We're Getting Married!

If you’re reading this you’re lucky enough to take part in what will surely be a week of family, friends, love, and fun, as well as some hangovers and sunburns. I'd like to take a step back and recount to you the story of the night that Jess and I met as well as how our relationship developed. It started out as a cold February morning. The day began very similarly to most days before I met Jess. I woke up alone, trudged up to Boulder in an hour of bumper to bumper traffic to toil at a job I despised, in a life devoid of the joy and excitement that I’d imagined life in my late 20’s would hold (queue the introspective pan out…). In that same loathsome traffic at the day’s end, I felt a vibration in my pocket - a surefire sign from the universe that my night must hold something better than the mouth breathing, slovenly person sitting next to me in traffic. The night did, in fact, hold much promise! I open my phone to this singularly glorious message: “Hey what are you doing tonight…? I have a hot single friend that just moved to Denver and we’re going to a brewery, want to come?” **Three things to make clear at this point** -Yes, of course, I want to come, duh - although I found out that my friend sent this message to myself, plus three of my other single guy friends - no worries - just have to turn on the ‘ol charm -She was hot -She was NOT single

So, fast forward to the brewery - we got there and I was anxiously looking around (oblivious to the not single issue that plagued me for the next 8 months, as I quickly fell in love with this beautiful, patient, and wonderfully intelligent women) for this single hot friend. All the while I was thinking “I wonder if I have a shot?” “Screw these other heathens, I’m going to impress this girl” and “Dammit - I have a stain on my shirt.” And then BOOM! There she was! Jess was wearing a cream sweater with dark green jeans. She leaned on the bar holding a beer, looking around for any sign of someone she might know. When I look back at this evening, it was with immediate and utmost clarity that I knew that I was going to marry this woman. What started with beers in a brewery, bloomed into an amazing friendship. We went on a hundred “not” dates – hiking, art shows, dinners – we did everything together. It was during all of those “not” dates that our friendship and love began.

It was the rainiest April that Colorado had seen in years and heartbreak surrounded me. I choked out incomprehensible words as I told my future wife that I could no longer torture myself by being around her. Looking back on it now, it is difficult for me to detail the gut-wrenching feeling that I had as I made that call to Jess. The tightness in my chest constrained each word as I told the woman I had grown to love, whose single glancing smile fills me with such joy – that I couldn't continue to be her friend. I knew then that the love I had for her was real. More real than anything I had felt before. I also knew that I wouldn’t deliberately break up her current relationship. It just wasn’t who I was. So, with a heavy heart, I hung up the phone and drove the rest of the way home in the rain. The shining sun of June warmed my smiling face. Call it selfish, but I had just heard the best news I’d ever received – Jess had broken up with her boyfriend. I immediately remembered (in the blazing 90 degree heat) that I had left my favorite red winter jacket in Jess’ car the last time I saw her. And in that heat, I couldn’t think of anything I needed more at that moment. Luck was on my side when I called her. It was her birthday, she seemed happy to hear from me and she invited me over for her birthday get together. Her BIRTHDAY – SHIT! “She picked up, AND invited me to her party! I don’t have anything to give her, what do I get her, do I have time….okay, okay okay calm down, get it together” All of this and more rattled around in my head as I got the address and drove to meet her. It was with a retuned jacket as well as happiness and joy that burned as bright as a thousand suns, that Jess and I began our love anew.

The beginning of any amazing journey starts with a single step, and ours was that phone call in June. Jess and I had the most amazing summer together. We went on a thousand dates. During one of the rare times that we weren’t together, I was a street festival with a friend. We got some Brazilian food, and at the stand a woman was handing out Brazilian wish bracelets. They are a ribbon bracelet where you make three wishes, and tie a knot for each one. The tradition goes that if you wear the bracelet until it breaks and falls off, then your wishes will come true. I wore that bracelet for over a year and every one of those wishes came true. The most important wish being that Jess and I would be together. Frayed, threadbare, and a little dirty, I kept the bracelet as a reminder of where we’d been, and where we were going.

Getting a second pup was difficult. I had to start convincing Jess for almost a year before I got her to agree. My strategy was acting like a new puppy was an inevitable fact. Saying things like - “when Waffles is here, this is going to be so fun….” and “Delli is going to love playing with Waffles.” Finally, one day Jess said the same thing and I immediately called to get our name on the waiting list. We were going to pick up Waffles on June 2nd and that was when I was going to ask Jess to marry me. I didn’t know what type of ring to get Jess, or how I would ask her. All I knew was that I wanted to have her by my side always. The day that we were going to pick up Waffles was fast approaching and I still didn’t know what kind of ring to get Jess. Jess is sentimental and loves when people do thoughtful things for her. I thought long and hard about what type of ring she would love and then it hit me – the green Brazilian wish bracelet. It was definitely not a fancy ring, but I knew she would love it. When we picked up Waffles I was nervous and couldn’t find a good spot to ask her. We drove around the backcountry roads of Montrose for about 10 minutes until I finally found the spot. I slowed down and said something about wanting to get a picture with our growing family of Delli, Waffles, Jess, and I. It was there while we were standing for a photo that I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. I have mostly forgotten what I said because I was so overwhelmed at the time. However, I vividly remember that I looked up and she was smiling down at me, nodding her head, with tears streaming down her face – she said yes. It is with much joy and happiness that we invite you to share this day with us, and celebrate our love.