Joe and I met in first grade at Huron Valley (in Michigan) when we were 6. We walked down the aisle together to receive our First Communion at 7, and we went on our very first date at 18, as freshmen in college. Joe will tell you the date was stressful and mildly embarrassing. He paid for our Chipotle meal with a coupon, and was less than thrilled about the Ave Maria Catholic Radio Station sticker posted proudly on both the glove compartment, and bumper of his dark green sedan. I however, thought the date was perfect. So much so that at the end of it, I looked over at Joe from the passenger seat and with utter confidence said "I always knew I was going to marry you." Well, things took a turn from there, as Joe, being a normal 18-yr-old guy starting college, was petrified the first girl he ever went on a date with, was saying they were getting married. We went our separate ways for 10 years after that, only checking in with each other on holidays or birthdays, the texts never evolving to full conversations. The thought that I would marry Joe someday never left the back of my mind, and in September of 2020 I decided to give it one last shot. I FaceTimed him out of the blue, and was surprised he answered, since we had never FaceTimed in all our years of knowing each other. Something about that call was immediately special to both of us. For me it was the fact that he wanted to stay on the phone with me, despite being on a trip with his closest friends, with plenty of other things to do. For him it was me calling just to say "hey, I still like you" after all those years. The call went from 10 minutes to 30, and from 30 to an hour. We FaceTimed every night after that, while Nina and I were still in Florida and Joe in Michigan. In December of 2020 we met up for the first time since that date at 18, for a weekend getaway in Miami. That weekend changed our lives. We became official later that month and rang in the New Year with our first ever NYE kiss. We got engaged 7 months later, on July 3rd and welcomed our first son on February 1st, 2022. Our story is certainly unconventional, with a lot of twists and unexpected turns. Joe went from being a Bachelor to a head of household and father of two in a matter of months, and I can say with utter conviction that I love him more every day. Thank you for joining us to celebrate our continued commitment to each other, and our promise to grow in faith, hope and love for the rest of our days. We are so honored you've chosen to spend this time with us and are excited to see you all on September 24th! Lots of love, Joe & Terese