Our story begins in the same way 20% of committed relationships begin in the current age... through a dating app. Among the hundreds (or thousands, who knows) of potential partners, we matched on Hinge. As an Astros diehard fan himself, Scott noticed a picture of Brooke at Minute Maid Park in a shirt that read, "I just hope both teams have fun." He sent her a hopeful message that said, "Your shirt is adorable. Really sold me on you. Earned my swipe...or whatever you call it on this app." It didn't take long for the both of us to feel a connection to one another, and soon that message turned into a promising date at the Maple Leaf Pub for trivia night, performing under the team name, "First Date: Totally Getting Ghosted." Upon walking in the door, Scott was immediately blown away by the sight of Brooke. That night played a big part in continuing the relationship further; even the waitress that night noted that we "just seemed so comfortable together." So that first date turned into a second night at Top Golf, which turned into a third night meeting Brooke's brother's family at Zoo Lights, and we both recognized early on we craved each other's company, constantly finding ways to surprise one another and seek new experiences together.

Less than two months into knowing each other, Brooke quarantined with her entire family for three weeks during the Christmas holidays. While not seeing each other for that time offered a seeming road block to this newly budding relationship, it gave us an opportunity to get to know each other and find new date ideas we never would have thought of otherwise. During those three weeks, there was a personality test night, nights where we synced up watching movies together, game nights with each other, and game nights with the entire family. The greatest trivia team of all-time (QuaranTEAM) was created, which featured several members of Brooke's family and an unforgettable team theme song that is still an earworm for all involved to this day. The most notable "date" during that time was adapted from one of Scott's favorite classroom activities. We watched an episode of "The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross" on Zoom, while both attempting to "paint" the same picture that Bob Ross was demonstrating in the episode. When it was done, we both joyfully held up our pieces of art and compared our artistic prowess. The night proved that any love story is incomplete without a series of "happy little accidents." When the quarantine and time apart was over, one thing was clear: this relationship was one that was going to last. The first night they were reunited, Scott asked Brooke, "Is it too early to say I love you?" Brooke immediately and eagerly shared the sentiment, and that love has grown exponentially ever since.

When we first matched on Hinge, Scott noticed that Brooke said one thing she always wanted to do was fly in a hot-air balloon. Scott filed that knowledge away in case the opportunity ever came to make that dream come true. And... needless to say, that dream did come true in the most memorable way possible. As it became abundantly clear this relationship was headed beyond being boyfriend and girlfriend, Scott began researching places to take Brooke on a balloon ride and came to realize that the Houston area isn't the most accommodating place for that kind of adventure. However, opportunity would find itself in the form of a trip to Seattle to visit Brooke's longtime best friend, Kelsey, in July. Seattle, as it turns out, is one of the best places in the United States to take a hot-air balloon ride and offers one of the best views as well, floating hundreds of feet in the air near the picturesque Mount Rainier. Scott took it upon himself to coordinate with Brooke's sister and Kelsey to find the perfect ring and to surprise Brooke with an engagement she would never forget. On the day of the engagement, Scott told Brooke to prepare for a night out together in the city, but would not offer any hints as to what to expect beyond that they were "going to a casino." Brooke was skeptical and a little confused, and that confusion only grew when we actually did pull up to the Muckleshoot Casino. Turns out, the Muckleshoot Casino was the meeting place for all parties flying with Seattle Ballooning. As the trucks towing several hot-air balloon baskets pulled into the parking lot, Brooke's face lit up with excitement as she knew she was going to have her dream come true, and her suspicions started to rise knowing that the night may have even more in store. Within an hour, we were headed into the air and were greeted with some of the most breathtaking views either of us had ever experienced. Scott had corresponded with the pilot beforehand, and at around 1,500 feet with Mount Rainier as the backdrop, they nodded at one another knowing it was the moment. The pilot put on music, Scott slowly pulled the ring box from his backpack, and he asked Brooke to marry him. The rest... was history. Brooke emphatically said yes and placed her new beautiful ring on her finger. The pilot announced to the other passengers that Scott "asked her to marry him, and she said yes," and pumped the burners five times in celebration of the moment. It was truly a moment both of us will never forget and offered a taste of the many adventures that await in the future.

We have marveled many times about how all the ups and downs we've been through separately have led us here - the point in time where our storylines connected at exactly the right moment to create our love story. We can't believe our luck to have found each other, and just as importantly, we are so grateful for all of the love and support of our friends and family that got us here. We can't wait to celebrate with all of you!