Time to Celebrate

Doug and Valerie went to visit David for Parents' Weekend at Rochester Institue of Technology in the fall of 2014. They were unloading a new mini-fridge from the car for David's dorm room when a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity David was rushing for walked by and offered to carry it for them. David introduced his friend Sawyer to his parents, after which Doug turned to Valerie and jokingly suggested setting Sawyer up with Danielle. Later that day, Valerie sent a text teasingly to Danielle suggesting she ought to be introduced to some of David's friends - one in particular who happened to be from the Washington DC area who was into photography like she was. Well Doug and Valerie... you know your daughter well!

Danielle and Sawyer began dating in the summer of 2015. Sawyer was working a summer job between his junior and senior year at RIT, and Danielle had just graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland and started her job as a research assistant in a lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. They had an exceptional summer getting to know each other - crab feasts, attending concerts, and driving back and forth between the farm and Silver Spring to spend time with each others' families. The arrival of fall meant Sawyer returning to RIT, but the couple decided to give long distance a try! After Sawyer graduated from RIT in 2016, he applied to work for Leica - a high-end camera company that Sawyer had deeply admired for years. Leica was preparing to open a new location and offered Sawyer a position! This new store was set to open in Boston, which meant more long distance for Sawyer and Danielle...

Sawyer moved to Boston at the end of the summer in 2016 to start his job with Leica. Danielle was still working in Baltimore but was beginning to look at graduate schools. Sawyer was in Boston, but Danielle's friends and family were in Maryland. Uncertain of where she would want to spend the next five (or more!) years, Danielle split her graduate school applications between Baltimore and Boston. After visiting Sawyer several times and interviewing with a lab at Boston College whose research captivated her, Danielle made a decision that surprised even her. It was incredibly difficult for her to imagine moving so far away from the farm, but she accepted the offer to start at BC in the fall of 2017, and Sawyer searched for an apartment for the two of them to move in together. Sawyer did everything he could to make Danielle feel comfortable enough to embrace city life - something she never thought she'd do! But ultimately, it's his unconditional support that makes her brave enough to take on such adventures that seem so grand to her. They're still living in that same cozy apartment on Commonwealth Ave!

Turkey Weekend is an event that takes place on the weekend prior to Thanksgiving each year at Springfield Farm. It is the weekend that the farm sells hundreds of turkeys to customers for Thanksgiving. As I'm sure you can imagine, it is often a stressful, busy time for the families of Springfield Farm. However, the burden is made lighter by all the friends and family who gather to work and support them throughout the weekend. Sawyer had special plans for Turkey Weekend 2018. On a chilly November evening, as the sun dropped below the tree line bordering the fields, Sawyer asked Danielle to stand on the deck with him to pose for a photo in front of the pale pink and lavender sunset. Being that Sawyer is rarely seen without a camera on him, Danielle of course obliged, completely unsuspecting. It wasn't until he was kneeling down and reaching into his pocket that she realized he was proposing! After many happy tears and taking a moment to compose themselves, Sawyer and Danielle returned inside where upwards of 40 of their friends and family had been waiting, staring impatiently at the door. Danielle flashed her left hand and the whole room erupted into cheers, hugs were given, and champagne began to flow. It was certainly a memorable Turkey Weekend!