We met at our church's summer camp in August of 2021. While our paths had crossed multiple times before that (being in similar friend groups and attending the same church), it was at that camp that we had our first interactions one-on-one. Right after the camp we began talking on the phone, facetiming, and texting each other all throughout our days. We then went on a few dates and officially started dating in September of 2021.

It was the summer of '21 at our church's youth camp. While Maddie and I had known of each other for a very long time because of our friend groups, we had never actually talked before. I remember on the first day of the camp my friends and Maddie's friends had migrated together talking as a group and what not and I remember looking across from me in this group and seeing Maddie laughing and smiling at some dumb joke that I made (as she frequently does). Even though I had seen Maddie hundreds of times before that it was this one moment that made me feel like it was the first time I had ever really noticed her and her beautiful smile, contagious laugh, and bright blue eyes. After that it was over for me... The next night there was a big glow stick night by the firepit, As I was walking up there, someone was already there fumbling with the bag of glowsticks. I noticed it was Maddie and immediately knew that this was my chance to try and make some sort of conversation. I grabbed a glowstick and asked her if she could put it on me because I can't do it with one hand (very smooth I know), she kindly helped me out with it and that would become the first conversations of many. Throughout the week we talked more and more then after camp we started texting and facetiming, then started going on dates, and now here we are planning a wedding together😎

It was the summer of 2021, and I was about to start my junior year of high school. For lots of reasons, 2020-2021 was the weirdest year of my life (thanks covid). I went to church camp that August, excited to finally have some normalcy. Getting to know my future husband was absolutely the last thing I expected to happen. Kevin and I had always run in similar circles, but we had never really been friends until we began talking over glowsticks at a late-night camp bonfire. We began spending a lot of time together at this camp and I was trying very hard to convince everyone that we were just going to be friends (even I knew this wasn’t true). After camp we began texting, facetiming, and going on dates. Kevin asked me to be his girlfriend in September of 2021, and quickly, I was head over heels. He’s been there for all my major milestones, like getting my driver's license, graduating from high school, and helping me move into college. After three years of long distance, I will be graduating from Virginia Tech in May of 2026. I am beyond thankful for all of the life we have gotten to live together, and so excited to continue celebrating milestones together.