#HayesForeverAndAlways

It was a typical night out dancing in Downtown Austin on Jan. 29, 2017. One of Kevin’s friends recognized one of Teresa’s friends and the conversation started to flow, but Teresa just wanted to dance. As she looked for a way out of the small talk, she noticed Kevin just minding his own business. Why not? She asked him to dance. The connection was instant, but just a few weeks after this fortuitous meeting, Kevin was set to deploy to Kuwait for 9 months. This helped keep things organic to begin a relationship, but with letters to open each Sunday of his deployment and phone conversations in between, the relationship strengthened in spite of the physical distance. When Kevin returned, it was time to take the next step of getting to know one another’s families. Through this process it became obvious this relationship was going to stick. They made it official November of 2017, but then just 3 months later, the military called again and Kevin was needed for 4 months in El Paso. While not as far as Kuwait, the distance was heavy as their relationship was more serious now. In December 2018, the next step in Kevin’s military career meant a 6 month assignment to Captain’s Training in Missouri. This took the challenge to a whole new level. The relationship was healthy and serious. Their careers were busy and full. Time apart was trying and the future was uncertain. After Captain’s Training where would Kevin be assigned? Austin? Savannah? Would he decide to stay in Missouri for 6 more months to obtain his masters? The possibilities seemed overwhelming, but one thing was certain...Kevin and Teresa were finished with saying goodbyes. It was time to live life side by side. They prayed fervently that Kevin would get a local assignment, and Kileen came through! Kevin returned with a ring he’d purchased while in Missouri. On May 24, 2019, just hours after closing on their first home, Kevin asked an ecstatic Teresa to be his wife!