Let’s get one thing out of the way: the idea of guests at our elopement is my idea of hell. Not just “mildly inconvenient” or “a little awkward”—I mean full-on, stress-sweat, please-let-the-ground-swallow-me hell. We’re planning an elopement because we want something quiet, meaningful, and completely ours. That means no crowd, no audience, no one asking…
Picture this: your engagement announcements arrive—beautifully printed, filled with joy, and featuring the two of you wrapped up in sweaters, glowing with excitement. And on that very same day, one of you is unexpectedly let go from work. The timing was surreal. Suddenly, we were staring down a hard choice. Do we hit pause and…
The decision to adopt a spouse’s last name—or not—is deeply personal, and certainly not one to take lightly. This is especially true once you’re past 40, when your name isn’t just a name anymore. It’s your career, your accomplishments, your digital presence, your reputation. Changing it can feel like unraveling a web you’ve spent decades…
The wait is over—our passports are finally here! We applied together on January 8, 2025, sending in all our documents at the same time. In less than three weeks, Laurie had hers in hand, and a week later, her birth certificate arrived back as well. Meanwhile, David’s passport status had barely moved—it was stuck in…
Pushing Comfort Zones: Our Early Adventures Early in a relationship, it’s easy to convince your partner to try new things. One weekend, I decided to really push David’s comfort zone with a trio of firsts: a weekend camping trip at Lake McMurtry, a trail race, and Indian food from my favorite local fusion spot. Before…
When you start dating after 30 and spend over a decade together, life has a way of intertwining your hearts, homes, and holidays. You build routines, traditions, and a shared existence that feels like second nature. But beyond the joy and laughter, there are also the moments that test your resilience—moments you never expected would…
When it came time to capture our engagement photos, we knew the perfect place: Riverwest Festival Park. This isn’t just any park—it’s where the world-renowned Tulsa Oktoberfest is held each year. For Laurie, this place is deeply special. She’s been involved in Oktoberfest for years, and David has made a tradition of joining her there…
When David and I started dating, he once asked me what I liked to drink. I replied, “beer.” He called me “Bud Light.” I quickly retorted, “Ew, no. Anything made by Anheuser-Busch is headache beer. If I have to drink from the domestic big names, it’s Coors Light.” David eventually came to see my reasoning…
In the summer of 2023, David stumbled across an event for Queen by Candlelight. Knowing Queen is one of my favorite bands, he jumped on the tickets faster than you can say “Bohemian Rhapsody.” This was to be our first public indoor event since the pandemic began. David was making a huge deal about it,…
If you grew up in Oklahoma, this should come as no surprise: when your roots run deep, community and family lines blur. It’s a place where non-blood relations are often counted as aunts and uncles, and older extended cousins may be called aunts and uncles too. It’s a respect thing, deeply ingrained in our culture….