and so the adventure continues

To many the phrase "I suppose" may not come up in every day conversation. For us that simple phrase changed everything. Backstory time. We met in the parking lot of Peoria High School. Rachel was heading to theater and Alex was just hanging out in the parking lot because he had nothing better to do. Apparently, God had a right place, right time kind of thing in mind. We stayed friends through high school, despite moves out of Arizona, back to Arizona and different high schools. Graduation came and so did the next chapter. During the Summer of 2011, we started hanging out more and growing closer. After a first unofficial date at Johnny Rockets (and a spilled glass of water on Alex) we started "dating". That word is in quotes for a reason. We spent the first year of our relationship trying to juggle college, family and other dynamics. We sat outside Rachel's house and Alex asked Rachel to be his girlfriend again. This ask was accompanied with an "I suppose" response from Rachel. Two words never sounded so sweet. The following seven years were unconventional and brought challenges to say the least. However, those challenges were responded to with growth and most importantly, love (side note: Rachel said "I love you" first and Alex pretended he didn't hear her to see if she would say it again... bold strategy). That love continues to grow every day and provides confidence that we can face any challenge that comes our way. While "I suppose" may be the two words that brought us together, "I do" will soon bond us forever.

Anyone that knows Rachel knows a few things to be true: She has a heart for God, she loves her family with everything she has and every Fall you can find her watching a cheesy Hallmark movie. Alex used this as a road map for the proposal. Heart for God - Alex had been praying since they had started dating and the prayer was always the same. "Dear God, if Rachel and I are not meant to be together, please make it clear. If we are meant to be together, guide us in our journey. Give us the strength to see which path is Your will." Through all of the twists and turns of our seven year journey, one thing remained the same. There's just something about this girl. One day, Alex went to happy hour with his sister to inform her that he was thinking about proposing. She took his phone, found a date that works and said that it's happening. Ding dong. Who's there? It's God, TAKE THE HINT. Loves her family - Rachel and her family go hand-in-hand. She has a fierce love for not only her family, she loves Alex's as well. It has been well documented that they love her as well (it has also been documented that they love her more than him at times). Her love is so much so that family being a part of the proposal was the only requirement. Trips abroad, practice proposals (Alex's idea) and even Disney were talked about but the one thing that remained the same was that family had to be there. Hallmark - This last piece may seem like it doesn't fit but it actually ties the whole thing together. - Step 1: Alex's mom has an acre of land with a barn in the back, aka the setting of most Fall Hallmark movies. - Step 2: Have cutouts made of landmarks the couple had been throughout there journey, complete with pictures of them at the landmarks. - Step 3: Have Rachel dropped off in the backyard after a girls day. She walks through the cutouts to see Alex waiting for her. - Step 4: She says YES and the families come out of the house to surprise her. God, family, Hallmark. What a combo.

It was just a normal Saturday for me, Alex's mom Margo and I planned to go to a Vintage Trunk Show like we have done so many times before. We decided to get in our cute Fall clothes since it was the Fall/Winter themed show and Margo made me wear jeans instead of my normal yoga pants or leggings "because she was wearing jeans"..or at least that's what I was told at the time. We walked around and then she suggested that we go get our nails done and invite my mom and sister to come with us- this is where some people ask me if I suspected anything at this point.. the answer is, NOPE, the three of us made it a habit to get our nails done together once a month for the last 5 months at that point, so nothing suspicious there. We headed to the nail salon in Laveen where the 4 of us met so regularly to get pedicures, but this time my sister and Margo suggested that we get our nails done instead of pedicures since we were going to start wearing boots soon. Did I suspect anything yet? NOPE. So of course that made sense in my brain and I went along and got my nails did all cute. Margo suggested that we all run up to the house to see some of the new stuff they did to the back yard. Margo and Kev’s backyard is one of my favorite places ever so I of course was super excited to go see what new additions they made to the yard and my mom and sister agreed to tag along. We drove up to the house the back way because Margo knows how much I love the little animals that we pass along the way(little did I know it was actually to hide all the cars and Alex going the regular way lol). We pull up to the house and I jump out of the car and start walking with my mom to the backyard when suddenly I just stopped walking....

I couldn’t process what I was looking at. It was Alex, standing in a gazebo that literally did not exist when I was there two weeks prior and a pathway lined with painted wooden cutouts of symbols that represented all the places Alex and I traveled to. Most people in that moment would know what was happening, I however was in COMPLETE SHOCK, so naturally, I started walking away from what my brain could not understand until my mom and Margo basically threw me forward lol! I walked down the pathway up to Alex thinking that I must have died and woke up in a Hallmark movie. I stepped up on the gazebo that was decorated with flowers and books and a cork globe that said “you’re my greatest adventure” *cries*. He hugged me and said the sweetest things that I cannot remember because I apparently blacked out because...TOTAL. SHOCK. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and I said YESSSS *xoxoxo* I look back towards the house at my mom and sister getting ready to walk over to them, but then Alex signaled with his hand towards the house...and both of our families came pouring out of the back door. I of course started bawling because I could not believe everyone was there! I was greeted with all the hugs and love. It was amazing. Margo planned the perfect fall cozy dinner with all my favorite comfort foods and they even had the cutest fire pit set up with s'mores and hot cocoa. I was FOR SURE in a Hallmark movie. As the sun went down all the trees started lighting up, I looked at Alex and told him that I loved him. He had planned the perfect proposal specifically for me, with all the things that I love and all the people I love. It was better than any dream I could have come up with. It was the best day of my life. ♥