Tyler and I first starting talking on his birthday seven years ago. I had moved back home after finishing undergraduate school at Central Michigan University and Tyler was currently finishing his degree at Grand Valley State University. Tyler took me on our first date in downtown Grand Rapids and it was an immediate connection. We explored the city, ate great food, and laughed until the sun went down. I was accepted into veterinary school and was leaving the country only eight months after we had met. We spent one full semester in a long distance relationship, until Tyler left everything in the United States and moved down to St. Kitts and Nevis. We had experiences and adventures that would last a lifetime and adopted animals that accompanied us back to the United States. We then moved to Manhattan, Kansas to finish veterinary school while Tyler pursued a career in sales and finally landed in a city we now call home, Raleigh, North Carolina. We have adopted six animals on our journey, and have fostered too many to count. We have supported each other through many moves, career changes, and difficult obstacles that have only made us stronger as a couple today. We are greatly looking forward to the next step as husband and wife, and celebrating with our loved ones who were our biggest fans and supporters.