Well, you see, when they were around the age of eight (yes, 8) this guy named Dylan (aka the Best Man) brought a friend over to the plot of land where Alex's parents were building their house. This friend's name was Cody and the two of them brought toy guns on the journey. Well, long story short (and because the story is something only Cody remembers), Alex and her sister Savannah took these guns, ran away, and hid them. BOOM! LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP! Alex and Cody always bantered. Picking fights and battling it out in a game of wits, and even occasionally agreeing on certain topics.

The two were at a New Year's Eve Party and as the time ticked closer to midnight the question of who is going to be my New Year's kiss arose in Cody's mind. After asking Alex and getting a "No", and then attempting the kiss anyway and getting another rejection, they talked into the night, and into the next day, and decided to give it a try. With Alex working up in Gainesville, the two traveled back and forth. A weekend in Gainesville here and there. Valentine's Day in Jupiter, climbing up the lighthouse steps and a bonfire at Mitchell and Heather's. After discussions and realizing what he truly wanted to do, Cody enlisted as an active duty Cavalry Scout in the Army. They wrote letters back and forth, some with pictures, others with poems, but always with words that helped the other get through.

Cody's assignment after basic took him into the Pacific, to the island of Oahu (part of the island chain making up the state of Hawaii). Although the beach is beautiful, Cody spent most of his off-time in the mountains. He informed Alex of these hikes, their beauty and their difficulty. A few of these hikes, one in particular, were described as "really tough" and when Alex said she wanted to try Cody explained, "ok, but it's really rough. Don't feel bad if you can't make it." If you know Alex at all, challenge accepted flashed through her mind. And so, Alex traveled to Hawaii a couple days after Christmas. December 31st, 2015, they made their way to Pali Lookout. They pulled into the parking lot for the Nuuanu Pali Lookout, the site of the Battle of Nuuanu, where in 1795 King Kamehameha I won the struggle that finally united Oahu under his rule. It's your typical overlook, however, there's a trail marked by a sign that says, "Do not go beyond this point." So ,of course, this was the trail they would take. The trail took them through the jungle, along cliffs, and up ropes, all while getting muddy and sweaty. When they reached the point at which the mountain seemed to say "Stop, turn back now" with an enormous rock face and a beautiful view that could be seen through a hole in the mountain itself, they paused, drank some water and Gatorade and watched as people returned back down the mountain side. Then Cody said, "Alright, this is where people turn around and go back, but we're going to go further. Through more jungle and more mud, up more ropes, and holding onto trees. Just the two of them. They reached another peak in the mountain range and dang was it gorgeous! With about five feet of ledge to sit on! As Alex started to turn on her phone for pictures, Cody leaned in for a kiss while he also rummaged through his backpack. Alex's "What are you doing?" was answered with a box opening and Cody asking, "Marry me, baby?"