We got a puppy and I’m engaged!

Hi all! I know I haven’t been great with updating you on my West Coast trip and so many other adventures in my life but it’s been a crazy end to our beautiful summer. We got a puppy Golden Retriever named Maverick and then a few weeks later I got engaged. It’s been a very exciting time to be me!

Full disclosure: This blog is mostly photos but I promise they are cute!

John and I both knew we wanted a puppy for a while but we struggled to find a dog that we felt would blend with our family. We definitely had a lot to consider since John is in the Military and we will always be on the move. With this being said we hoped to find a dog that would be comfortable with this lifestyle. After an adoption for a dog fell through we found our hearts clinging to this baby Golden Retriever.

He was 13 weeks old and the family who was suppose to adopt him ended up backing out. Sadly, since he wasn’t 8 weeks old, he was having a hard time finding a home and the breeder was in the midst of moving to a different home so you could say life was chaotic but luckily we swooped in to save the day!

If I’m being completely honest I always wanted a male Golden Retriever. It took John some convincing but he admitted the other day that Maverick is perfect for our family. I’m not sure how we got so lucky but Maverick only peed in the apartment 3 times before becoming completely house broken. He doesn’t jump on anyone and isn’t interested in using human body parts as chewing objects for his teething. He’s also extremely intelligent and wants to be in your lap at all times. I think my favorite thing he does is when he looks at me with those huge puppy eyes and puts his paw on my shoulder as if saying “I love you.”

The funniest part about the dogs we own is that they look like us! If John was a dog he’d look like Maverick and if I was a dog I would look like Mia. I guess the saying is true, people really do look like their pets!

Maverick LOVES Mia which was super important to us. It did take her a while to warm up to him but now they play everyday together, he grooms her by licking her, and they even sleep touching on the couch. It’s such a nice feeling to see them bond and get along. Is this what motherhood feels like? Haha.

Also, let’s not forget I’m engaged! This is so surreal! I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for a guy like John and was starting to think he didn’t exist but here we are! This man takes care of me as if I’m the only person on earth who matters. He holds down the fort when I’m sick, is an amazing dog dad, and treats me like a queen. We fit so perfectly together and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with someone as special as him.

Let me tell you the proposal story! John and I have always wanted to go hiking at “Ricketts Glen Falls.” We talked about hiking here the first few weeks we started dating. We even attempted to go a few times but we always got rained out. I truly thought we were never going to visit this spot but then we finally did! A couple weeks after we got Maverick we had a free weekend and the weather looked fine so I suggested that we do this hike and make it a weekend trip. We rented out a modern cabin and drove down for the weekend.

We booked this modern cabin through the website called “vrbo.com” and you can view one of the listings here. They have a few different listings as there are multiple lodges. I really enjoyed our stay but I’m not sure I would book here again only because they had strict rules and guidelines. They were dog friendly though which was a plus!

P.S: Dogs aren’t allowed on the furniture…clearly we didn’t follow the rules…:)

The next day, Saturday, September 7, 2019 is the day we got engaged. We went on the hike we have been trying to do for over a year and brought the dogs. This hike was GORGEOUS. They had tons of waterfalls to explore of all different heights. It was stunning.

We finally found the largest waterfall out of all of them and John said we should take a family photo together with him, the dogs, and myself. He set up my good camera on a tripod and we stood in front of the falls. Little did I know he wasn’t taking a photo at all, he was actually recording us to film the proposal! In that moment he took my hands, looked at me, and got down on one knee. My heart stopped and of course I said yes! He couldn’t have picked a more special place to ask me to be his wife.

Afterwards we had a crowd of people cheer and applaud for us with nothing but the kindest congratulations. We even got that family photo in front of the waterfall with our dogs! I don’t think I ever smiled so much in my life before.

It’s crazy to think how much has happened and changed in my life within just months. Our family of 4 became complete and I am going to marry my best friend and love of my life. I can’t wait to continue to share our wedding updates, engagement shoot, and so much more. So many fantastic moments to come!