Our Story
April 4, 2020
The pandemic. Cole hosted a Zoom birthday party to have all of his friends watch Bong Joon Ho's "The Host." One of those friends was a gem named Aya Lehman. Her roommate at the time was, you guessed it, Kelsie. Aya and Kelsie had known each other only briefly before being quarantined together, and, since there was nothing else to do, Kelsie joined the birthday Zoom for this person she'd never met. Immediately, he noticed her smile, and she noticed his tattoos. We like to joke that, "We met online."
June 28, 2020
Kelsie and Aya hosted a bake sale wherein Kelsie baked Lembas bread from "The Lord of the Rings" for everyone. After a massive 2nd-degree burn, she finally finished and wrapped them all up. She added extra honey and took care to wrap up a certain person's perfectly. Aya delivered the treat to Cole with the message that Kelsie "made his with extra love."
July 8, 2020
One night, when Aya suggested that "You and Cole would be perfect together," and Cole lured Kelsie in with an "Avatar: The Last Airbender" quote, they started talking. And they would never stop. Their first date was a virtual movie to watch "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," which meant they obviously needed to watch Episode II together the next night and Episode III the night after that. This continued with various movies of which Cole has kept a list of every single one ever since; 790 as of now. This list also includes the famous 12-hour FaceTime on August 2, 2020. On that call, they showed each other two movies each and, more importantly, admitted they liked one another.
August 15, 2020
In true backwards pandemic fashion, their first in-person date was many weeks later at the beach in Malibu. They talked for hours, masks on, noticing the gold flecks in Cole's eyes and the smile in Kelsie's. Cole faced the sunset and walked away with a gnarly mask sunburn that he wore as a badge of pride.
October 27, 2020
Their first trip together was to Joshua Tree, CA. They soaked up in-person time together by bundling up watching "The Blair Witch Project" in the middle of the desert surrounded by darkness, eating Beyond Meat street tacos, and playing the "Even Stevens" DVD trivia game. Kelsie's *tummy issues* posed no threat to the joy of spending time under the stars together.
December 24, 2020
Their first Christmas together started the tradition of the Yule Log, marks the first time Kelsie met Cole's family over FaceTime, and Cole and Kelsie said, "I love you." (Cole would like to point out that he said it first).
July 10, 2021
New additions joined the family in Summer 2021: Lenny (left) and Suki (right). Siblings from the same litter, Lenny has grown into a big dumb coward, and Suki survived being the runt to become a thick-muscled independent young lady.
August 1, 2021
Cole and Kelsie celebrated their 1-year anniversary at a fancy restaurant in Malibu.
September 10, 2021
A trip to Big Bear Lake was filled with fresh air, kayaking, and homemade apple pie from the local shop. By this point, Cole and Kelsie had moved into their own apartments - a mere 15-minute walk from one another in North Hollywood.
September 9, 2022
A road trip to the last Blockbuster in Bend, OR proved to be a highlight. Stepping back in time, Cole and Kelsie found a DVD in the store of a movie that Cole actually worked on! This marked an ultimate career success point and made for a fine addition to our massive physical media collection back home. They would like to remind everyone, "Be Kind, Rewind."
October 27, 2022
Cole spent three-and-a-half months up in Washington state with his family in order to take care of his ailing Aunt Jenny. Jenny and Cole were peas in a pod, and Cole took care of her up to the very end. One of the last things Jenny told Cole: "Elope and have a good honeymoon."
January 3, 2023
Kelsie and Cole moved into their first apartment together in Pasadena, CA. In this home, Cole got recalled to his job in television post-production after a seven-month furlough during the strikes, and Kelsie wrote her feature film script.
January 13, 2025
After a year of talking about it, one random night, tucked in bed, they placed the order from Oore Jewelry for a nature-inspired engagement band, a green sapphire from Madagascar (one of the places Cole grew up), and a filigree wedding band. In eager anticipation, they waited for the order...
April 19, 2025
Cole proposed to Kelsie in their Pasadena apartment. He lit candles, put on his favorite classical music piece, played the chase scene (on mute) from "The Host" in the background, and presented the ring with a tea mug. He gave a speech from the heart. They both cried. They celebrated with a lunch at the same fancy restaurant where they celebrated their first anniversary in Malibu years prior.
June 28, 2025
Kelsie and Cole celebrated their engagement at a party with their friends in their home. The theme was a mix between the "Star Wars" prequels and Istanbul - they covered their apartment with draped fabric to mimic a covered bazaar, served six cakes (only two were eaten), took disposable camera photos, and displayed the list of every movie they'd ever watched together. It was magical to see friends from different stages of their lives all together in the same room - some they hadn't seen in years, and one even flew into town for the occasion!
October 1, 2025
On their to-be new anniversary, they ventured to Catalina Island - a gift from a family friend. They explored the history of the island, soaked up the sea, and visited a psychic who told Kelsie that she and Cole are soulmates.