It all began on March 30, 2018 when we met through one of Eric’s best friends (shoutout to Alex Reed!) at a bar in Omaha. It’s up for debate who caught whose eye first, but one thing was for certain—we were drawn to each other from the start. At the time, I was in college in Iowa City, while Eric had recently moved back home to Council Bluffs after his time in the minor leagues. Despite the distance, we kept in touch and continued getting to know each other. Just a couple weeks later he made the trip to Iowa City to visit and asked me to be his girlfriend on April 14, 2018. From that day on, the cliché phrase "the rest is history" reigned true. Looking back, it’s funny to realize that even before we met, our families had crossed paths in ways we didn’t know. Turns out, our parents lived just a few blocks apart and knew each other! In August 2018, Eric landed a job at a baseball facility in Iowa City. I graduated from college that December and moved back to Omaha to start accelerated nursing school while he stayed in Iowa City. Though we were living in different cities for a while, we made it work, supporting each other through school, work, and everything in between. I eventually made my way back to Iowa City to start my job at the Children’s Hospital in May 2020. Then in June 2021, we moved into our cozy townhome together, marking the beginning of a new chapter. Fast forward to July 9, 2023, during our annual trip to Table Rock Lake with my family, Eric surprised me in the most beautiful way. He had been quietly planning the most thoughtful proposal. Surrounded by my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins—who had all been in on the surprise—Eric dropped to one knee and with my hands up to my mouth in pure shock, I answered with the easiest “YES!” Since then, we’ve spent the past almost two years savoring every moment of being engaged—planning our wedding, celebrating with loved ones, and making the most of this special time in our lives. We are so excited for what lies ahead and can’t wait to celebrate our love with all of you as we get ready to say “I do.”