We met in January 2019 thanks to a well-timed swipe on Tinder—and we’ve been laughing ever since. Our first date started at Buffalo Wild Wings and ended with line dancing at 54 Country. From the start, something just clicked. Rick says his first thought was that Alex seemed like someone who knew where she was going in life—and that she was hilarious. Alex immediately noticed how smart, thoughtful, and quietly funny Rick was. That night turned into a second date a week later, and before long, we were completely inseparable. Even though we lived an hour apart, we made it work with late-night drives, phone calls, and way too many half-packed overnight bags. In August 2020, we moved in together and brought our lives under one roof—just in time for Rick to begin his chemical engineering journey at Mizzou. That same year, we added a new little love to our life: our puppy, Lily. She quickly became the center of our world (and still thinks she’s the star of the show). In 2023, Alex started dental hygiene school in Carbondale, IL, and in 2024, Rick graduated and moved to Houston, TX to begin his new career. Even though we found ourselves in another long-distance chapter again, we knew this time we would have deeper roots, and an even stronger connection. Then, in February 2025, in the quiet comfort of our Houston kitchen—just the three of us, Alex, Rick, and Lily—he asked, and she said yes. Now we’re counting down the days until we say “I do,” after years of growing, learning, and loving together. We’re not sure where life will take us next after Alex’s graduation in 2026—but wherever it is, we’ll go hand in hand, with Lily close behind.