Cody and I met the way many great stories begin — at a bar in Charlottesville while I was working at UVA. What started as a simple night out quickly turned into something neither of us saw coming.

Cody took me to an upscale restaurant in the Outer Banks called Ocean Boulevard. We spent most of the night trying (and failing) to pronounce half the menu, and before long, we both agreed the dive bar across the street felt much more like us.

One of my favorite early memories together was when I mentioned how much I missed celebrating Mardi Gras. That same night, Cody sent me a random address and time. When I showed up, I realized he had found the only Cajun restaurant in Charlottesville and pre-ordered an entire meal just for me. I sat at the bar enjoying gumbo and a shrimp po’boy while the owner kept me company. As I was leaving, she smiled and said, “You are dating a really special man,” and made me promise to bring Cody back. She was right — and Southern Crescent quickly became one of our favorite places, with some of the best Cajun food I’ve had outside of Louisiana.

From the beginning, we bonded over our shared love for the outdoors. Whether we’re hunting, fishing, or camping, that’s where we feel most like ourselves.

The first day I met Lily, we took a canoe trip in Madison, Virginia (Cody’s hometown), which ended at a family celebration for his niece Teagan’s birthday. Lily stole my heart that day, and I’ve loved her ever since.

Griffey, our 100-pound golden retriever, joined us during COVID. Cody likes to call him a “pudding pop” and jokes that the only thing he hunts is biscuits — though he’ll never admit it, he loves snuggling him just as much as I do.

If you know us, you know we love to compete. That competitive spirit often makes its way into the kitchen with epic cooking showdowns. According to Judge Lulu, Cody makes the best steaks — but my shrimp tacos still reign supreme.

No relationship is complete without a little rivalry. When Texas A&M Football beat Alabama Football (Cody’s favorite team), I made him watch Jimbo Fisher’s entire postgame press conference… from start to finish.

One of the things I love most about Cody is how he makes even the most mundane moments fun. He’s been known to walk around the grocery store with an upside-down pineapple in the cart — and just to clarify, we are definitely not swingers.

Cody and I are far from traditional, and one of our favorite family traditions proves it. Every year, we take intentionally awkward family Christmas photos — and they’ve become something we look forward to more and more each year.