We were introduced by mutual friends, Matthew, who serves in the Army, and Brandie, who resides in Tennessee. Matthew learned about Brandie through his friend's wife while watching a football game, who happened to be Brandie's high school classmate. Initially, our interaction was limited to friendly text exchanges, which eventually led to a visit to Colorado, where Matthew was stationed. During her trip, we enjoyed our first official date at the ice castles. One visit seamlessly flowed into another, and we found ourselves "just winging it." On February 2, 2024, Matthew finally expressed his love for Brandie, marking the beginning of our official relationship. Sadly, much of our time together as a couple was spent apart due to Matthew's deployment. However, we persevered through countless Facetime calls during those challenging nine months. It was in December 2024 that Matthew proposed to Brandie, asking for her hand in marriage