Two souls separated by time, circumstance and lifestyles made for an unlikely chance to meet. Thanks to modern technology & online dating we happened to find each other at just the right time through Tinder (yes, Tinder).

In the beginning we simply sought each other's company, however the Fates would not have it so. We spent lots of time together, Lizzie teaching me about all the wondrous restaurants & festivals that Phoenix had to offer making for some amazing first dates. The more time spent together led us to realize platonic friendship was not enough. Days became weeks, weeks became years. It was not long before I knew I would ask her to be my wife.

Date nights were out of this world and some of the greatest experiences I would come to know. From Renaissance festivals, to ice-skating adventurers in Wookie-onesies, to movie nights at Westgate or simply at home, our dates have always been fun & new. Our first Comicon together became something that brought us closer in discovering each other's creativity & having the kids (Rosetta & Andy) with us made Comicon the milestone that truly joined us together as a family.

Camping trips to Payson, Lake Alamo & Tombstone are some of our favorite outdoor adventures we've had & Matsuri, the Japanese cultural festival, where each year we buy new kimonos made in Kyoto became a family tradition.

If I were to describe our adventure style it would be our love for culture, nature & entertainment that drives our explorations.

For a while I had known I would ask Lizzie to marry me, but how? I had mulled this over for quite a long time and racked my brain with different ideas. Flash mob? Not our style. Considered making a thing of it with the royal court at the Renaissance Fest and getting the king & queen's blessing. In the end I knew I wanted family to be a part of it so I delayed until I could get family all together for a special day.

Leading up to that day was when the real fun for me happened. I had had the ring for several months prior and carried it with me every day. Like a crazy person (the people nearby probably thought so) I snapped pics holding the ring up behind Lizzie's back for months.

Then the day came and I just couldn't stand for some boring speech so in honor of my grandfather (who loved riddles), I put together a scavenger hunt for Lizzie along with friends & family to help solve. In the end, it took about 45 minutes and she pre-emptively guessed the riddle before even completing the puzzle. This is what happened when a DM plans a proposal.

During our trip to Tombstone for the 4th of July Parade & Pinup Pageant we decided to make the best of our time and run a little photoshoot (with the help of friends Lauren Marie, Derek & Robyn Snyder).

We took shots at Big Nose Kate's Saloon (along the original wall that remains) & at Wyatt Earp's Oriental Saloon where we got to "play" some Faro.