The happiest day—we're engaged!

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I have been on cloud nine all week.

Diego proposed last Friday on our special day of the week—Pizza Friday—and it was so magical and made me so happy. I will have permanent wrinkles around my eyes from all the smiling. He makes me so happy!

It was only our fifteen month anniversary, but we have been very serious and intentional about dating since the get-go, one of the main traits I love about him, so anyone who knows us well likely isn’t surprised. He is such an intentional person, and every thought he has you can tell he has deliberated over for hours before sharing it. 

It’s a little traditional, but I’ve always wanted to find my life partner who I could devote myself to, and he would devote himself to me in return. I wanted someone I could really commit to and start a life with. I am someone who craves security, so that’s part of it, but my parents set such a wonderful example of being married that I think anyone in my situation would feel the same. Diego and I talk about how we likely crossed paths on campus without knowing each other yet, and I know deep in my heart that if we had met sooner, we would have ended up together still. If I could rewrite my life story, I would probably have us dating as early as high school, but that’s where I go into romantic, English-litearture loving overdrive and need to chill out. 

As a result, early on (in the first month or so) we were talking speculatively about what our dream lives would look like, how many kids, our careers, etc. I knew pretty much from my first date with him (I asked him out on a Pizza Friday) that he was the one for me, but obviously we were trying to take things slow even though now we both admit we knew even before day 1. I had my two closest friends joke very early (maybe within the first few months) about “when’s the wedding” so I think many of my friends also were aware how happy he made me, but we kept saying stuff like “we’ll see.”

Then, the pandemic happened. We became each other’s only companions those first few months like so many other new couples. I think it made our relationship progress much faster, so that by the time June rolled around that summer I called my dad and said if Diego proposed to me that month, I would say yes. My dad has a similar relationship story as my own in many ways and is always a sound judgement board, so after talking to him for an hour while he pulled weeds I felt like it was the right—and best—choice to marry Diego. 

Obviously, it didn’t happen then because Diego wanted it to be romantic, to decide on my ring, and because we are both very risk-averse people, so getting engaged at five months felt very impulsive even if we were 100% sure. Instead I began to build out my Pinterest board, drop subtle hints, and eventually Diego started asking me questions like about my ring size, what style, etc. I hadn’t ever thought about these things before until that summer with him, but I knew at that point I wanted an ethically sourced or lab-grown diamond, and that it was simple, feminine, and definitely not square. 

We had a very covid way of ring shopping, which meant that I bought a $3 ring-sizer and measured (my ring fits perfectly so this ended up being a great thing to buy! Previously I had guessed at a cheap ring I bought myself and it’s so big it only fits on my right middle finger, so I didn’t want to leave this one to my terrible guesswork). Then he showed me a few rings he’d found for me online and I told him my favorite. He has a really funny story of how ordering an engagement ring online goes and how it almost delivered to our front door step, but it’s better when he tells it.

Cut to this past Friday, and he was opening up a box with that very ring inside it! 

As I mentioned, it wasn’t a total surprise, since I knew this might happen soon and so did my friends. I kept painting my nails frantically—doing an exceptional job on my left hand only—every time we had a fancy date. But we actually hadn’t done a ton of “fancy” dates in awhile, partially due to covid, and also because Diego says he knew (correctly) that any fancy date he planned would be a dead giveaway he was proposing.

So, I actually ended up planning the date he proposed to me on because I felt it was my turn to plan something special since he was always doing it. I planned a picnic with pizza at Zilker park the weekend prior, but it was rained out. We were going to read through our Eight Dates book and connect so we postponed it to the next Friday (May 7), but then earlier in the week he said I needed to pack a suitcase for that Friday. I started to get suspicious it might happen after our picnic because he wouldn’t tell me what was happening after, so I panic-painted my nails as usual, did my hair for once, and tried to look nice. 

We were late to get our pizza, but Diego didn’t seem in a rush. We got to Zilker and set up our picnic and I immediately inhaled two slices of pizza, kicked back my feet, and took some artsy shots of our cute date. I still wondered if he may propose, but this was my part of the date I planned so in my mind if it was going to happen, it would be after Zilker, so I was totally oblivious. Diego had two grocery bags, one of which I knew had our drinks for the mysterious date night, and the other I didn’t ask about. (Truthfully, I didn’t think twice about it which in hindsight should have been a giveaway.)

After a little while of us sitting, he asked if I wanted to know what snacks he brought for our date that night. I said sure—he loves snacks so again it made sense—and he began to pull out all our favorites that remind us of each other and our many dates: thin mints, smarties (I eat them non-stop), goldfish. 

Then he said “You need to stand up for the last one.” 

I sort of blacked out after that. I shook my head and was like “no!”—maybe because the park was so crowded and I was so nervous. But he kept nodding and said “don’t be nervous!” and “it’s okay if you cry!” and then I stood up, and then he probably asked me to marry him and I definitely said yes, but I hardly remember that part because I was so overwhelmed with happiness. Neither of us noticed that the box was upside down until he had to put the ring on me. Then some random people clapped, and he pointed to our photographer who took all our lovely photos! 

After that I literally couldn’t stop smiling and staring at my ring. He makes me so happy and I was so happy to finally have that embodied in a ring, a sign towards our whole lives together. My mom texted me a little later saying “What are you up to?” and instead of responding I casually sent her a photo of my ring. She began to cry and then I told my whole family and eventually posted it on Instagram because I was so excited. Allegedly my mom cried so much that when she called for my dad in his workshop, he thought someone fell or died! Certainly better news to hear that your daughter is engaged!

The rest of the night we spent in a cute cottage at The Wayback off in the hill country. I wish I could say we just cuddled and enjoyed the sights, but we mostly replied to all our friends and family on our phones, ate more pizza, and basked in all the love and kindness from everyone. We truly felt so loved! 

I also love that now everything is “we” instead of “I” or “me.” I love that this is the beginning of our little love story and can’t wait to write them down more and more, even if it’s just for myself. If Diego did anything for me, it’s made me realize deep down I am a cheesy romantic! (Even if I hate romance novels.)

I’m sure I’ll have more to share as the time comes. I’m just so excited to plan our wedding and become his wife and life partner there to support one another forever!

(Photos by Taylor Prinsen Photography)