Paul and Ashley met while volunteering on a project in Lyons, CO. Ashley was the chair of a local nonprofit, and Paul was doing some pro bono architecture work for the nonprofit.

In late December of 2022, Paul and Ashley managed to cross paths more and more. First, on scene at a fire that happened downtown Lyons. Nothing more than some quick hellos and thank you’s. They were both playing their part - Paul, firefighter, and Ashley, community servant. A couple weeks later and just after the winter solstice, they met up for what they thought would be a quick pie hand-off and catch-up over coffee. They managed to close down the coffee shop after spending hours talking about the project they were working on, hobbies, interests, friends, family, their thoughts on having a family, and so on. They left that meeting with rough plans to hang out again later in the week as there were many holiday festivities to partake in. On Christmas morning, Ashley made her way up to Pinewood Springs for a hike, and Paul later went down the hill to Lyons to help Ashley make Christmas dinner for her friends who stayed in town. 

It wasn’t until the Thursday before New Year’s Eve that Ashley (with so much help from her dear friend Grace) mustered up the courage to go for it. She invited Paul to hang out on New Year’s Eve. After day of nerves and planning, they finally came to a mutual conclusion that this hang would officially be a date. 

They spent the entire day together, ending the night with dinner with friends at Mateo and their first kiss at midnight. The rest is history. They spent 2023 adventuring and doing life together. Through the ups and downs, the good and the bad, they have been an incredible team and the best of friends.