We met at UC Irvine in the fall of 2010. Lisa lived in the dorm room directly above mine, and I remember our very first conversation. Lisa was bouncing a volleyball on her floor (my ceiling) while I was working on some homework, and I ended up going to her dorm room to ask her to stop. Needless to say, it was love at first sight. Lisa and I became really close friends, and would often try to take classes together. We would hang out at a corner table in the UC Irvine Student Center and grab Jamba Juice and just talk. We finally started dating in December 2012.

UC Irvine...Middle Earth...Gondolin. From someone who had never seen Lord of the Rings (sorry to those who are fans), I had no idea why the dorms were named the way they were but figured Middle Earth housing was closer to my classes. I lived on the 3rd floor of Gondolin. Within the first week or even first day of class, Matt came upstairs knocking on my door asking my roommate and I to stop bouncing a volleyball around since he was studying. So of course I had to continue to do just that every day. Shortly after we became very close friends and spent time playing ping pong, walking to class together, meeting up for Jamba Juice at our favorite table and just doing nonsense with our group of friends. I ended up telling him I liked him just before Chemistry Lab second year and ran to class to avoid any further conversation. Thinking he'd be done with class first I was in the clear. Nope, he waited and we talked. Very long story but ended up dating end of 2012! If only I could write a book...it would be good!

Lisa and I had been living together with my Dad for about 9 months just outside of St. Louis, MO while I was in grad school at Washington University in St. Louis. Lisa was in the first year of a dual master's program at St. Louis University. We were enjoying living together and discovering a new town together. After awhile of living together, Lisa would start showing me pictures of engagement rings that she thought were pretty on her iPad, which I guess is a pretty good not-so-subtle hint. I had started looking at rings, and then life threw us both a curveball in early 2017 when I found out that my research lab was moving from WUSTL to UC Davis. My original plan was to pop the question when Lisa graduated from her dual master's program, but life intervened and I decided to propose on the 2nd day of a road trip to see national parks in Tennessee and Kentucky. We stayed with some friends in Dayton, OH, and the next morning I proposed on our friends' front lawn. Luckily, Lisa said yes and we then went off exploring through Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Mammoth Cave National Park. Now, 8 years and 4 degrees later, we are so excited to finally be getting married!

Matt had been in grad school at Washington University and I at Saint Louis University in Missouri. During our initial move to Illinois and time spent out there, we loved to travel to national parks. We planned a trip to Ohio to see UCI friends, make our way to Tennessee and then back up to Illinois. I remember leaving the house and was just about to get on the freeway when Matt panicked and wanted to pull over to be sure he had his backpack. It did not cross my mind at all why and just told him it was okay and that he didn't need it. We stopped and checked to be sure and off we went. The day we were leaving from Ohio, I remember giving hugs outside and asking Matt to take a picture of me and my friend Justine (Connor had already left for work). He ended up asking if he and I can take a picture first. Of course I stared confused thinking we live together, why are we taking a picture without Justine who we came out to visit? I tell you I'm oblivious...of course she was in on it. I finally agreed to the picture and as soon as she said smile he knelt down and I started crying saying "what...no...what are you serious". He asked, I said yes crying and then immediately said "I don't like you" laughing...and that was all on video. Immediately called my family when we continued on the trip and they all knew and were so excited and it just made the rest of the trip even more amazing!