We first became friends when we met during our freshman year of high school at Bracken County. If Joe had it his way, we would have had been together forever, starting when he 'proposed' that year on the bleachers with a beautifully twisted blue paperclip. By junior year, Joe was still waiting for an answer, so Mikala decided to give him a shot.

We followed each other to EKU and discovered that a lifetime together was the only path either of us was certain of. Even when Mikala moved to Ohio for 4 years to attend pharmacy school, we stuck together. Over the years, our ups and downs have caused our love to only grown stronger. As cliche as it sounds, the rest is history.

On Saturday, July 18, 2020, we were getting ready to go out on a date. Joe blindfolded Mikala and drove around. Little did she know we were back at his place, in the dark, surrounded by candles, roses, and love letters from high school. A fresh page in the back of our scrapbook read, 'Chapter 2, Will you marry me?' After 11 years, we are more than happy to be engaged! We are so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. See you in September!