There they were, gathered in the courtyard of the Rice estate. A light summer breeze rustled the trees, but nothing else stirred as the weight of what was to happen settled on the combatants*. Shawn stood there in a wide stance, one arm behind his back and the other raised before him mockingly. "I warn you, my fighting style is unsurpassed," he said. "We shall see," she responds with a flurry of blows forcing Shawn to weave in and out of her attacks. Laughing, Shawn arrogantly pulls out his phone to respond to texts as if he is not in the heat of battle. "I will defeat you with one hand," he exclaims as Caroline delivers the fatal blow with the grace of a bread-hungry swan. A loud crack echoes off the surrounding walls as both parties look at the shattered device in embarrassment with no inkling of the fact they would be wed eleven years later. One year later, after their first kiss, Caroline would ask him to prom with an eloquent "oh good, will you go to prom with me now?" The stage was set.
*The two were playing a playground game called Ninja.

Five years, two colleges, and 41,188 miles of driving back and forth later (we calculated!), Shawn and Caroline were reunited in their home state of Virginia. Shortly after, they moved in together in a cozy apartment in Fairfax, excited to make up for the long-distance and time spent apart, but fate was not on their side. Two years and two cats (Yoshi and Bowser) later, Caroline finally stopped traveling 5 days a week for work. The couple was excited to finally be in the same state once again. This time it would hold, and the couple purchased their first home in Herndon, VA in 2019.

On September 12, 2020, with the new puppy, Vega, barking in the background, their friends and family surprised Caroline by filing into their backyard. To the Disney short "Lava," Shawn got on one knee, a red and blue ring pop in his hands, and said, "Will you marry me?" She cried in response and proffered a hidden ring pop of her own to Shawn, and there was much rejoicing. Neither party actually remembers the event - it was all just a happy blur.

This has brought us all here (to this website specifically). After 10 years of dating, we are excited to celebrate the beginning of our newest chapter with you!