We're getting married!

I got lucky with Grant. Ours was the kind of love that just fell into place. In November of 2019, our mutual friend Maddy texted me that she wanted to set me up with this guy from Idaho that "treats girls like princesses" (she wasn't wrong!). Fast forward to the new year when Grant asked me on a double date to Sodalicious and the Labyrinth. I could tell he was nervous when he missed multiple turns getting us there. There was something charming about him though. A few days after our first date, he asked me out again..., and I said no! I was in my last semester of nursing school, so I was applying to graduate schools and jobs out of state. Naturally, I shied away from any guy that could sway my plans. Thank goodness for my parents, who were in town and convinced me to give this "nice guy" a shot. It wasn't until after our third date at Provo Beach that I came home crushing on Grant. Anyone who knows Grant knows he is creative and sweet, so the dates that followed were just that. It was a blissful first couple of months dating until spring rolled around, and I had to decide where to attend graduate school. I knew I loved Grant the moment I read my first acceptance to a school across the country, and he was my first thought. Grant made the pros/cons lists and was ready to support me in any decision. (Spoiler alert, I stuck around.) That summer we learned to be there for each other even more when our lives felt unsettled by the pandemic. Once I started picturing a long life with Grant, I couldn't quite imagine one without him. He proposed November 21st, and saying yes was the easiest decision I have ever made.

It was something special to meet Alyssa on our first date. I first noticed how kind, talkative, positive, and of course gorgeous she is. I may never have worked up the courage to ask her out, and I'm glad a mutual friend did for me. It's true that I missed a few turns in course to our first date location, and I'll go ahead and place that blame on the Toyota Prius navigation system and a plethora of questions from Alyssa. Never before has a first date included so many interview-style questions, but I feel pretty good about the results of my performance of that outing. After first meeting her I was crushing hard. I knew I had to keep her interested, or her many obligations and responsibilities would get in the way. I was given a "rain check" response to our second date, but after playing cool and keeping in the game I stuck it out. I'd like to thank the Chick-fil-A and Sodalicious drive thu options for keeping her patient and happy on our dates, as well as all there is to do in Provo, Utah between kayaking, biking, axe throwing, and more. Something I learned and practiced in dating Alyssa is that no cliché is so cheesy that it doesn't work. While a global pandemic in the starting phase of our relationship was tough for social opportunities and world functionality, we were able to enjoy a "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" style in dating that has included out of state and country travel, museum visits, arcade domination, and an ongoing exploration of the great outdoors. Alyssa has become the best friend a guy could ask for and I'm so glad she said yes to the most important question I've ever asked on November 21st of 2020.