While Daniel was out of town visiting family, Duke (a very good boy) was enjoying some tailgate time with friends-- including a certain girl named Haden, who happened to be hanging out with him(and her cousin, Justin). Justin sent Daniel a photo of her holding Duke, and Daniel immediately knew two things: 1. Duke clearly had good taste. 2. Daniel needed to meet this girl. So, thanks to some cousinly matchmaking, our first date was set. It was technically a blind date-- we hadn't met in person, just a few social media exchanges and a character reference from the mutual cousin/friend/matchmaker. We met at one of Daniel's favorite Mexican spots, where he tried to impress Haden by casually mentioning that he's half Mexican and speaks fluent Spanish. She definitely didn't believe him... until he started speaking with the owner of the restaurant. Suddenly, someone got very quiet(possibly from embarrassment), so he had to carry the conversation from there. After that, things moved naturally-calls, a few more hangouts, and then one small surprise: about a month after our first date, Haden ended up at a graduation ceremony that just so happened to also be Daniel's graduation ceremony. She met his parents and older sister that day (no pressure). At the time, Haden was living in Alexandria for clinicals, so he started making regular drives to see her. That's when things really started to stick. Over the years, life got busy-- and messy, and beautiful. Haden got a dog named Maverick, who quickly became Duke's part-time nemesis and full-time brother. Daniel's job moved us across the South-- from Lake Charles, to Mobile, and finally to Raleigh. Through it all, our little family stuck together, and we started building our life--city by city, nickname by ridiculous nickname. (Maverick became known as Mav, Maverico, Mad Burrito, and eventually Beebo. Duke somehow became Dootie Man. No explanation, just vibes.) In December of 2024, we unexpectedly lost Maverick. It was heartbreaking. But in the middle of all that grief, we leaned hard into each other and poured our love into Duke and the life we were still creating together. It brought us even closer--and made the next chapter even more meaningful. Time marched right along, through all of Daniel's sports, dealing with classic homeownership problems, and everything in between, we kept moving forward. Which brings us to January 3, 2025. Daniel had planned the whole thing. A beach proposal on the quiet shore of South Topsail, NC, near his parents' house. He spent the day orchestrating distractions with the help of his mother, Leta, and her sister, Hallie, while he prepped the beach and carved out the big question in the sand. As the sun started to set, we took a walk. When we reached the message, he dropped to one knee, and Haden froze in place--(almost) completely speechless. Now, here we are. Planning the day where we get to celebrate everything that's led to this point--with all of you. We're so excited to be surrounded by our favorite people( and also the food, if we're being honest). Haden's especially thrilled to see all the family she's been away from for so long. And Daniel is ready to crack some jokes and sing along to some great tunes. We truly can't wait to see you there!