelly. This is the one and only time Jon has ever tried to tell me what to wear. He claimed we were going to a “kinda nice ramen place” and I should dress nice since he will be wearing a collared shirt... interesting. After lunch, Kelly parted ways (or so I thought) and Jon suggested a walk by the lake. While we were admiring the view of the city that shaped our life together, he got down on one knee. Kelly came out from behind the bushes having recorded the whole thing and helped us capture the moment. After taking lots of pictures and soaking it all in, we finished the day celebrating with champagne at our favorite date night spot, Steak48.