We met in Eagle River, AK! In the summer of 2015, I had been there living for the last year, and he had just come up for the summer. We both had gotten jobs at a summer camp for kids with special needs, and the first time we met was at staff orientaion. We became friends very fast and had decided we would attend our mutual friends’ rugby game later that day... the plan was for them to pick me up so we could head to the game together. That evening, as they were about to come pick me up, they put my address in their GPS only ro find out that I was a two-minute walk away from them. We were neighbors! This was no mistake. That summer the three of us were inseperable. We had become the best of friends. That was the most adventurous and wonderful summer of our lives. Taking camping trips, getting chased by moose, seeing grizzly bears in Denali, climbing mountains, fairs, pokémon-going, late night walks in the Alaskan summer, and so much more. We knew our impact on eachothers’ lives had been profound, but little did we know what God had in store for us. Time went on, and we spoke often. School, relationships and distance got in the way for awhile, but we always seemed to come right back to eachother. Two years later we both happily threw in the towel, it was finally time for us. We had waited long enough, and We’re so glad we didn’t wait a second longer. We hadn’t seen eachother in two years. Tony said he wanted to give us a chance and asked if he could come visit me. I was living in Indianapolis at the time and he was with family in New York. He flew out to come to me, and i picked him up from the airport. That reunion was nothing but surreal, and from that moment our love has been unstoppable. We can’t wait to see where God leads our lives, and we can’t wait to celebrate our love with you!

Tony had planned a big trip to visit some of his family in Rochester, NY to show me around where he grew up and to meet some folks i hadn’t yet. The whole trip was a dream! It was our first time flying together, &we both love to travel so that marked a first of many for us. Our second day there he wanted to take me to this big park that he had gone to growing up. We started the day with coffee from Wegman’s (best store ever) and had a lovely breakfast at a local diner. Autumn in New York. There’s something so special about it. Later, we arrived at the park and began walking through the trails. I was so happy in that moment, really nothing could have made it any better..or so I thought. *so, let me give you a side story..during our summer in AK, Tony had mentioned that he had known how he wanted to propose since he was 8 years old.* back to our story... We are walking through the trails and he seems pretty bent on going a certain way, so I obliged. He takes us off course and through some seemingly secret bushes..this leads us to a private opening right off the trail. Its an open grassy area surrounded by beautiful yellow and red trees. Once we got in there... his demeanor had changed and he seemed a little nervous...“This is it. This is the place. This is it.” He said... and he said a few more times...then I knew...and then he turned to me and said “When i was 8 years old... this is where I...” i didnt quite catch the rest of what he said because at this point I was crying. I covered my eyes for a split second and when i opened them he was getting down on one knee, opening a pretty box and asking me to marry him. He said he had taken me around to show me parts of his past, but he had brought me to this place to show me our future. I didnt even look at the ring, i hugged him and said yes! We spent the rest of the day simply being together in the Park and enjoying the lovely autumn day.