Ours is a story that came together over time, with a sense that our paths had been crossing long before we ever knew. Long before we met, our lives surprisingly overlapped. Eric’s family moved to New England in the late 70s; before that, our families lived less than 50 miles apart in Texas. Eric was born in the same hospital where many of Jana’s nieces were later born; at one time, his family lived in the same city as Jana’s extended family. As children, we even walked the same mall, unaware of one another. Years later, when Jana lived in Florida, our paths finally intersected serendipitously. Even then, it took us a while to get the timing right—but when we did, everything fell into place. In August 2020, we began dating after Jana visited Eric in New England for her birthday. By then, she had moved back to Texas, and we started long-distance—Eric in Massachusetts, Jana in Houston. We built our connection through daily phone calls, frequent-flyer miles, much laughter, and small, intentional gestures. One of those gestures began early on when Jana asked Eric to send a postcard during a work trip. He did, and he still does. It’s one of those simple things that takes real effort and never stops meaning something. Those early visits became the foundation of many memories: walks on the trails, bike rides, local breweries, cheering on our sports teams, and plenty of Monopoly Deal (a game we now take everywhere). On one of Eric's earliest trips to Houston, Jana surprised him with a visit to the Galveston Railroad Museum, knowing his love of trains—a place that would later become part of this next chapter in our story. In October 2021, Eric moved to Texas; we were finally in the same city. A year later, we bought a home together, building a life side-by-side (or, as we say, side-by-each). These days, our home is happily full with Elliott (lively possum-chaser and expert sleeper), Olivia (queen of everything), Arthur (Jana's fiercely loyal sidekick and everyone else's nemesis), and Chloe (our sweetest new addition). We still love our morning walks together, bike rides, local breweries, cheering for our favorite teams, and, of course, plenty of Monopoly Deal. We've been lucky to explore a lot together in a short time, from Italy and Aruba to Portugal, Morocco, Spain, and a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. But some of our favorite moments are simpler: Eric bringing Jana coffee in the morning, staying up too late in the kitchen talking and listening to music, and finding ways to create more of what we call that which “brings us joy” in everyday life. We’ve been grateful to share meaningful time with our families, traveling together, celebrating milestones, and supporting each other through life’s harder moments. These experiences have deepened our appreciation for the people who surround us and the life we are building together. Friendship is a meaningful part of our story. Jana has been fortunate to carry close friendships from many different chapters of her life, and it means so much to have those relationships represented in this celebration. Together in Houston, we’ve built a wonderful community through an Empty Nesters group, forming close friendships with several couples who have become part of our everyday lives. Eric has built strong friendships through his band (thanks in part to Jana’s brother-in-law, who brought Eric into the group), and we’re so happy to be celebrating with them as well. We feel incredibly grateful for the friendships that surround us—old and new—for the people who make life more fun, meaningful, and full. At the heart of it all, we share the same sense of humor (bad puns, dad jokes, quick wit included); love of music, sports, and the Houston Rodeo; and deep appreciation for kindness—especially Eric’s tender heart for animals, which Jana both admires and gently protects. We’re so grateful for the journey that brought us here. We can hardly wait to celebrate this next chapter with all of you.