We are Getting Married!!

On April 15, 2022, Bailey and I went hiking on the Raven's trail at Caesar's Point in South Carolina. We love going on walks at the park, but we have never been full blown hiking before. It was an absolute perfect day. Not too hot, nice breeze, and no clouds in the sky. The first hour of our hike was pretty easy going. It had beautiful scenic views and fairly easy walking conditions. The waterfall was still a bit ahead of us, but we were able to see the river from our walking path. We decided to creep a little off the path to go sit on a rock by the river. It was so pretty and secluded and the water trickled by us as we enjoyed the peace. We ate a few grapes (since I forgot my water bottle in the car). When we were ready to get back on the trail, I stood up and stretched, but when I turned to head out, Bailey was still sitting. He told me that there was something he had been wanting to ask me for a long time now. That's when he slid off of the rock, got down on one knee, and asked me if I would marry him! And I, of course, said YES! Then... we decided to continue forward on the trail instead of going back the way we came. What we didn't know was that the trails ahead were expert level difficulty. I'm talking 5 hours of vertical cliffs, rock hopping over creeks, weaving through thick forrest and tight spaces, and an hour of constant up hill. All without any water! We were EXHAUSTED when we reached the car, but we made it. And we did it together! Just like every other blessing and challenge we will face in our future.

Bailey and I first met, technically, at a mutual friend's graduation party, but we really didn't talk much even though our family's sat at the same table. A few months later, that same friend invited us both to the movies. Bailey and I ended up sitting next to each other during the movie. I offered him some of my M&Ms (and if you know me, you know how much I love chocolate), but he said no. I told him that I don't offer my M&Ms to just anyone; that person has to be pretty special. Come to find out later, Bailey doesn't like M&Ms, haha! That was the first special moment we had together. Over the next few months we hung out a lot with groups of friends. Our friendship continued to grow as we talked, teased, and spent time with each other. People would tell us that we were like an old married couple. One day when we were hanging out and messing around, Bailey stole my car keys when it was time for me to leave. After trying get my keys back for a few minutes, we paused and I noticed how close we were. Bailey leaned in towards me but left about an inch between our faces, and I leaned in to close the space between us. After that kiss, everything just clicked! We knew that we belonged together.