Ian found me on OkCupid and we messaged for a while before we went on a "brunch date". It was sweet watching him get out of the car in the pouring rain to open the door for me. I could tell we were both nervous. We went to Bakery Lorraine, a cute coffee/pastry shop at the Pearl here in San Antonio. The brunch date turned into the entire day, we went to the movies and saw Big Eyes, and then to grab coffee. It was lovely the way we just felt immediately comfortable with one another. I didn't want to let him go at the end of the date, it felt too good to be true.

Karen, Sofie and I vacationed to Utah this past Christmas — our goal: visit as many family members as we could in a week long trip. We exceeded all expectations! On our first day in the northern part of the state, Karen’s cousin Charlie, his wife and two kids, drove us through lovely Logan Canyon. The snow-covered peaks and pines rose high on either side of us. It was breathtaking! We stopped to stretch our legs. The kids threw snowballs while we took in the scenery. Afterwards, Karen, Sofie and I trekked down a wooded path. We came to a small churning waterfall which emptied into a half-frozen stream. We were encircled by trees and the sunlight created a lovely halo of light. It was a perfect winterscape. Sofie was my witness as I knelt down and asked Karen if she’d marry me. I was the luckiest man in the world when she embraced me and said, “Yes!”