Clint graduated from Gonzaga in May of 2015 and found an apartment on the South Hill with his high school friend, Tyler. Lauren graduated from Eastern Washington University in June and lived with her friend from high school, Satinder during July as they looked for a new apartment in Spokane. Lauren was getting the mail one day when she met Tyler, who talked about Clint and explained he was probably going to come running down the stairs on his way to work. Just then, Clint came flying down and said a quick “Hi nice to meet you!” as he left. He spent the rest of his day thinking about how he should have made a better first impression. “She was cute. I should have been nicer. Did I come across rude? What did she say?” were Clint’s first words when he saw Tyler next. The three became fast friends. Tyler’s company was hosting a cruise around Lake Coeur d’Alene around this time and he decided to invite Clint and Lauren to come along. When it was over, no one was going back with Clint so Lauren said she would ride with him. Little did they know this was the beginning of a connection that will now last a lifetime. Clint finally worked up the courage to ask Lauren out a few weeks after the cruise. They went out to eat at The Flying Goat and the rest is history!

Although it took two and a half years for me to propose, I knew that I would someday ask Lauren to marry me only a few months into our relationship. Going home to Napa for Christmas in 2015 and being apart from Lauren made me realize that I was in love and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her! This meant that I had plenty of time to create the perfect proposal plan. After pondering a number of different possibilities including an epic proposal at the top of a mountain while skiing, I knew that there was really only one place that would be worthy of such a special moment. God’s Thumb in Lincoln City, Oregon. Lauren has traveled to Lincoln City with her family every summer since she was a little girl. Lauren made it clear that joining in on the family vacation was something she held very dear. When we went for the first time, she told stories of past beach trips the whole ride down from Spokane. Building huge sand castles, body surfing in the Pacific Ocean, family treks to McMenamins, playing scum as the sun sets. The trip made a huge impression on me and stood out as a tradition that I wanted to uphold when I asked Lauren for her hand in marriage. Planning began in January. I researched rings for months until I found the perfect one. Discussed plans with my mom and Tyler. With each day I grew more confident that Lincoln City in July was the right time to ask. Then came the most intimidating part. I am proud to say that I made it through my years of school without ever having to visit the principal's office. So asking Lauren’s Father for permission to marry her was a nerve wracking experience. Little did I know that he had been sent into our talk on a secret mission to find out when I was planning to propose!