To Murphy & beyond!

It all began with a swipe on Tinder, Tinder of all places, in August of 2020. He swiped right first—and then left me waiting in his inbox for three days. (In his defense, he was in the middle of moving!) But once we started talking, we never stopped. For two weeks, we exchanged long messages, deep conversations, and late-night FaceTime's before finally going on our first date. I was immediately drawn to his big green eyes and that beard I still love today. He couldn’t believe that he found someone beautiful, smart AND funny! Goes to say, he thought I was catfishing him at first. Ha! Eight months later, we bought our first home together. And just after closing on our home, we found out our greatest adventure was about to begin -we were expecting a baby. Our daughter, Mila, came into our lives in December of 2021, and brought with her a love unlike anything we’d ever known. From the start, there was something real between us -something worth showing up for, investing in, and building with care. Our love has grown stronger through intention and effort. We’ve built this relationship day by day -with laughter, honesty, patience, and grace. We’ve grown not only in love, but within ourselves and alongside one another. On March 29, 2024, he asked me to marry him. That evening, we went out for dinner at Steak & Bourbon. He was extra smiley and glued to his phone more than usual, even joking that he’d propose to me in front of the whole restaurant—not knowing the ring had been in his pocket the entire time. While we were out, his best friend Brandon and his wife Shelby were in our home, decorating it for the proposal. When we got back, he rushed inside. I remember thinking, dang, he must really need to poop… there go the next 30 minutes of him on his phone in the bathroom. Hehehe! I let Lou Lou outside, and when I turned back around, I saw candlelight peeking from the hallway. I gasped. Slowly, I walked around the corner… and there he was, on one knee. I cried. He cried. It was everything I wanted: something intimate, something thoughtful, and just the two of us. Afterwards, he told me why he chose that exact spot. When we were painting the house, we pressed our thumbs into the wall in the shape of a heart -his idea!! Who says love is dead? lol It was right beneath my vanity, the very place where he kneeled to propose. He chose rose gold balloons because I love rose gold, and my rings are rose gold. He had printed out photos of us and arranged carnations, my favorite flower, in the shape of a heart on our bed. It’s the little things… the thought, the meaning, the details -that made that night feel like the most genuine expression of love. I said yes, without hesitation, to the love of my life, the family we’ve built, and the adventure still ahead.