We like to say that there's a long version and a short version. Either way, the best part of our story is that it was our friends who brought us together! Initially, it was our friend Chris, who hosted game nights during the summer of 2020 and invited the both of us. Phillip was finishing his third and final year of law school as Jul was in the first year of her career as a mental health therapist post master's degree. A competitive game of Taboo first stirred up some heat. About a year later, following many of game nights, running into each other at the gym, connecting through grown mutual friends, and bantering text exchanges, our other friends encouraged us (some insisted) to go for it - a connection that was evident. Our first official date fell at a busy time for both of us, so we imagined it would be an early night. That evening, we enjoyed each other's company so much that we closed down all the restaurants and bars on the downtown Littleton strip. After 2am, there's only so many Ubers available, but standing in the cold and soaking up even more time together made the night all the more spectacular. The busy nature of our lives at the start of our relationship worked out in our favor and made time together all the more exciting. We had lots of dates at coffee shops, having study sessions together (Phillip studied for the bar while Jul studied for her LCSW exam). And we got to celebrate the successes of both passing our exams and advancing our careers at the same time! Ever since, we've had our best friend right there to hype us up, celebrate all milestones, provide comfort through tough days, create new memories, and guarantee we laugh and feel loved, every day. These days we both enjoy spending time with family/friends and our dogs (Kona and Pinion), breakfast/dinner dates, having long conversations, laughing uncontrollably, jamming to music (Spotify says we have a music taste match of 96%!), spending time outdoors, hiking, concerts, movie nights, dancing anywhere - mostly in the kitchen, going to the park, cooking, game nights (obviously - even if it's just the two of us), reading, painting, watching Ravens games, going to the gym, and staying in or doing nothing at all - just soaking up all the quality time! The past 5 years of our relationship have flown by, and at the same time, it feels like we have known each other forever! We cherish the endless laughs, excitement, butterflies, love, comfort, warmth, and all the best feels. Our hearts are full of gratitude, and we are so stoked to spend the rest of our days together - even in the afterlife - because 'til death do us part is for quitters! Thank you all for being an important part of our story. We are so thrilled to celebrate with you all in September! With love, Julia and Phillip