Our love story started on a dating app. Like most busy professionals, using a dating app was the best and most efficient way to take dating into our own hands. When we connected online, Gary was just returning to dating after a one year hiatus and Stephanie was about to take a hiatus from dating after too many first dates. One afternoon we shared a few emails back and forth and then Gary boldly suggested that we meet for a glass of wine that evening. Stephanie panicked. Her normal routine was to exchange emails for a week or two and then meet if things went well. Stephanie's wise bestie talked her into going on the date that night and she is so glad she took her advice. On our first date sparks flew. We talked for three hours without taking a breath. We both were sad to see the night end and as we were saying goodnight, Gary asked Stephanie if he could see her again. This Match has now turned into a lifelong love affair.

We celebrated Christmas on December 26th with our children in 2019. The day started out busy getting the house ready and food prepared for our family celebration. We decided to take a break by taking a short walk in Seashore State Park before everyone arrived. It was a balmy 70 degrees in late December as we strolled along while Stephanie anxiously listed all the things we had to get done. Gary pulled her to a bench and said lets sit and relax for a minute and look out over the water. Reluctantly, we sat trying to relax. Gary reached in his pocket and pulled a ring out to Stephanie's surprise. She could tell he was nervous and choked up while he struggled to get his words out. Feeling compassion for Gary, Stephanie asked, "are you trying to ask me to marry you?" Garry nodded and she said yes as he put the ring on her finger. We floated home excited to tell the kids.

Our engagement has been exciting and crazy. We rang in the new year in January of 2020 with friends and family at the Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club's annual New Year's Eve party. The hotel has a lot of meaning to us because it is where we met up a lot while we were dating. We had so much fun and felt so hopeful as 2020 began and then COVID-19 hit. We renovated a house and bought a new house that needed work in the summer of 2020. We packed up two households, moved in at Thanksgiving that year, and blended our lives. Much of 2021 was building our life together under one roof and enjoying our new life together.