“Being married is like having somebody permanently in your corner. It feels limitless, not limited.” Gloria Steinem

Lex: Each time I ran into Ash around town, I was smitten with her loving, energetic and outgoing personality. Ash: I remember flirting with Lex when seeing her around State College. I would give her subtle hints that I thought she was cute by making designs in her lattes. I was invited to a drag party at the Housesaurus Co-Op. There Lex was. I can still remember how fast my heart was racing. All I could say was "WOW it's good to see you". Lex: During the party, Ash walked through the door and I took her right back out that door. We canoodled on the side porch, reconnecting. We made a date for that week, to which I was 45 minutes late. Ash: I was so nervous but excited for this date to happen. I asked Lex what food she liked. She replied, "Im vegan". I quickly googled the word vegan.... I did not understand what, how, or why someone wouldn't eat meat or dairy. I was sooooo confused! Needless to say, I bought up every vegetable in the whole store just in case it didn't fit her diet. Lex: I remember the wisp of the vegetable bags floating as I opened her fridge, making myself at home in her apartment, (a reoccurring theme). Ash had bought every vegetable at Wegmans for our first date! We made food that was extremely spicy and both tried to act cool as our mouths were on fire. Ash: From that day on, I knew we were going to be great together. Through getting lost in the woods, a window jump, and a several bonfires, a great love formed. Eight years later we are still best friends and life partners. This is just the beginning...

We left State College to take positions in Yellowstone National Park. We worked hard and played harder that year, enjoying the park community and lands. Eventually, Kinz asked us to make space for her and Nivi and we moved to Bozeman, MT pursuing a dream job for Lex at the Bozeman Community Food Coop. We continued hiking, camping, swimming, working hard and making friends in this amazing mountain town. Ash's job at Montana State laid the groundwork for her career in Universities. She got an amazing position with Penn State World Campus as an Admissions Counselor, fully committing our boomerang back to State College, PA.

We fell in love in State College and remembered being the most happy together here. We enjoy the extra bit of life you get in these small towns. Lex bikes to work and Ash can walk to friend's houses. We have made a nice life in this little college town. Ash started her job and her master's degree. Lex's jobs with the University, included working with international students and a transition to teaching Financial Literacy. The love we have for each other keeps growing into something more beautiful as we navigate our next steps in life together.

Lex and I have been able to marry since 2015, when gay marriage was legalized. I wanted to ask her then. Four years later, I felt this was the anniversary. I always do semimetal surprises because I’ve Loved Lex since I met her. I began planning a proposal. I knew there was no way in hell Lex Lee Shaw would say yes to a traditional proposal. My friend and I made her ring with a diamond from my mother and an un-sculpted piece of titanium. Her ring took hours to make on a weekend I had told her I was working on homework. When I finally got home, Lex didn’t ask questions despite my obvious tardiness. We sat by a fire that night and left for our anniversary cabin in Shenandoah the next morning. On the drive, I sang to a sweet, slow, love jams playlist. Her quietness was to be expected while I was jamming. I wrote her a note, timing how long it would take to read, and made a Marry Me collage with pictures from our adventures for the proposal. At the cabin, I was so nervous. She kept asking, "is the gift life changing?" and I kept saying, "babe, a blender at this point in our lives is life-changing.” I had wrapped familiar things to throw her off; a t-shirt, a hat, etc. On the second day, slowly waking up as it was raining, I asked "does the cabin have a screwdriver? I need to assemble your gift." Lex got me a butter knife. I fixed her coffee, gave her the note and instructions to "read it slow. Knock on the door and come onto the porch when you're done". Kinz and I hustled outside onto the porch. It was raining. It felt like an hour as I got the ring around Kinz’s bowtie and hung the "Marry Me" collage on the porch. Then she knocked. So Much Adrenaline. My Heart was Beating So Fast…I asked. She Said YES!!!! PS Lex, to this day, still says I didn't ask. It really was a statement…

Planning a wedding is hard work. Committing to being together isn't a no brainer. It is an intentional and love-filled decision we have been making every day for 8 years. Those of you who are in LTR know, many times a year you have to bring your love in focus and prioritize your partner's goals in life. Our love is the genuine type of love that we hope everyone gets to experience in their lifetime. Eight years later and we are still lovers, best friends, and life partners. We couldn't have made it this far without the gentle and continuous support each of you has shown us. We would love to share our special day with you. After all, each and every one of you got us here. Thank you.