Sunday May 14, 2023

After freshman year of college, Conner made the decision to enlist in the Ohio National Guard after being a member of the Bobcat Battalion. He went to Basic Training in August of 2019. After he graduated from Basic Training, he began AIT as a 14G at Ft Sill. One day at AIT, he and his roommates decided to draw a picture of a Christmas tree and hang it up in their barracks above the door. Conner posted this on his snapchat story. Jackie's family did not buy a Christmas tree in 2018. Time was running short as the Moran's were preparing to go to visit their family in Massachusetts and getting a tree was not a priority for them. The Moran Girls decided to have a competition among themselves and all decided to draw a Christmas tree on a piece of paper to see who's tree would become to family's Christmas tree. Megan won the competition and Jackie hung Megan's tree up on the window so Santa would know where he should drop off the presents. These two stories appear to not have any impact on each other, but those two drawings of Christmas trees changed these two people's lives forever. After Conner posted that lovely drawing on his Snapchat Story on that fateful day, Jackie saw it and responded with "that's what my family's actual Christmas tree looked like last year!" Conner and Jackie have never stopped talking (with the exception of being in the field) since that day.

Conner and Jackie were not able to spend the first Valentine's day of the relationship they were building together with one another. Conner was in Oklahoma while Jackie was in Ohio. Jackie handwrote a card and mailed it to Conner at AIT. Conner, on the other hand, went all out as much as he could from over 1,000 miles away. First, Conner had an Insomnia Cookies cookie cake for Valentine's Day delivered to her dorm. Second, he ordered a present that was sent to a friend. And finally, Conner paid his friend to buy Jackie flowers from Jefferson Market on campus and hand deliver them to her.

Our first date actually lasted for over two days. Jackie came to visit Conner for a weekend in May 2020. On our first night together, we ordered Avalanche Pizza and watched Secret Life of Pets 2. Jackie also painted a sign for Conner's house. Our second day together we went up to Lancaster and hiked up a small trail before driving back to Logan to meet Conner's parents where we got ready for dinner. Conner surpassed all expectations and brought Jackie to Eddie Merlot's in Polaris. We ended that night be Conner asking Jackie to be his girlfriend. The next day Jackie drove back to Virginia, where Conner would come in July to see her again.

On the morning of January 22, 2022, Conner and Jackie went out to breakfast with Sydney before the Ohio University Military Appreciation Wrestling Meet. Conner held the position of Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) for the event. Conner capitalized on this opportunity and asked his NCO if he could use the event to propose to Jackie. Conner and his NCO spoke to OHIO Athletics to develop a plan. OHIO Athletics came up with the idea of a dance contest. Conner did not tell Jackie she was going to participate in a dance contest. When they called Jackie and Conner's names to come down for a dance contest, Jackie had no idea what to expect. After someone yelled "do the worm" and Jackie obliged, she thought the contest was over until Rufus the Bobcat came over and brought her back to the middle of the wrestling mat. The speakers started to play "Marry You" by Bruno Mars and Conner got down on one knee. Jackie was absolutely shocked and obviously said yes!