...Two hearts met somewhere between a tack room and Tatooine... We met on a dating app! We each were kind over the never-ending dating, and this seemed like a last-ditch effort for both of us. Kasey thought Griff (Preston) ghosted her in their chat... except he hadn't. He was at the hospital. Unfortunately, Griff was in a car accident VERY shortly after we started chatting online and injured his ankle. He eventually recovered, but it was quite an ordeal and has played a role throughout our relationship.

...Through muddy boots and midnight texts, we found our rhythm.... After about 3 weeks of talking over the phone, including a 10-hr call neither of us fully remembers, Kasey was ready to either have an in-person date or move on (dating is hard!). Griff was nervous about picking the “right” place for our first date on top of having no car to drive (his car was totaled in the accident). Kasey suggested he select 3 places near where he lived, and then she would pick from them. Knowing she loves seafood, Griff picked three, including YROC (Yorktown River Oyster Company) in Yorktown, VA. The setting of the date was straight out of a Hallmark movie. The temperature was perfect, it was right at sunset, the food was amazing (ahi tuna nachos), there was live music, and plenty of entertainment watching others attempt to tie up their boats at the dock on the level below where we sat. The conversation was easy and continuous. As we wrapped up the date, we sat on a picnic table outside the restaurant, star gazing, and listening to the music in the distance.

...We fell hard — like, off-the-horse hard — but kept riding anyway... For our 2nd date, we reversed the idea; Kasey narrowed it down to 3 places in Richmond, and Griff's pick from those was a whiskey bar. For the 3rd date, Griff showed his softer side, taking Kasey to a wine bar / patio restaurant - fully of twinkly lights and romance. The early dating was as it should be - fun, easy, and making us feel as if we had known each other forever. Along the way, Griff was screened by Kasey's French Bulldog, (King) Louie. After a few lessons in trying to communicate, Griff and Louie found their mutual loves - Kasey...and foods. Griff fell for Kasey quickly, and his love for her spilled out of him while traveling for work in Alaska. He invited Kasey to the 248th Army Birthday Ball at Fort Eustis, in Newport News, Virginia. Essentially, this became our "coming out" party. This was also the night Kasey returned the sentiment "I love you."

...The moment we realized we were each other’s chosen one... Kasey and Griff continued dating, spending a lot of time outdoors going for hikes in parks both in Newport News and Richmond, VA (where each lived), visiting one of the local pumpkin patches, and enjoying trying new places and restaurants. We found some of our favorite date nights were at home, cooking and dancing together. We took our first vacation to Berkely Springs, WV, where we rented a cabin with a firepit, went rafting, and enjoyed the quiet time in the "wood line."

...Even when the universe gets wild, we’ve got each other... Kasey met Mason, Griff's eldest son, for Christmas 2023. It was great getting to know each other and showing Mason the sights around Richmond. Shortly after Mason returned to Indiana, Griff moved in with Kasey, in Richmond, Virginia. About six months later, Griff got new orders from the Army to move 2-hours north to Arlington, Virginia. Kasey saddled up with Griff to join this Army ride. Together, we experienced our first Army move, found a townhouse to rent, and Kasey sold her home in Richmond. Griff also started his new position, and Kasey transitioned to working fully remote.

...There were a few bumps in the trail (and maybe one spooky horse)... Kasey and Griff began to settle into living in Northern Virginia, spending time with long-time friends we now lived near + making new ones. Mason came out to visit on a school field trip. We experienced our first road trip to Indiana in November and spent time with many of Griff's family and friends. Shortly after, we went to Calabash, North Carolina to visit Kasey's family for Christmas. In the midst of this, Kasey was laid off after 17-years of working at CarMax in December 2024. Although it was a huge adjustment, it was what she needed and luckily, she had already had a base volunteering at one of the local humane societies, caring for rescued horses and dogs. In February 2025, Kasey and Griff went to the Dominican Republic to visit Griff's Aguela (grandmother) for her 98th birthday, along with Griff's many cousins and close family friends living on the island. In March 2025, Kasey started working at the Humane Society on staff and now loves what she does for a living. About the same time, Griff had major ankle surgery, on the same ankle injured in the car accident he had when we first began talking!

...He proposed. She neighed yes... If you know Griff, secrets he cannot keep from those he loves. So, Kasey knew he was likely planning to pop the question, as he had almost done several times. But she reminded him, "you only get to ask once!" Kasey figured he would officially do it on the first weekend in May celebrating our two-year anniversary in Virginia Beach where he had planned to take her for the weekend. However, she had asked him if he was ever to propose to: 1. make it a surprise, and 2. do it somewhere just the two of us. Two years after we first started talking, on a "Taco Tuesday," we were making Griff's favorite tacos for dinner, dancing to music, just enjoying an easy, normal night at home. Griff just felt moved by love in the moment and decided life was too short and he could no longer wait. Amidst cutting peppers, with cabinet doors open, and pans sizzling, he got down on one knee, eyes full of tears and asked Kasey to marry him. She replied, "yep, yep, yep!" referencing a running joke between them quoting the movie "The Land Before Time." We celebrated with a bottle of the bubbly; in honor of our new unity, Kasey drinking from a mug from the Dominican Republic, Griff drinking from one of Kasey's family Irish coffee glasses. That weekend, we did go to Virginia Beach, and continued celebrating, now with a little less pressure. Shortly after we returned home, Griff surprised Kasey again with what looked like a ring box... except it was actually a pair of diamond earrings. He convinced her this was the final surprise. Just kidding! He then turned around, pulled out the real ring box, got down on his knee again, and completed the FULL engagement, with a ring that was perfect for Kasey.