Let's do this.

Charlotte and Devin met at a friend's apartment in Fort Collins, Colorado. Charlotte walked into the party with her besties (and now bridesmaids!) and the three of them spotted Devin and a friend (and now best man!) standing in the kitchen. It really all began when Charlotte called "dibs" on Devin, as so many great love stories do. After a few years of bar hopping, flip cup games, "I do not like him! But is he going to be there?"'s, and Charlotte and her friends destroying Devin's kitchen at house parties, Devin packed up and moved from Fort Collins to Denver. Just a few months later while out celebrating a friend's birthday on St. Patrick's Day, Charlotte convinced her friends to find out where Devin was celebrating that night. They all met up, Charlotte criticized Devin for not wearing green ("My eyes are green", he said), and, as they say, the rest is history. Two years after they started dating Charlotte got sick of the back and forth of an I-25 relationship. She and her trusty sidekick Olive followed Devin to Denver, and a year and a half after that Devin asked Charlotte if she'd like to spend forever together.

When Char and I made plans to visit her parents over Christmas, I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to propose. I had been planning on asking Char to marry me for some time, but had failed (read chickened-out) to ask her parents when we had visited the August prior. I had also been receiving some strong hints from Charlotte and good info from her friends (thanks Katie and Grace!) about what ring she wanted. Naturally, I procrastinated, and ended up buying her ring over the phone, from my work truck, during a snow storm, in Wyoming. To further complicate things, the ring would not be ready to be picked up until the day after we left for CT. So I called Jake (Char's brother and our officiant) and my sister Colleen and arranged for Colleen to pick it up and meet up with Jake so he could carry it on to his flight that evening. Everything worked fine, with the exception of the jeweler calling me when I was with Char, and the ring arrived with Jake late that night (thanks Jake and Colleen!). I woke up early the following morning and, by a stroke of luck, Hope and Phil (Char's parents) were both awake and in the kitchen, something that had never happened any of the times I had visited, and I managed to pluck up the courage to ask for their blessing. They agreed (thanks Hope and Phil!) and the plan was on! On Christmas Eve, I asked Char to go on a walk with me around sunset. We took the long way around to her neighborhood beach (walking the wrong way to best see the sunset as Charlotte reminded me) and walked out onto the jetty. I said something corny, got down on one knee, and asked her. After lots of confused and happy tears, "wait...what"s??, and laughing, she said yes!!! (thanks Char!) Jake had hidden himself nearby with Phil's camera and captured the whole thing (thanks again Jake!). The three of us then made our way home to celebrate! I don't think it could have gone any better!!

- He came with a built-in group of awesome friends (you'll meet them on the dance floor at the wedding...or at the bar). - He lets her sleep in on the weekends (approximately two hours later than him). - He is hilarious and can always make her laugh even when she is trying her hardest to be grumpy. - He is always up for a trip to Target or the grocery store just as an excuse to spend time together (even when football is on)(unless it's the Broncos). - He is basically a mountain man and literally grew up on the top of a mountain. Could probably definitely keep them alive if they were to get lost in the woods. - He is loved by her family and tolerates week long trips to Connecticut, which is NOT for the faint of heart. - He loves her cat (even though he claims otherwise)

- She is incredibly kind and understanding, but not afraid to tell me when I'm being an idiot. - She has an amazing family and group of friends. - She (sort of) tolerates my almost constant need for more skis. - She is funny and weird, but mostly weird. - She's willing to try things (more than once) with me even if she knows she'll hate them (not a fan of sleeping outside). - She supports my hobbies, and lets me disappear into the mountains for days at a time. - She is my perfect partner and friend, not to mention very good-looking ;)