Aubry B. Monnier
If you take a look through a few pictures of Aubry from her childhood, you'll quickly be able to tell she has a strong personality and a drive to stand out in everything she does - All the way from best dressed in kindergarten to student council president in high school to graduating with honors in both Biology and Philosophy at Augustana College. Now she's studying to become a Dentist and odds are pretty good she'll be the dentist you want when you're sitting in the chair. Before meeting Scott, Aubry was just a junior in high school and there was no way she thought she would be leaving her hometown of Omaha, NE for college in South Dakota.
Scott J. Hale
Scott has always been a skilled communicator. His elementary school teacher commented on his verbal power of persuasion by saying he would find a career in either law or used car sales. He enhanced his skills by double majoring in both communications/business and psychology. Scott is also wildly creative. He uses his creativity and communication skills everyday when he works in digital marketing. His clients are continually impressed as Scott finds new ways to rise to any challenge. Scott thought he had things figured out his senior year of high school, but little did he know how a chance encounter would change his life forever.
It Only Took One Meeting
Scott and Aubry met when they were in high school, neither older than 18 years old, but, considering they grew up less than a mile from each other, attending a few of the same schools, sharing friends, and calling the same hangouts their own turf, it actually took them quite awhile to finally run into each other. They had attended the same high school for three years, narrowly avoiding encounters (Scott actually went to Aubry's parents house two years before they started dating... neither thinks they met that night), when an unexpected event brought them together.
As an active member in student council, Aubry was the leader of a Relay for Life team. Scott was also a member of a Relay for Life team in memory of a friend. Where better to get to know somebody than in a carpeted church gym, walking hundreds of laps? It might not surprise some of you to know that the first time Scott caught Aubry's eye, he was wearing a bright green dress... it wouldn't be the last time the two spent time together at a satiric male beauty pageant. It also may not surprise some of you that Aubry was the one to approach Scott during Relay for Life and the two spent hours walking around that church gym. The next week at school, Aubry again approached Scott and demanded his phone number. Their first date was the following weekend and nothing has managed to break them apart since.
Better Together
Not too long after that first date, Scott headed up to South Dakota to attend Augustana College. Aubry still had a year left in high school, but they agreed to try out a long-distance relationship. Lots of phone calls (pre-texting, kids) and some well-timed trips back to Omaha kept the relationship strong, but Aubry still hadn't chosen a college of her own. Maybe Aubry hadn't heard of Augustana before Scott went there, but a visit and a little research was more than enough to convince her it was where she needed to be - the kind of place she could get a top notch biology education, but also be given opportunities like studying Philosophy and getting involved on the small campus... of course, Scott was another perk.
Long story short, Aubry and Scott's relationship blossomed at Augie, but there were still some transitions to make. Scott graduated and moved back to Omaha before Aubry's senior year and then Aubry had some decisions to make when it came to continued education. Aubry (with a little help from Scott) chose to head to the desert for dental school, Scott quit his job, and the pair moved to Arizona. At that point, this thing was the real deal. Scott and Aubry were both committed to being where the other was at any cost.
Put a Ring on it Already
Nine years after that first date to a movie (Sin City, super romantic) and some ice cream, it was time to take the plunge. The love had always been there, but the logistics finally made sense and everybody could use some nice jewelry and a good party to make it official. Scott and Aubry searched high and low for a perfect ring, landing on something that didn't quite exist, and knew they wanted to be back in Omaha with their families for the engagement. Scott had the ring made, keeping the final design secret from Aubry, and the two set an open date during the holidays. Yep, that's right, Aubry knew exactly what day the engagement would be happening, but that didn't keep Scott from popping in a few surprises. The engagement date started where the relationship started - Cold Stone. From there, it was off to Aubry's favorite place in Omaha - The Zoo. The final stop would be dinner downtown. It was only five degrees outside, so the couple hit each of the main indoor attractions at the zoo, taking photos at each one. They saved the best for last, the aquarium - Aubry and Scott's favorite attraction - with the main event being the shark tunnel near the end. As Scott and Aubry admired the overhead sea life in the shark tunnel, Scott brought it to Aubry's attention that they hadn't gotten their photo in this exhibit yet. The next visitor to the tunnel was in for a surprise as much as Aubry was.
What seemed like all nine of the previous years had passed (to Scott, at least), and a group finally came walking down the hall and Aubry requested that they take a photo. As the innocent bystander leveled Scott's phone for the picture, Scott got down on one knee, under the sea, and asked Aubry to be his wife. Following the zoo, Scott and Aubry took to one of their favorite pastimes and explored any new things to do in a city they left almost two years prior. They found a new craft cocktail bar, had a celebratory drink and headed to the previously planned dinner. Upon walking into the restaurant, both Aubry and Scott's family were waiting to receive them and surprise Aubry as the whole group would celebrate together.