Every moment we spend with each other is significant and priceless, but here are some of our favorites.

Sofia's Favorites:

-Mango (my pet bird) attacking Jordan. Just kidding, one of my favorite memories with Jordan was back in May for my dad's birthday party. Jordan helped me decorate for the event, and I even taught him how to tie balloons. I learned he was someone who was always willing to help me out and make my visions come true. He was willing to learn from me and enhanced my creativity.

-Another favorite memory with Jordan was when he surprised me with flowers during the week after a hard day I had in which I doubted myself. With this act, I learned I'd always have a partner ready to support me and cheer me up when I'm down.

-An additional favorite memory with Jordan revolves around a special date we had with my sister Linda and cousin Luis. We enjoyed dinner together and headed to an escape room afterward. I loved seeing Jordan's interaction with some of my most important family members. He treated them the way I would want my future husband to treat my family with respect, love, and care.

- Lastly, one of my favorite memories with Jordan was our road trip to Toronto with my sister. Seeing Linda and Jordan interact so well (agreeing with each other on making pitstops to grab A&W Rootbeer, poking fun at me, and discussing a variety of random topics) brought immense joy to my heart. There are indeed countless acts Jordan has done that makes me realize he is truly my gift from above, but God doesn't want me to make this a novel, so I'll end here.

Jordan's Favorites:

- Sofia joining me on an adventure in her first Escape Room. I thought I'd like to see her ability to find clues and test her willingness to go on an adventure with me. I quickly found out that she was very intelligent when she figured out a bunch of clues during her first ever Escape Room. At one point we had to crawl down underneath a desk to go into another room and she had heels and a coat on! That's when I knew she was willing to go with me anywhere.

-Another memory that sticks out with Sofia was when we walked around downtown Chicago. We spontaneously decided to stop for breakfast and surprisingly we didn't have to wait, the food was cheap, and plentiful. I had to ask myself, 'Are we still in Chicago?' We both had some delicious, filling pancakes. This was one of my favorite memories because I never felt so at peace eating breakfast than I did with Sofia in Chicago that day for one of my first times exploring the city with her.

-One memory that sticks out is when she came down to visit me in Washington for my birthday. I stayed at a friend's place so she could have her privacy in my apartment. The night before my birthday she made creme brulee for us both. When I came back the next morning, the first thing I saw was a hand drawn picture of Yoda on my door which took her quite a few hours to do! She knew that I loved Star Wars which made me happy! When I walked in, she had over 80 balloons (yes, I counted), and she got me gifts for all 5 senses which was unbelievable and then she also made me a key lime pie and paid for us to go out to eat. She spoiled me for my birthday and made me feel so appreciated.

-At one point, I was travelling to North Carolina every week for work and flying back to Chicago to see Sofia. My first time coming back from North Carolina she said to let her know when I landed and to head to the parking lot to wait for her to pick me up. Little did I know that she was waiting to surprise me by the escalator with a sign that said, "Welcome Home Jordan!" At the end of July, I spontaneously found out that my travel to N. Carolina was over. I called Sofia the day I was told to fly back, and she decided to take off the rest of the day from work without telling me. She was able run across town to get a posterboard, get a picture of me on it with a welcome message, and buy a balloon and some treats for me too! After 4 months of travel, I was ready to be finished, and Sofia once again helped me feel appreciated after it was all over! I can't describe how great it felt when she was celebrating the end of the travel with me.

-Every week we also share a special time together when we go to mass. We both share a strong faith in Christ, and he strengthens our relationship every Sunday. We always do our best to put God first in our relationship and we let Jesus' example lead the way for how we should be in the world. I remind myself that Sofia was such a beautiful gift from God, and I am thankful for that every day!

J&S