We're so excited to celebrate with you!

We met at a drive-in showing of Wonder Woman on the Fourth of July, meeting through mutual friends. We would say there were fireworks, but John barely said a word to her that night. It's not his fault though, as John also met Claudia's dog, Cooper, and for the time being he was much more interested in him. Over the next couple of months, however, the two began to get to know each other, which leads to our next chapter...

The two had their first date at Mi Cocina in downtown Fort Worth on a chilly November evening. After watching John stuff his face with mole for who knows how long, the two went across the street to a Starbucks to get some hot chocolate. As they sat outside in the cold drinking hot chocolate and talking, they lost track of time and forgot to validate parking, and every place had closed. Thankfully the valet was a bro and still brought the car around (valet guy I don't know your name but if you're out there, you made this happen). But why end the date there? The two drove to a nearby Whataburger and shared a milkshake and fries, because they're adorable. The next four years went pretty much like this as well, with lots of fun conversations, food and losing track of time (it did take John four years to propose, after all). But as the years went on, their love grew, and they realized they could depend on each other, and build each other up to be the best they can be.

Wow we're really skipping over a lot here, but that's ok. You don't need to hear about the time John fell off a skateboard and Claudia rushed him to the hospital while John wore his mom's scarf as a sling. But you just did. Just after 4 years together, John decided it was time. Having talked for hours with family and friends, John learned his father had proposed without a ring, and that that was a thing people do. And so began the plotting, and along with Claudia's sisters a plan was concocted. There's a Taylor Swift song with a line that goes: "I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings" So John made an origami paper ring and painted a ring box, and a big sign with the lyrics. The plan was to set up outside Claudia's childhood home on Christmas Eve, under the cover of "needing to step outside to get some ice". Everything went relatively smoothly, and the area was set up with Christmas lights and champagne ready, but as John was locking up the car, the alarm went off, setting off every dog in the neighborhood. If that wasn't enough, as Claudia's sister opened the door to shut it off, her two dogs bolted outside and ran loose in the street, and by that point it was pure chaos. People dashed for dogs, the car alarm was wailing and someone might have gotten stabbed, there's no way of knowing. But then the inevitable- Claudia came outside to see what all the commotion was, and rounded the corner to see an understandably flustered and unprepared John in front of a whole proposal display, and suddenly none of the commotion and chaos mattered. The world seemed perfectly silent as John got on one knee and popped the question (though in watching the video on the phone John had set up later, there were so many dogs barking during the whole thing). And that just about brings us here for the most important part- where our loved ones are reading this silly little story, maybe having a chuckle or some tears, and we prepare for the celebration of the century!