Come celebrate with us!

It all started with a match on the dating app Bumble...okay two matches! The first time we matched, JJ was in town for an interview with UTC. When I learned this, I ended the conversation right away, having no interest in a long distance relationship. I continued to try out Bumble and was about to quit the world of terrible first dates...But fate had a different plan. Months after our first match, JJ had accepted the job and moved to Chattanooga and he popped up on my radar once more. We met at Honest Pint for a drink and that's where I learned all about Mississippi and was surprised by the southern accent that rolled out of JJ's mouth. I knew he was different when he agreed to go to a high school basketball game with me on our third date. He let my students size him up and didn't get freaked out. From there, we spent the next few months learning and growing together. I introduced JJ to the beauty of Chattanooga's outdoors and he introduced me to his zoo of sweet animals. We fell in love over Ole Miss sports game, hiking adventures, trips to new cities, and cooking tutorials. I had always been cautious about dating and love, but with JJ it felt natural and easy to let him in. Even as life threw hard times at us, we knew we could get through as long as we had each other. We are so excited for our future together and all the adventures that lay ahead!