“August 3, 2018, It was my first day working for Troy football. I was walking back into the intern office after walkthroughs, but before practice. I was looking down at my phone and all of a sudden I physically run into this really tall player. I look up and was taken away by the beauty of this man. Little did I know, this was the man that I would one day marry. From our first date, which was Mcdonalds and a movie at his apartment, to the trip to the beach were he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of our lives together, I thank our good Lord everyday for Kade. He has made me such a better and stronger person. His laugh and smile still takes my breath away and will continue to forever.” - Payton “So Payton always says the first time we met was when she bumped into at the football facility, but I don’t necessarily remember that! The first time I remember seeing the woman of my dreams was in a bar of all places and if any of you know me thats not my scene! But there I was just sitting and listening to music when I look up and see the most beautiful human being I have ever seen! And I mean drop dead gorgeous! From the start of our relationship to the moment she said “I love you” for the very first time, to now having the privilege of asking my best friend to spend the rest of our lives together! Everyday I am greatful for that one lonely night at the bar where i saw my forever life partner!” - Kade
“At 5:15 am my alarm goes off for the morning. I get up and get dressed for our last day of inititation. I know its gonna be a long day because the monday before Kade and I had planned to go over to Orange Beach to watch my sister, Jordan, play in a volleyball tournament. We had planned to take couple pictures at the beach because we did not have any good professional photos. So, we get done with initiation, and I go home to get ready to leave and wait for Kade to get done with practice. We get ready to leave and realize my tire light is on, so we spend 30 minutes searching for a working air pump at gas stations (FYI Troy has maybe two working ones) which we didnt find. But we get on the road and drive for almost 4 hours to Orange Beach. By the time we got there Jordan had finished her tournament and it was already 5:00 pm. So we got dress with my family and headed down to the public beach. We get on the beach and start taking photos and being goofy. So then my dad notices the clouds are breaking up and wants to get a good photo of us with the sunset, or so I thought. He was helping kade get set up to propose. I think hes fixing to come and stand behind me, but he does not, so I turn around to see where he went, and I’m not fully turned around when I realize what is happening. I’m getting asked to marry my best friend in the entire world. I was so suprised and in a state of pure happiness my whole body is shaking. In that moment I felt the power of pure and authentic love. The love that is spoken about in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. I knew in that moment God had brought me the man I prayed for all those nights, since my first heart break. I knew my soul had found the one I fully and truly love.” - Payton
“So the day had finally come, I was going to ask Payton to marry me! But before all of that I had to practice for my football team and I probably had one of the best practices of my life. Once I got done with practice me and payton were finally able to get on the road and head to the beach, but when we first started her tire pressure light came on and so we stopped at probably 10 different places trying to find one that worked but with no luck. So while we were doing all of this I kept looking up at the sky just praying for God to let the weather clear up to make this day perfect! When we get down to the beach the sky has cleared up a little and the sun was about to start going down it was a God given miracle! So we get ready real quick to take some “cute pictures” which is what I told Payton. So we start taking pictures and I can just feel my heart pounding and we are about to be done. But I was waiting for the moment. Her dad and mom who helped tremendously asked if there was anything else we wanted to take and that was the moment when I got down on one knee and asked the love of my life to marry me and spend the rest of her life together! Payton has always been one I try to be the best for and so the day I asked her to marry me I tried to make it as perfect as it could be!” - Kade