Meeting each other wasn't anything like the movies; in fact, we don't even remember first meeting! It was in the early 2000's when our dads were playing volleyball together that we first met each other. I was more concerned about playing in the sand while John was riding on the bmx track at Critter's bar. We barely noticed each other! As we got older, John began playing volleyball with our dads and I was playing with barbie dolls in the sand with his sister- but I was starting to pay more attention to the game. Still, neither of us really knew anything about each other. Finally when I was old enough to start playing on my dads team, John played on a different team. As the years went on, our volleyball families would meet at a volleyball tournament in Pardeeville every year. This is where we began talking and connecting through volleyball. It wasn't until I was in college that John and I really began talking, spending time together, laughing, going on adventures, and most importantly: finally playing volleyball on the same team. The chemistry we've built on the court has translated to real life. Our life. Together. Now I'm not saying everything was sunshine and rainbows; we definitely had our battles to face, hard conversations were had, and we even had to spend time apart-but we made it. We recently moved into our house and have the cutest baby boy (our dog Lambeau). Now, the next step was for John to ask my dad for his blessing. J-"The nerves I felt at 15, stepping onto the court with arguably the best volleyball player I had ever seen, didn't even compare to my feelings I had being in my 30's when I asked for his blessing. Thankfully, he said yes!" So on my golden birthday, John proposed to me in front of our friends and family. With how long we've been a part of each other's lives, nobody could have guessed that we would make it this far. We have grown so much from the days of playing in the sand. I am so excited to see what the future has in store for us. <3