“ We're Getting Married ”

How did our story begin? Like any modern-day love story... on Hinge. At first, it was just a casual scroll through profiles, not expecting much. But then he popped up, and suddenly it felt like the universe gave me a little nudge. You know that feeling when you lock eyes with someone across a crowded room? Yeah, it was like that—except through a phone screen. (Welcome to dating in the 21st century.) Our first connection? Skiing. We both loved it. That was the first, “Hmm… maybe there’s something here” moment. Then we realized we worked in the same school district—only five minutes apart. How had we never met?! Oh, but it gets better. In the summer of 2019, we were both working on the same school campus. Literally, the same place! We were probably walking the same hallways, unknowingly passing by each other, maybe even reaching for the same door handle—yet we had no idea. Apparently, the universe has a sense of humor. But it finally got serious on June 10th. That was the day we met in person. I picked him up from the Toyota dealership (because nothing says “romance” like the smell of car tires), and we headed to Honolulu Restaurant in Farmington for lunch. I thought, "Cool, a nice casual lunch date." What I didn’t expect was laughing so hard I nearly cried when he hit me with this joke: "What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual." "What do you call someone who speaks one language? American." I completely lost it. I don’t even know why I found it so funny, but in that moment, I thought He is the most hilarious person I’d ever met. (And honestly, I still do.) That “quick lunch” turned into a four-hour date. We were talking and laughing so much, we didn’t even notice the restaurant had cleared out—until the waitress politely told us they needed to close. Oops. So, we did the logical thing and walked next door to Aspen Leaf for frozen yogurt. We sat there for another hour, still talking like we had all the time in the world, until I had to take him back to Toyota before they closed up shop and left him locked out. And then came November 11th. Our first “real” date. We decided to go big or go home with a seven-hour road trip to Denver for a hockey game. Who needs a casual dinner when you can do hours of car karaoke, snack debates, and bad dance moves in the passenger seat? Somewhere between the highway jams and the nosebleed seats at the game, I realized—I was exactly where I was supposed to be. With him.:) Sometimes life makes you wait for the good stuff. We were in the same places at the same times for years, but it wasn’t until the timing was just right that we found each other. And when we did, everything just clicked. No coffee dates necessary. (He wouldn’t have wanted coffee anyway.) Here we are—proof that when it’s meant to be, it will be. And along the way, it’ll make you laugh until you can’t breathe… and maybe get kicked out of a restaurant or two.

It was October 4th, 2024, just as the first light of dawn began to paint the sky. The air was crisp, and Nathan had asked me to dress warm but nice for a special family outing. “We’re going to have a family picture up in the mountains,” he said, with a smile. I was excited—Telluride was one of the most beautiful places on earth, especially in the fall when the trees were dressed in golden hues. The scenery alone promised to make for the perfect backdrop. At first, I thought the trip was simply for his dad’s birthday, since back in June of that year, his mom had celebrated hers in Telluride. But, with everyone dressed up and ready to go, I figured we were just continuing the tradition. As we were walking toward the gondola, I noticed that Nathan’s parents weren’t around. I asked him where they were, and he told me they had already gone ahead. “Wait, I didn’t take that long to get ready, did I?” I thought, feeling a little behind. We made our way toward the gondola, and I spotted his parents already several gondolas ahead of us. “Look, there they are,” I said, relieved to catch up. But as we arrived at the top of the mountain, we quickly lost sight of them. “Wow, your parents walk really fast,” I remarked. “Where did they go?” Nathan just smiled and said, “They must be up ahead, let’s go this way.” We started walking down another path, enjoying the breathtaking views of the mountain and the fall colors. As we continued, we noticed a woman standing nearby with a camera. She was a photographer, and it dawned on me that it was the perfect spot for a photo. “What a beautiful location for a picture,” I thought. As we approached her, she kindly offered to take our picture. “Sure,” I said, feeling grateful. “Nathan, hand me your phone, please. Yours takes better pictures.” The photographer asked us to turn around and face the mountains, so we did. I raised my hand to rest on Nathan’s arm, and as I did, something caught my eye. I looked down, only to see Nathan kneeling in front of me, holding a ring. My heart skipped a beat. I was still processing the moment, my mind racing to catch up. The photographer was already offering her time, so I thought, “Let’s take the picture before she changes her mind.” It took me a moment to realize what was actually happening. Nathan was proposing. Tears filled my eyes, and before I could even say anything, I saw the same emotion mirrored in his eyes. Without a doubt, I whispered, “Yes.” and were engaged. We’re so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. See you in Hawaii