It’s Happening

Arturo and I met in high school pre-calc class. I was a junior and Arturo was a sophomore. We sat next to each other. One day I peeked over his shoulder and saw his grade on a test. I got competitive and decided to study hard to beat him on the next one. After studying all night I scored 92% where as he got 94%. I jokingly asked "you must’ve studied hard for that test?" He then replied "No, I forgot there was was a test today’’ - Riza We were spending lunch together before too long. I was really bad about eating properly and would often give her half my lunch. She could have gone to grab food from the cafeteria but I think this way we got to spend more time together. It is hard to pinpoint the exact moment your best friend becomes your girlfriend, especially in high school. We treat 05.15.10 as our anniversary, the day of her Senior Prom. We even got it inscribed in matching leather bracelets on one of our early trips to Disneyland. I have no trouble remembering it after seeing it on my wrist every day. - Arturo We ended up planning our wedding one day off of our 12 year anniversary.

I planned the (long overdue) proposal to happen during Riza’s birthday trip. Riza was suddenly returning to work during the pandemic. I scrambled to rearrange plans as a one week road trip became a couple of days in Napa. Plans and reservations were still being worked out until the last second. I hung up the phone with the photographer as Riza pulled into the driveway! Working in a pandemic can be hard. Working with unruly customers who just got off a plane is very hard. Riza was in no mood to celebrate as we headed to our hotel. Pictures of fine dining and wine tastings sounded fine… after she had some time to rest. Day One of the trip was a visit to Kenzo, a fine-dining sushi experience. If there is one thing to fast-track the stress relief, it was a sushi and sake pairing. The second day of the trip is where I planned the proposal. Unfortunately, I may have underestimated my ability to wake up early on vacation. We scrambled to make an early morning “very exclusive” wine tour. I was a bundle of nerves the whole drive. I was checking my phone constantly to see if things were still lined up. I had text-messaged the photographer when we were on our way. Riza saw a confirmation message flash across the phone and I threw the phone into the back seat to keep it hidden. The wine tour was at Newton Vineyards, a vineyard in the hills with a special garden on site. First, we each had a sample of wine, for courage. Then we walked a very brisk tour of the garden. When we got to the center of the garden, I dropped to one knee and asked Riza to marry me. After many tears were shed, she said YES! We celebrated by going to get burgers. You can’t start your day on 3 glasses of wine. - Arturo

Every wife dreams of moving in with their husband at their in-law’s house. Well, not really, but there are ways to make it work. We spent most of the pandemic building a dream home… in the Aguilar family backyard. An Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU), sometimes called a granny flat, is a small detached home built on the same lot as another. Some rule changes coming into 2020 meant that the couple could build a sizeable house to turn into a home. Building a house is never simple, and even less so during a pandemic. We battled the city’s newly remote permitting processes, major material shortages, and grouchy city inspectors. We’ve been living in the completed home since April 2021 after much more work than originally anticipated. We’ll be happy to have you by for a cup of coffee or dinner sometime (COVID permitting). I’m sure Arturo will be happy to show you the backyard that he probably still hasn’t finished. - Riza