Wedding is Coming

We both attended Central Catholic High School in Modesto. Since both of our last names are way at the end of the alphabet, we sat next to each other in almost every class. Notes were passed frequently to each other in class and there were many late night chats on AOL Instant Messenger. Matt then decided the best place to ask me out was on the beach at one of the school's religious retreats. And so it began.

We fondly look back on our first dates: dinner at Chilis and a movie. Like every week. Don't worry, we got more creative (you kind of have to find new things to do after dating for 10 years...). Here are some highlights: * High school dances * California Caverns * 49ers game for Christmas * Parasailing in Hawaii * Hot air balloon ride * Monterey Bay Aquarium * Whale watching from a helicopter * Skydiving * Kayaking * Beach trips * California Academy of Sciences Nightlife * Motorized hang gliding in Lake Tahoe * Jet skiing and paddleboarding in Tahoe * Canoeing, staying in a cabin in Virginia * Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival * Timber Cove Resort on the coast in California * Mendocino, CA * Yosemite * Ireland * Scotland And more.

Matt proposed on December 29, 2016. I had to work that Christmas so I came home after and he took me on a surprise date. We drove north from Berkeley and headed toward the coast. We stopped at a couple of beaches and walked around. We got to Timber Cove Resort and I asked if we had time to walk around. We stayed there once before and I fell in love with the place. Little did I know, Matt reserved us a room! He said we had dinner reservations but that we had time to walk along the cliffs at sunset if we got ready for dinner beforehand. I'm thinking I'm on vacation so I'm clearly in no rush getting ready and taking my sweet time. Meanwhile Matt is pacing the balcony trying to subtly rush me. We're ready and heading toward the rocks overlooking the ocean. He has a little tripod that holds his phone to take pictures, so we set that up on a rock to catch us watching the sunset. I had no idea he was planning to propose until he got down on one knee. It was perfect. I said yes. I cried. He got the whole thing on film. And here we are.