We met at IHOP on July 5th, 2013 for a dinner to celebrate my cousin's 20th birthday. I stayed in Emporia during the summer between college semesters and was invited to hang out with the guys. Casey was my cousin's best friend from high school, and back in Emporia after transferring from Kansas Wesleyan. Long story short, my cousin Alex explicitly told each of us NO. Fast forward almost 8 years later, 2 children, and a multitude of animals, we obviously didn't listen. After many years of waiting, on September 25th, 2020, Casey FINALLY popped the question in front of our family during an outdoor movie night to celebrate our anniversary. We are both excited to continue our journey together as husband and wife!