THE BEGINNING Grace and Ethan both grew up in the Arcadia neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona. They went to different schools so they never had the opportunity to meet; however, they had many mutual friends. In February 2016, when they were both sophomores in high school, they ended up attending a Super Bowl party being held at the home of one of their mutual friends. Grace didn’t arrive until half-time, and most of the friends she knew were outside in the backyard. It didn’t take long before Ethan noticed Grace and introduced himself. When half-time ended, the two of them stayed outside in deep conversation while everyone else went back in to watch the game. They missed the rest of the game, chatting the entire time realizing how much they had in common and how much they enjoyed one another’s company. In the end they parted ways and decided to date other people. THE REVELATION Fast forward to 2018 midway through their senior years in high school, Grace had been thinking about Ethan and decided to reach out via text. He was happy to hear from her and they decided to meet and catch up later that week. They had such a good time reconnecting and looked forward to spending all of their spare time together. After two and a half months they knew they were in love. After graduation, Ethan attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and Grace attended Penrose Academy. It was an emotional and challenging separation, but eventually they got the hang of it thanks to Face Time, highways and airlines. The separation helped strengthen their love and commitment to one another and their relationship thrived. After Ethan graduated from college in Spring 2022, he moved back to Phoenix and they were together once again! Woohoo!!! THE HAPPY ENDING Once back in Arizona, Ethan began working full time as a data analyst and Grace as a full time hair stylist. Marriage was a frequent topic of conversation and Grace was constantly trying to guess when and how he would pop the question, as she is not a big fan of surprises. Finally, just under two years later January 2024, Ethan surprised Grace by proposing one day before their 6 year anniversary! He enlisted the help of his little sister, Laney, so Grace wouldn’t be suspicious. Laney texted Grace saying she needed sunset pictures for a school art project and asked if she and Ethan would drive her to take them. Grace suggested the spot on Camelback Mountain that she and Ethan would hang out at while in high school. When they arrived, Laney hopped out of the car and began taking photos of the sunset, leaving Ethan and Grace alone together. This is when Ethan turned to Grace and took both her hands in his before bending down on one knee and asking her to marry him. It was such an unexpected and magical moment, all perfectly captured by Laney.