When asked what his favorite memory of us was, my love responded with a mutually favorite answer. July 4th, 2023, two lovebirds sit outside of their hotel room having the time of their life; laughing, rejoicing, loving each other. An hour or so later, once back in their hotel room, they notice Alex's phone is nowhere to be found. Serena hops on her iPhone to check his location (kept for safety reasons) and sees the phone is moving near a gas station almost 15 minutes away! After debating on what to do, they decide to hop in his car and follow the driver (what were we thinking?!). We get to the location and drive past a man who looked really *sketchy*. After another debate, we decided to call the local police. To wrap up the story, they show up, get his phone back (as well as some other things, too) and that was the moment that we knew, that no matter what absolutely absurd thing life throws at us, we will always figure it out. Together.

It's hard for me to choose a favorite memory with Alex, because every single day I am with him, I feel more and more confident in the decision I made to be his wife. However, one of my favorite memories was a trip I made to see him in North Carolina that was really, really special. The night before my departure from Colorado Springs, I decided to get dolled up to see him the following day. Nails done, lashes done, and even a spray tan (I looked great, too). As I am strutting my stuff out of the building, I open a text message from him, and without noticing...trip and fall on an unseen brick, leaving my foot sprained! I immediately shout and lay on the ground (yeah, it's okay to laugh about it now...) and call Alex. I'm obviously crying, saying "I fell and hurt myself! I don't think I can come tomorrow!" To which he replies something to the effective, "oh, yes you are!". Fast forward to the next day, here I am sitting on a plane to go across the country to see him. And as much as I want to say I wasn't in the best of moods.. deep down, the pain in my foot was nowhere near as strong as the excitement I had to see him. Unless you've done long distance, you don't truly understand how special time is with your partner. I will never forget those moments. We had one of the best times I ever had on that trip. Whether it was brunch dates, late-night ice cream retreats, or scrabble games, he made that trip so happy for me. He is and always will be the most tender soul I have ever known.