I knew soon after I met Ben that he would be an important part of my life. He was an instant feeling of home! Ben and I met in our dorm hall (Muir Hall, third floor, in the common room to the exact). I actually was not originally assigned to live in Muir Hall; however, just two days before the housing deadline, I felt a HUGE tug to switch my housing to Muir Hall. Ben and I quickly became best friends our freshman year through shared experiences of leading Younglife, adventuring with our friends, and having a random GE class together (Landscape Architecture, LA 212). One of the many things that first drew me to Ben is his sense of humor and inquisitive mind. After a year of building our friendship, Ben asked me out on a coffee date (would we expect anything less than Ben & coffee?!). And five years later, we haven't stopped going on coffee dates since.

I first met Lauren on the third floor of our dorm hall freshman year. She was cracking jokes in the common room and I immediately noticed her positive, comedic, loving energy. We became best friends quickly and it felt like we had a million inside jokes within the first few months of meeting each other. Her smile and laugh were contagious. Oh, and she was always down for shenanigans like Wyldlife, hammocking, surfing, camping, fishing, tandem biking and “mud sliding”. With Lo, it felt like we had been lifelong friends by the time we started dating sophomore year. To this day, she still surprises me with her joy, curiosity, and her determination through some of life’s biggest challenges. I am so excited to marry Lauren and celebrate with you all.