It was September 2015 when Julia and Mark had their first interaction, the same way so many couples do today: online. They matched on a dating web site, but since both were busy with life, they never interacted. Fast forward two months. Mark was timing a 5k the week before Halloween. Julia didn't plan to be there (she was on call, of course), but it was a surprisingly quiet day in the world of organ donation, and she decided to go. Julia crossed the finish line and tripped, falling right into Mark’s arms, and it was love at first sight. Not really, but that’s the story they tell the kids. In reality, Julia crossed the finish line in first place and tried to avoid looking at the good looking guy tearing off her bib number (she knew she had her typical post-run flush). Mark, on the other hand, was looking right at Julia. Being very good with faces, he was pretty sure he had seen her before. The next day, he messaged her online and told her he thought he saw her at a race the day before. Julia immediately scoured the results for the name Mark (she wasn’t going to respond if he was slow!), but couldn’t find him. She didn’t realize he was the good-looking guy at the finish line, but something told her to her to write back. Their first couple messages were vague. They should meet up for coffee or a drink. Sometime soon, they agreed.

The following weekend (Halloween day, to be exact), Mark decided to run a half marathon he had a free entry for (the Philly Rock n’ Roll). He showed up, early on a cold fall morning and walked to the 3rd coral (even though his bib was for the 2nd). As he stretched and prepared mentally, he gazed ahead of him. Standing just feet away was Julia. This was her first half marathon. She had been planning to run it for months. Mark could see that she looked nervous. He decided not to talk to her. He moved to the 2nd coral because he didn’t want her to beat him (she didn’t). The next day Mark sent Julia a message. He asked her what she did over the weekend (as if he didn't know). ‘Ran my first half marathon!,’ she answered. ‘Oh, really? Which one? I ran one, too,’ he answered. Realizing that they ran the same race, Julia decided she definitely wanted to meet Mark. They made plans for the next weekend.

Julia and Mark met for a drink at Keg & Kitchen on Sunday, November 8th. Mark was there first. When Julia walked in, she spotted him right away. She liked his eyebrows from across the bar. They immediately clicked. What seemed like minutes stretched into several hours. They both realized how late it was and reluctantly called it a night. They talked every day that week. The following weekend was their 2nd (and 3rd and 4th) date. They were inseparable and soon began to see each other as much as possible.

Julia and Mark fell in love and became best friends. Their two families blended seamlessly. Mark proposed to Julia on July 4, 2018. Julia said YES. Mark, Julia, Michaela, McKenzie, Macy, Kevin, Nathan, and Amanda cannot wait to officially become one family on June 29, 2019! See you there!!!