We met at NMSU in one of our psych classes in the fall of 2014. Our first encounter was super awkward as we sat at the same table in silence for several minutes. He said “hi” and introduced himself. I thought he was cute, and I worked to try to think of something clever to say to him. When nothing clever came to mind, I panicked and just stayed silent until eventually other people joined the group and the tension was eased. Luckily, Austen found this to be an endearing quality and not extremely weird. Eventually we became friends and had almost every class together. After a year or so of bad timing and flirting with each other we were both FINALLY single at the same time. A few of Austen’s friends had watched as we awkwardly tried to go from friends to a couple and after a few days of this, decided to speed up process a little. They set up a group date to hike up A Mountain at the crack of dawn. Since neither of us were huge on hiking or mornings, this really said more about our desire to be with each other than anything else. About a month after we started dating, we moved in together. We shared a small house with 2 roommates, and 3 dogs. A few months later, we decided this space wasn't cramped enough and we adopted our first joint pet, a tiny kitten named Stache. After graduation, we packed Stache and our belongings and moved to Albuquerque where we began our careers. In the years that followed, despite moving several times, adopting a second cat, and changing jobs a few times, our love and commitment never wavered. After being together 4 and a half years, Austen proposed during our birthday weekend in New Orleans at City Park. He had a surprise photographer waiting to capture the moment. After photos, we shared a plate of beignets and coffee from Cafe du Monde. It’s been a long time coming, but we are excited to see what other adventures await us. We hope you can join us for our special day.