Rafael and I had our first conversation online. It was only a brief chat, but there was an instant connection. We decided to meet for a picnic at Mary Jo Peckham Park in Old Town Katy to discover if that connection would translate face to face. What better way to learn more about each other than with food, wine, and a beautiful evening in the park? We took a walk around the lake. For those of you who know Rafael well, you won’t be surprised to hear it was pretty much a one-sided conversation that evening. As we (or should I say, “he”) talked, we found that we shared so many things in common. Little did we know, something amazing was unfolding. Our next meeting was dinner and a movie at home. We decided that it was important to introduce Nico into the mix early on. Since then, our time has been filled with Power Rangers, ninja shows, kickboxing, and playing games. We comfortably slipped into this beautiful family routine and have been inseparable ever since. Our days and nights have all been filled with this amazing love and respect we share with one another. But the most joyous high spot for all of us is the laughter and sheer joy of sharing our lives and envisioning our future together. We are both so happy to be able to share that same joy and laughter with all of our family and friends and unite this family through marriage.