Ashleigh comments on "Big Gretch" photo via Alex's dating profile! And the conversation begins!

Alex met Ashleigh (and her dog, Dexter) halfway in Brighton for a first date at "The Pound" patio bar. Halfway through the date, Dexter got too anxious saying hi to another patio dog and went back to sit in the cool car.

First of many MSU tailgates with our friends.

Ashleigh asks Alex to make the relationship official! Alex also becomes BFFs with Carter & Avery at his first Thanksgiving!

After a Christmas COVID quarantine of entertaining ourselves, Alex naturally stays, moves in, and never leaves!

One of six weddings between the two of us our first summer together!

One of many amazing annual "Wilderness" summer camping trips with friends!

Got our first tattoos together! Alex chose a coneflower (his mother's favorite flower) to commemorate her. Ashleigh choose the ASL sign for "Love yourself and others" to recognize her passion for sign language, the deaf community, and positive mental health.

Ashleigh & Alex share a new adventure of pottery classes. They continue to sign up each session and now have a dedicated shelving unit for all their pottery creations!

Alex and Ashleigh traveled to France, venturing to Paris, Grenoble (where Alex previously lived and studied), and to Dijon. They took pleasure in exploring various gardens, wineries, restaurants, farmers markets, and historical sites. While in Grenoble, they took the "bubble" cable cars up the mountain to "La Bastille de Grenoble." Under the guise of taking a panoramic picture with the help of his French program director, Alex popped the question, and Ashleigh choked up and responded with a "yeah!" The journey to wedding day began!