The snow conditions were good when we first met in December 2019 on Mt. Bachelor. Colton remembers their first meeting much better than Rachel does. Rachel had just finished a ski lesson when she went to meet her friends for lunch at the lodge. Colton was there (they share a mutual friend), and his first impression of Rachel was that she was "cute and sweaty," as he affectionately remembers. (Sweaty because she just had to dig herself out of deep snow). After lunch, Colton proceeded to flirt and try to impress Rachel with his cool ski tricks, but Rachel didn't notice anything, focused solely on getting down the mountain without falling.

After a couple months hanging out at trivia nights and ski days, the two had their first date at the High Desert Museum. COVID and quarantine soon followed, which gave us ample time to spend together. Luckily, living in Bend, we were able to socially distance in the outdoors. The many bike rides and camping trips we shared in our first few months of dating were just the first of many. In 2021, we moved to Boise, where we currently reside, to pursue graduate programs and job opportunities. We have loved making Boise our home and exploring all the natural beauty Idaho has to offer, but Bend still holds our hearts captive. We are excited to be celebrating this special moment in a place that has meant so much to us and our relationship.

In the summer of 2023, we spent a week island-hopping in Greece. We were on the island of Sifnos, and it was our last day before we headed back to the mainland. After a day of swimming in the Aegean Sea, we climbed to the top of some cliffs to watch the sunset. While the wind whipped through our hair and golden hour highlighted the crest of waves, Colton said, "I have a very important question to ask you."

From coastal getaways to alpine escapes, to our annual Moab Thanksgiving trip and holidays with family, to weekly bike rides and ski days, and everything in between, we have shared a pretty awesome life together thus far, and we are excited for all that awaits us. Thank you for joining us as we celebrate our newest adventure!