It all began on December 12, 2023, when we first met at our church’s small group. We immediately hit it off, but mostly because Kiley wouldn’t leave me alone and asked me every question she could think of, her intentionality at it's finest. Two weeks later, I asked Kiley out. The craziest thing happened… she said no! But instead of that being the end of our story, it became the foundation of one of the most important friendships of my life. Over the next few months, we grew closer, spent time together, and even traveled to the middle east on a mission trip. That trip changed everything – our friendship grew stronger, deeper, and more natural than ever. Soon, I found myself showing up anywhere Kiley was. (Honestly, the only reason I started playing pickleball was because she was there.) Group settings slowly gave way to just the two of us, which Kiley jokingly calls the “not-dating phase.” But on October 17, 2024, I accidentally let it slip—I was in love with her. A whole month before we were even officially dating. Thank goodness I didn’t have to wait too long for her to return those words —only four months! Too be fair, I had a head start. The day after my birthday in November 2024, we finally made it official. Our “first date” depends on who you ask. Technically it was Shogun after church, but only because everyone else that we invited couldn’t make it. She likes to say it was Preacher’s Son, a fancy dinner spot in downtown Bentonville, so I might let her have that one. In true Kiley fashion, she decided to finally start dating me one week AFTER finding out she’d have to move out of state for work. That meant our relationship began with one amazing month together, followed by my second middle east mission trip, and then a stretch of long distance. Nevertheless, God's faithfulness and provision continued to reveal itself. By February 2025, I had planned a surprise Valentine’s Day flight weeks in advance. But if you know Kiley, you know she doesn’t make surprises easy. She booked a flight to also surprise me for Valentine's Day, completely blindsiding me, but with the help of her friends and community, we were able to divert her to changing her trip and I still managed to pull off my surprise successfully. Through more months of long distance, God blessed us with every opportunity to see one another. Then in May 2025, I received a summer internship opportunity in Knoxville, putting me in the same city as Kiley for the first time. Same-city dating was one of the few things we both wanted and intentionally prayed for before any major advancements were made in our relationship. But by then, I was already planning the next step. Inspired by our dream of applying to The Amazing Race, I created an adventure for her to complete on August 2nd, 2025. For six hours, Kiley traveled all over Knoxville, completing challenges and puzzles that led her closer and closer to the finish line. Waiting for her at the very end, in a hidden spot called The Secret Garden, I asked her the most important question of my life. AND SHE SAID YES! Our story cannot be told without also sharing the perfect provision and goodness of God and we cannot wait to begin this next chapter and follow where He leads us, together!