Matt	Alicia
Minutes after midnight on September 3rd, 1982, a cute and cuddly baby boy arrives into the world to the proud parents of Charlene and Doug Reimer. There was no doubt that this child would be loved and cherished his whole life. Born in a far-off land, where the sun burns bright and hot, I kept my parents on their toes with all of my shenanigans: climbing every tree, hiding in all of the nooks, and causing my fair share of trouble. It was a simple life on an island where family means everything. I spent most of childhood outdoors; playing roller hockey, body-boarding, and swimming in the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean. Other days would be passed indooors while playing videogames with my friends. Let's fast-forward to the present. The pastimes I enjoy have not changed a whole lot. I am merely a bigger boy with even bigger toys! A fan-boy at heart, I still enjoy my Nintendo games; working with my hands to build my own gaming computer - with dual-screen display of course; and when outdoors, there is nothing I love more than scuba diving in the ocean's depths to swim among marine life, alien in nature. Of all the things I love, nothing can compare to my family. They have my highest regard, and are most dear and precious to my heart. And because of my younger sister, Eliane, I met the love of my life. The jelly to my peanut butter. This is where our story begins...	It was the late spring of 1989 in Montreal, Quebec. On the 17th of May a baby girl was born to the proud parents of Sharon & Robert Whitmore. They named her Alicia. On September the 3rd that same year, they christened her at a local church before family and friends in a christening gown once worn by her great grandfather. Two years later, opportunity took us West across Canada to the coast of British Columbia. If someone were to describe the type of child I was, I believe they would say that I was both very quiet and shy, yet incredibly kind-hearted, warm and sensitive. My favorite memories of my childhood are returning to my grandparents’ house in the summers where we played my first video games, and entered a variety of contests at the local fair. I have always enjoyed arts and crafting, including designing and making the costumes I wear to attend my favorite comic conventions. These are just some of the interests that drew me and my future husband together. After highschool, I started working at the local Cineplex theatre where I met a young woman by the name of Eliane. Little did I know that this would be the same person who would one day introduce me to the man I would call my husband. The peanut-butter to my jelly, you might say…
How we met... The first time we met was brief. While Eliane had her friends over for a girls' movie night, that night's feature being Pacific Rim; Matt was returning from a weekend trip at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle. Coming home Matt found his room had been taken over by the girls, so with a sigh, he resigned himself to his computer room for entertainment. Not long after he had come in, Eliane had left the movie to care for her young child, Dominic. In her absence, she had apparently gone to Matt to ask him if he'd be interested in going out on a date with her friend, Alicia. He must have said 'yes', because a few days later Alicia received her first text from him... Our First Date... They say things never go according to plan, that there are always a few bumps in the road; and so it all started with a text. A two-part message that sends the second half of the message first is what Alicia first received. Who was this texting her? What did they mean 'or Wednesday could work too'? It took some sorting out, but we finally settled on the night of September 3rd as their first date. Like a true gentleman, Matt drove to Alicia's house, met with her father, and took Alicia to Moxie's for dessert and drinks. It was a pleasant enough evening with light conversation, sharing their interests and a few good laughs before he took her home. Things went well enough that it led to a second date soon after, then a third... What the year has been like... The first time Alicia really got to meet Matt's family was Christmas 2014, on a family trip to a cabin near Mt. Baker. On this trip, it was the duty of each couple to cook a meal over the weekend. We chose breakfast. Saturday morning, we rose early and began the task of making eggnog crepes for the whole cabin. With assorted cream cheese spreads, hot cinnamon sauce and a mixed berry puree, the two of us easily had the best meal all weekend. Afterwards, we spent the rest of the weekend playing games like Killer Bunnies, and other such amusing board games. This was just the beginning of more exciting weekends and vacations to come! The following year, Matt's youngest sister, Elycia, was proposed to at the top of the first peak of the Chief in B.C. We had the pleasure of being witness to this, the most amazing events, in this young woman's life. So Alicia got to experience her first real grueling hike , which she expected to be more like a walk in the woods. Was she sore afterwards? More than ever! However, it was because of Matt's encouragement every step of the way and always by her side that Alicia was able to make it to the top. She proved herself a trooper and conquered that mountain! And then Matt told her they 'had to go back down'... Soon after, Elycia and her future husband, Erik, planned to marry on the Big Island of Hawaii - the same island Matt and his family had grown up on. This was a very exciting vacation where Matt would be able to show Alicia where he had spent his childhood on their first real vacation together. Having never been to Hawaii before, Alicia was ready to pack in the most excitement possible in the two weeks they would be there. They took a tour down 110ft below the sea and then 14,000ft above sea level to the top of Mt. Mauna Kea where they peered into the depths of space at stars thousands of lightyears away. We hiked for a day around the island's most active volcano becoming soaked and cold. We went to a nearby souvenir shop and purchased matching sweaters before going to a nice romantic dinner at the volcano's restaurant. As night began to fall, we drove to the summit to see the red hot glow of the lava flow. Alicia and Matt grew very close over that trip, making new memories that will never be forgotten. There is so much to share about Hawaii we could not possibly write them all down. Feel free to ask us all about our amazing journey to the Big Island, as we would love to talk about it. These are but some of the highlights of our year as a couple. We've been jet-skiing in Osoyoos, geeking out at the Fan Expo in Vancouver, and spent a day wandering about in Whistler Village. We are the Peanut Butter and Jelly combo in the sandwich of life. As our love grows, so will our relationship with one another. What is next in our future... Our future has not been written yet. No one's has. Our future is what we make of it, and we'll make it a good one! Promise!