Travis and I technically met in Preschool but we don't remember each other at all. Growing up, we went to different elementary, middle, and high schools in Wilkes County - I went to West Wilkes and Travis went to North Wilkes. In the summer of 2017, going into our senior year of high school, our younger brothers (Carson and Grant) were playing on a travel baseball team called the Dirtbags. One weekend, Travis came over and sat on the bleachers beside me and started up a conversation. We talked and talked away. I was quite shy talking to guys back then, but he made conversation so simple and sweet. I don't remember much of our conversation, but I do remember how sweet and fun it was to be around him. Leaving the ballpark that weekend, I realized I had the biggest crush on him! Little did I know, he felt the same way. We both found it so easy to talk, laugh, and have a good time together. Although it didn't go anywhere back then, 4 years later - the summer of 2021 - now going into our senior year at Appalachian State and East Tennessee State University, we saw each other again after all these years - which happened to be at Carson and Grant's high school baseball game at West High. I remember seeing him talking to a friend and we both smiled and waved from afar. I didn't think a thing of it that night, but later found out that same night Travis knew he wanted to pursue me after all these years. A few weeks later, Travis sent me a text on Snapchat asking how life was and apologizing for not coming to speak to me in person at the game. I didn’t think a thing of it- because I knew he was such a sweet guy. BUT a few weeks later, and several Snapchat texts later throughout the summer, he asked me out on a dinner date in Boone at the Lost Province. I was overjoyed and said "yes" not even thinking it would lead to anything serious. But boy was I wrong. The rest is history! Thank God for baseball, right?

Travis and I got engaged early Monday morning at roughly 6:30 am at Clingmans Dome in TN. We were on vacation in Pigeon Forge that weekend with his family and it was our last day before heading home. Travis had the idea to go on a sunrise hike ( knowing that I love watching the sunrise) and I of course agreed. We both woke up at the crack of dawn to get up to the mountain by 6:15 am and hiked what was basically a steep paved path to the observatory tower and finally reached the top. But, it was SO foggy we couldn’t see the mountains or the sun. The night before, I had a feeling Travis was going to propose because he was acting so weird on me not wearing sweatpants - which I finally decided to put on jeans that morning (thank goodness). After we waited for an ounce of sunlight to break through the clouds, Travis asked if I liked the view despite not seeing the mountains at sunrise we had hoped for. A few minutes later, he asked if I was ready to head back down the mountain. After I said yes, Travis looked at me, grabbed my hands and said “let me take one last look at my girlfriend.” While smiling, he got down on his knee and asked me if I would marry him. I couldn’t believe it! I said yes after saying “no way!” 3 or 4 times. But it was so magical. He also had a secret photographer who captured the whole moment which was so special! During the end of our photo shoot, it started to pour the rain HARD. We were dripping wet but couldn't help but to laugh while walking back down the mountain. Some may think the rain was a coincidence, but I knew it was God confirming his blessing to us in that moment and it brought me so much joy. I will always cherish that day!