Katie and I first met back in 1st grade, but it’s the second time our paths crossed that I hold closest to my heart. After 1st grade, Katie moved to California, and I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever see her again. About a week before starting fifth grade, I was riding my bike through a park with my dad. The park was dotted with covered picnic areas, and one of them was alive with laughter and people celebrating a birthday. As I rode past, I managed to take an absolutely unforgettable spill—crashing hard right in front of the entire party. As I scrambled to my feet, a girl appeared in front of me, already lifting my bike and reaching out her hand. There was something so familiar about her, and after a moment, it hit me—it was Katie. She had come back. In that small, unexpected moment—dusty, embarrassed, and being helped up by a familiar smile—something just clicked. And from then on, the rest has felt like history unfolding exactly the way it was meant to.

I met Katie in 5th grade, shortly after I moved from Las Vegas to Colorado. I was quietly coloring on a desk when she came over trying to mess with me when neither of us knew that moment would begin a lifelong friendship. We grew up side by side: playing sports, long-boarding, snowboarding, and turning every day into an adventure. I’m so grateful for the countless memories we’ve made and even more grateful to stand by her now, as she begins this next chapter with Lehre.

Katie My Lady, Where do I even start? Thinking about our times together brings back so many memories – like our countless sleepovers with those epic water balloon fights and our hilariously bad rap songs. And I will never forget that time I spilled wine all over your Patagonia jacket, and I’m sorry, but I will always laugh about that. Plus, a fancy sushi night in Denver that led to a hilarious Broncos tailgate (hilarious for me, anyway!). I'm so proud to have been there for your college graduation and to help you plan your engagement. Seeing you find the person you want to spend forever with has been amazing, and meeting Lehre has been an honor—he’s absolutely perfect for you! Through thick and thin, we've always been there for each other. I'm so grateful for you and all the memories we've made. Here's to many more adventures and unforgettable moments in the future!

Katie and I became friends the first day of 5th grade. She snuck onto the bus with me after school and her mom had no idea where she was. Sorry mama Seja, we had to have a play date right away! One of my favorite memories of us is staying up late at night having our deep talks. She’s always listens without judgment and makes everything feel lighter even when things feel too heavy. We shared chaos, laughter, and tears. We would make our own charcuterie snacks and drink sangria and make the most out of a chill night. I am grateful for every moment I share with Katie, and now Lehre! Love you both, congrats! 💗

Dear Katie, we’ve been friends since freshman year in high school and I am so proud to call you one of my closest friends. My favorite part of our friendship is the spontaneity we bring to each other, wether it be “ let’s go to Cali” on a random Tuesday and we buy tickets right then , or “imma drive to Nebraska to visit you” and drive straight 8hrs after working to do do it, or “lets move to Hawaii” and we pull it off! Not flawlessly but without regret . I’m so glad we made all the decisions we have and that it ended up where we are today with your and Lehre perfect relationship! You guys both deserve it and I wish you the best ! Here’s to more life and more spontaneousness! 🥂

Where do I start okay, thank you for fitting right into my brother’s best other half it’s kind of the best brand of goofiness. Somehow, you’ve managed to keep up with us, which is honestly impressive. I appreciate that you always laugh at my jokes, embrace the chaos to da max, and always add on in the random conversations that make absolutely no sense to anyone else. Thank you for always accepting my souvenirs I bring back home even when it doesn’t say where I went. I’m pretty sure you’ve got the highest points by liking my cooking cause it’s actually good or because you’re just being really sweet, I’ll take the compliment either way. Most importantly, I love how much you spoil me and (convince my brother) just kidding lol, I’m so glad you chose each other. Thank you both for letting me be best aunty to Ola bear and Oakley monster. I’m so excited to officially call you my sister-in-law legally and can’t wait for all the laughs, adventures, family gatherings, and ridiculous memories we’ll continue to make all together. Welcome to the family you fit right in with our wonderful weirdness. Brother you chose good it was when yall were like “why don’t you just move in with us????????? to me and letting me live with you guys wasn’t just a place to stay it was a reminder that family shows up for each other no matter what even with my quirks, messes, and “occasional” chaos, but never ever make me feel like a burden. You guys always have my back no matter what I be talking about, and that’s something I’ll never forget. I can go on and on but that’s for another day thank you and I love you both. Can’t wait for the big day and all the memories that we’ll make ❤️

We first met freshman year when you came up to my roommate and asked if she was on the tennis team. We were together just about every day of college after that :) my favorite memories are tennis team spring break trips (🤩😂), random nights at the bar and knowing everything we do together will be a blast! Lots of love, I miss living down the street from you ❤️❤️

The first time I met Katie, I could immediately see why Lehre fell for her. She was warm, kind, and easy to talk to. She fit right in with the family, and it didn’t take long to realize she brings out the best in him. Most importantly, she makes him genuinely happy—and that’s all any family could hope for. We’re so happy to welcome her into our family.

