We met surrounded by friends at a winter's bonfire, notorious for good times in the small town of Ewell, Alabama. Just strangers at that point we decided to keep in touch and try to spend as much time as possible before she made the trip back to her hometown in Meridian, Idaho, and I back to my college in Mobile. During the next two to three weeks, we spent countless hours together, from getting together at our friends' places to just riding around lower Alabama talking about our favorite places to visit or what we wanted out of the life we have. During those two to three weeks, I fell hard for this girl. On the eve before she packed her bags to fly out of my life, I made the decision that I could not let this one go. So that night we decided to give this thing we had a true chance. For six months we stayed apart with only 2,239.7 mi between us. Talk about long-distance! After those six months, Kaylene decided to move to Alabama permanently and the rest is history in the making.

After being in Alabama for over two years without traveling back to her hometown in Idaho, we made plans to spend Christmas of 2020 with her family. On this vacation trip, Kaylene had planned to take a couple's photoshoot with a professional photographer at Bogus Basin. Surrounded by the snowfall and beautiful scenery it felt like the perfect location to capture the beauty of the North West. Unbeknownst to her, I had other plans. At the top of the mountain, we began our photoshoot... and it was beautiful. The photographer had a plan to have both of us hold hands and recite three things we love about one another. After Kaylene had said hers and after I had gotten through two of my reasons, I knelt down behind her and uttered the most exciting phrase I have ever said... "Will you marry me?" With tears of joy clouding her eyes Kaylene mustered a "Yes" and nodded slightly. What a surprise it was!