Our Story
The Introduction
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Melissa and Evans first met back in 2014 through their mutual friends Kris and Brie Jamieson. Melissa attended high school with Kris at ETHS and Evans was their neighbor in Montana. Although they were living in Great Falls at the time, Kris and Brie decided to hold their first baby shower in Evanston and Evans came along for the trip. While Melissa and Evans didn't meet during the actual shower, they both ended up at a hookah bar that night when a bunch of friends wanted to go out. Evans tried to spit some game, but he ended the night in the friend zone. The two chatted periodically over the years on facebook - wishing each other a happy birthday and commenting on pictures. But it wasn't until 2019 that they really reconnected.
Getting Together
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After Melissa wished Evans a happy birthday in April 2019, Evans seized the opportunity to reconnect. In true 21st century romantic fashion, Evans slid into Melissa's DMs and asked why they haven't hung out yet since they lived so close. Evans had relocated to Omaha, which was only 7 hours away from the Chicago area. They began speaking almost daily and in May decided to take a spontaneous trip together to hang out. For Memorial Day weekend, they each drove 5 hours to Minneapolis -- a new city for both of them that they could explore together. They had a great time eating juicy lucies, sipping cocktails and craft beer, and checking out some trails with waterfalls. When they headed home, they began dating.
Over the Years
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Melissa and Evans navigated their long distance relationship like champs - they were dedicated to seeing each other at least once a month. Luckily, Melissa was able to work remotely which allowed her to visit him for weeks or months at a time. Time and distance presented some unique life events and challenges for the pair. Melissa mastered the 7 hour drive between Chicago and Omaha. She even got to quarantine with Evans and Atlas when everyone was under lockdown and they found a new love for puzzles. In June 2020, they adopted a second fur baby Luna together. In October 2020 Evans relocated to Bossier City and invited Melissa to move in. Those plans were derailed days later when Evans was selected for a deployment -- little did they know plans would change again and he remained in LA. Upon reflecting on everything life was throwing at them, Evans decided it was time to turn his passion for real estate into his next career move. The two began thinking about where they would move in together and after numerous pros and cons lists and a quick weekend trip, picked the Charlotte, NC area. They purchased a home together in February 2022 - Melissa moved down in March and Evans followed shortly after in May.
The Proposal
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Hiking trails became a favorite pastime for the couple, especially those that had waterfalls where they could get a beautiful backdrop for photos. Evans pointed out that they hadn't taken a waterfall picture in a while and suggested they check out a new trail with falls over Memorial Day weekend 2022. They found an attractive waterfall at High Shoals Falls in Connelly Springs, NC, but when Melissa saw it was about a 2 hour drive from their home in Waxhaw, she almost suggested they hike a closer trail and find a new waterfall another time. Little did she know, that would have thrown a major wrench in Evans' plans for the afternoon. After giving it some additional thought, Melissa agreed to the long drive and they hit the road with their pups. About a mile and half into the trail, the two came upon a beautiful waterfall. They took a family photo with the pups and Evans suggested they take one alone as well. He tied the leashes up and told Melissa to head back to the end of the lookout. When she turned back around expecting to smile for the camera he was down on one knee...