In 2001, we began CCD together at our church, Saint Andrew The Apostle in Gibbsboro, NJ (our ceremony venue!!!!). We made our First Communion and Confirmations together there and grew up alongside one another. Nick attended Osage and Ali E.T. Hamilton, so it was not until Voorhees Middle School that we were in school together. In high school we had one class together... Honors English with Mrs. Koch. Nick insists that I said something snarky to him and he thought I was stuck up... but I remember it 100% differently... and I'm the one typing so... : ) I remember being super shy around Nick AND his older brother Billy. We spent a lot of time with them and their friends, because Steph (hey maid of honor!!) was dating Billy (hey best man!!). During our last summer together before college, Nick and I went on a couple of AMAZING dates. We went up to New York to watch a Yankees vs. Red Sox game, went on some awesome hikes and food dates, and then my favorite- jet skiing out on the river where we had our first kiss! He was going to the University of Pittsburgh and I was off to Penn State (we are!!), so we stayed friends and saw each other over breaks when our friends would get together. We both dated other people in college and grew up in many ways. After college graduation, we both were doing what we loved. I was teaching first grade in Virginia and he was working in a clinic in Pittsburgh researching and helping kids with rare neurogenerative diseases. Thanks to Steph, I found myself on a family vacation with the Bascous in May 2017. On a walk down the beach, Nick and I realized that there was still something really special there. It took me some time to process (of course), but by that August we had jumped into our long distance relationship. After a year apart, we moved back to our hometown of Voorhees with Nick's family. Now we are settled in a duplex in Barrington... directly beneath my best friend and Nick's brother who started it all! :)