Like many modern love stories, ours started with a swipe on Tinder in early March 2023. On March 13, 2023, we went on our first date. What was supposed to be a simple dinner turned into a marathon date that neither of us wanted to end. We started with food and drinks at Chuck's Place, played pool, headed to the bowling alley, stopped at In-N-Out for fries, and somehow managed to fit an entire relationship's worth of activities into one evening. At some point during the date, Donnie had a completely normal and reasonable thought: "We should buy tickets to a Professional Bull Riding event." Because that's obviously what everyone does on a first date. As the night came to an end, it started raining. Donnie put his hat on me, walked me back to the car, and asked if he could kiss me. Thankfully, I said yes. The next day I left for Tennessee. Apparently one date was all it took, because while I was there I bought Donnie a souvenir keychain that said "Don" with a guitar on it. The "Don" eventually broke off, but Donnie still has the guitar. Some would call it sentimental. Others would call it an inability to throw things away. When I got back, we went on our third date—to that Professional Bull Riding event. Once we found our seats, Donnie took off his cowboy hat, held it in front of our faces, and asked me to be his girlfriend. Luckily, I said yes again. Things moved quickly after that. In July, Donnie moved in with me, along with his dog Coco. I already had two cats, Cordelia and JP. The animals became best friends... or at least that's the version we're telling on our wedding website. Since then, life has been filled with countless baseball games, concerts, rodeos, river trips, and adventures. Along the way, our family grew by one cat (Angus) and one dog (Moose), making our house a little louder and a lot furrier. On January 17, 2026, Donnie proposed at Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore. We got out of the car to watch the sunset and started walking into the park. Along the way, Donnie conveniently "found" a heart-shaped rock. Over the years, we've collected heart-shaped rocks from rivers, lakes, and trips all over California. They now sit outside our front porch as a reminder of our adventures together. When I looked closer at this particular rock, I discovered that on the back it read: "Will you marry me?" After months of planning, and more stress than Donnie would like to admit, we're excited to celebrate the next chapter of our story. Thank you for being part of it, and we can't wait to celebrate with you on May 1, 2027.