We met most likely before Junior High, considering we have found pictures of us in groups before then, but we officially met in Junior High. I wouldn't call it "love at first sight" considering we were about 13, but I (Emily) was pretty infatuated with Cody from soon after we met. When Cody finally noticed we started talking to each other more and more and eventually started dating just before 9th grade. Our first date was to a movie (G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra- you know, super romantic) and of course it was a group date because what is more romantic than that? From that day forward we did everything together. We finished high school, decided on the same college because we had similar career paths in mind, and got engaged just before graduating college! We are so excited for you all to join us at our Wedding- a day that Junior High Emily has been dreaming of for a long time!

Cody had told me that we were to go on a picnic in Riverside Park in La Crosse, WI- where we went to college. He had planned for us to make lunches and do the romantic picnic-thing. Then I- not knowing Cody's plan- told him we should just pick up Jimmy Johns and eat that in the park. He decided not to say anything about packing our own lunches because it might seem weird to me that he wanted to pack lunches so bad (it would have). So we get our Jimmy Johns and arrive at the park. We eat and Cody and I go for a walk through what is called the Friendship Garden within Riverside Park. This garden has plants from all over the world in it and is beautiful in the summer, It is also one of my favorite places ever. We walked through and Cody got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I cried and of course said yes!

Just a quick update for those of you we may not be in contact with as often. Cody and I graduated college in May 2017 (one week after we got engaged) and both happened to find jobs at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Me as a Research Technologist in a lab and Cody in the Graduate Research Employment Program. Cody had hopes to attend graduate school to get his PhD, and the program he was in is specifically for people like him looking to get more experience before applying to graduate school. He applied again last fall and got into Mayo Clinic's graduate program! He is now working toward his PhD in immunology and I couldn't be more proud of him. I am still working in my same job and enjoying the fast pace of it! We adopted a dog in the fall of 2017 and she has been a fun addition to our home. We are living in Rochester, where we work and actually just bought our first house in June 2018! We are loving homeownership and have been working hard to add our own touches to it. In September 2018, a cat arrived on our doorstep with no home, so we decided to keep him! It has been a busy couple of years and we cannot wait to celebrate our wedding with all of you!