December 16 & December 24, 2016 AKA: The Longest 8 Days of Chantel's Life (No, She Wont Drop It...) One summer, Chantel started working at a neighborhood bar where Kris regularly had brunch with his friends and coworkers. Despite being in the same place often, they didn’t directly cross paths until she was serving at a Christmas party hosted at her work for his company. They flirted, exchanged numbers, but every time Chantel texted Kris to hang out, he was busy. (Kris would like to note here: he had actually tried to get Chantel’s number six months prior, but she was dating some *cough* loser *cough* and turned him down. Chantel would like to add that neither of them remembered this until years later when they had been dating for a while.) Eight days after their initial flirtation—and after multiple failed attempts to meet up—Chantel accepted defeat. She walked into work on Christmas Eve, finished her shift, and sat down at the bar with Bryan, an old friend and a regular at her work. To her surprise, Bryan brought up, “I heard you met my buddy Kris!” They chatted about life and dating, and Bryan offered to text Kris to invite him to join them. “Sure, why not!” Chantel was nonchalant but hesitant, since Kris had been too busy the last few times she’d reached out. Plus, she was enjoying her single-gal era. Still, she was curious about the super goofy, super cute, crazy-haired, elusive guy she’d met. Little did she know, Kris was racing to the bar for his chance to see her. When Kris arrived, the three of them sat down for drinks and started chatting. But before long, Kris and Chantel didn’t even notice or remember when Bryan left. (Sorry, Bryan. Love you!) They shared their first kiss and decided to head back to Chantel’s apartment. After they arrived, Chantel excused herself to the restroom while Kris made himself at home—by digging through her instruments and music gear. When she returned, she found Kris playing her guitar and harmonica while singing “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young. (And no, it wasn’t a Barbie Movie Ken moment—it was actually super dreamy!) They stayed up until 8 in the morning, playing guitar, singing, and sharing their favorite songs, bonding over their shared love of music. And yes, they snuck in a smooch or two. Best. Christmas. Ever.

Kris and Chantel were inseparable from the first night they spent together. Despite working opposite schedules (from day one and even still now), they always found a way to spend time together. Kris would stop by Chantel’s work for a quick smooch, or Chantel would take a night off so they could see one of their favorite bands together. As time went on, their relationship progressed. Once Kris met Chantel’s boys, she knew she was in trouble—and absolutely outnumbered! He met them when they were 2 and 3, immediately winning their hearts as their built-in bestie and bonus dad. As they got older, they affectionately started calling him “Step Daddy Krit” (said with a southern drawl, of course). Eventually, Kris moved in with Chantel and the boys, and the four of them began building a life together. Then the pandemic hit… AND THEY WELCOMED THEIR SWEET, INFANT BABY-DOG, HAROLD!!! He truly was the missing puzzle piece, even if it took him three years to fully warm up to Kris. He quickly became the whole family's favorite little fuzz nugget—our favorite baby-guy. Everything seemed complete… but something *ahem*hint*hint* was still missing...

On the fateful day of March 23, 2024, Kris Csesznegi finally proposed to the love of his life, Chantel Guidera. Now, you're probably wondering how we got here. Let’s take it from the beginning. Marriage had always been on Kris's mind, but after acquiring the ring, it took him several weeks to decide when to pop the question. He initially chose March 19th, the spring equinox—a nearly perfect date. The only problem was that Chantel had no idea why Kris wanted to take a random Tuesday off work for what seemed like a casual daytime date. She even told him, "Sorry, I’m busy, I have a nail appointment that day." Thinking quickly and not wanting to raise suspicion, Kris played it cool and picked another date: March 25th, the festival of Holi. A truly perfect date, and this time Chantel agreed. They set off for a fun-filled day down memory lane, revisiting some of Chantel’s old stomping grounds. It started with a kiss at the spot where she had her first kiss, followed by a visit to the house where she grew up, sharing stories of sneaking out and other such mischief. The journey continued to a lookout point with a sweeping view of the valley, where she used to go to clear her head or cry over past heartaches. Finally, they ended up at Draper's Whisper Dome, a local park pavilion with a domed ceiling that carries whispers from one side to the other. Kris asked Chantel to set up her phone to take a photo to commemorate their day of memories. When she turned around, there he was—on one knee, holding a frickin' rock in his hand.