6114 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85253
Shannon and Eric met the same boring way everyone does nowadays: on a dating app. In early 2020 they ate wings on their first official date and pizza on their second which was basically Eric making it clear early on what a future with him would look like. Pretty immediately, Shannon and Eric developed an effortless banter and got way too comfortable around each other, including revealing some of their stranger quirks/hobbies/files. Geographical convenience and a global pandemic forced Shannon and Eric to get creative with date ideas. Eric had the genius idea that they take each other on campus tours of their respective colleges. At Lake Forest in late April of 2020, Shannon showed Eric the Homecoming route, the Gates Center for Leadership and Personal Growth, and recounted what she could remember from the Sammy Adams concert. At Illinois Wesleyan the following weekend, Eric’s tour included pilgrimages to America (his college house), Greenhouse, and all the places where Hardcore Parkour was filmed. They realized neither one of them did college right but still made a lot of memories. The most important factor in Shannon and Eric starting a relationship was Tyson. It took Shannon less than two weeks of fostering to know that Tyson was a keeper and officially adopted him on April 11, 2020. She wisely decided she had to foster Eric a little longer than that before officially signing the paperwork to keep him around. Shannon and Eric’s first road trip was to Asheville, NC in the summer of 2020 and they have done several per year since. After living about a 10 minute walk from each other for just over a year, Eric moved into Shannon’s River North condo on Huron Street in August of 2021. They utilized every square inch of that one-bedroom apartment where they both worked from home, though sometimes someone’s loud use of the ice maker disrupted work calls. Remote work gave Shannon and Eric the opportunity to spend the winter of 2022 in Shannon’s homeland of Albuquerque, New Mexico. During that winter they took some of their most memorable trips together to Santa Fe, San Diego, and Hawaii. It was during this time that Shannon and Eric seriously considered the possibility of living in another state. The stars aligned and they made the move to Chandler, AZ. Since then, the two have enjoyed a lot of golf, pickleball, and continued their habit of road tripping. Tyson, freshly recovered from double knee surgery in the spring of 2022, has probably benefited the most from the move as he loves having a yard and a doggie door to go in and out whenever he pleases. In the spring of 2023, after finally getting all settled in their new state and home, Shannon and Eric got engaged with Tyson as witness and immediately went on a trip to celebrate in Williams, AZ. Over the years, Shannon and Eric have cultured each other by introducing the other to new things. Among these new experiences for Eric were a passport, TSA precheck, extensive travel, RV life, new foods, regularly eating vegetables, a new wardrobe beyond sports attire, living in another state, lots of concerts and much more. Similarly, Shannon learned some of the intricacies of football and where the best buffalo wing spots are in Chicago, so they have both grown so much. Combined, Shannon and Eric have attended weddings in the Chicagoland area, Bloomington, Galena, Madison, Milwaukee, San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Austin, Washington DC, Los Cabos, Mexico City, Paraguay, and Ecuador. So, they felt it was everyone else’s turn to travel to a wedding. Shannon and Eric may not see eye to eye on everything. Shannon orders tenders at Buffalo Joe’s in Evanston, and Eric kind of thinks Taylor Swift’s latest album is mid. But these important differences aside, Shannon and Eric are so happy with the life they have built together and are hopeful you will be able to join in the celebration in Scottsdale next March!