Chase was passing through town after a work trip to Texas—sunburned, Oakley tan lines carved into his skin, and completely unaware that he was about to change both of our lives. I showed up with butterflies in my belly and a casual mindset: a quick first date. Just long enough to test the waters. There were plenty of fish in the sea, right? Little did we know that summer day would mark the end of first dates forever. Our meetup was last minute, but perfectly us. Chase, ever the good sport, tagged along to my eye exam despite the tight timing and distance between us. While I was inside, he wandered the grocery store, gathering all his favorite snacks. Somewhere between the first laugh, an impromptu parking lot picnic, and the Oregon International Airshow soaring overhead, it clicked—our “quick date” was no more. Not ready to say goodbye, we spontaneously chose a movie. Not just any movie, but the girliest rom-com imaginable—and Chase didn’t flinch. We wrapped up the night at Killer Burger, deep in peanut butter–pickle burgers and a conversation neither of us wanted to leave behind. From that day on, our priorities changed—for the better. Some people don’t pass through your life by accident. Some are meant to stay.

It was so much more. After nine months of Chase being deployed overseas, we were finally able to meet again— overlooking an Italian vineyard, surrounded by white butterflies, lavender, and the sweet scent of jasmine. There, my forever favorite got down on one knee. Even as I stood there feeling my absolute worst from a travel cold, he showed me that love isn’t about perfect moments— it’s about choosing each other through every season. He knelt before me, full of love, and made a forever promise— to love me in sickness and in health. In the famous words of Chase Howe: “We’re better together than apart.”

When you’ve loved someone for a decade, you learn a few things along the way. Patience, commitment, and resilience — they stopped being just words and became the foundation we've built a life around. We never chased deadlines or searched for a finish line. Instead, we've built a life — full of memories, incredible people like you, dreams, and choices made together. Thank you all for being here — for celebrating the years behind us, and for believing in the years ahead. The best is yet to come. With love Chase & Hilary