ENGAGED! <3<3<3

Very ecstatic to announce that my guy of 5.5 years and I are now happily calling each other "fiancé(e)!" It was certainly worth the wait - just so perfect. 

Because we created the ring design together working with the amazing Kate Szabone (more on that later) I knew the day was approaching, but Louis created a surprising, memorable and fun fun fun engagement day! Here's how it went >>

Sunday morning on 4/14 Louis and I woke up early to start a 4+ mile trail run at Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. We accidentally took the Fern Trail which went up for about 3,837 years, which all the while I climbed whining and cursing the trail. This approach slowed us down considerably and Louis told me yesterday that he was insisting we turn back because he was so anxious to just get to our proposal destination already! Unfortunately, I ain't no quitter so we pressed on and had an amazing run with spectacular views, snake & lizard sightings and towering redwoods.

Then we refueled with some delicious chicken teriyaki at Sparky's right down the hill before we headed to our tiny Glen Park apartment in SF to get ready for a walk to our favorite : Musée Mécanique. I got super lucky and uncharacteristically wore some makeup AND the same exact outfit I wore on our 1 year anniversary which we also spent there. In fact, we have spent countless special occasions there : visits from friends & relatives, anniversaries, birthdays etc. etc.

After a quick stop at Tcho, as is customary for any visit to Musée, we walked along the sunny Embarcadero. Before entering the Musée this random man told us to hold hands, paid us some compliments and sent us on our way with a free I <3 San Francisco sticker. So odd and nice. Once we arrived inside, as is always the case, we did not know where to start. It's quite a sight - first entering into the warehouse filled to the brim with antique arcade games all lending their tunes and blinking lights to the amazing atmosphere. We discussed which game to play first for a bit. I decided to try a fortune telling machine I'd never used before. The results are strange, but Louis noted that a couple are definitely accurate in defining our day :​

After that, Louis says he just couldn't wait any longer and he insisted on taking our customary photo booth picture. I took my spot on the inside and Louis attempted to slide the dollars into the slot, but he was so nervous they kept getting spit out. It was hilarious and I was laughing a ton. If I had known what important business he was tending to I may have been a bit kinder! Once the dollars finally made their way into the machine I put my arm around Louis and noticed his heart was beating super hard. A second later the lights flashed and you can see the story unfold here :

Words really can't describe how wonderful this was. Louis insisted on being a traditional gentleman and got down on one knee in the cramped little photo booth. He simply and sweetly said "Niki Baker, will you marry me?" SO perfect. I responded saying "What? Really?" and finally, "Of course!" After lots of kisses, hugs and crying we waited the 5 minutes for the old timey machine to work its magic and deliver the photo above.

In complete euphoria, we made calls announcing the wonderful moment to our loved ones, did all necessary Facebook updating and our phone promptly died. We were bummed at first, but it was kind of nice to just focus 100% on us for the rest of our evening. 

​After playing all of our favorite games at the Musée, we trekked to the Buena Vista to enjoy a famous Irish Coffee in honor of Louis's grandma, had a delicious dinner & cocktails at 15 Romolo then headed back home with permanent smiles on our faces. The day was incredible. I could not have imagined anything better. I feel so lucky to get to spend the rest of my life with someone as special, thoughtful and amazing as Louis! Here are the rest of the pictures from that day:

I'm so excited to start planning a party so we can celebrate our love with everyone we care so much about. Stay tuned for the steps to that process!