Welcome to our very own fairytale. ❤️

Jerry and I met the first time when he was working at Swansboro Elementary School. I am sure we shared a few hellos and smiles during that time, but we only spoke once that we remember. We had a rather rambunctious head custodian at the time (Al) and I jokingly asked Jerry if he knew he did not need to listen to anything the head custodian said and he simply replied "Yes". It was the year of Covid, so our school year ended abruptly. I knew he moved to another school at the end of that year, but we kind of kept up with each other on Facebook. So, moving along to October 2023. I, Kat, had sworn off dating and relationships. At this point, I was a busy mom to my amazing three boys and teaching. I kept myself busy, so dating did not really factor in. Out of the blue, Jerry messaged me on Facebook asking if I was still single and would like to go out to dinner. I told him what I told most guys, "Let's chat and get to know each other better." Jerry was pretty persistent. He and I started messaging through Facebook and then texting a few times. One day, he knew I had my phone while texting and got me to answer the phone. (I do not chat on the phone very often, ha!) We had a great time chatting and he asked "Now that we've talked on the phone, do you want to go out to dinner?" I could not help but laugh and we went to Olive Garden. We were both very nervous to go out on a date. He was a gentleman and offered to pick me up. We had both been exposed to the terrible world of online dating, so I think we were both thankful that we knew each other a little bit already. We talked...I talked...I asked him questions and allowed him to talk...and he listened. I love how he lit up talking about his daughters and their trips to Disney. After our first date, we messaged a few times back and forth. I would say that both of us were very worried to get our hearts broken again and had our own hesitations. But, we now know that this is when God stepped in and made us see that his plans were already set for us. We had a second date and it was like we had been together for years. We were so comfortable together. Our relationship is exactly like all the cheesy sayings, "It will happen when you least expect it". And then by the end of November, Jerry asked me to go "steady" and after giggling like a high school girl with a huge crush, I said yes. Fast forward to May 4th, 2024. We both love Italian food and had fallen in love with Casa San Carlo. It's such a cute restaurant and it is nice to get out of Swansboro a little while. Jerry and I had talked about the beach and he knew that I love the water. He knew that I felt like the beach and the salt water is what makes my heart happy and time there had been a healing place for me as well. After dinner, we went down to the beach to take a walk. The sky was clear and we could see all the stars. We held hands and laughed as I tried to dip my toes in the water because I love it and tried to pull him in too. We stopped and he hugged me and told me how much he loved me. When he got down on his knee, I thought my heart would explode. When he asked me to marry him, I said yes without any hesitation. The ring he helped create is absolutely perfect. We know that God had a hand in us finding each other again. I heard a song on the radio on the way home from a long distance lacrosse game it describes our love for each other perfectly. "Yeah, you're worth the wait All of my dark, dim, and lonely days Every goodbye and heartbreak was pointing me home I was just holding on Praying you'd be out there Holding strong Took me forever to find you But finally forever's just two words away Baby, you're worth the wait." -Spencer Crandall We are so very blessed to have found each other. We are both so excited to celebrate our love story surrounded by those we love.

Our Love Story Kat caught my eye before she ever knew it. It was at school. I thought she was pretty, but I was just a shy guy and was going through hard times. But God had a plan, and I could never have imagined how it all turned out. We ended up far apart as I went to a new school, but we were friends on Facebook. At this point, who would have ever thought we would cross paths again. One day, I decided to reach out and see if Kat was interested in dinner. She said yes and we went to Olive Garden. Our relationship just got better every time we went out. I just fell in love with her. She is so beautiful. Her personality is what sealed the deal for me. I was hooked. She catches my attention like I’ve never felt before. I enjoy listening to her talk. She is such a beautiful person and has a huge heart. I am so glad that she loves me for who I am and makes me feel so special. I truly can’t wait to marry you, Kat. You’re my best friend and I want to be by your side for the rest of our lives. I love you so much, Jerry