August 2016: Our story began on the second day of Roosevelt Show Choir Camp. Rezin, then a freshman, finally got the nerve to ask me about the "WWJD" bracelet I was wearing, mistakenly thinking I was also a freshman. In the days that followed, we Snapchatted almost every day, and as we started the new school year, Rezin began eating lunch with my friend group in the choir room. October 2016: After attending many swim meets that fall, and Rezin eating lunch with us every day, we all finally made plans to hang out outside of school. We watched New Girl and walked around looking at the fall leaves. Rezin loves to refer to this as maybe the most pivotal day. The first of many adventures together. January 2017 It took a few "Nos," but Rezin finally got me to say yes to a date on January 13th, 2017. We went out for Mexican food and drove around while it was pouring down rain. It felt like Taylor Swift’s song, "Fearless," come to life. 2017-2018: Over the next year and a half, we spent a lot of time with our families and each other. We drove around, went to show choir competitions, watched movies, supported each other at our sports events, played Skipbo, and sang together in Matins (the youth choir at Plymouth). June 2018: As I was getting ready to go to college and Rezin was about to start his junior year of high school, we, Rezin, decided it was time for a break. And I’ll be forever thankful that he made that decision for us. We were at really different stages of life and needed some time to figure things out on our own. We spent the next three years growing, changing, and learning a lot about ourselves. January 2021: One random day in January, Rezin messaged me and asked if I wanted to get together. We talked and caught up, and even though we had both changed, it felt like no time had passed. Being with each other was easy. I had a job lined up at a summer camp and asked Rezin if he'd be willing to wait for us to get back together. We talked every day, called each other, hung out when time allowed, and just enjoyed being in each other's lives again. August 2021: The same day camp ended, I drove home, and met Rezin in the Roosevelt parking lot, where it all began. He had drawn a whole chalk path showing our timeline, and it ended with him asking me to be his girlfriend. 2021-2024: For the next three years, we had a great time together and with our families again. It felt natural and easy. Rezin came to my golf meets and football games, and I loved driving home to watch his siblings in their activities. We went to church with my family every week and would talk about the sermon on the drive home, sharing what we liked, didn't like, and any questions we had. We took the Alpha course and kept growing in our faith together, which is something I hope we continue to do. I finished college and started teaching, and Rezin continued working towards becoming a lawyer. We just did life together. June 2024: Every month since our first one back together in August, we've planned special dates, taking turns surprising each other with fun things to do and new places to eat. On June 21st, Rezin planned the most special date. A trip to the Iowa Arboretum. Filled with swapping paintings, a picnic, a secret photographer, a ring, and my favorite question ever. I am so thankful for that question that started it all in 2016. For every single moment in between that got us here. For the time we took to find ourselves and for the people in our lives who have supported us through it all. We can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together, learning, growing, and loving each other through everything.