I met Kolin my freshman year of high school, and we quickly became great friends. Through the years our friendship grew, and by the time our junior year came around, we were both single and began talking every day as friends. I didn't think much of the growing friendship, until I was talking to my friend Katy, who pointed out that every time he texted me I would get a huge smile on my face. 

Over the next couple of weeks, I began to notice more and more things I really liked about Kolin: his kindness, the way he treated others, his sense of humor, his consistency and loyalty. His faith was so strong and he always made me feel safe and comfortable.
There was a school dance coming up, SHMORP. This is where the girls ask the guys, and so I asked Kolin to go with me, just as friends of course.

I continued to confide in Katy, who at the time was acting as Kolin’s Wingman. This I was not aware of. She told me that “Unless you royally mess this up, you guys will end up dating”.

SHMORP arrived and Kolin and I had an incredible time together. At the end of the night while we were sitting in his truck, I finally told him that I like him. He said he liked me back. What a relief! He then stated that he wanted to sit down and have a talk with my dad asking for his permission to date me. After a two-hour conversation, my dad was more than impressed and gave him his blessing. The next day Kolin asked me to be his girlfriend and the rest is history.


I met Abby freshman year of high school but did not get to know her until sophomore year when we had the same Honors Chemistry class. In Chemistry we ended up sitting near each other and occasionally would chat. Throughout the course of the semester we built the basis of a friendship. Abby was in another relationship at this point so I had no interest in pursuing her but was happy with the friendship we were building.


At the beginning of junior year I had built up a small friend group that included Abby. We spent a lot of time hanging out and playing tennis and around new years I confessed to my other friends that I had a crush on Abby, who was no longer in a relationship.


At this point Abby and I were talking everyday after school, playing tennis together, and texting most nights about school work. This was one of the happiest times in highschool for me. In February our school held a SHMORP (girls ask guys backwards prom) and Abby asked me to the dance. Neither of us would admit it to each other but we both knew we liked each other.
Through a miscommunication our outfits for the dance were several shades off from each other and is a running joke to this day. I had a fantastic night with Abby at the dance. After the dance we went to In-n-Out (school tradition) to meet up with our friends. Before getting out of my truck Abby told me that she liked me which made me get flustered, but after a few seconds I told her that I liked her too. I told her that I wanted to talk to her dad before we started dating.


About a week later I met up with Bill (her dad) at Arbys and we talked for two hours just getting to know each other, during this time the song Rude by Magic! came on which made me laugh as I was about to ask Bill for his permission to date Abby. He gave me his blessing and the next day I asked Abby to be my girlfriend; 4 years later I asked her to be my wife.