Before we started graduate school, we went on a road-trip up the California coast from Gabby's hometown to Yosemite National Park. Chris had been waiting to propose to Gabby for a while, and knew that he found the right time to do it when we began our day hike to Half Dome, a 16-mile round-trip that is supposed to be one of the most scenic and challenging hikes in Yosemite. We started our day at 4:00 AM with a 1.5 hour drive into the park and hit the ground running. A few miles into the hike, after ascending the steps to Vernal Falls, we stopped in a quiet clearing among some trees for a short break before hiking up Nevada Falls. Chris suggested we hold hands and say a quick prayer before moving on, since it was such a peaceful spot. Thinking that this quiet clearing between two waterfalls was the perfect spot to begin their engagement, Chris got down on one knee and asked his best friend to marry him. The engagement made the next 10 hours of hiking to Half Dome all the more memorable and magical!

In order to get to know us better and prepare his homily, Fr. Jim Gartland (the celebrant for our wedding Mass) asked us to write a few paragraphs about our relationship. There were a few common themes in our writings. We both wrote that we love each other because we will always be each other's best friends, because we can be truly ourselves with each other, and because we love even the mundane moments we spend with each other. We also both observed that our relationship with Christ has brought us closer together and that our relationship brings us closer to Christ; that we help each other find God in all things, including everyday life and the sacraments. Lastly, we both prayed that we remain best friends for the rest of our lives, and preserve the strong lines of communication, appreciation for small moments, and strong faith that marriage requires. We believe these are some of our strongest priorities for marriage, and we have stuck to them since our wedding last year. We are still deeply in love and have added our puppy, Lola, to the family as well. We are so excited to celebrate both the big and small moments with you this summer; we will cry, laugh, drink, eat, pray, and just be with each other. We cannot wait for August 6, 2022!