Our love story began back in 2011. Chelsey graduated from high school and started her college career by going to State Fair Community College in Sedalia, MO. Chelsey went to the campus to get a parking pass before classes started and while she was there she saw Jackson. Well later on, we ended up on myyearbook together and Jackson sent Chelsey a message saying “hey your cute” and she responded back with “hey your pretty cute yourself” and from then on we started talking & texting. I eventually went to meet up with him again after. I went to his house. We sat on the front porch and talked for a while. His parents then came home & he introduced me to them. I told him “your parents look so familiar” with me growing up military I thought maybe we were stationed with them somewhere. Nope that wasn’t the case, come to found out my brother Brad & Jackson’s brother Austin played on a traveling baseball team together where Jackson’s dad, Mel was one of the coaches-hence why he looked so familiar! Jackson & I never ran into each other at the baseball games-as I stayed & watched the game and he was off running around. We continued to hang out the rest of that day. On June 15, 2011 I get a Facebook friend request from Jackson and I accepted. Shortly after, I get a relationship request from him. This is how he asked me to be his girlfriend. This is where our relationship began. Our relationship has been put to the test on many occasions but one thing remained the same, our love for each other. We definitely have had some tough conversations and had to work through things but we did it together. After 7 years together, we decided to move in together. We were told this will either make you or break you. Well it almost broke us, but we fought hard to keep our relationship going. It took work & hard conversations, but we did make it. We knew we wanted to be with each other. On September 13, 2024 after 13 years together, Jackson finally asked me to marry him during game night with our friends! (See the proposal story for more details!) Now we will get married after 15 years together as our dating anniversary is June 15, 2011 & we cannot wait for our next adventure together.

We had plans with our friends, Katie & Greg for game night after work. It was a Friday night, so nothing better than hanging with our friends to play games. We headed over to their house and while in the car ride, Jackson & I were banter back & forth like we usually do. I believe I even said I would pull over to drop him off on the side of the road! Once we got to Katie & Greg’s, we got settled had dinner then got into playing games. We started by playing Cards Against Humanity! We did a couple rounds and I got a handwritten card that said “what is guaranteed to ruin game night” Katie, Greg & Jackson then all gave me their answers. I read off their responses, one being “a marriage proposal” and I said that would definitely not ruin game night but Jackson said it would as that would be the focus of game night now. Little did I know, this was leading into him asking me to marry him! Jackson then said “ but babe before you pick come here” he grabbed my hand & got up. He had written out what he wanted to say & read it to me, he then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!! I of course said yes! I was in complete shock & could not believe it FINALLY happened! Jackson really surprised me with the proposal & a day I’ll never forget. It was something we do often by hanging out with friends so I had no clue he was planning on asking me!