Imagine a random stranger walking into your Super Bowl party, introducing themselves like they belong there, and everyone looking around thinking, “Who the heck is this?” Well… that’s exactly how I first met Grayson. I was hosting a Super Bowl party and had invited my friend Jordan. She asked if she could bring her boyfriend and some of his friends. Cue the random stranger: Grayson. He walked in ahead of everyone else, introduced himself to the entire room, and immediately made himself at home. Later that night, during the halftime show, Grayson decided to sit next to me and make small talk over Rihanna. Little did he know, I was actually more interested in the football game than the halftime show. Somehow, though, he still managed to get my number. While I wish I could say it was love at first sight, I did end up doing what Grayson refers to as “ghosting him” for a few weeks. Fast forward a little bit, and one day at work Jordan asked if I wanted to stop by a GCU lacrosse game during lunch. I figured, why not? Might as well see what this guy’s got. Well, Grayson ended up scoring four goals that game, and I remember thinking, “Okay… maybe I am interested.” I texted him afterward to say good game and the rest is history. One of the first moments I truly knew I loved Grayson was during my first trip to Colorado to meet his family. Being an Arizona girl, I did not handle the altitude in Breckenridge very well. I got altitude sickness pretty badly, and Grayson stayed up with me almost the entire night making sure I was okay. Then, early the next morning, he drove me all the way back down to Denver so I could finally breathe again. That’s just who Grayson is, caring, selfless, and always putting the people he loves first. Shortly into dating, we became long distance for about six months while Grayson was in Indiana for training. Even though it was hard, that season brought us even closer. We spent countless hours on FaceTime getting to know each other, falling in love, and building the kind of communication and friendship that became the foundation of our relationship. Grayson is not only my fiancé, but truly my best friend. He is the person I can turn to for absolutely anything in life. I feel so incredibly blessed that God brought him into my life, and I cannot wait for the day I officially become Mrs. Payton Goodyear.

After a long day at the Phoenix Open, Jordan picked up Cam and I for her coworker’s Super Bowl party. As we pulled up to the house, they got caught up finishing a conversation in the car, so rather than awkwardly sit in the back seat, I did what any reasonable person with a little liquid courage would do: I walked straight into a house full of strangers and made myself at home. I had no idea that one impulsive decision would change my life forever. One of the first faces to greet me was a cute blonde named Payton. She was warm and welcoming, even as people whispered “wait, who is that?” across the room. I spent the rest of the night finding every excuse I could to be near her, and after some charming small talk, I made sure to get her number before I left. Apparently my Chiefs hatred came through a little too strong, because she went quiet on me for a while. Can’t say I blame her. But then, one afternoon, mid-taco, post lacrosse game, my phone lit up. She finally texted me back. And everything changed from there. That summer, we took a road trip to Breckenridge and stopped for a night in Moab, Utah on the way. After a long day of moving and nine hours on the road, we grabbed a pizza, put on The Office, and just laid around in our little bungalow. No plans, nothing fancy. That night, under the Utah stars, I knew she was the one. And it clicked that night, I didn’t need anything else in life to be truly happy. A few months into dating, I had to relocate to Indianapolis for work. The distance tested us almost immediately, but instead of pulling us apart, it gave us something stronger: a foundation that never wavered. Payton is my rock, my best friend, my sports watching buddy and my soon to be wife. I am so lucky to have her. Who knew that random Super Bowl party would turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.