We had both created Hinge dating profiles looking for love and someone to spend the rest of our lives with. Brice made the first move by sending Mackenzie a message asking if she was interested in getting to know each other. Mackenzie said yes, and we began exchanging messages on Hinge for about 24 hours before Mackenzie gave Brice her phone number. The next day, after texting nonstop and getting to know each other, Brice asked if Mackenzie was available for a date. She said absolutely, and we scheduled our first date for three days later.

Brice offered to pick Mackenzie up from her house so we could ride together to the restaurant. To some, that may be "stranger danger," but Mackenzie felt comfortable enough and agreed [but shared her location and details with a close friend who was still slightly concerned ;)]. We chose a local Mexican restaurant since we both love tacos and margaritas. Three hours flew by as we laughed and got to know one another and next thing we knew, we were the last customers in the restaurant and decided we should call it a night. Brice dropped Mackenzie off at home with a goodnight kiss (or three).

With both of us being single parents and living 40 minutes apart, our free time to see each other is challenging. We would regularly FaceTime on nights we couldn't see each other. After going on a few dates, and just before Mackenzie was scheduled to fly to Disney World with her son Jackson and friends, we were FaceTiming and Brice asked to make our relationship official. Mackenzie agreed, and asked if that meant we were boyfriend and girlfriend. Brice said yes, and we were both incredibly happy and couldn't stop smiling.

After 11 months of dating and a bit of impatience on Mackenzie's behalf, Brice finally popped the question!! Leading up to the day, we had discussed marriage on many occasions, imagined our future together, and looked at engagement rings. Based on innocent clues Brice had unknowingly given, Mackenzie was fairly certain Brice had already purchased her ring and assumed we would have been engaged by Christmas (2 months prior). However, little did Mackenzie know, Brice had picked February 3, 2024, as "the day" months in advance. The morning of, Brice told Mackenzie he wanted to try a local breakfast cafe recommended by a friend, before making our way to a nearby historical park, Carillon Park. He indicated he had scheduled a self-guided tour at the park to see the historical buildings and landmarks they had to offer. Mackenzie was immediately suspicious, but went along with it. ;) We ate brunch at The Salt Block Biscuit Company, where they specialize in massive biscuit sandwiches and other delicious goodies. We loved everything about this place! After leaving the cafe, we drove a few miles to Carillon Park for our "self-guided tour." ;) Brice was adamant about going to the furthest point in the entire park first, before working our way back towards the front. This meant walking past many of the sights/buildings along the way, which again had Mackenzie wondering what was really going on. Once we walked to the back of the property, we arrived at the Brethen Clock Tower. Brice pretty quickly suggested we walk to the top, and Mackenzie thought, "seriously?" There were 120 steps to the top, and Mackenzie was mostly concerned about Brice's knees (after his double knee surgery in March 2023), and wondered if we could make it to the top. Brice assured Mackenzie we could "do anything together that we put our minds to" and said it would be great to see the view from the top. So, we began the climb to the top. About halfway up, we were feeling a bit tired and breathless, but once we saw the marker indicating we were halfway, we pushed to the top together. We rounded the last corner of the stairs, where Mackenzie's friend Sierra was waiting for them, recording us with her phone's camera. Mackenzie immediately knew what was about to happen!!! The three of us laughed and caught our breath for a moment, then Brice took Mackenzie aside and began explaining why we were there. He detailed why he chose that day, what the significance was, and how he wanted that day to be the last day we called each other boyfriend and girlfriend (insert Mackenzie sobbing). Trying to stay somewhat composed, Brice finished his proposal by kneeling and pulling out a beautiful diamond ring and asked Mackenzie to marry him. Mackenzie couldn't say "yes" quickly enough! In the days and weeks after, we immediately started planning our wedding because we knew we wanted to be married in 2024. Fast forward to now, only a few short months until our wedding day, and we can't wait to celebrate with you!