In typical millennial fashion, Nick and I, both being socially awkward introverts, matched on a dating app one fateful November evening in 2020. As they say, the rest was history. From that point on, we were literally inseparable. We spent the next several weeks getting to know each other - him yearning after me desperately, and me playing hard to get. Nick did eventually win me over, and we made it official December 29th, 2020. To quote Taylor Swift, "When you know, you know. And when you don't, you don't." Well, we just knew. Within 6 months, we moved in together and adopted our first pet as a couple, Winston, who was the perfect addition to our family. I have often said that our decision to move so quickly was very irresponsible. If you know me at all, you know that I do not make decisions lightly. I like well thought-out plans, thinking and then overthinking things through, and looking at things from every possible angle. I am not impulsive and do not make decisions on a whim. But, for the first time in my life, I made the irresponsible, spontaneous choice to allow someone into my highly guarded life, and it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made. I used to keep my window shut because I knew how rough the wind could get. But, one day, I decided to open it, and such a gentle breeze came in. Nick came into my life and brought with him such an all encompassing love and compassion that I couldn't even fathom. He saw through my façade that I taught myself to maintain, and he slowly tore down all of my walls until I was laid bare. And most important, after he bore witness to my very soul, he still loved and accepted me. And that was all it took. After trusting that someone could see and know everything about me and still choose to love me, I knew that this was the person God had designed for me. Through the next four years, we supported each other through career changes, going back to school, several moves, and two more additions to the family, Ivy and Bailey, making us a household of six. Though these changes were difficult, we continued to grow in our love and worked at creating a strong foundation that we could build on for the rest of our lives. After quite a bit of hinting on my end (sending him a link to the exact ring I wanted), Nick popped the question on November 2nd, 2024 in the privacy of our back yard. My favorite part of that story is telling people that he was so nervous that he only managed a shaky, "will ya?" after getting down on one knee. It was the easiest decision I ever made. We're so very excited to finally be tying the knot, so mark your calendars for August 2026 and join us as we begin the next chapter in this remarkable love story.