We met at Cafe Luce on the University of Arizona campus. I was reading The Lord of The Rings (extended edition) having some coffee, when all of a sudden, Jake came over to my table and we started talking about books. I asked if he would like to share a table because there were no more seats open in the café (he was quite charming after all). We sat talking long after the coffee was gone and we were the last ones in the shop. When closing time came, neither of us were ready to end the conversation. He asked if I would join him for some seafood at "the best kept secret in town". When we got to the restaurant, it looked like an absolute dump from the outside. Needless to say, I was not impressed by the giant foam beer mug on the sign of what looked like a once failed sports bar. I'm glad I gave it a chance because on the inside it was full of life! This small building was adorn wall to wall with bright local artwork and bustling servers efficiently packed around a gourmet kitchen. To this day, I have never had a meal like the food served by their chef. This one of a kind date, paired with such excellent company, was just the beginning of many unforgettable adventures together.... That and when I met his German Shepard puppy Forest, I knew I was in it for the long haul.

It was my 21st birthday and Jake made appointments for me to get a massage and my nails done before going to dinner. We went to a very nice steak house and had a great time together over dinner. At the time, I had no idea anything was up because it was my birthday. After dinner, we took a drive up Mt Lemmon to over look the city lights. Jake and I used to escape the city up to Mt. Lemmon all the time with Forest and Koda. We spent a lot of time there and made a lot of great memories on that mountain. It just felt right to start our plan for marriage the same place that we started out our relationship. With no one but the stars to witness, Jake took a knee in front of the city lights and asked me if I would spend the rest of my life with him. Without a doubt, I wholeheartedly said yes! Now, almost four years later, we are even more in love than we were that day. Although our life together began six years ago, we have so looked forward to the day that our two families could become one.