Our first date was on a cloudy, Sunday afternoon in May 2022 at Agave & Rye in Covington, KY. We initially met on a dating app, so this was basically a blind date. We chatted over a quick lunch, both a little nervous and maybe assumed we wouldn't have much in common - we still laugh about how I was in ripped jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers while David was in cowboy boots and a button up shirt. To our surprise we were laughing immediately and exchanging stories about our work, families, and friends before heading off to other plans we had. We'd both describe it as a "solid" first date. David certainly isn't one to waste his time if he wasn't interested and made it pretty clear that he wanted to carve out time to get to know me - I LOVED that I never had to second guess his intentions. The following weekend he invited me to hang out with all of his lifelong friends at a Memorial Day party, I was nervous but they were so sweet and it was amazing to see David in his element surrounded by his closest friends. That quickly turned into spending the rest of the summer watching college baseball on tv, weekends at the lake with family and friends, playing 1v1 basketball, and going to each of our favorite band's concerts together - specifically Whiskey Meyers in June when David asked me to be his girlfriend. It was without a doubt the best summer ever.

There are so many memories in between, but let's fast forward to January 2023 when David planned a surprise trip for my 30th birthday to Savannah, GA. We certainly didn't know it then, but this trip was in many ways the kickstart to the next chapter of our lives together. Walking along the beach the morning of my birthday, we were daydreaming of "someday" saving up enough money to own a beach house on Tybee Island. We immediately started brainstorming and researching non-stop to make that dream a reality. By August we started an Etsy business and then bought a home in Savannah to start our Airbnb ventures (shoutout Loggerhead Carpentry Co. & The Nest!!). Looking back, we bonded and grew in our relationship so much over that time - we took some big risks but trusted that as teammates we could use our strengths to build something special for our future and have fun doing it together. We had our engagement photos taken in Savannah this January, exactly one year after our first trip. That city will forever be special to us and are excited for many more memories made there!

David proposed November 4th, 2023 - it was a warm fall day, just the two of us at a place so special to David, his grandpa's farm in Crittenden, KY. We celebrated after with the same group of friends from that first Memorial Day Weekend, who I'm extremely lucky to consider friends now too. I couldn't have asked for a better day with my best friend and partner for life. We are immensely grateful for all of you in our lives that have supported us as individuals and now as a couple, and we cannot wait to continue to celebrate our love together with all of you this August!