Isa and I met a few months shy of four years ago while we were in college, I was a Junior and she was a Sophomore. She caught my eye during a church service on campus one day during that spring. At that point in my life I was single and ready to begin dating somebody with the intention of finding a spouse. While I like to believe that I also caught her eye during that time, she on the other hand persists that she was at a point in her life where she was not interested. For the next several months, with a large amount of hard work and dedication, I proceeded to strategically place myself in her vicinity to where it became increasingly difficult for her to dismiss my interest in her. To my surprise my strategy was a success and she began to develop feelings for me as time went by. Spring ended and that next summer came and went and when the next school semester began, we began to have more and more conversations which eventually led to me asking her out for a cup of coffee. To this day she denies the fact that I asked her on a date, but instead summoned her for “a meeting.” During this “meeting” (our first date) we finally discussed our feelings for each other and how we were now both in a place in our lives where we were ready to begin dating with marriage in mind. We went on a few dates following our coffee "meeting" and one evening after a football game and dinner I formally asked her to by my girlfriend. It's been three years since and I am happily looking forward to beginning a life together with her come January 4. That is the wonderfully frustrating yet loving story of how Isa and I met.

The first few months of 2019 were filled with celebration and incredible life events for Simon and I. I was prepping for graduation with my Bachelors and starting my Masters, I was awarded a scholarship for a trip to Costa Rica, I was hired for an assistantship, Simon was excelling in school, and he started an amazing internship with an engineering firm, and we both in general grew so much as individuals and as a couple. And we were ready for the next step in life. From a few weeks into dating, we knew this was the real deal and we were dating with the intention of marriage. At two years and so many months, we could not help but talk about marriage and what that entailed for us. We constantly discussed the little things like how we pictured our wedding, what kind of dogs we wanted, and who’s going to learn how to cook more than just spaghetti (that’s still up for debate!). But we also discussed the big decisions in marriage like how to deal with finances, what does it look like to start our own little family, and how to have a successful and grace-filled relationship. As much as a couple can be ready for marriage, we were there, and it has been an incredible journey to see just how faithful God is in putting all the details together. Simon spent weeks prepping for our engagement and I did not make it easy. Anyone who knows me knows I have specific visions and high standards. Simon surpassed my expectations and made me feel as though I was a princess getting swept off her feet by her best friend. While I was on my trip to Costa Rica, Simon was working hard to purchase the most perfect engagement ring, drive to my hometown to ask for my parents’ blessing, and prep the details of how he was going to propose with our best friends.

A week before he proposed, our friend, Kassie, asked if I would be interested in a couple’s photo session for her social media. I gladly accepted before even asking Simon and quickly inserted that maybe she could get a few graduation pictures for me as well (hello cluelessness). A week later I was spending the weekend in my hometown with my mom and dad who now looking back made it so very obvious what was happening. My dad took me to a nice dinner, my brother happened to just be in town for no reason, and my mom splurged on manicures, pedicures, and clothes, “since you’re starting a new job on Wednesday” (seriously, so many good things came my way in 2019)! Then came that Saturday night when Kassie scheduled our pictures. I had no idea where we were going until I got in the car and Simon said Soledad Canyon. This canyon just happened to be my favorite place in the world because not only is it stunning, but it was also where Simon told me he loved me for the first time. I blew off the idea that this was intentional and maybe Kassie just happened to like the scenery. Simon and I hiked up the hills to meet Kassie and her husband Cesar. A few pictures in, she asked us to go towards a big cliff which just happened to be where Simon and I sat eating oranges and where he said those big words. As we posed, he turned towards me and confessed that he had been scheming things behind my back and that he was ready to commit himself fully to me. I wish I had every word memorized that he said, but I know that he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and I said …..“yeah duh!” To top off the most magical and intimate moment at sunset, at my favorite spot, Simon had also gathered our closest friends and family at my favorite restaurant to surprise me and celebrate our engagement. We were welcomed with applause and so many hugs. He put in so much work to make this day perfect and I am still in awe that it was for me. What an incredible story that we get to call ours.