Our first conversation was about Charles Barkley, and the rest is history. (Although in time, it was revealed that Ben's pickup line "I've had dinner with Charles Barkley" turned out to be a bit of a stretch from the truth, but it's the thought that counts, right?) Our first date was at The Cellar, and it wasn't until the servers started clearing the salt & pepper off the tables (in between giving us some very annoyed looks) that we realized that we had been talking for hours, & this might just be the real deal. We became official on Super Bowl Sunday (honestly the most exciting part of that Super Bowl LIII) & have our friends Derek & Shelby to thank for throwing what we now refer to as our anniversary party every year. 2019 was full of meeting one another's friends & families, lots of sporting events, trips & many miles put on Ben's truck driving to Blacksburg a few times a week- which helped to spark Ben's move to Blacksburg in the fall (in addition to his adoration for a certain 85lb hound dog that happened to reside in the 'Burg). We ended 2019 with an incredible trip to Germany- which is when Nat knew that if she could survive 2 international flights with Ben & still want to spend time with him, he was the one. 2020 started off normal- celebrating Natalie's 28th birthday, following a heart-breaking Hokie bowl game loss (like I said, a normal year). But March 2020 brought a world of change- both Ben & Nat, at home, together, ALL THE TIME. Quarantine had it's ups & downs, but through it all, Nat's perspective was "This time is either going to move up Ben's proposal, or push it far, far, far back." Luckily for Nat, Ben went with option 1, and in October 2020, the crummy year was turned around with 5 words "Natalie, Will you marry me?" (At least that's what Nat thinks Ben said- she blacked out and actually remembers nothing...) Since that day, we have been busy planning our wedding & the rest of our lives together. We can't wait to celebrate with you all in 2022!