Courtesy of Callie Mulvihill

Bridal Party

GROOMSMEN:

Best Man- Kyle Murphy

Michael Guttridge

Doug Richmond

Jeff Aulich

Miles Weaver

Joe Weaver

Berto Rosales

Steve Mass

Billy Moffett

Ryan Gonzales

BRIDESMAIDS:

Maid of Honor- Jennifer Wensel

Rachel Wharton

Brittney Wiggins

Jalel Braden

Kaitlyn Robson

Kristin Mellin

Jill Altenburg

Melissa Rodgers

Nicole Sikitch

Callie Mulvihill

Engagement Photos

The Proposal

I was completely surprised on this day. It was our good friend Kyle's birthday, February 4th. We had planned to do a hike at Muir Woods with all our friends, then picnic on the beach. So everyone was there. After our hike we went to Muir beach and started eating lunch. I didn't notice at the time, but Josh was not eating, which was very unusual. He had asked me to go walk down the overlook with him, but I refused saying I was starving and wanted to eat. :) Once I finished eating he asked again and I said ok. As we were walking I noticed that the end of the overlook looked like a scene from the movie Titanic. I told Josh I wanted to reenact the scene and he laughed and said to do it. Little did I know that he was planning to get on one knee and pop the question. So once I did the scene he called my name and I turned around and he was on one knee, but he didn't immediately ask me to marry him. He just knelt there while I was waiting for him to speak, so I instantly said YES! and he replied, "I didn't ask anything!" So after waiting, what felt like forever, he then asked, "Will you marry me?" and I said Yes!!!! yet again. :)

Our Story

So every story has two sides and while Josh’s is far more interesting and full of detail here is mine. Josh and I met each other freshman year at California Baptist University in 2006. I do not remember the first night we met, but Josh does. As far as he tells me, we talked for hours that night; which doesn’t surprise me because we always talk for hours. All throughout that year we talked and hung out in the lobby, but just as friends. On my part, I was not interested in him in that way but I knew he was. So, like all dumb college girls, I started to ignore him so he wouldn’t think I liked him back. Freshman year ended and Josh moved back to Northern California and I didn't think much about it.

For the next 4 years Josh was up north and I was down south still attending CBU and earnestly trying to become a teacher. I dated other people and so did Josh, but all through our relationships we continued to talk on the phone almost every night, and for hours! So many hours that my boyfriends, not more than one at a time, were very jealous of our friendship and who could blame them? I would go on dates and call Josh afterwards hoping to have an interesting conversation with someone because those boyfriends certainly did not suffice. One actually told me to stop talking to Josh entirely or he would break up with me. Since this was my first boyfriend I went along with his idea. Josh was infuriated and we didn’t talk until I broke up with that boyfriend and called Josh the next day. Slowly, we started talking again.

If you know Josh at all, then you know how forward he is about everything. He would tell me on the phone how much he liked me, how he knew we would marry me one day, and how he would wait however long it took for me to realize all this. And for some reason I still never ran away. I would laugh it off and try to ignore it so feelings did not get in the way of our great friendship. Josh constantly was professing his love for me and asking me out and I kept turning him down with no intention to ever date him. Well things changed a couple years later. I was in a serious relationship and had told Josh I was going to marry that guy. Josh still was convinced I was not. He tried every move to prove that that guy was not the one and that he still was. I laughed and ignored him but our friendship grew stronger shortly after that conversation because he had joined the Marines.

Now I have sworn that I would never marry a military guy and anyone who knows me has heard me say that before. Josh had joined the Marines and something in me clicked. My best friend is signing up to go to war in a time when war is the only option in the military. This truly concerned me. He went to boot camp and I consistently wrote him letters and he wrote back also. All the while my boyfriend, at the time, was jealous of my friendship with Josh but I ignored his concern. Well, to fast forward, that relationship ended and Josh was there for me. Stronger than I could have imagined! And I thought, why not Josh?! We started talking and I slowly started falling for him, which felt weird because he was my best friend for 5 years before and I suppressed all feelings beyond that for so long.

I decided I wanted to try dating with Josh but not long distance. So how was it going to work out? I declared that if he wanted to ask me out it better be in person! Well, he didn’t get the hint the first time so I told him again and the next day he drove down and asked me out that night. He drove back the next day and it was official. I just finished grad school and was applying for a teaching job everywhere. Since it was hopeless to find one, I decided why not look up north. Then I contemplated moving up there for the summer to be with Josh. He could not move because he is stationed up north. So after months of debating the issue I packed up and moved up north, which was the HARDEST thing I have ever had to do. Up north pieces began to fall in place. I got my living situation down and I got hired as a teacher in a district, which I never thought would happen. I took all this as a sign that God had me there for a reason and that me and Josh were meant to be together. Josh was the comfort I needed through this adjustment period and I slowly began to fall in love with my best friend and a year later we were engaged!

There is so much more to tell but I have said too much already. All I know is that I am marrying my best friend and I am so blessed to have him in my life.