Netti and I were high school athletes, and our paths brought us to Murray State University on athletic scholarships. Even though we were a couple of years apart, it wasn't uncommon for track and football practices to be going on simultaneously. Often we were both in the athletic training room doing either prehab or rehab, and I was a hard guy to miss with how loud and extraverted I was. We also occasionally ate at the same table with other athletes in the Winslow Dining hall. Fast forward to my second senior year, I had hung up my football cleats. Outside of casual interactions on campus, Netti and I hadn't really hung out intentionally. One night in the fall of 2020 God brought us together through a mutual friend hosting dinner and a game night. Netti needed a ride home, and I had the wheels. The drive was short and we felt a connection, so we continued our conversation at the Newman House Campus Ministry, where we stayed up sharing how God had moved in our lives. Following that night, I intentionally sought to spend time with Netti. It was my last semester and I realized that asking someone out a couple of months before moving away would have some real consequences. But after praying about it, I decided that I would rather shoot my shot than wonder for the rest of my life, what if? For the next couple of months we spent time watching movies together, enjoying the outdoors, and going on drives. We quickly became good friends. Eventually after watching a movie one night I asked her out on a date ... she said no, but I was not convinced. So, the next day we went golfing where Netti read Descartes in the golf cart while I played around on the course. After letting her think about what she's missing out on for a couple of weeks, I eventually gave her a second chance, and she accepted the opportunity ;) We had our first date at August Moon (a Chinese buffet)... how romantic! This was followed by many others, and then I graduated and moved back to Saint Louis. We dated long distance for about a year, which was not easy. Netti made the decision to move to Saint Louis in the summer of '22, and dating and discernment became a lot easier. After a year and half dating in Saint Louis, I popped the question during a weekend getaway at Hawn State Park in December of '23.