Gavin and Lexi met in the spring of 2018 while attending Dunlap High School. One night Lexi received a direct message from Gavin asking her if she had the forensic science homework. Puzzled, Lexi responded that she was not in that class but hoped he would have good luck getting the homework. Little did Lexi know that Gavin was not reaching out to her to get homework, but he was trying to get her to go on a date. Gavin kept the conversation going and what began as texting turned into an all-night face time call of chatting and joking with one another. The following morning Gavin picked up Lexi to take her on their first date to Steak and Shake. Nothing like milkshakes at 10 in the morning! After enjoying their shakes, Lexi wanted to browse around one of the local boutiques. While inside the boutique, Lexi found a beautiful blouse and held it up for Gavin to see. Gavin responded, "Good thing you have a boyfriend who can buy it for you." Lexi's face erupted into the largest smile of excitement. From that day forward, they have been inseparable. As the next year and a half passes, Gavin prepares to begin college in Eureka and move from Dunlap to Washington. This was a large jump for the two of them as they had always been 7 minutes down the road from one another. They were unsure how they would handle "the distance", but they made sure to have plenty of coffee shop dates at their halfway mark. Not long into Gavin's first year of college, Covid hit and he moved back home to Dunlap. Lexi and Gavin enjoyed their quality time close together again for several months. Looking to advance his career, Gavin joined the United States Marine Corps on December 27, 2020. This marked the day that their biggest challenge would begin. Unwilling to let months of no communication and distance get between them, Gavin and Lexi promised each other that they would fight to keep going in their relationship because they loved each other. They did exactly that! Months of writing letters and waiting for mail finally came to an end in April of 2021 when Gavin graduated boot camp. In 2022, Gavin was stationed at the U.S. embassy in Haiti when he planned a fun trip to Florida for the couple. The couple met up in Florida and enjoyed some time in the sun on the first day. The following day, Gavin had dinner reservations planned for them at an upscale restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale. Gavin and Lexi enjoyed some time at the beach relaxing before getting ready for their dinner. Once they were ready, Gavin suggested a walk along the beach to witness sea turtles being let into the ocean from the wildlife reservation nearby. Lexi agreed, and besides, she wanted to see the beautiful sun setting over the ocean. Upon reaching their beachfront destination, Gavin and Lexi enjoyed walking along the coast, when Gavin got down with one knee in the sand and asked Lexi to marry him. Excited, Lexi said, "Yes!" and lunged down to the ground to hug her fiance. Now, after 7 years filled with love, trials, distance, and joy, Gavin and Lexi could not be more excited to celebrate their love for one another with you on May 30, 2026.