Austen and I had met in middle school - think braces, school uniforms, and a lot of pre-teen awkwardness. We were best friends, but as life does, high school and college pulled us in different directions. Fast forward to March 2021 - sharing a sweet photo of my dog Shaggy lead to Austen sending me a direct message (DM) telling me how cute my dog was. We DMed back and forth reconnecting before exchanging phone numbers. Shortly there after, Austen asked me on a date. It was our first time seeing each other in 12 years and I was nervous to say the least. We met at Pizzeria Bianco in Downtown Phoenix and spent the next 5 hours catching up. The connection we had as kids was still there - only now it has grown into something deeper and more meaningful. It was the easiest “yes” of my life when Austen got down on one knee. Now, I get to say that my middle school crush turned into my future husband and I can’t wait to marry him.

When I think back to meeting Leah for the first time, I can’t help but think of the fight with my mom to not go to Christ Lutheran School. I was entering 6th grade and wanted to go to the public middle school where all of my friends were going. My mom wanted me to go to CLS to instill some sort of religious values in me. Little did I know, that decision would lay the framework for a much larger decision later in life. Going to a new school can be intimidating. There are new kids, new teachers, and buildings that one can get easily lost in. Luckily for me, there was one friendly, freckle filled face in the crowd, Leah. Over the next three years, we became close friends. From the infamous “what’s up nod”, to Leah slapping me across the face because I teased her into doing it, we created inside jokes and memories that we still laugh about today. High school and college rushed by the both of us and took us on separate paths. I would even dare to say that I thought I would never see Leah again. That is until, one day as I was scrolling through Instagram I came across one of the cutest dogs I had ever seen, owned by the prettiest girl from middle school. What does a guy in their mid 20’s do in that situation? Send her a charming DM of course! After I worked up the courage to do it, I sent off my message and waited patiently for either a reply back or rejection. To my delight, Leah messaged me back! From that point, my sights have only been set on her (and Shaggy) as the partner I need in my life. Pizzeria Bianco was where we finally reconnected in person after many years and Hanny’s Bar was where we kissed for the first time (14 years overdue in my opinion). And now, here we are. I feel so blessed to not only have the friends and family that I do, but to have the love of a woman that is inspiring, beautiful, and the kindest person I have ever met.