Despite being a Cowboys fan, Lehre and I connected immediately. We were introduced through my wife and his soon-to-be wife, and from the start it just clicked. One of my favorite memories is having him stand by my side as a groomsman at my wedding — a full-circle moment that says everything about the friendship we’ve built. Can’t wait to celebrate these two and their next chapter together. ALWAYS the Brown Bear to my Lorax 🤍🌴

I always thought that young Lehre looks like Kevin of Home Alone movie. He’s a cute kid, has fair skin and slim but full of energy. He is always running here and there. It’s really hard to catch him. The fondest memory I had with him is when we celebrated his 5th or 6th birthday (can’t remember) in a mall in Dagupan together with my mom and brother. We let him play in the arcade all he wants. And this made that little boy truly happy.

My boy Lehre is such a kind, strange, spice intolerant soul. He made such an impact on my journey. The first time I met Lehre he rolled up in his big ole truck with his Oakley’s on and I thought to myself, “oh no”. Then I witnessed his driving and I thought “yep it’s confirmed, a weirdo”. But once I started to hangout with him more his kindness and humor started to come out. Lehre asked me to help him with some side projects and I saw he was incredibly handy with tools. I was thoroughly impressed with his building skills. He somehow managed not to yell at my clueless self trying my best to help. He invited us into his home and after many laughs and brutal card games he became one of my best friends.

Lehre and I first met through the Upward Bound program in Hilo as high school students, connecting through basketball. After reconnecting years later, our friendship picked up right where it left off. Today, we enjoy staying connected through pickup games, trips to the driving range, and rounds of golf whenever we can. More recently, my wife and I ran into Lehre and Kaitlin while visiting Oʻahu and spent the evening catching up over tacos, beers, and darts. We also had the opportunity to play a round at Kohanaiki together, sharing plenty of laughs and enjoying a great day on the course.

Bebeh nuts, Lahry Back in 2014, I joined the Hawaii Community College Carpentry program. On the first day I met my classmates, and I remember thinking, “Damn, there’s choke Southside hammahs from Kaʻū in this class!” That’s when I first met Lehre. Now, I don’t know if I just got used to him over the years or if he actually got better at talking, but when I first met him I could barely understand the guy. I was thinking, “This guy’s Filipino accent is mean”. Looking back now, I needed some subtitles talking to him lol. Over the next two years, we made our way through the carpentry program together. Between class, projects, and all the cruising after school, we made memories I’ll never forget. We graduated in 2016, joined the union, and somehow both ended up working for Stan’s Contracting. We went through apprenticeship together and spent years side by side in the field. Anyone who has worked construction knows exactly how it goes. There were days we laughed so hard we couldn’t breathe and there were other days when we wanted to fly our hard hats across the job site. Through all of it we always had each other’s backs. Then Stan’s slowed down and somehow we both landed at Coastal Construction. At that point we were basically human shadows, following each other from company to company. Eventually our paths split. I went back to Stan’s and Lehre bounced between White Sands and Coastal, but that never changed our friendship. Even after we stopped working together, we never stopped talking. We would still call each other just to talk story and talk smack like no time has passed. In 2024, my family and I moved to Alaska. My wife and our three daughters still live there till today. Even though we’re separated by an entire ocean, it honestly feels like we’ve never really been apart whenever we catch up. That’s the kind of friendship that’s hard to find. Lehre and I have known each other for over 12 years now. We’ve been there for each other through the highs and the lows of life both on and off the job. Through all those years, one of the biggest and best changes I’ve seen in him happened when Katie came into his life. I am stoked at how far they’ve come, well how far Lehre has come lol. I can’t wait to be apart of their big day, congratulations Lehre and Katie!