Kyle and Mary Beth met at Kalamazoo College in 2016. The first time they glanced across the table at each other at Latin reading group and shared a laugh about the ridiculous adventures of St. Brendan the monk, they knew that they were destined to be in each other’s lives in a significant way. The two were fast friends, taking many classes together, and continuing their activities in various clubs with one another. In one class, they were even accused of cheating off of one another because they always chose to sit and study together! They also were fond of attending the Medieval History Congress at Western Michigan University each year as a common interest, going to the most ridiculous talks they could find. They could often be seen both on and off campus speaking Latin to one another, as a sort of “secret” language they used to tease one another and speak without worrying of eavesdroppers. Their romantic relationship blossomed when Mary Beth came out to Kyle’s hometown of Colorado Springs to interview for a position teaching Latin that Kyle had recommended her for. Their first dates included eating at pizzerias and attending cheap movies at the theater; hobbies they still make a point to indulge every Friday. They had the opportunity to live together in Kalamazoo when Kyle returned to finish his junior year as Mary Beth finished up her final quarter at K, and they worked together that same summer at a wonderful summer camp that Mary Beth had worked at for two summers previously. They then had to be long distance for the 2019-2020 school year as Kyle finished up his schooling in Kalamazoo, and Mary Beth began to build her career out in Colorado Springs. They’ve been back living together since March of 2020, and they look forward to teaching together at the same school for the 2020-2021 school year, and then officially starting their married life in the summer of 2021. Regardless of where the future leads, they’re both ecstatic to be able to do it all together.

I knew that I wanted to marry Mary Beth immediately, but I also wanted to make sure the proposal was perfect. It had to be something important and special to both of us, so I chose the Labor Day balloon liftoff event in Colorado Springs. We went to the balloon glow in the evening, and although the dozens of balloons being lit by their fiery torches were beautiful, there were just too many people around for it to be special. Instead, I held off until the next morning, when we went to a park at sunrise to see the balloons lift off over the city... but the wind was poor, and all the balloons were out of view. The special setting that I needed just wasn’t there. Finally, that day at sunset, we went to an overlook at the Garden of the Gods, and this time, fate was on our side, because the sunset was absolutely stunning, and it could not have been more perfect. While we watched the sun dip below Pike’s Peak, I pulled out the ring and, stumbling over my words a little, asked Mary Beth to marry me, while my sister Kinsey snapped some beautiful photos. Although it was not my original plan, it was better than I could have hoped, and I think that she was none the wiser until afterwards!