Matt and I are both proud Ole Miss grads, but that’s not exactly how we met. While Ole Miss may be a SEC school, the social circles actually run pretty small. I distincly remember seeing Matt at a bar called Funky's sophomore year of college. He was tall, blonde, and had the most expressive eyebrow raise I had ever seen. I was too intimidated to talk to him so naturally I went home and told my roommates about this cute guy I saw. Ironically one of them knew exactly who I was talking about and pulled up his facebook. I was crushed when she told me he was unavailble, so I had no choice but to move on. Fast forward four years later where Matt is working in Florida and I in NC. I go to visit my oldest brother and his wife in Jacksonville, FL where I ran into Matt (we still had never officially met). We started talking, went on a date and have been together since. As they say, God has a plan for us all and while we didn't know it then, He knew with time we would be exactly where He intended for us to be.

While I knew she was the one after the first couple of weeks, Hollis insisted we act responsibly and get to know one another and at the least meet each others parents before committing to forever. I found within the first time of meeting Hollis' family how lucky I truly was. They always say a child is a true reflection of their parents and how they were raised, and that’s exactly what I saw in Hollis. The entire Hitchens family embraced me and our new relationship with open arms and I immediately felt like part of the family. Two years had now gone by and I couldn't wait any longer. The only catch was she insisted she be surprised which as we all know is no small feat, but I was persistent. With the help of her parents, aunt, and my parents I was able to gather the families all under one roof for the annual Hitchens Christmas stocking exchange where Hollis would find the ring at the bottom her grandmother's handmade stocking. At that moment, two families became one and were able to share the beginning of the rest of our lives.