We're getting married!

How are you doin', baby? You havin' fun? I wasn't sure how to address you, since I only call you Katie when I'm mad. I could refer to you as my heart, my soul, my rock; but I already have a soul, and who wants to marry a rock? Babygirl, I promise not to overwhelm you with me, because you were complete way before me. I promise you my faithfulness and my attention. I promise to honor you, and cherish you, and try hard not to wake you up in the morning. I promise to continue to change my opinions wildly, and then pretend I've been consistent all along, because that's how I tell you I think you're right. I promise to love our babies as much as you know I will. I promise you the benefit of every doubt. I promise to move you to weep with joy and also to do things that are difficult. I promise you my heart, until it stops beating, and when we get to Heaven, I promise to give up the aisle seat. I promise you I'll be Eeyore and Stanley. I promise to adore you: -when you're embarrassed or discombobulated -when you know you're beautiful -when we're listening to the rain -when we're preparing separate dinners -when we're drawing breath I promise you the having and the holding, through wellness and unwellness, through poverty and wealth, till death to us part - all with me - close by your side - usually on your left. I could promise to keep loving you, but that implies the silly notion that I could stop. And finally, I think you're cool and pretty, and I promise to keep thinking that.

With immense joy and gratitude, I, Kathleen Elizabeth Davis, take you, Kevin Timothy Crowder, to be my love, my spouse, my partner for life. You are one of the most hilarious, genuine, creative, bizarre, beautiful human beings I have ever known. So surrounded by our wonderful community, with the Holy Spirit flowing, I enter wholeheartedly into this wild covenant with you. I promise to continue working on my own personal and spiritual growth -- to live fully -- and to support you as you do the same. I vow to root for you and celebrate with you during moments of success, and, during times of struggle, to remind you of who you are. I commit to practicing gratitude and generosity - toward you, our families and friends, and the world around us. Forever will I laugh with you, make you laugh, and sing like Julie Andrews and Celine Dion when the time is right. I promise to honor our shared commitment to open, loving communication and to hone the art of compromise together. I will strive to trust the creative beauty of our differences and the strength of our love, even when conflict scares me. I vow to adventure with you: to say YES, to try new things, to bask in the abundant beauty of nature, of travel, and of our day-to-day lives. I commit to being in the moment together: to savoring music, books, creation...and presence with our family as it grows over time. I promise to see you...and to let you see me...to wash your feet...and to let you wash mine too. May we carry the wonder and awe we experience today with us on this journey. I will love you forever, my love. We are home.

"Like all the classic love stories that Kevin claims to have read, Katie & Kevin’s classic love story has its roots in the Internet. God works in mysterious ways, although the algorithms used by OKCupid are not so much mysterious as legally protected. Heaven and technology worked as one to bring together a couple of nice people who look like Muppets. Kevin fell in love with Katie. He, in fact, still loves her! He’s anxious to put it under contract. He loves her compassion, her optimism, her strength in herself, her weakness for the weakness of others, her faith, her humor, her hair, her gams, her so-much-soul, her love, and all the rest of her. Katie loves Kevin’s obvious beauty and brilliance, his maniacal laugh, and his used sub-compact car.* They look cute together. Just look at the pictures. See? Don’t you think they’ll make a beautiful family? Sure, Katie is a Catholic and Kevin is a Lutheran, so their babies might have two heads, but it’s OK, because both heads will be baptized as infants. They seem like pretty amazing people…but I’m not sure why they’d ask me to write this, I barely know them." -Kevin T. Crowder, November 2018 *Katie says she also loves Kevin's flowing locks, his groovy dance moves, his passion for his unfolding vocation, his truly loving heart (which he can't hide even if he sometimes tries), his willingness to share great music back and forth in the car for 12 straight hours, his humble, inconspicuous generosity, his endless knowledge about random topics, his smile, his patience in conversations, and his desire to grow in God, within ourselves, and with each other.

By early 2018, Katie and Kevin knew they wanted to share their lives as partners, loves, and besties, so they planned a quiet weekend away together in Door County, Wisconsin. On March 22nd, in the middle of a delicious breakfast at their B + B, Kevin dove in. He said some lovely things and asked Katie to marry him. She said yes! Then Katie said some lovely things (in a much more verbose fashion) and asked Kevin to marry her. HE said yes! They both loved asking, and they both loved answering. As a symbol of this special moment in their partnership, Katie gifted Kevin a pocket watch, and Kevin gifted Katie a ring (see below). They relished the following hours and days together, and little by little, shared the news with the people they love. It was awesome. We can't wait to welcome the hyphen in 2019 and become the Davis-Crowders!