Zack and I met on an online dating website. He messaged me online, and one of the first things he asked was if I like Chinese food. Well, it turns out that Chinese food is my absolute favorite. That was all it took for him to convince me to meet him in person. Our first face to face meeting was on April 9, 2017 at Tanger Outlets in Southaven, Mississippi. The moment I saw him, the very first thing I said was, "Wow, you're tall." We spent the day getting to know each other. We decided we wanted to see each other again. The following evening we went on a date at, you guessed it, a Chinese restaurant. On April 22, 2017 we went on a date to Village Creek State Park. We sat at a picnic table next to the lake, shared our first kiss, and Zack asked me to be his girlfriend. I happily said yes.

Growing up, I was told that you know you've found "the one" when you realize that person is your best friend. The person you cannot live without. Zack and I began to realize that we had found each other for a reason. We had no doubt that we were meant to be together. First and foremost we had a shared Christian faith. Many of our very first conversations revolved around our faith, and many of our conversations today do as well. We also quickly realized that we both had a heart for animals. We spend a lot of our time visiting pet stores to see all the different creatures. We have a few furbabies of our own, as well, that mean the world to us. Another connection that Zack and I share is our mutual concern for mental healthcare in our society. We are both striving to become the best mental/behavioral health professionals we can be. Zack and I share a love and connection that I believe is one of life's greatest treasures. We are each other's best friend.

On July 21, 2018, Zack asked me to be his wife. He took me out for dinner, and when we got back to his house, I decided to go for a late night swim in his pool. Zack decided not to get in the pool, but anxiously sat next to me on the pool's edge. He started fidgeting with his pocket. Little did I know what he was up to. Zack had some candles lit, which made the scene very romantic. He bent down and said, "I think I see a frog down here." The next thing I knew, he was on one knee and pulling the ring out of his pocket. Zack asked me to marry him, and I teasingly said, "Well, I'll have to think about it," which I immediately followed up with a YES! The day had finally come. We were engaged.