We're getting married!

Once upon a time in Hawai'i, there lived a young Navy sailor and a young woman. One seemingly normal night, the young sailor and a few of his shipmates paid a visit to a popular local watering hole where, as fate would have it, there worked the young woman. He, somehow, made her laugh. She liked his t-shirt, as it signaled a mutual yet unusual interest - mountain trail running. She, at the prodding of her coworker, left her phone number on his receipt with a note to call her. He did, and the two were never the same. Over the months (and years) that followed, the couple was nearly inseparable. They hiked dozens of miles, surfed, did workouts and yoga, raced in the Hawaiian mountains, went camping, drank boxed wine, watched movies. Having left Hawaii and the young woman to pursue endeavors outside the Navy, the couple were unsure of their future, whether it be together or apart. Little did the two know, fate had other plans. A baby was on its way. The months to follow would prove, to say the least, difficult. The couple struggled to find their way together. They hoped the baby's arrival would draw them closer. Yet still, they struggled. The young man felt conflicted, wanting to be the man his family deserved yet feeling unprepared. The young woman felt afraid and worried for their future. As much as they tried, they could not seem to mend the damage done. Eventually, the young woman, with their baby, would leave Hawaii and seek the support of her family in Texas. Over the few years to follow, the two moved on, or so it seemed. They both worked to heal. The young man, upon finishing his degree, moved from Hawai'i to Texas to build his relationship with his son. Through co-parenting, they grew in respect for one another. This spring, he went out on a limb and asked her to coffee to "talk." That talk led to the rekindling of their affections for one another, which brings us to the present. On June 30th, 2019, Tim proposed to Ashley, and she said yes!