Courtney, my Matron of Honor, had just graduated from Kennesaw State, and her family threw her a graduation party/crawfish boil at the Hayes Residence (AKA the wedding venue!) I was there as Courtney's best friend, and Jake was invited as one of Todd's fraternity brothers. We realized we knew each other from high school, and laughed about old times most of the night. Later on, we went our separate ways, and that was it. Or so we thought.

Years go by, both of our lives change drastically, and Jake messages me out of the blue, asking me to catch up over a drink, the night before I leave for Montana. My answer was basically "Well I'm going to Montana for 2 weeks tomorrow, so I can do tonight, or 2 weeks from now..." That night we ate dinner, and talked each other's ears off. When the restaurant asked us to leave because they had closed without us noticing, we sat on park bench talking about things we failed at, ghosts of people we thought we knew but didn't, and how crazy it is that after 3 years at the same high school, and 4 years associated with the same fraternity in college, this was the first time we really spoke. Then it was 2am, on a Tuesday, and I had a flight to catch.

I landed back in Atlanta, and Jake came over to ask me on an official date. It was classic and cliche and all the things you'd think of when you imagine the moment you realize this might just be something. 3 months later, we moved to Montana, and our parents thought we were crazy. Montana was a whirlwind of adventure, joy, and lessons. We wouldn't trade it for anything, except maybe warmer winters. We were hightailing back to Georgia before we knew it (Thanks, Yellowstone) and we arrived in Jackson, with a truck full of winter coats, and a ton of work to do. We have built everything we have now from the ground up, with the help of family, friends, and a whole lot of fried chicken. We have a ways to go, but we've landed right where we've decided we will plant the future.

By the end of our first year together, we had already wiped the slate and begun again, twice. No better way to find out if a relationship will last eternity than to challenge it, they say. And boy, have we put that to the test. By the end of 2024, we will have grown and preserved a years worth of food, raised over 100 animals, and built a house that we will start our married life in. The Law of the Harvest continues to reign true in all we do: "In life, we will reap what we sow; we will reap more than we sow; and we will reap later than we sow" Marriage will be the start of our next growing season. We are so thankful to each of you for joining us on the journey.