*I apologize for the errors in this post. I'm actually writing this while the whole family is around. We're drinking and toasting and I'm learning some Spanish.

Yessie and I planned to visit her grandmother in the Dominican Republic this year but life got in the way. So we jumped at the opportunity when she came to NYC to visit the rest of her family this November/December.

Yessie's relationship with her grandmother is akin to my relationship with my grandmother. We've talked to her over the phone and my terrible understanding of Spanish created some barriers, but I will tell you that she is as sweet in person as she sounded over the phone. She loves me because Yessie loves me. It feels so good to be accepted into someone else's family.

I knew I was going to propose to her in NYC, but that was as far as I got in my head! haha

I called her father and her brother ahead of time and asked for their blessing. I'm traditional like that. They both said ABSOLUTELY! I was thrilled and relieved so I wasn't nervous about my lack of plans at that point.

So to be brief, we took a train from Pittsburgh to Penn Station NYC. We got into the train station and hopped on the subway at 530pm on Thursday. FYI that's rush hour and we each had 3-4 travel bags/suitcases. AND we got on the wrong train about an hour out of hour way. 2.5 hours later we ended up in Astoria, Queens exhausted and sweaty. Her Uncle and his wife were super sweet and we grabbed sushi and crashed.

The next day we hopped back on the subway after a great breakfast. Coffee in hand I met abuela!! She might be 4'11" on a good day 🙂 haha! And she was so unbelievably cute and sweet. We explored the city with her father, her half-sister, her aunt, and abuela. First stop was Central Park- the only place I had on my list. And it was gorgeous (and cold). This is where I wanted to propose, but we wandered around and broke plans to search for warmer clothes at Lululemon.  And no..I didn't chicken out.

Next up was dinner at a little burger place next to the Twin Tower memorial. The memorial itself was gorgeous. They did a really nice job in remembrance of those that died. I'll leave politics and conspiracy theories aside- it was just eerie but patriotic in some ways to be there.

The clock was ticking in my head....louder and louder.

We grabbed a hilarious uber ride to Times Square and then a quick stop at Starbucks. As the girls made bathroom breaks I caught her dads eye and said it's go time!

We headed out into the crowds, right where they film the ball dropping...and on cue Yessie asked her dad to take a picture. My heart started pounding and I was sweating all over. I pulled the ring out,  behind her back, and her dad was giggling a little bit. He took a couple pictures and then I stalled a bit...I yelled to get her grandmother in the picture. So she came over and got in between us and I knew it was time. I got down on one knee, mumbled something, tried saying will you marry me in spanish, Yessie looked at me awkwardly, gave me an ugly cry, I think she eventually said yes, her grandmother was crying -"i love you i love you i love you" and that was it.

More later. It's time to eat!!! This Dominican food is the bomb.