On March 9th, Hailie and I met for the second time (first story is one for another day). We crossed paths through mutual friends at one of my fraternity events. We talked a little throughout the night, and I remember thinking she was cute, funny, and easy to talk to, but I didn’t expect much to come from it. I figured I’d probably never see her again. A few days later, she messaged me. At first, I thought I’d just made a new friend. But the more we talked, the more I realized there was something different about her. She made me laugh, she challenged me, and she just got me. Before I knew it, I wasn’t just talking to a new friend, I was talking to someone I could see a future with, maybe even my future wife. I decided to make the first move (though Hailie will tell you she did) and asked her on a date. We went to dinner and then to a movie. From that night on, everything just clicked. We started spending more time together. We drove around Hammond, got ice cream, climbed school buildings (could have lost her soccer scholarship), made cookie runs to Baton Rouge, and just enjoyed each other’s company. With her, I could be completely myself, no pressure, no pretending, just me. Time always seemed to slow down when I was with her, and I knew she was the one. One of the things that stood out to me most about Hailie was her faith. After high school, I hadn’t gone to church much, but she invited me to come with her one Sunday. I’m so grateful she did, because that moment helped me rebuild my relationship with God and remind me what truly matters. In December 2023, I graduated college and faced one of the hardest decisions of my life. I was offered a job in Sheridan, Wyoming, which was an amazing opportunity, but one that meant leaving everything and everyone I knew, including Hailie. After a lot of talks, we decided I should take the job, and we’d make long-distance work while she finished her master’s degree in Hammond. It wasn’t easy, but we made it work. We FaceTimed every morning and night, cooked dinner together over video calls, and visited each other whenever we could, whether it was in Arizona, Louisiana, or Wyoming. The distance wasn’t always fun, but it made us stronger, taught us to communicate, and showed us just how committed we were to each other. As time went on, I started thinking about proposing. My plan was to wait until after I finished my master’s degree in 2026, but this past summer, I had a long, emotional conversation with my parents about it. They told me there’s never a “perfect” time to get married. They reminded me that as long as we keep God at the center of our relationship, everything will fall into place. At that moment, I knew there was no reason to wait any longer. A couple of weeks later, I asked Hailie’s father for his blessing to marry his daughter. Before I could even finish asking, he jumped in, excited that he’d only have to “worry about one daughter now.” In early August, Hailie and I flew to Arizona, and while we were there, I picked out her engagement ring. My plan was to wait until Thanksgiving or New Year’s to propose, but once I got back to Wyoming, I couldn’t stop looking at the ring. Every day, it reminded me how much I loved her and how ready I was to spend my life with her. At the end of August, Hailie flew to Sheridan to visit me. The moment I saw her, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. On August 29th, we went for a hike in Dayton, Wyoming. About half way through, surrounded by the most beautiful scenery, I got down on one knee and asked her to be my wife. It was the happiest day of my life and a day I’ll never forget. Every day since then, I thank God for putting Hailie in my life. She is everything I’ve ever dreamed of: loving, kind, beautiful, funny, and full of faith. She pushes me to be a better man and helps me grow closer to God every single day. She’s my best friend, my greatest support, and without a doubt, the love of my life.

Our story began in Hammond, Louisiana. I was the captain of the soccer team, and Cole was the president of his fraternity. Through mutual friends, we happened to be in the same place at the same time — not once, but twice! My first impression of Cole was that he was the cutest thing ever and so funny, but surely way out of my league. Still, I decided to take a chance and made the first move, which led to our very first date just a week later. He’ll tell you he made the first move, but if I hadn’t reached out first, we probably would have never talked again! On March 21st, we went on our first date. Cole took me to La Carreta’s — my favorite restaurant — and then to see a movie afterward. Our first date was perfect (obviously), and everything felt so natural, so easy, and honestly, so meant to be. From that night on, we were inseparable. It didn’t matter what we did; I just wanted to be around him. Even though we were both constantly busy, we always made time for each other. We went on countless date nights to Crumbl, Chili’s (mainly for the molten lava cake), and the movies. Cole was always down for whatever crazy idea I came up with — like driving around Hammond for hours, windows down, singing like no one was listening. I quickly realized that no matter what we were doing, being with Cole always felt like home. Just a few months later, on July 27th, 2023, Cole asked me to be his girlfriend. I was so overjoyed and actually shed some tears out of excitement. From the very beginning, he has been the most thoughtful, kind, and genuine person. He makes me laugh every single day and has a way of making even the most ordinary moments feel special. As our relationship grew, so did our love for each other. We spent our days exploring new places, cheering each other on, and supporting one another through every new season of life. Even though I always joked with Cole that he was a “NARP” (a Non-Athletic Regular Person), I loved going to his intramural games, baseball games, and fraternity events to cheer him on. And in return, he was always there at my matches — in the stands or watching online — yelling at the screen like my biggest fan. Those moments of showing up for each other, no matter how small, made our relationship so strong and full of love. Then, in February 2024, Cole moved to Wyoming for work while I stayed in Louisiana. It was one of the hardest things being so far from each other, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. It took our relationship to the next level and taught us how to communicate and trust each other. We had virtual date nights — cooking meals over FaceTime and “Wing Wednesdays.” Those months apart showed us just how strong our love truly was. After I graduated with my master’s in December 2025, I moved back to Arizona. My job gave me the flexibility to travel, so I spent as much time as I could visiting Cole in Wyoming. We made the most of our time together, finding new hobbies like fly fishing, golf, hiking and even bingo. No matter what we were doing, I loved it simply because we were doing it together. And then came the best day. On August 29th, 2025, while visiting Cole in Sheridan, we went on one of our favorite hikes. Surrounded by the most beautiful mountain views, Cole got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was completely shocked. It was the easiest and most joyful decision I’ve ever made. Ever since I was a little girl, I prayed for a man like Cole. He has brought so much love, laughter, and light into my life. He’s caring, patient, selfless, and always makes me feel seen and loved. He’s my biggest supporter, my greatest adventure, and my very best friend. I truly can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him! We can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter surrounded by our favorite people and begin forever together.