Kaitlin and I officially met Freshman year in Biology class. I remember seeing her in the hallway 8th-grade year and asking a buddy of mine, “WHO IS THAT!” as she walked passed. The first day of Freshman year came around, and on the last period of the school day, in walks that same blonde girl. She sat down behind me and I turned around told her a joke and that's all it took to create an everlasting spark. We talked and were friends from Freshman until Junior year. We had classes together and went to watch each other play sports and once our Senior year rolled around, I finally got the courage to ask to be my girlfriend.

Clay and I officially met our freshman year of high school in biology class. I knew “of him” before this, but I didn’t really know him. When I saw him in class that first day, I immediately knew that needed to change. Thanks to an assigned seating chart and no doubt, God’s hand in the matter, Clay sat right in front of me. He told me one joke about a Goldfish and although I didn't know it at the time, I'm pretty sure I fell in love with him right then and there. Clay was funny, kind, and respectful… the kind of guy I always imagined I’d marry. I remember pointing him out in the hall to my grandma, who was a substitute teacher, and telling her that I was going to marry him one day. Although I was mostly kidding at the time, a part of me knew it was true. Throughout high school we were both busy with sports and life, so we never moved passed being “friends”, although it was obvious we both saw each other as more. At the start of our senior year we realized enough was enough… and on September 17, 2012 he asked me to be his girlfriend. Now here we are, 9 years after we first met and I fall more in love with him every day. It’s so cliché to say, but it’s true. I love that we’ve had the opportunity to grow together throughout the years. Watching Clay go from the cute, red headed, freckled faced kid in high school to the determined and loving man he is today makes me so excited to see what our future will hold.

On April 28th, 2018, Clay proposed to Kaitlin. Spoiler alert- she said yes! Clay had been planning it for a while and all of the couples closest family and friends were in on it. It was Clay’s birthday weekend, but he had to go home to round up on the ranch, so Clay and Kaitlin both went home for the weekend. The “plan” was to celebrate Clay’s birthday by going to the ranch to open presents with Clay’s family and then going out to dinner. Clay picked Kaitlin up to take her to the ranch. On the way, Clay got a phone call from his dad telling him he needed to ‘go turn off the water in the pasture’. Kaitlin and Clay pull up to what his family calls “Church Mountain”. It is the highest point on the ranch, over-looking the mountains of Mexico, where the family often go to hold church. On top of the hill, next to a wooden cross, laid a bible that was painted with the name “Kaitlin Creamer”. At that moment, Kaitlin looked up from the bible to find Clay down on one knee, ring in hand that belonged to Clay’s great grandmother and has been passed down, making Clay and Kaitlin the fourth generation to have it. Clay’s best friend, Connor, was hiding in the bushes, capturing all the magic on camera. Clay still had one more surprise for Kaitlin. As they headed down to the house, all of the couple’s closest friends and family were waiting for them and ready to celebrate the newly engaged couple. It has been by far the happiest day of Clay and Kaitlin’s lives.