WE'RE GETTING MARRIED

By November 19, 2016 Sam and I had been on this dating app for a while now, just kinda swiping for love with the best of 'em. Sam messaged me first. We made small talk and then he asked me out. I was flattered...but wasn't really in the mood. Sam insisted and we agreed to meet up that night. When we met, Sam opened the car door for me- which was very sweet- and we headed for Seattle. We went to the great wheel, gum wall, and the fountain in front of the key arena. The sky was clear, the stars were out, and it had to be the warmest evening in November. It was all very "perfect", but what I wish I could paint for you is this picture of quirky/first date/ getting to know each other questions (like what's your fave bird?), belly laughing, and super awkward flirting. We dated for a month or two and then decided to part ways because at the time, we had pretty strong religious differences- which made it difficult for us to have deeper discussions. About a month after our breakup, lucky for us, we crossed paths again. We were hesitant to try dating again, but with a little faith, hard work, and tons of mistakes followed by forgiveness- we were able to create something really beautiful together. We started having deeper talks, practicing vulnerability, and pushing each other to be better people. We have been together ever since. Flash forward to the present: We will be married in August and are so blessed to be celebrating five years together this November. We currently live in a townhome in Bellevue, WA. Our mini Australian shepherd, Koda, is the light of our lives and we can't wait to celebrate our marriage with close friends and family.

But the time did come. After missed opportunities left and right, I woke up one morning and said to myself, "this is the day". January 4th 2020 was the day that I stopped waiting for the "right time", and I made the time right. We started the day off with breakfast in bed, and I made Mel the absolute worst scrambled eggs of my life by overloading them with diced onions - more than anyone would ever want. So far, so good... Now if you know Mel, she absolutely loves to go to Pike Place Market for her Storyville Coffee fix and the flower stalls in the market. So that's exactly what we did; we got our Mochas, took a seat in the armchairs and just enjoyed each other's company. After getting Mel's flowers, we took a stroll up towards Myrtle Edwards Park. It was absolutely gorgeous out - the sky was blue, the sun was out, and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks filled the air. You're probably thinking to yourself, this is where it happens. Nope, it didn't. It was SUPPOSED to happen, but guess who overthought it and psyched himself out? Yup, me. As we walked back to Pikes to retrieve our car, I knew that we couldn't head home. I knew that today was the day that I would finally get down one knee and ask the biggest question of my life. Now, we aren't the most outdoorsy couple, but we do enjoy a nice walk through the park and nature trails. So as we got into the car, I decided to take us to Discovery Park. As we arrived and got out of our car, we took to the right trail and went to soak in the scenery. About 15 minutes into the walk, I see a sign leading to reflective ponds. "This is it", I said to myself. A quiet, serene, and secluded area just to ourselves. We were surrounded by nature, with the only sound being the birds singing and water trickling down a small stream. As the teardrops fell and the word "Yes" echoed through my ears, I looked into Mel's eyes and couldn't even begin to describe how beautiful our life was going to be.