January 2017 an instant message from Zac popped up on match.com & thanks to his trivial Garth Brooks knowledge along with Meghan’s brief history of waving the wheat at Oklahoma State, the fairy tale began. With a first date on Valentine's Day, the day dedicated to love & romance, we decided to go to a non-romantic place, so Zac picked Yard House. After one too many craft beers, the first date a success! We continued dating throughout the spring and summer with trips to Austin, the beach & Vegas. Dating each other was fun, easy and of course, like most people in their late 30's, we each brought our own life stories to the table to sort through, figure out and learn to appreciate. Life was good. We had a unexpected, but happy surprise in Aug. when we found out I was pregnant. There was lots to sort out with two virtual strangers navigating the waters of a relationship, a baby and possibly a family. STORM#1 I became sick & put on bed rest week 29 of the pregnancy. My body was not handling the pregnancy & the baby was not doing well in utero. Adelyn Rose entered the world at 30 weeks via emergency C-section. Our tiny miracle was 3lbs 11oz. Adelyn & I landed ourselves stays in intensive care units - NICU & MICU, while Zac stepped-up was there for us, bouncing between hospital buildings. The nurses all knew and loved "Dad" and he out-diapered me by week one. He was kind, calm and a solid rock through all the chaos. Ten days after Adelyn was born, I was released from the hospital. And after 6 weeks in the NICU, Adelyn Rose came home with us.

There are many things we will never understand & questions that still go unanswered, but we had a very sick baby & almost lost her. During our 3 weeks at Children's, we were like two ships passing in the night with Zac juggling work, rest & being at the hospital. As we reflect back, these trials in life can go one of two ways. For us, it brought us closer together. The love, respect and admiration for each other continued to grow. Relief. Joy. Thankful. Blessed. All come to mind when thinking about taking Adelyn home for the second time after being at Children’s for 3 weeks. Ironically, she came home one day after her original due date! STORM #3 We enjoyed figuring out our new normal with a baby. In mid-April, we took a trip to Amarillo. I didn't feel well & started to have a few issues with my liver enzymes caused by the pregnancy & other factors. We flew back to Dallas and was admitted to UTSW on a Monday morning. By Wednesday, the transplant team had completed the evaluation in 48 hours, & I was at the top of the transplant list. The very next day, Thursday, April 26, exactly three months after Adelyn’s birth, I had a liver transplant. The weeks of recovery, can sometimes be a blur for us, but we do know our love for each other grew exponentially. Zac proposed in June 2018 & there was no way I could say anything but "YES!” If we can weather these storms & still laugh, travel, have fun & appreciate life; then what could ever stop or break us? We love the beach & we love our friends & family. We are getting married on the beautiful beach of Turks & Caicos on December 8 with our families & many of our friends. Then, we will bring the party, and the Caribbean, back to Dallas to celebrate with all our friends & family on January 26. The date is special as it is also Adelyn’s FIRST BIRTHDAY! It's a significant moment as we reflect on all that can happen in one year. A great reminder to live life to fullest, be kind to others & never take anything for granted.