NYC Reunion

5/15/2023

Logan and Nina have arrived! For those of you who don’t know these names, they are some of our best friends. In fact, they are the reason Ellen and I are together.

Today, Nina will be providing an update on El. Following today’s update is a little more on how El and I met.  
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Hello Everyone,

After the rollercoaster of a week since May 7^th, Logan and I arrived in Utah on Sunday to visit our joyful and resilient friends, Ellen and Jacob.

Major highlights since May 14^th:

- During her afternoon PT session, Ellen said “Claire” when asked to say her sister’s name. Ever the people pleaser, and frankly an incredibly hard choice, she did not answer when asked who her favorite brother is.

- When we arrived, Ellen opened her eyes for ten minutes, the longest she has done to date. A truly remarkable feat. A comforting hello after a week of uncertainty from afar.

- Ellen has been restless the past 24 hours and wanting to move. “A wiggly worm” Jacob calls her.  These stretches and movements are a sign of her brain figuring out how the legs and arms work. And my own projection, she’s dreaming of being on a run.

Ellen and I have constant conversations on the balance of saying yes to things and building boundaries to say no. Ellen is definitively a yes person. You don’t build the community she has in Kent, New York, Los Angeles, Ashland, Salt Lake City and everywhere in between without that. While I would really like her to continue to be her good old yes self (yes to telling us when and where she is in pain, yes to waking up and talking through miniscule and existential dilemmas, yes to going on that training run even though she has 74 other things she needs to get done but wants to make time for her friend), realistically I know there are going to be no days.

My hope for Ellen in these coming days/weeks/months is that she finds the balance of when to say no, this is my limit, and we’ll pick back up again tomorrow. My hope is that all of us as her friends and family will see each day that she says yes AND no as a sign of her strength and resilience. And slowly but surely, we’ll be doing those training runs and figuring out life together again very soon.

Logan and I are so grateful for this time with Ellen, Jacob, the Freeborns, and other friends arriving this week. We remain hopeful for all that is to come.

Love,
Nina

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As El progresses, we remain hopeful. Every day is a miracle. Her love and joy is contagious, and we appreciate the support surrounding her on this journey.

Here is our love story from our wedding website:

In telling our love story, it is almost impossible to separate the fairytale from the facts, the dreams from the realities, and the crazy from the insane. The best we can do is write the hallmark movie script (spoiler alert – happy ending!!). It didn’t always make sense, and some of it still doesn’t… but that’s what falling in love is all about.

In 2016 Jacob was on a road trip - stopping in NYC to visit Logan and Nina Emser, lifelong friends living in Brooklyn… you know, a city with a few million strangers. It was a normal day in the city: bagels for breakfast, a nice walk to the park, sunshine and good vibes. The introduction was smooth. She came strolling into frame. A friend of the Emser’s - Miss Ellen Freeborn, wanted to meet the “Ohio friends”. There was an immediate curiosity… who is this boy? Clearly in need of a shower and a haircut. And who was this girl… Bubbling with excitement to throw a Frisbee and climb a tree?

Jacob: She was so herself - I loved it. As a god-fearing young man, I wanted to be polite - and help this young woman climb a tree… but in the kindest way possible, her upper body strength was not helping the situation, and my hand placement options were somewhat limited… or at least they seemed very forward for a first encounter. We did not climb a tree that day, but we spent plenty of time laughing and trying.

Ellen: For me, the day started with an assortment of donuts, so that could explain the bubbling excitement. :) I remember standing next to Jacob while tossing the frisbee - which is one of my favorite pass-times, although I still can’t throw much further than 10 feet in front of me (*see upper body strength note above). We talked the whole time- about our careers, our faiths, our love for the outdoors, etc. I remember feeling really comfortable around him right away - sensing his kindness matched with creativity and curiosity. I also remember truly laughing more than I ever had with a stranger. I felt like my quirkiness and his wittiness just clicked. I can only imagine what the rest of our friends were thinking when they witnessed the tree-climbing attempt, but it didn’t really matter because I was having the best day ever with a new friend.

Over the years, infrequent trips to NYC always included an afternoon with Ellen. Short passes through the Midwest always made a detour for the one and only Jacob Moss. A true friendship formed. We shared music, funny stories, running goals, climbing dreams… the distance seemed unrealistic for a serious relationship – but it was clear we both shared a special appreciation for the friendship of the other. We were both unicorns, appearing at the most convenient times – bringing a spark of joy and an acquainted bliss to each other’s lives.

Jacob: She was (and still is), so cool. I was immediately able to be myself. Seeing as we both loved many of the same things, I was so stoked and… confused? … Did I just find the one? In an absolute leap of confidence, I remember a funny and special Uber Share ride with Ellen on the way to Thanksgiving Dinner on a visit to NYC. Another couple entered the car and quickly shared that they were celebrating their 5-year anniversary! Without skipping a beat, I grabbed Ellen’s hand and proudly declared that we too were celebrating our 1-year…this was my second time back in NYC with Ellen… I leaned over and kissed her… People clapped, Ellen rolled her eyes and did her very cute nervous giggle. Classic Moss.

Ellen: I remember calling my brother the day after and saying “I know this sounds crazy, but I think I could actually marry this person” I quickly caught myself (unwilling to be seen as a sappy romantic) and changed to ... “or, someone exactly like him” … I think in the back of my head, I knew it had to be Jacob Moss. For years after, my family and friends referred to him as “Ohio boy”. I was drawn to his confidence and silliness, and how easy it was to have a great time together. It was clear that we both felt comfortable being our weird selves with each other.

Ellen was off to Japan. Jacob was starting Grad School. Ellen moved to LA. Jacob was settling into a new job. The saga continued.

After years of orbiting, we finally decided to go for it! Ellen was back in the Midwest for Christmas. In standard fashion, Ellen arranged a half-marathon meet-up on December 31st of 2020. This run re-sparked the slow simmer that had been present all these years. A few months later, Jacob planned a trip to visit his “friend” Ellen in Ventura. On March 8^th 2021, we finally became official - so cute.

Ellen: By the time we started dating, we were pretty much tired of the distance between us. So, in September 2021, I made the decision to work remotely and move back to the good ole' Midwest. We packed up my little blue Jetta and drove across the country together - a sure-fire way to make sure you're compatible with someone. ;) A month later, he proposed back in the park where we first met. Knowing Jacob's jokes and silliness all too well, my immediate reaction was "Are you kidding me??" and then quickly followed with an emphatic "YES!" We don't know what the future holds for us, but we are so excited to experience it all together!

Jacob: I knew she was the one, and I knew that the ups and downs we weathered made us incredibly strong as a couple. We were simultaneously eager and patient, hopeless romantics - yet incredibly certain, and both ready to enjoy life more with the other at our side. <3