Hello friends and family,

We thank you for supporting us throughout our relationship. We know the elopement was a bit of a surprise for some (no, we aren't pregnant), but everything seemed to fall into place so we went for it! Waiting two years seemed like too long and having a private ceremony made sense to us.

The one person we knew we needed to have with us when we became husband and wife was Nate's daughter, Lyla. Malorie was on her way to pick Lyla up from Canada for a summer visit when Nate jokingly asked Malorie if she wanted to elope since we would for sure have Lyla with us. At first it seemed impossible because we only had a 4 day window to make it happen. However, after a few phone calls to immediate family, we discovered it actually was doable, and we were going to do it!

So, with 5 days to plan, the three of us shopped around for outfits, flowers, vows, rings, and anything else we could incorporate with such short notice. On Saturday, August 10, we loaded up the car and drove to Glenwood Springs, CO, where Malorie's brother (Matt), sister-in-law (Paige), and niece (Maci) live. Malorie's mom (Tina) and dad (Jerry) each drove up from Grand Junction, CO, and Nate's dad (Wayne) and his wife (Connie) flew in from Minnesota. We received blessings from Nate's mother (Laura) and his sister (Crystal) from Milwaukee, WI who were not able to attend physically, but were there in our hearts.

On Sunday, August 11, we got ready and headed to Avalanche Creek Hiking Trail in Redstone, CO (about a 45 minute drive from Glenwood Springs). The caravan stopped about halfway to the trailhead when we reached a crossing in the river. It was a gorgeous spot and we decided this would be the place to hold our ceremony.

An awesome fact about getting married in Colorado is that your officiant need not be ordained. You don't even need witnesses; you can marry yourselves. Malorie asked Nate which family member he would want to marry us, and his immediate response was, "Lyla." So, with our vows typed up and a couple of rehearsals under her belt, Lyla led the ceremony for us. She did an amazing job and we are so proud of her for doing this for us. We pronounced ourselves husband and wife, and sealed the deal with a kiss! After some photos, we all drove back to Glenwood Springs for a nice dinner to end the incredible day.

On Monday, we drove down to Grand Junction to apply for, sign, and file our marriage license. It was all done within an hour at the Records Office. As Malorie signed the final line on the license, Nate and Lyla were playing a hand-clapping game, and we officially became a family.