We both went to Avondale School District from kindergarten through high school. Our families were long time friends, since our parents have been actively involved, beginning when we attended Deerfield Elementary. However, since we were a couple years apart, we didn't meet each other until the summer before Allison's freshman year of high school. During the summer of 2011, we both attended a camp associated with the Leadership class at the high school. That week, we weren't in the same group and didn't see each other much. However, our moms carpooled to pick us up, which is really how we first met. We talked a little bit, read letters from our camp groups, and Ian fell asleep. But Ian thought Allison was cute, nice, and had a good smile, so a few days later, he messaged her on Facebook and used getting Allison involved in the Leadership program as an excuse to ask for her phone number. They texted back and forth for a couple of weeks. It's a tradition that after the first home football game, students attend an informal dance held in the cafeteria, called the "Kick-Off Dance." Allison and a friend were sitting in the stands during the game, dragging their feet about going to the dance. Allison noticed Ian in the stands talking to a few friends a couple rows down but was too nervous to say hello. The next thing she knew, he was walking over. We talked for a few minutes, and Ian convinced Allison and her friend to go to the dance. Because we aren't much for dancing, we stood off to the side in the cafeteria talking the entire night. Mostly, about how bad the music playing at the dance was. After, Ian invited Allison and her family over to swim Labor Day weekend, and Ian took Allison to the Homecoming Dance that fall. On November 4, 2011, after driving Allison home from his surprise 17th birthday party, Ian officially asked Allison to be his girlfriend. We've been together ever since.

We met the summer going into Allison's freshman year and Ian's junior year of high school and quickly became best friends. We studied together, listened to music, played Scrabble and Blokus, watched movies, and spent time with family. Allison checked Ian's essays and even read Siddhartha to help with his AP Lit project. All the while, Ian very patiently explained all the math concepts Allison didn't understand (which was practically all of them). We went to a running total of four Homecoming Dances and four Proms together. Yes, Ian came home from college to take Allison to the Homecoming Dance not just once, but TWICE! He was quite the trooper. We did two years of long distance when Ian started at the University of Michigan, while Allison finished up high school. She joined him there, after she graduated. Throughout college, a lot changed. We took on new challenges and met many new people, some of whom have become lifelong friends. At the same time, many things stayed the same. We still listened to music, watched movies, played games, spent time with family, and studied more than ever before. Ian may not have written essays after high school, but Allison proof-read many very lengthy, technical lab reports. Allison may not have taken math classes after high school, but Ian very patiently quizzed her on probably what was collectively thousands of flashcards. We made each other laugh and supported each other through difficult times. We challenged each other every day to be the best versions of ourselves. In the end, we became even closer.

Ian stuck around Ann Arbor an extra year to complete his Masters degree, while Allison completed her junior year at the School of Nursing. After he graduated, he moved back to Troy and began working as an engineer at Chrysler. During Allison's senior year, we went up north to celebrate Ian's 24th birthday and our anniversary. Seven years after Ian officially asked Allison to be his girlfriend, almost to the day, on November 3, 2018, he asked her to marry him. After Allison graduated, she began working as a cardiology nurse at Michigan Medicine, and we moved into an apartment in Troy with our cat, Oliver Beeb. We were very excited to end the last decade and ring in 2020 with the purchase our first home! We are thrilled to announce that we have moved to Novi, where we continue to provide a pampered life for Oliver Beeb and our newest addition to our family, our kitten, Toby Bear. Through the years, we have been by each other's side, through thick and thin, helping each other grow into the people we are today. Eight high school dances, two schools, two diplomas, three degrees, and eight and a half years worth of memories later, to this day, we are still best friends. Now more than ever before. We are very excited to share beginning this next phase in our life and chapter in our story with those we love most. We pray for your continued health and wellness during these unprecedented times.