Our story began in 2006, in graduate school in Colorado. We each worked in different chemistry labs down the hall from one another. Our mutual friends thought we would make a good couple, so they helped organize group outings with the ulterior motive of getting us to talk to one another. With both of us being rather shy, this was more challenging than they anticipated. Eventually, their persistence paid off, and we started dating.

Being graduate students, most of our “dates” involved late-night conversations in the lab while waiting for our experiments to finish. Six years later, Matt proposed while on a hike in the redwood forest. We were married a year later.

The first challenge we encountered, after getting married, was Matt unexpectedly losing his job – the day we returned from our honeymoon. While this was a challenging and somewhat uncertain time, we had faith we would get through it all. Matt found a new job, but it required him to move to Massachusetts. We lived apart for two months before Johannah quit her job and moved as well.

We have been in Massachusetts since 2013, and both work for successful biotechnology companies. Our relationship has continued to remain strong and loving. While we live away from our immediate families, we have made many supportive friendships through our respective workplaces and churches.

Matt is a science nerd who loves reading and bike riding. He reads every night, enjoying a range of topics from fictional series, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, to biographies and stories relating to science. I know Matt’s love of reading is something he will share with a child.

The quickest way to get Matt to smile is to put him on a bike (literally any type of bike). Of all the activities he participates in, this is his favorite. Matt is talented at solving challenges, whether at work or around our home. Matt typically likes to have a project to work on — repairing a bike, helping with an improvement to the yard, or planning an activity.

Matt is willing to divide up household duties, is an excellent cook, and is particularly good at making desserts! One of the ways Matt won my heart is through cooking for me. The first dinner he cooked for me was ceviche, something he had never made before, which I thought was a very bold move on his part, demonstrating the willingness to put in extra effort into our relationship.

Dedication and kindness are Matt’s strongest traits. His most common question to me is, “how can I help?” I know he will be kind and loving to a child by the way he treats family, friends, coworkers, and strangers.

I was initially attracted to Johannah because I thought she was very attractive, and then I quickly fell in love with many other aspects of her personality. Johannah’s Christian faith and her desire to help people in need are important to her. Recently, she was nominated and accepted a role as a deaconess in her church. I have been impressed with the positive impact she has made. Johannah continues to demonstrate her qualities as a nurturing caregiver in her role as a volunteer ski patroller. She helps people get down the ski run when they run into trouble and administers first aid if needed. I am confident that her patience with people in need will make her an excellent mother.

Johannah is not afraid to voice her own opinions. While we don’t always agree, we still have open and friendly conversations about many topics. She tends to be more grounded than I am and doesn’t hesitate to tell me when one of my ideas for a house project is beyond my capability.

Johannah is adventurous, and we both love being outdoors. Together we’ve accomplished 100-mile bike rides, multi-day backpacking trips, and steep mountain hikes. She takes these adventures head-on with a positive attitude. She also loves taking our nieces and nephews on hikes and ski trips. I look forward to her sharing these experiences with a child.