The Woodbury Family

Dave met my family whole family last October when he helped me move into my new place and they loved him instantly. My parents actually met him earlier in the summer and the first thing my mom said to me after meeting Dave was, "So, has he told you he likes you yet?" I guess it was obvious from the beginning! Needless to say I got the thumbs up all around when I took my dad's advice and we finally started dating. We have shared many great times together already such as my niece, Ava Quinn, being born, Christmas with the whole family, my dad's 60th birthday bash in Pebble Beach and of course the engagement!!!! We are a family that loves to celebrate and our new comers, Dave and Ava, make it complete.

The Bos Family

Knowing that Dave and I wanted to get married it has been a whirl wind trying to meet all of the family and get to know everyone. We have had a great time traveling and seeing family and I have loved getting to know all of them, they are all very loving and accepting. Dave's brother Daniel, the best man, came to visit Dave in January and so the three of us spent time with my parents in Oakdale and headed up to Yosemite for the day, so beautiful. Dave and I headed to Florida next to visit his sister Carrie, her husband Joe and their son Andrew, we had a great visit and loved spending time on the beach. The final destination was to an action packed weekend in Chicago to meet his sister Elizabeth, her husband Bill and Dave's parents, Mike and Chris. Chris even brought pictures of Dave growing up which was a definite bonus to the trip! The first time Dave came to my parents house my mom whipped out my pictures growing up so now it was my turn... what a cute boy! His nephew Andrew looks just like him. Next we head to Dave's hometown Holland, Michigan in June where the whole family will be together and I am going to pick out a pair of wooden shoes for the wedding!

The Fifth and Final Clue...

After hiking Dave dropped me off to get ready for dinner. When he picked me up I got the final clue on where we were going for dinner and it was to Go Fish in St. Helena! Yumm! We arrived a little late, my fault, but Dave was not worried because he had the table saved by guests who had arrived earlier then us... my family! I was so shocked and it made the whole day that much more wonderful, I only wish Dave's family could have celebrated with us also. We had a wonderful dinner and it was so fun to share with them all that Dave had done to make the day sooooo unforgettable. We got so caught up in talking about the day and focusing on Ava as the main entertainment I am sad to say I don't have any pictures of Dave and I or the whole family at dinner. So I had to take a family picture the next morning at breakfast.

The Fourth Clue..

The fourth clue led us to one of our favorite hiking places in Napa and is the location of some important conversations Dave and I have had about being friends, about dating and now about getting married! It is a special place for us to hike and the conversation we had on this day at the top of the mountain will remain in my heart forever. Sorry I left my camera in the car for the hike so I have no pictures.

The Third Clue...

Both Diamond Creek and Araujo are wineries that you can't even taste their wine when you go because they do not have any left. They sell out in futures and do not do tours or wine tastings. They are both considered a Cult Cabernet. Araujo was the next place Dave got us into for a tasting and tour. Araujo, like Grgich Hills, practice Bio Dynamics and organic farming and is the reason Dave has come to know the wine maker. We had a wonderful visit and the barrel tasting was incredible. My parent's just had this wine for their 35th wedding anniversary at the French Laundry and it cost $350/ half bottle. I think Dave took us here so he has a good reason to buy this wine for special occasions!

The Second Clue...

For the second clue Dave was able to get us into Diamond Creek Mountain's private lake. This lake is only open to the public four times a year so how he got us in is beyond me! When we arrived we were given a tour of the vineyards and then given a golf cart to use in order to get to the lake. It is such a beautiful place and because we were able to have it to ourselves for a little while made it that much more spectacular. He even packed a picnic lunch for us of meats, cheeses, crackers and of course wine!

The First Clue...

The first clue, which I got immediately, was to Auberge De Soleil for massages! Auberge is one of the most beautiful places to stay in Napa with one of the most incredible views of the valley. You can't even get in for massages unless you are a guest there, so I don't know how he did it! The massage was incredible but even better was that we got to spend time in the infinity pool that is kept at body temperature and has a spectacular view. We sipped champagne and dreamed about the wedding day and our future together, it was so romantic and simply wonderful.

The Ring

Dave and I had been talking about getting married and trying to figure out the right time when he told me about the ring. The ring was his Grandmothers ring and promised to him by his mother a long time ago. I was so excited when he told me about it because I love the antique style and being that it was his grandmothers made it perfect. He wanted me to see it first though because he wanted me to have a ring that I loved and if this was not it we would go ring shopping.

So Dave told me that we needed to go to the city to pick it up since it was the only way his parent's could send it with out worrying about it getting lost. Little did I know that Dave actually got the ring from his mom when we were in Chicago visiting them. So you can imagine that I was really surprised when he proposed that morning. I never knew Dave was so good at lying, maybe I should be worried!

It is so special to have and love the ring his grandmother wore and that Dave's mom has also worn since his grandmother passed away. The ring is so beautiful and I am very honored to be wearing it! Dave also proposed with the ring box that his dad used to propose to his mom. It is a little blurry in the picture but it says Williams Jewelers Holland, Michigan with a windmill behind the text. Holland, Michigan is where Dave was born and raised.

We are engaged!!!

On May 9th Dave proposed and I said... YES!!!
Friday, May 9th Dave and I were planning on going to San Franscisco for the day but little did I know he had other plans. I was running late and still busy getting ready when he arrived. So I was caught by surprise when he gave me a hug and started telling me in detail how and why he loved me and how blessed he is to have me in his life. (Maybe he will repeat it at the ceremony!) Before I knew it he was down on one knee asking me to be his wife. In one motion I grabbed the ring and said yes all at the same time! He then told me that he had the whole day planned with all my favorite things to do in Napa but he wasen't going to tell me what they were because there were clues to each place and I had to guess what it was! The picture of Dave and I is from our trip to Chicago to visit his family, this is also when Dave got the ring from his mom.