Our Story

In January 2019, Cassie flew from her home in California to Arizona to spend quality time with Levi, bridging the 700-mile gap between them. The chemistry they shared in person was undeniable.

 

Their first date was at a little pub right by the apartment Levi shared with his sister. Levi's 23rd birthday was the following day, and he wanted to make it special for Cassie. He took her to Burst of Butterflies, a delightful local pottery shop in Chandler where they admired beautifully crafted pottery and got their hands dirty creating their own masterpieces on the potter's wheel. Cassie was thrilled as she has always had a soft spot for arts and crafts, especially ceramics. The rest of the trip was spent exploring the quaint local shops, discovering that Piology was a pizza place, not a place for sweet treats, and indulging in a Harry Potter movie marathon.

 

Cassie returned to Arizona a few weeks later for a romantic Valentine's Day weekend. Subsequently, Levi reciprocated the gesture by flying to California to immerse himself in Cassie's life, gaining insight into her desire to leave California. Cassie couldn't stop working, so he accompanied her on morning dog walking adventures, a few shifts at the ceramic studio she worked at, as well as the teaching institute where Cassie was the receptionist in the evenings. After work, they were able to visit local food joints and hang out with Cassie's friends. One of the days, Cassie, Levi, and Cassie's father went to Half Moon Bay and walked the shores of San Gregorio Beach and Martins Beach.

 

The charm of Arizona grew stronger for Cassie, prompting her to explore the idea of relocating. Was it the state's calming influence or the joy of being with Levi that drew her there? The answer remains a mystery.

 

In the summer of 2019, Levi's family graciously invited Cassie to accompany them on a vacation to St. Louis, Missouri. During their trip, they immersed themselves in the city's culture, visiting iconic landmarks, attending a thrilling baseball game, exploring the Budweiser brewery, and creating cherished memories together. Cassie felt an overwhelming sense of acceptance and belonging as she spent time with Levi's family, even though she and Levi had only been together for a little over 7 months.

 

In July 2019, Cassie began considering a move to Arizona, and she embarked on a journey with her father and late dog, Serabi, to explore potential apartments. A few months later, Levi flew to California and drove with Cassie to Arizona, accompanied by her new puppy, Shenzi, her grandmother, Karyl, and a menagerie of animals and belongings.

 

On September 1st, 2019, Cassie excitedly received the keys to her first apartment, marking a significant milestone in her life and their relationship. Little did they know, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic were looming on the horizon. Despite the unexpected trials, their love and commitment only grew stronger.

 

Right before major shutdowns, in March 2020, Levi and Cassie embarked on a weekend trip to his hometown, Bloomfield, New Mexico. There, Levi showed Cassie around his hometown and the local areas he loved. They went to a local shooting range where they spread a few of Serabi's ashes at the top of one of the beautiful hills. Levi and Cassie also made their way up to Durango, Colorado to spend some time exploring the sights up there while also seeing a little snow. Before their treck back to Arizona, the Lewellen's took Cassie out to another local shooting range. While they had a good time shooting targets, Cassie gathered the shell casings to craft with later and took some photos of the area around them. Right as they returned to Arizona, all state boarders were closed and Arizona was on a state lock down alone with most other states.

 

Levi's sister, Ashley, had decided to move back to Bloomfield, NM while Levi was left with a difficult decision. Stay in Arizona with Cassie, or go back to his home town with his family. In May 2020, Levi decided to move in with Cassie, solidifying their bond even further.

 

Since then, the couple has embarked on multiple housing relocations, and their animal family has expanded significantly. When Cassie moved to Arizona she had one puppy, a rabbit, and two crested geckos. Levi had acquired a crested gecko of his own from Cassie's bestie, Sita, and he already had two Australian White Tree frogs. Cassie gifted Levi a leopard gecko her first Christmas in Arizona, while she also purchased two additional crested geckos around the same time. Their second dog, Koda, was a stray found in a rural area of Arizona in June 2020. They acquired a toad, Trevor, who was about to be killed by some frat boys outside of a Red Lobster after one of their date nights. They thought that was the end to their madness, but Cassie and Levi have huge hearts for little and big creatures. Alas, they rescued another rabbit in April, 2021. Then they found out that the two crested geckos Cassie had gotten from Petco were opposite genders and now sexually mature and had mated creating more crested geckos! In November, 2022 we welcomed a Ball Python, Lupin, to the family! BUT WHAT IS ONE MORE CRESTED GECKO!? In January 2023, we adopted yet another beautiful crested gecko and ANOTHER big canine fluff ball, Sam! In November 2023, Cassie and Levi made the leap to a beautiful 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in Chandler, Arizona, where they could create a cozy haven for their growing animal family. In the first year living in the house, they welcomed another frog and a cat, Binx,  into their loving home on top of the 3 dogs, 2 rabbits, 13 geckos, and 3 frogs. Now THAT is a full house.

 

As their lives became more intertwined and their love grew stronger, Levi made a heartwarming move by asking Cassie the big question on her birthday, November 9th, 2024. This marked the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in their extraordinary love story.