When I first met Kelly I remember that she was very loud and laughed nervously after everything she said. She had just returned from Europe and thought that we would all love to hear about it…But the laugh, that laugh deserved all of my attention. Jelly, well, Kelly, was freshly home from her study abroad in Italy. Her car sat in my driveway for the previous 4 months, though I had never met her. Actually it had become such a fixture in my world that we decided to sticker slap that navy blue Toyota Camry with an “eat beef” sticker. It got some looks… enough that it, and I, both gained the name”Beef” in her respective circle. From the first time meeting each other there was an immediate chemistry. After spending over a year hanging out with one another, we decide to turn our wonderful friendship into a relationship. But as our relationship took form, I had moved back home and we had to endure distance. After years of weekend trips to see one another that never quite felt long enough, Kelly decided to take a leap of faith for us. She packed up Mae and Moose and said goodbye to San Luis Obispo and moved 5.5 hours north to Placerville to start the next chapter of our lives together. It was an adjustment at first… three dogs, two cats and a girlfriend in an eight hundred square foot house. I quickly began to see my PBR posters come off the walls, my bathroom sink cluttered with every soap you can imagine and most of my belongings moved to the shop. But as the weeks, months and now years pass, it is something I will forever be thankful for, a fresh start. Kelly has made my house a home and in turn, me a better man. After months of engagement anticipation, I was blessed with the perfect weekend in South Lake Tahoe to propose to Kelly, with her dad and godfather by my side. The adventure began with an epic hot air balloon ride, followed by a stunning wine cruise through Emerald Bay. With the help of Uncle Billy and John, we lured Kelly to Lakeside Beach just in time for sunset. Barefoot in the sand with Mount Tellac as our backdrop, I got down on one knee and asked her to spend forever together. She said yes. As we enter this journey of life together I cannot imagine a day that doesn’t begin with a little sleepy voice saying “good morning hun, let me know when you get to work”, or one that doesn’t end with a quiet “I love you but please stop farting”, to which I respond “yea True, stop farting”. To all of our friends and family, you are all the joys of our life and we cannot wait to share our wedding day with each and every one of you! Cheers! -Matt & Kelly