It was a chilly Sunday morning. Patrick, trying to make a good impression, picked up coffees for them both. Little did he know, the second he picked up Mandalynn, the day would be filled with great conversation, laughter and romance. Their first stop was the Getty Villa, a place Mandalynn frequented often and was excited to share her historical knowledge with Patrick. He doesn't remember a single word. What he does remember is being enamored with this wonderful woman and getting to stand next to her and trying to find the right time to reach for her hand. The date was going so well that as they drove home on the PCH, Patrick remarked that he had never been to the Santa Monica Pier. Feeling spontaneous, Mandalynn said, "Well, we have to go!" As they shared a walk down the pier, Mandalynn thought he surely would kiss her then. But the smell of nearby fisherman and large crowds deterred him from making a move. After their walk, they both realized how hungry they were, since it was hour 6 of their date. They went to nearby Blue Plate Taco and waited for a table, wrapped in a blanket provided by the restaurant. Finally, Patrick made his move and kissed Mandalynn in the glow of the sunset. At that moment, he thought to himself, "Hm, she would look very pretty in a white dress." And here we are.

Patrick had been wanting to take a trip to the mountains for months, but the nearby fires made Mandalynn keep postponing. They finally scheduled a trip and drove the two hours to the San Diego mountains. Patrick had been dropping hints that he would propose at Christmas, so him proposing was the last thing on Mandalynn's mind. She was more concerned about looking at the road and getting there safely. Patrick couldn’t take his eyes off her. The cabin was everything they could have hoped for. Filled with pictures and paintings of baby angels, cute animals and landscapes filled with yellows and oranges. Mandalynn's dream. As she used the restroom, Patrick knew this was the perfect place to propose. Gone were the thoughts of finding a nice hike. This was perfect for them. Patrick, down on one knee, waited for Mandalynn's "YES!" But as she came out of the bathroom, she was consumed with the beautiful pictures on the wall, not noticing Patrick had the ring out. Oops. Finally, she turned to look at him, wondering why he wasn't echoing her love for the cabin decor. She stopped in her tracks and Patrick told her that this was the plan the whole time. Christmas was a red herring! He told her how much he loved her and exactly when he knew she was the one for him. Mandalynn doesn’t remember a single word of the proposal, being so overcome with joy, but immediately accepted and they enjoyed the rest of their blissful getaway in the Ramona Mountain range.