Erin: I first noticed Jim, the shaggy-haired blue-eyed boy in my graphics & animation class, at the start of ninth grade. The teacher for some reason had Jim and all the football players come to the front of the class, and I remember Jim and I kept catching each other's glances. A few weeks later, my friend told me, "I know someone who likes you." Before she even could say, I knew it was going to be Jim Monaghan. Jim and I started talking on AIM and hung out with friends a few times. On December 5, he stopped me after class and asked, "will you go out with me?" To translate the early-2000s teen language, that meant things were official. Jim: No one is really sure. Historians have traced it back as far as the second ice age but no definitive answers were given. But really, the best I can remember, we had a class together freshman year of high school, something to do with computers, which I had absolutely no interest in, so I had plenty of time to focus on other things. We talked real quick a couple of times in class and I got Erin's AIM and we started talking outside of school as well. I asked her to officially become my girlfriend after class one day, and the rest is history...literally because it was 15 years ago.

Erin: We've known each other for half our lives at this point, so my favorite moments are when I can look back on how far we've grown. It feels like just yesterday we were attending our senior prom, and now we're getting married! We went from seeing each other every day in high school to living long-distance for five years. In that time, I saw Jim go from the class clown to the most hard-working person I know. Eventually, we got our first apartment, and in 2017 Jim bought our first house. Soon after, we adopted our dog Archie and cat Ted, officially making our house feel even more like home. Fifteen years ago, I never would have imagined we'd be where we are right now, but I always secretly had hoped we would! Jim: We've had a lot of good moments over 15 years but some of my favorites are, adopting Archie and Ted, buying our house and making it into a home, trips down the shore, going to Mexico, and watching all the things Erin was able to accomplish as we grew up.

Erin: Christmas has always been my favorite season, and I spent the first few years of our relationship trying to get Jim to love the holiday as much as I do. I still have yet to succeed with that, but we did quickly establish an annual tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve Eve. Each year we usually try to go the extra mile to make it special for each other. After 14 years, I thought *maybe* this would be the year Jim finally proposed! Jim: I asked Erin to marry me on Christmas Eve Eve when we always exchange gifts. The time had come, and this being our oldest tradition, it felt like a good time. It helped to know that it was more than likely a yes, but still, I had nerves up to the proposal.

We are so excited to get married on September 10, 2022 at The Manor House at Springton Manor Farm in Glenmoore, Pa. Erin can't wait to get all our friends and family out on the dance floor, and Jim can't wait to drink a couple of cold ones with the people we love most.