It all started with a game of rugby and a handsome British man in the office. We met in the pub at 9AM to watch England vs. Scotland (England were victorious!) with a bunch of Hannah’s pals. It wasn’t long until the drinks and conversation began to flow in the February Texan sun (!) – the second date wasn’t too long after!

As many know, it didn’t take us too long to form a bond and accelerate to co-habitation (thank you COVID) – this was definitely a blessing in disguise as it led to many nights spent playing games, watching terrible TV and participating in a virtual quiz or two (classic scavenger hunt photo attached), all supported by our new bar cart!

After 10 months, it was time to meet the British folk. Christmas 2020 was an excellent opportunity to get to know each other’s family and friends with a trip to Nottingham and Gloucester, including a cheeky surprise birthday for Hannah’s 30th. By New Year’s, and after a espresso martini or two, Ben was a part of Michael’s “circle of trust” – elite status!

Over the years, we’ve been trying our best to tick off as many items on our bucket list of the Americas as possible – Grand Canyon, Utah (it’s amazing!), California, Florida Keys, Sedona, DC, the Rockies, as well as Hawaii and Costa Rica! We’re good at pushing each other out of our comfort zones – high zip lines are fun! So is bouldering/ scrambling up a mountain apparently!

We’d be remised not to mention Houston life, and all the wonderful friends and fun we have here! Be it pool parties, floating the river or just a casual drink on a sunny patio, we always tried our best to blend in as a local! Some of the highlights are singing Country Road in Nashville, drinking Hurricanes in New Orleans and tubing in Austin.

After 2 and a half years together, we decided to put down some Texas roots and buy a place of our own! It was a lot of fun decorating, although perhaps prioritizing the garden and the games room first wasn’t necessarily our most sensible idea (but it led to some fun evenings!). After a year, our house is very much feeling like a lovely home (including a very nice guest bedroom hint hint!).

It was a wonderful Saturday in April when we picked up “baby Fred” – the cutest Bernedoodle puppy. It wasn’t long until we realized he’d be quite the adventure (handful!). He settled in quickly with just a few weeks of sleepless nights, and luckily his cuteness made up for any tired eyes we had. Although he keeps us on our toes every day, we couldn’t imagine life without his bounce, “chase me” games and constant need for cuddles!

After many potential romantic opportunities, Ben proposed to an unsuspecting Hannah in her dressing gown over brunch and champagne – threw her well off there! It was all a bit of a blur; Ben said some nice things, Hannah, in her excitement, may not have actually said yes out loud. It was the start of a great weekend of celebrations and excitement for the next stage of our lives as the Kings… see you at the wedding!!