We met thanks to Graham's friendship and cohabitation with Grace's brother Matt while the boys were in college.

We bonded over a shared love of music (Why?, Animal Collective, and Dr. Dog to name a few), creative thinking, consciousness exploration, and open-mindedness towards new experiences and adventures.

Grace quickly realized that Graham would thrive at events such as the Oregon Country Fair and Beloved festival and looped him into the fold.

Graham was a little unsure of what to make of the young, spunky, mohawk-sporting Grace. However, after several years of friendship and soul searching, we started dating and made it Facebook official on May 29, 2013.

Grace moved into "The Treehouse", the beloved rental that we would come to occupy with dear friends for many years, in November of 2013. Graham moved in seven months later and the rest is history.

Graham first proposed to Grace at the Country Fair late one Saturday night after an emotional and heartfelt conversation. Grace's response was something along the lines of "yes I want to get married, but not yet." Keep in mind she's the younger G and had some more young-adult self-discovery and growth in order.

In the ensuing years we spoke openly about marriage, but our lives were full of growing into ourselves in the world. Grace also went back to school which put the whole idea on hold.

Fast forward to July 2020, four months into the Covid-19 pandemic and shortly after Grace graduated...

On top of the world in the Three Sisters Wilderness because the best things in life require effort and aren't always comfortable.

We hiked 9 miles and stopped halfway for a charcuterie board and champagne picnic. We saw the Cascades all the way from Mount Rainier to Diamond Peak and ended our hike with a refreshing dip in a heart-shaped lake.

We could not imagine a more glorious way to get engaged to the loves of our lives.

"Ain't no mountain high enough

ain't no valley low enough

ain't no river wide enough

to keep me from getting to you babe"

Hold on a second, isn't there supposed to be a wedding first?

Well, we didn't want to plan a wedding amidst Covid-19, and Grace was in an AmeriCorps program until 2022 which was also the year we bought our first home!

Now that the dust has settled and we are both gainfully employed and housed, the wedding shall commence and the happily ever after (except when we're not) continues.

Much gratitude to all our dear family and friends for sticking with us these past 10+ years. Special shoutout to our parents for their unending patience and love.