We are getting married!

Kristy and I first met 15 years ago in high school, or as she often likes to remind me (and others), half of her lifetime ago. We were both incoming freshman and we had joined the school's track and field team. I do not remember the specifics of our first encounter, however I do recall Kristy's passion for the sport of running. I also remember our friendship began to blossom over music; more specifically, the classic Mexican music we heard our parents play in our younger years. I was pleasantly surprised to discover she knew the likes of Jose Jose, Los Bukis, and Jose Alfredo Jimenez. :) -Edgar Edgar and I ran Track and Cross Country together. We knew of each other, but it wasn't until the summer before our senior year during cross country practice that I really started to notice him lol. We were both captains of the team and would lead the stretches before and after practice. -Kristy

Edgar and I were "romantically dating" for about a year and we were going to Las Vegas to celebrate my cousin Daniel's and our respective birthdays for the weekend. For those who don't know, Edgar's birthday is February 1st and mine is February 3rd. It was the evening of February 1st and we had decided to meet up with my cousin Daniel, his wife Crystal and Crystal's cousins at their hotel room and pregame before heading out to Fremont Street for the night. We were leaving the hotel and hopping into an Uber to head to Fremont Street. It was Edgar, me, and Crystal in the back seat and Daniel in the passenger's seat. Edgar starts off by saying out loud that he would like to take the opportunity that Crystal & Daniel are present and ask me to be his girlfriend. To say I was shook would be an understatement, I was floored. Crystal was like what is happening lol and I starting crying lol Edgar and I had been friends for sooooo long, I couldn't believe this was actually happening. I had had a crush on Edgar since end of Junior Year of High School in 2009, but we never dated. As if asking me to be his girlfriend wasn't shocking enough, he proceeded to tell me that he had gotten me tickets to see my idol Celine Dion for my birthday. It was definitely a day to remember.

As many of you know, family is incredibly important to Kristy and myself. This past year, my family experienced the loss of several family members over a span of six months. I lost my last remaining grandparent and two uncles; all of them father figures that helped shape me into the person I am today. Unfortunately, they did not get the opportunity to meet Kristy and this missed opportunity weighed heavy in my heart. For those that do not know, Kristy is incredibly blessed to have all 4 of her grandparents still with her. Prior to our engagement, I had the pleasure of meeting her maternal grandparents. However, due to extenuating circumstances I had yet to meet her paternal grandparents; mainly because they resided in not so far (but far enough) Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. The recent loss of my relatives weighed heavy on Kristy's mind too, not knowing herself when she might be able to visit her paternal grandparents. It was at this point the seeds of a plan began to take root. Around August 2021, I shared with Kristy that I wanted to take a holiday to Morelia. First and foremost, so she could visit her grandparents; secondly, so I might meet them; and thirdly, so I could propose (Kristy didn't know about this last part). Kristy was overjoyed at the idea and we promptly began to plan our adventure. We settled on visiting during November 11 - 15. It was the closest available weekend in our schedules given that we booked ourselves well into next year once covid restrictions were relaxed. I tease Kristy all the time about this fact, but if it weren't for some of those activities we may have been engaged sooner. :P We arrived in the early hours of the morning on November 11th. Kristy, ever the gentlewoman, booked us a Taxi ride upon arrival and we headed straight to her grandparents. Doña Ana and Don Ramon welcomed us into their home and we broke bread over home made carne en chile negro (a Fabian specialty!). After some time spent conversing, her grandma gave us her blessing and even offered to take us to the courthouse that same day to get married! I must clarify for everyone that nobody outside of my immediate family knew about the proposal. To hear those words caused minor panic, I feared Kristy might catch wind of the surprise. Luckily she didn't, Kristy told her grandma not to be silly and laughed it off. Afterwards, we toured the City of Morelia on our own. Unbeknownst to Kristy, I used this time to decide upon a proposal location. I had conducted research beforehand, however I wanted to let this old, lively city inspire me. We walked beneath the Acueducto de Morelia, gazed at the Fuente de las Tarascas, strolled through el Callejon del Romance, but none left quite an impression as the Catedral de Morelia. The Catedral was a 219-foot tall, baroque style church, constructed of striking pink stone and situated in the heart of the city. It was perfect. I waited until the next evening. We first shared a lovely dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Catedral. Then, we took a local legends night tour complete with a traveling band of merry musicians and a shot of tequila to cap it off. After the tour, I whimsically expressed to Kristy my desire to see the Catedral up close at night. It took some convincing; Kristy really needed to use the restroom. And in front of the Catedral, with God as our witness, at approximately 10:20 pm at night, I got down on one knee and asked Kristy to marry me. To say Kristy was surprised is a gross understatement and I implore everyone to personally ask her what her first words were to me immediately after. :P

Here's a little fun fact for everyone. Kristy and I share a mutual love for all things music and theatre. As a fun exercise, Kristy and I racked our brains to try and remember every single act and play we've ever seen. Can any of you guess how many that might be? No? Okay, we'll let you all know. Kristy and I have seen a whopping 87 musical acts and 19 theatre productions. And counting; we have 2 concerts and 2 theatre productions remaining before the year is out. We look forward to continuing to grow this list as a married couple.