We met on Davidson College's 10 day backcountry backpacking, white-water canoeing, and community service orientation trip. One of the first nights on the Appalachian Trail as rain pattered on the tarp above our heads and frogs croaked nearby, we lay next to each other whispering and laughing into the wee hours of the night. To this day, our friends remember that night and say it was then that the universe knew we were meant to be.

As freshman year started, we quickly became great friends and even both came in 43rd in the freshman cake race! What are the chances of that?

The first of many annual pumpkin carving evenings at Nana's house!

Early sophomore year, we mutually decided to start dating and are forever grateful for that decision!

Year 1 was filled with Fiji and Rusk formals and lots of time together in the great outdoors!

Year 2, Kathryn studied in Copenhagen while Max studied in Panama in the Fall. Spring semester at Davidson was cut short by COVID, but we still found ways to spend quality time together.

Kathryn joined the Whitton crew for their traditional Holden Beach 4th of July trip filled with quality time with family, beach time, a holiday parade, and of course mini golf.

Max (with Kathryn morally supporting) caught his second muskie up at The Shack!

We took a sweet trip to Florida to visit Kathryn's family, enjoy the beach and St. Augustine and make "stained glass" angels in Tampa with Grandma Patricia.

Kathryn ran her first marathon with Patricia and Mama Abely and Max saved the day with his enthusiastic cheering and gatorade delivery services.

We graduated from Davidson and celebrated with our families before heading off to Beach Week!

We traveled to Great Smoky Mountain National Park for a hiking and camping trip with friends.

Max spent the summer after graduation working as a fishing guide at A Bar A Ranch in Wyoming and Kathryn visited for a long weekend before moving to Nashville to start her Masters Program to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

Max's first visit to Nashville was filled with fall festivities, hiking at Radnor Lake State Park, hot chicken, rooftops, and everything in between!

The Vierling 6 celebrated Doc and Terri's wedding in St. Louis! What an incredible celebration!

Experiencing the pure magic of Christmastime in Nashville! Believe it or not, Max even went line dancing with Kathryn at the Wild horse Saloon! A Christmas miracle?

Snow day in Davidson calls for sledding with Nana!

Together, we rocked the Rock n' Roll 10k in Nashville!

We gathered for a Roomie Reunion in Nashville to enjoy a concert at Nissan Stadium, a speakeasy, Broadway, and time out on the lake at Pirate's Cove!

One of our favorite days: the day we rescued sweet Ranger!

Shortly after moving in together in Davidson, we took Ranger on his first of many apple picking adventures at The Orchard at Altapass!

Celebrating 4 incredible years together in Charlotte!

Kathryn passed the NCLEX and we took Ranger on his first hike, Beacon Heights. Little did we know, just a few years later we would be having our first look in this very spot and getting married just minutes away!

Ranger's first Halloween called for a family costume!

We loved every minute of celebrating Michael and Kara's wedding in Covington, KY!

A surprise trip to celebrate the joys of Christmastime at the Biltmore

We celebrated Christmas early on Cat Island in the Bahamas with Gary, Patricia, and Beth!

Celebrating Mama Abely's monumental National Parks Lifetime Pass birthday with a peaceful paddle amongst manatees.

Wine tasting and walks in the Vineyard to conclude another great Roomie Reunion weekend.

Loved getting to cheer Brian on as he raced through the mountains of Old Fort, NC!

Happy Graduation to Zander! A fun weekend celebrating with family in Chapel Hill!

A quick camping trip in the Smokies to witness the wonder of the Synchronous fireflies!

Another incredible 4th of July spent at Holden Beach!

Max spent a month living in Austin for work so Kathryn visited for a long weekend of exploring the city by boat, swimming in the Springs, and eating the best food!

Kathryn graduated as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and we celebrated together in Nashville!

We explored the beauty of St. John, USVI, snorkeling, paddle-boarding, and hiking all day long with Gary, Patricia, Mario, and Kara!

Max showed off his skills at spotting an eel, octopus, squid, shark, and many other elusive sea creatures.

We traveled to Wisconsin to celebrate Emily and Dan! What an absolute magical wedding!

The Vierling 6 celebrated Amanda and Joel's marriage with weekend long festivities including a Crossfit session the morning of the wedding and an after party at a local Chapel Hill bar.

The Abelys and Vierlings gathered together for our first Thanksgiving as family in Hickory complete with a turkey trot and weekend in the gorgeous mountains of Montreat, NC.

Patricia graduated with her Masters in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida! We enjoyed celebrating all of her accomplishments and an early Christmas in Gainesville with the Abely crew!

We traveled to Cincinnati to spend an amazing Christmas with the Walker crew!

The best Valentine's days are spent in Blowing Rock, NC enjoying a mountaintop hot tub after a long day of hiking!

Savoring every sweet visit from friends like Kara and Dhruv and showing them our favorite North Carolina hikes.

Introducing Ranger to one of Kathryn's favorite flowers, tulips, in the fields of Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard to welcome in Springtime!

A day of joy celebrating Shelby and Harrison's marriage! What an honor it was to get to stand by your side on such a special day!

We celebrated Gary's birthday with a weekend of beach time, ghost tours, incredible southern food, and exploring Savannah Georgia!

We soaked in the beauty of Africa and all the amazing animals (especially adorable baby animals) with The Vierling Crew, Abely ladies, and fearless guide Brian. We went on an incredible mobile safari in Botswana where we slept in tents amongst the lions, hippos, and honey badgers oh my!

We experienced the breathtaking Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe!

Max got down on one knee in front of the enchanting Svinafellsjokull Glacier in Iceland while Kathryn was wearing the very same hiking boots we met in over 7 years ago. Perhaps these magical boots will make another appearance on our wedding day.