When I (Katie) was a junior in high school, I went to prom with Justin's best friend (@Tanner Ming). I remember being drawn to Justin. He was peppering me with questions, trying to make me feel included. Anytime I saw him after that night, I was always aware of where he was in the room and who he was talking with. A few weeks later, Justin graduated and headed off to GCU. The following summer, we reconnected at a mutual friends graduation party. Summer of 2016 was mostly spent with each other, eating food and playing tennis. We would hang out whenever we had the chance. If friends were getting together, we made sure to invite each other just so we could be in the same place for an hour or two. After three months of making every excuse to spend time together, on August 17th, 2016, we told each other how we felt. Then we kissed! We had a sweet conversation about the state of our relationship and decided to give long-distance a shot. For the next four years, we would be over 500 miles away from each other. So much time was spent watching shows with each other over facetime and (sooo) many dollars were spent on flights to and from California and Arizona. Those four years tested us and strengthened our communication, grew our trust in one another, and taught us how to love one another well. Through it all there was one inevitably beautiful outcome. As Katie was ending her time in SLO, I (Justin) was getting more and more excited for our future together. During the lockdowns of 2020, I approached her parents, praying they would give me their blessing to marry their daughter. And in the garage of her childhood home on Bridgewater Drive, I got that blessing. Plans were quickly formed, and a fake roommate graduation photoshoot was planned. As I heard her walking up Terrace Hill, I couldn’t help but smile and be thankful for the situation I had found myself in, asking Katelyn Marie Book to marry me. She said yes! We can't wait to build a life together.