We're getting married!

You see that title...It's the 'saying' that began our story, and sent sparks flying. We met at Aspen Camp for the Deaf in Aspen, Colorado. Karina was the Program Director and Ollie was the Growth Specialist. Our roles required us to work together closely. We kinda met at Gallaudet University before Aspen Camp for a brief second, shhh. But that's another story to share when we see you all. During the first few weeks at camp, we were able to have some outings where we got to know each other and well - We're gonna fast forward a bit here... One morning, Ollie was in a mood and apparently woke up on the wrong side of the bed. They came into Karina's office and demanded a big coffee mug since they could not find one. Karina was confused by their approach and apologized, saying, "No, we only have the mugs that is already out there in the kitchen." Ollie left the office signing big, “Turn Off!” (I was a grumpy butt, I know.) Karina sat there, feeling the butterflies again. She wondered to herself, "What is this feeling I have for Ollie?" Karina continued her day, and took a half day off. Karina went to the town of Glenwood Springs. While strolling through the town, enjoying her day off, she could not get her mind off Ollie and wanted to get something for them. Karina came across seeing this cute mug, a much bigger size than we had at the camp. The mug was designed with elephants and she knew that was Ollie's favorite animal. She could not help it and went ahead with purchasing the mug. Karina had butterflies and could not stop blushing while putting this together. She wrote on a piece of note paper, "It's not a turn off, it's now a turn on." She then had it all wrapped up. When she got back to the camp, she made sure no one saw her go into Ollie's cabin, where she set the gift on their bed. And then slipped out and went about her day. Later that night, Ollie returned to their cabin and they were puzzled when they saw this gift bag on their bed. When they unwrapped it and read the note, they immediately knew who it was from, and they too, had butterflies. And, you know the saying - this is our love story and this is how it all began. Ollie fell in love with Karina's colorful, spunky, loving personality, and Karina fell in love with Ollie's down to earth, poetic, calming personality. Opposites attract, indeed. We chose October for our wedding because it’s the month our hearts first intertwined in 2017. The date '17' is a tribute to the year we met, marking the beginning of our journey together. And in 2025, we’ll say ‘I do,’ celebrating eight years of love, growth, and shared dreams—infinity in the making. We can’t begin to express how truly excited we are to have all of you with us, to celebrate this beautiful chapter of our love story. Your presence means the world to us, and we feel so blessed to have each of you by our side as we take this next step together. You are all so special to us, and having you witness this moment as we finally tie the knot makes it even more meaningful.