How others describe me

Katie is the center of our families and our friend group where she inspires us all to be a little more kind, more informed, more selfless and more engaged by her example. When we were just friends her approachability gave me the courage to try to keep up with her as she rode her bike everywhere, was becoming a Public Health expert and pursuing a doctorate, proposed amazing trips and adventures and was always there for friends and family in every aspect of their life. When we kissed at the campfire on one of those trips, I thought I was really going to have to step it up to keep up with her in a relationship. As our romance grew, I realized it wasn’t a competition to accomplish the most or have the most epic adventures for Katie. She is just generous with her incredible gifts to others. She is absolutely brilliant, and still she has no hesitation in admitting when she doesn’t know something, though she always knows how to go about figuring it out or finding the person who can. Whether it’s defending a PhD or completely renovating a house, she tackles hard tasks methodically and capably. When her friends have hard problems; with heartache or illness or disappointment, they come to her to help address them and so do I. When anyone is in need, she is there to find the solution and give whatever help is necessary to achieve it. And when there is something to celebrate, she always remembers no matter how small and creates the space for everyone to share their gratitude and joy. That joy we have in our life will grow even more with the adoption of a child into our family and the boundless love she gives as a friend, a sister and an aunt will be even more powerful as a mother. She is absolutely beautiful, inside and out, and I can’t contain my excitement to be able to share the experience of leading a little one into the world with her.

I can remember really clearly when I fell in love with Nick. We had been getting to know each other within our larger friend group doing a lot of fun things around town. But it wasn’t until we started taking trips together that I got to see who he really was on the inside. I remember one trip specifically where he and I were both excited to go mountain biking and took several of our friends who were less experienced. He probably did twice as many miles that day as he constantly kept riding back to make sure that everyone was doing okay and no one was left behind. He cares first about everyone else’s needs before his own and doesn’t wait to be asked to offer to help someone.  As the oldest of four siblings, he’s probably always been this way. He’s also dedicated himself to serving our country in the military and has never been anything but gracious about the sacrifice that has required.  He’s incredibly sweet, patient and kind and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve heard him complain. Nick is also one of the smartest and most capable people I know. We jokingly refer to him as “Nickipedia” as he has an incredible amount of knowledge about almost any topic and can figure out how to do anything. Whether it’s fixing the electrical system on our old Westfalia or jumping on a surfboard, he’s just good at everything he does. He’s more reserved than me but shares a very silly side with those he’s closest with. My favorite moments are seeing what things make him laugh so hard he cries. He is incredibly respectful and I love that we can communicate completely honestly and calmly with each other about anything, big or small. He has been so supportive of making sure I follow all my dreams and I love that we are constantly scheming and dreaming about the life we want to build together. I know from experience what an incredible partner Nick is to me and I know in my heart what an amazing dad he’s going to make.