We met when Ariana took a introduction machine shop class and Matthew happened to be a TA. Being the only non-engineering student in the class Ariana stood out like a sore thumb and as she spent more time working on projects Matt spent more time helping her out. The relationship blossomed and by the end of the semester we had made it official to be a couple! The other TAs took over grading so that we couldn't get in trouble with the school :)

For our third anniversary we decided to take a trip to Disney World and Universal in Florida! We spent one week in Jacksonville relaxing away the stresses of work and adjusting to the different time zone. Relaxing on the beach and trying new foods as we soaked up the sun was a great build up to waking up before dawn on our anniversary morning to watch the sunrise on the beach before going to Orlando for a week of theme parks and thrills. As the sun hung low over the horizon, having just risen, Matt said that part of why he was so set on seeing the sunrise was "because they represent new beginnings". Then he knelt there in the sand and pulled out this gorgeous ring and asked Ariana to marry him.