Completely unamused by the male species after years of nonsense, I (Samantha) was not looking to date anyone in the Spring of 2014. Many friends attempted to introduce me to individuals, but I knew what my heart needed and I remained uninterested. To be clearer – If one more guy asked me out to the bar as a “date” or way of showing he was interested, I was going to explode (no offense lol). It was, in fact, during this time that very crucial moments of growth and self-healing were taking place. Even in what seemed like a valley, life was good and I remained blessed. In this season, I (Javi) decided to stay in College Station post-grad to pursue Grad School at Texas A&M University. I lived at the infamous 909A Camellia. I’m proud that this house was the landing spot for all our friends that we call family. This house and everyone that’s been in it has seen and experienced pretty important memories and milestones. In the Spring of 2014, with summer quickly approaching, we were gearing up to do what we did every summer – hang around, have “family” BBQs, and continue building memories. On May 27th, 2014, Javi will claim that doves flew and sparks went flying when I set eyes on him, and I’ll tell you a very different story LOL. Through a mutual friend (and God’s marvelous works, in my opinion), we met and something clicked almost immediately. If you’re wondering – I didn’t get asked to meet up over a drink… he so charmingly asked me out for some ice cream *swoooon*. In my 4 years in College Station at this point, I’d struggled to find my “niche” and what truly felt like home. After our ice cream and baseball date went well, I was invited over one weekend to one of Javi’s BBQs. This day, I walked up to friends sitting around Javi as he was grilling up beef fajitas listening to Ramon Ayala, Intocable, etc. I don't think my soul had ever felt more at home and I “just knew.” Home has been with each other ever since.

Things are never what we plan them to be. In all our years, for the both of us, God has time and time again shown us that His plans are far greater. Come up with something of your own and He's got something better. He's a pretty cool guy like that. In our 6 years together so far, we've laughed, we've cried, and we've grown - as individuals, as a couple, and as best-friends. We graduated college; we’ve traveled together; there was a big move to the Rio Grande Valley; change of careers; we became first-time home owners; two MBA degrees in-progress, more successes, more defeats, and the journey still continues. Why did Javi wait so dang long to propose?? THATS WHAT I'M SAYIN'! The timing, though never fully understood in the moment, has always been on our side. The road hasn't been straight or perfect, but God... ALL an honor to You.

From the moment I met Samantha, I knew she was a very special person... even though she denied my honorable offer to share my umbrella. After winning her over and getting her to agree to go on an ice cream date with me, I was able to see what a beautiful person she was inside and out. I knew she was the one for me when she made cookies from scratch, as I am one of the biggest cookie fanatics known to man kind. After several years, dates, amazing times, and of course cookies, I knew I was ready to make her my wife and the future mother of our children. March 23rd, 2019 - Samantha thought we were going to go shopping at Pottery Barn, visit the Japanese Tea Garden, & then enjoy a nice meal. We did that, but she had no clue of what I had planned. Once at the garden, we walked around and enjoyed the scenery. We made our way to the waterfall and I had Eli (Best man) and his fiance Crystal take pictures of us, while our good friend JJ (Juan Uribe) hid behind plants ready to capture the proposal. The moment came and I turned to Samantha and asked her the single-most important question of my life... I told Samantha I had set a reservation to go enjoy lunch, but she guessed it would be a reservation for just us. As we were walking to our table, Samantha burst into tears because she saw how great I was dressed (Just kidding). She saw our entire family, close friends, and all of the love that so clearly surrounds us. They had all gathered to celebrate this joyous occasion with us. It took months of planning, lots of phone calls, and holding in the excitement. By far the most nerve wrecking days of my life, but it was the best decision of my life. We know and believe, to this day and deep down in our hearts, that God fully intended to bring together two people who never saw it coming. For the rest of our lives, I hope to be able to still surprise her in beautiful ways. To my wife, my best friend, and the coolest muggle I know, I cannot wait to experience life with you!