It all began when a mutual friend posted an Instagram story with me, prompting Shae to follow me. A few weeks later, he made his move and slid into my DMs ;) His opening line? "You hoop?!" That simple question led to our first "date"—a one-on-one basketball game, followed by a second date at a Cardinals football game. Despite all this, he was still not out of the friend-zone.

About six months later, the Lord brought us back together on a boating trip when Corinne—my friend from Iowa—came to visit her boyfriend, Steven, who just so happened to be Shae’s roommate. The day after the boat trip, we made it official without hesitation. Just two days later, we had our first official date at Toca Madera. That week was a whirlwind—meeting my mom and sister, and sharing our first unforgettable “I love you’s.”

Just over a month later, we took our first trip together to New Mexico to visit Shae’s family. The days were filled with meaningful moments—spending time with his mom and younger sister, hiking scenic trails, visiting Grandma, exploring the farmers market, and meeting his extended family at White Sands. It was after this trip that we started envisioning our future together!

By September, our conversations about marriage became more serious, quickly leading to venue tours and ring shopping. Everything fell into place faster than we could have imagined!

Shae’s first trip to Iowa was one to remember! We had a wonderful time meeting the rest of my family, soaking in the crisp fall weather, exploring the farm, and—much to Shae’s excitement—getting up close with all the little tractors!

We spent our first big holiday together in New Mexico with Shae's family, where I had the chance to meet the rest of Shae's extended family and even more of his friends!

While celebrating Christmas in Iowa with my family, Shae surprised me with an unforgettable proposal. We had planned family photos, but it was all part of his plan! Afterward, Shae shared a video with heartfelt messages from my friends and surprised me again at dinner with all our local friends there to celebrate. It was the perfect day.

With all the wedding planning and preparation for married life, we’ve been busy, but we couldn’t be more excited to start this next chapter as husband and wife!