We’re getting married!

Our story begins the summer before our senior year of high school, in a place that will forever feel special to us, Windy Gap, a Young Life camp. That summer almost looked very different for me. To work at camp, you have to apply and be selected. Reid was chosen from his area right away. I wasn’t selected at all. I was disappointed and tried to move on filling my days with friends, sunshine, and trips to the lake. Then one afternoon, while hiking to a waterfall, I got a call that would change everything. A spot had opened at Windy Gap. I had less than two days to pack up and leave for four weeks. If you know me, you know I’m a planner. I don’t love last-minute decisions or stepping into the unknown. But deep down, I felt a gentle nudge to go. So I said yes not knowing that “yes” would lead me to him. Two days later, we both arrived at camp. In true Reid fashion, he got there early and immediately began helping everyone load their luggage onto the truck headed to the cabins. What I didn’t know until much later was that when he picked up my bag, it popped open and all of my stuff fell out. Over the next four weeks, friendship came easily. We laughed, served, and became “ice cream partners” for one of the camp events. When summer ended, we went our separate ways. Reid went back to Georgia and I stayed in North Carolina to finish high school. Reid and I talked everyday after camp and our long distance friendship grew to be more over time. On New Year’s Day 2019, we made it official. The 2-hour-and-42-minute drive between Fletcher, NC and Suwanee, GA became our routine on the weekends. This time together was so sweet going on different dates and adventures in Asheville and Suwannee. After graduation, life brought us back together in Knoxville, where we both attended the University of Tennessee. Looking back, we can see how beautifully God was writing our story long before we understood it. Windy Gap wasn’t just a summer job. It was the beginning of forever.

I had always dreamed of an intimate proposal with just us and that’s exactly what I got! The week leading up to it, I was so suspicious. Every little thing Reid said or did, I overanalyzed. The night before, he took me to dinner downtown, and I was convinced it was happening then. I was nervous the entire time… but it wasn’t the night. The next morning, we went to breakfast with my parents and made plans to drive along the parkway to look at the leaves since it was peak week in Tennessee. We packed a lunch and headed out, excited for a fall day in the mountains. Traffic had other plans. We spent hours driving through the park, barely moving. By late afternoon, we decided to head home since it was getting late and I had an anatomy exam the next morning that I needed to study for. On the way back, I closed my eyes for a quick nap. Suddenly, Reid made a sharp turn that woke me up. I looked around and realized we definitely weren’t going home. I immediately started asking questions, but he kept brushing them off. Just after sunset, he pulled over at an overlook with the mountains stretching out in front of us. It was quiet and peaceful. That’s when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was simple and personal, and completely us, which made it perfect!