Her version of their love story, if you want to hear his, you’ll need to ask him: Very few of our family and friends know Mikey and I have an origin story…we went to the same middle school where our lives briefly intertwined, setting the stage for what was to come. Our paths did not cross until we were both in the same high school. Michael (Mikey) joined the King City High School wrestling team in 1996/97 as a freshman, making the varsity team the following year. In 1997/98, my cousins and I did not want to join sports at the time and decided it was a good idea to become ‘stat girls’ for the wrestling team (and fulfill our required service hours). Hehe… Mikey, a junior with a passion for adventure, and I, a curious sophomore with dreams in my eyes. Although, we cannot remember the exact circumstances that led to us both being in the same wrestling travel van by ourselves (he will say I followed him…I honestly do not remember), we talked for what seemed like an eternity (again cannot remember the conversation, but I remember how I felt), then came the moment where we both went silent, and the world stood still. Seconds or minutes might have passed, but others joined in the van and I now constantly tease him, that he was too chicken to make a move. After that fateful year, life took us on separate journeys. I transferred to a different high school, and immediately lost contact and never crossed paths with him again. I went on to pursue my education, eventually finding myself in the beautiful Bay Area, where I began my career at Stanford University, and became a proud mom to two incredible kids. He, on the other hand, immersed himself in adulthood and discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, dedicating himself to the sport, including competing and winning gold medals, and ultimately earning his black belt and becoming “Professor Mikey”. Fast forward to a few years ago, our paths converged once more. The years apart had shaped us into different people, and we quickly realized that our time apart was a blessing. We were no longer the young, carefree kids we once were; we had grown into individuals with depth, experiences, and great appreciation for life. Reconnecting felt like coming home. We shared stories, sorrows, laughter, and dreams, all while knowing that God in fact knows why things happen when they do and are grateful that we had not dated in our youth. The timing simply wasn’t right back then. Now, we embrace our journey together, learning to balance my love of travel with his need to stay rooted at home. Over the next few years, our bond has deepened, and we knew we had found something special. Just last year, we welcomed a beautiful baby into our lives, adding another layer of love to our story. As we prepare to say “I do”, we reflect on how God has a way of bringing the right people into our lives at the perfect moments. We are excited to continue our adventure, hand in hand, creating a love story that is uniquely ours. Thank you for being part of our journey!