We're tying the knot!

As many of you know, Kelsey loves a good spreadsheet and she's traveled all over the world. To all seven continents, in fact...which I'm incredibly envious of! When she travels, she has the entire trip and each day planned out on a detailed spreadsheet. When we travel together, all I have to do is show up at the airport! Our Iceland trip in May 2023 was the same way. Kelsey had each day mostly planned out, but because there was so much to do and see, each evening in Iceland, we would finalize our next day's activities based on what was near where we were staying. So when I suggested that we get up early the next day and hike to a waterfall before other tourists were out and about, she didn't think much of it. What Kelsey didn't know was that I had hired a local photographer and had been working with him in secret to plan a surprise engagement. The challenge for me was trying to somehow work the surprise into her detailed planning without tipping her off. When we arrived at the trailhead for the waterfall the following morning, Kelsey was a little dismayed to see one other car in the parking lot, but she was encouraged to see two people hiking out as we were hiking in. When we reached the waterfall, there was a guy there taking pictures with a pretty nice-looking camera, but she was annoyed; she wanted this spot for ourselves so she could get pictures of us without other people in the background. I suggested asking the guy to take our picture, reasoning he must be a good photographer based on his camera. The guy at the waterfall was actually Leszek, the local photographer I had hired and had been talking to for a couple of months. So when I handed Leszek my phone to take a picture (that was the prearranged signal) he slipped my phone into his pocket, grabbed his camera, and captured the moment as I led her behind the waterfall, dropped to one knee, and pulled off the surprise proposal of the century! ...She said yes, in case you were wondering. After the whirlwind proposal, Leszek took more photos of us at the waterfall and then took us to an old wooden shipwreck on a black sand beach to continue the photoshoot. Fun fact: I had no idea I had booked this much of a photoshoot. I thought I was just booking the photos from the engagement, so this was a real added bonus.

I knew I had a keeper when I spectacularly wrecked my Achilles in June 2021. We’d been dating for about six months, taking things slow, playing it cool, and pretending we weren’t already a little obsessed with each other. On that fateful Saturday, I was at a volleyball tournament, and Jason was at fire academy, learning how to be a hero. I texted him to casually mention I was on my way to the ER (as one does), and he immediately offered to meet me there. I told him to stay put—it’s not like he could magically reattach my tendon with duct tape and good intentions—but as soon as his day was done, Jason picked up Mochi and me and brought us to his house to take care of us both, like some kind of modern-day knight in a shining white 4Runner. During my recovery, he absolutely blew me away with his murse abilities (and hilariously, several people still think we met on care.com because we thought it was extremely amusing to tell people that was our "how we met" story). Every morning before he left for work, he'd have the living room all set up for me: there was coffee (with lots of creamer), a packed lunch & snacks, and a sweet little note that made me feel like the main character in a rom-com. He checked in constantly, making sure I was okay and had what I needed—and, notably, not plotting my escape on crutches. He also injected me with blood thinners every day for two weeks—a task I absolutely could not have done myself without either crying or fainting—and the weirdest part? He seriously enjoyed it. Helpful, yes. Mildly unsettling? Also yes. For the five weeks I crashed at Jason and Teddy's house, I saw this incredibly kind and nurturing side of him that I hadn’t fully experienced before. By the end of it, I knew for sure that we were in this for the long haul. That thoughtful and compassionate Jason hasn’t changed a bit. He still brings me coffee every morning, surprises me with flowers (always from the King Soopers clearance section because I demand romance on a budget), walks our pups every morning before I'm even out of bed, finds little ways to make me feel loved and appreciated every single day, and—perhaps most importantly—keeps me giggling around the clock with his goofy antics. Our home is full of inside jokes, secret languages, and constant laughter. I feel incredibly lucky to marry my best friend—someone who makes me feel seen, safe, and truly cared for. Honestly, tearing my Achilles might have been the best bad thing that ever happened to me.