SAN CLEMENTE—Thanksgiving Weekend, Saturday, November 25, 2006

I moved to California from Kauai about a month prior to meeting Josh. I had lived in CA before this move, but this time I was determined to make it last. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to stay in So Cal or move to Santa Cruz, but after meeting up with some old friends that I knew from Kauai, I decided to stay and find a place in San Clemente. I found a room to rent near the pier with a chill surfer couple who also hooked me up with a part time job. Things were working out swimmingly.

I was supposed to drive up to my cousin’s house (Shann and Graham) for the Thanksgiving weekend, but since my new roommates let me move in early I decided to get a head start settling in. After working for three days straight I decided to take a break to walk around my new neighborhood and explore my new beach town. I was on my way to journal at the local coffee shop about the move thus far and how everything was falling into place so smoothly. My route took me along the main street, Del Mar, where there was a little festival going on with families and people everywhere. What a nice welcome!

Just a few doors down from the coffee shop I was diverted by a small gym and went in to inquire about a membership… this was where Josh was waiting for me, oops, I mean working out! Initially he wanted to sell me one of his memberships, but I like to cut that part out of the story. When I was leaving, he caught my attention and introduced himself to me. I was instantly captivated by this man.

(Josh I am going to embarrass you right now.) The excited conversation we had was a blur, except for three things: 1. His muscles! 2. Photos of beautiful waves that he showed me on his phone, including one of himself throwing a lot of spray with a powerful turn 3. His intuitive guess that there was something different about me and that I was not from around here coupled with how impressed he seemed when I told him about growing up surfing on Kauai. Okay, I guess there are four. 4. I wanted this guy to ask me for my number …and he did!!

Of course I wrote about him in my journaling session and then called my mom on the way home and told her all I knew of this hot and intriguing guy I just gave my digits to. I was pretty excited about my new home and town and went to sleep that night wondering what tomorrow might bring.

To my surprise he broke “the rules” and called me that very next day around 2pm. I walked down to the beach to meet him and a few of his friends. We hung out all afternoon and evening. He force-fed me chocolate cake (of course), and I retaliated by coercing him to hop the fence and unlock the gate to a local Jacuzzi (I guess it’s a Kauai thing). We found out we lived on the same street when he drove me home that night. Actually just 2 blocks away on the same street, but it changes names three times.

It was a day full of new feelings and new friends and all in a new place. Looking back on that day and the love that grew from two strangers who met at The San Clemente Gym one warm November evening in a little village by the sea, who would have known we would be here today?

Three months later on Valentine’s Day he told me he loved me and ask me to be his girlfriend in a unique and sweet way. I worked at a sushi bar in Laguna Beach and unfortunately had to stay on Valentine’s night until 11pm. At the end of my shift I saw a man walking toward me on the sidewalk with a big bouquet of white lilies and I thought, “What a sweet guy and beautiful flowers. This guy is kind of late getting his Valentine flowers, but at least they’ll get to celebrate together.”

IT was JOSH …and those beautiful flowers were for me!! What a surprise. He presented me with a unique heartfelt card that night with a cute and silly response card enclosed (see below). This was how I became his girlfriend. Two years and two months later he would get down on one knee to pull a little square box out of a hole in the ground and tell me he wants to spend the rest of his life with me.

I was caught by surprise- a wonderful surprise- when Josh proposed. Although we had been together for around two years the thought of him proposing was only barely in the back of my mind.

It was Thursday, February 26, 2009 when he executed his covert operation. In fact he actually hid behind a pole in the underground parking structure at my office and jumped out and scared the crap out of me! He wanted to surprise me with some unexpected fun, so he brought me extra clothes and headed off for a surprise evening.

Little did I know of his plan and that he had already called my dad to ask for his blessing. Maybe I should have suspected something since he was looking extra sharp, but since he usually dresses well it wasn’t too out of the ordinary.

He brought me to a miniature golf course where we had one of our first dates. There was only one other group on the entire course and they immediately lost their ball by starting on the last hole (I guess it was their first time). Since we pretty much had the course to ourselves, we were getting a little “Happy Gilmore” with our game, launching aerial drives with the putter and bouncing balls of off the castle, etc.

We were on our second game and having a really fun time as the sun faded below the skyline. The miniature golf course seemed to transform itself into our own serene private playground, glowing in soft pastels from the multi-colored lights lining the walkway. The warm night couldn’t have been more romantic …or could it?

We were almost at the end of the second game when josh putted his ball into the last hole we would play that night. Strangely enough, the ball didn’t drop to the bottom. Weird. I just assumed some punk kids had used the hole as a trash can. He nonchalantly grabbed his ball, and I putted mine in. When I reached to retrieve my ball I tried to get the "trash" out of the hole, but I came up with what I then thought was a prize left over from a child's birthday party. I asked josh what to do with it, thinking I would just turn it into the front desk, but when I looked at his face I knew it was a gift for me (he likes to give me gifts).

I opened the wrapping and saw a little white jewelry box with a heart drawn on it. At this point I still didn’t get it… I still thought he was just giving me a surprise gift. I might have had “The Thought” in the back of my head, but I didn’t listen to it. I assumed it was not the right timing for him, so I didn’t want to let my thoughts go in that direction.

As soon as I opened the white box top and saw the little black box I dropped the golf ball, club and purse that I had been carrying and took a deep breath. I knew what was happening! I knew in that instant that IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME… HE WAS PROPOSING!!! As I opened the black box he was already on one knee telling me how much he loved me and asking me if I would spend the rest of my life with him!!!! I said YES!! After a few tears of joy, kisses and a long embrace he put the beautiful sparkling ring on my finger. He even got a box that lit up when I opened it. He is so thoughtful and romantic and had this planned out just enough.

Once the moment sunk in he announced that he had made reservations at Roy’s for a romantic dinner in celebration of this monumental occasion. For those that don’t know, Roy's is the place to go in Hawaii to celebrate important occasions. Ironically I had just sent him an email earlier in the week suggesting we go there sometime since it is one of my favorite restaurants. So… to top off a perfect night, we toasted Hawaiian style with pineapple martinis to our fresh engagement.