Family and Friends, well Covid couldn't stop us after all! On October 10, 2020, with the help of a few dear friends, Mike and I tied the knot in the late afternoon in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While we would have preferred, with our whole hearts, to celebrate the day with each of you, we also felt loved and supported in the days leading up to, during, and after the big day by friends and family near and far. We are hopeful that we will get to see many of you in person next year and look forward to celebrating with family and friends!

Due to Covid19, we have made the difficult decision to postpone our wedding weekend. As with many things in life right now we aren’t certain what will happen next, and we will be monitoring the health situation and weighing different options for future celebrations. We will miss the opportunity to get together with you all this fall and wish you and your family health and safety. Thank you for understanding. Jennifer and Mike

Jennifer and Mike met on a contra dance floor in the summer of 2015. Mike was on his annual trip to Columbia to see friends. Jennifer was visiting family in Missouri, the half-way point of her cross-country move to Virginia. As all good contra dancers do, they asked a stranger to dance. By the end, they had learned that both grew up in Missouri, both had graduated from Truman State University, and, most dramatically, that Mike lived in Virginia, just up the road from where Jennifer was moving. Mike enthusiastically told Jennifer about the contra dances in the region and promised to dance with her again. He also offered his phone number, "because it's nice to know someone in a new place". Several months of friendship later, Jennifer watched the lanky, graceful Mike dance up the Floyd contra line and into her heart. The two cheese balls have been inseparable since. Except for that time Jennifer moved to California. But still.

Mike, being a contemplative and deliberate man, worked hard to propose to Jennifer for a whole week in late September 2019, but was interrupted by well-meaning neighbors, weather changes, and Jennifer's late nights at work. When he asked her out for a sunset date at the rooftop bar Apothecary, Jennifer didn't think Mike had looked at rings yet. She didn't know about the rubber band-wrapped ring box that had been in Mike's pocket all week. After delicious appetizers and crafted cocktails, New Mexico rewarded them with both a beautiful sunset to the West and the perfect-pink Sandia Mountains to the East. Nearly 3 hours of laughing and watching the city lights and autumn stars later, the two had worked up a hankering for Farina pizza. They paid the bill and stood to leave. But as Jennifer turned away, Mike took her by the hand, pulled her back, and asked if she'd marry him. She said yes, the two sat right back down to enjoy a surprise champagne toast and dessert from their server; and received congratulations (and marriage advice) from the onlooking couple married over 50 years. Jennifer's face still hurts from smiling. Mike will probably live longer now.