One summer night Ciaran was invited to a party across the cove. Ashley happened to be there as a guest of her good friend, Ivy. After a little flirt at the bonfire she worked up the courage to ask him if he wanted to go for a walk. Ciaran happily obliged and they sauntered off to the Sleeper family's sugar bush. Unbeknownst to Ashley, a sugar bush is not at all like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. The walk turned into conversation, which turned into a moonlit kiss, which turned into an all night Lord of the Rings movie marathon. We thought it would be a fling, but the universe had other plans, and three weeks later Ashley and her cat became Vermonters. The rest is history. Or as a Smithie would say, herstory.