It was my first year of public school, so I was taking it in and trying to figure it all out. I don’t remember exactly when we met, but we became friends because my best friend and his best friend were dating, so of course we all hung out together and would ride 4-wheelers around. Travis had a crush on me and I knew it because his best friend tried to set us up. But I wasn’t having it. Travis has told me now that I was his first real crush and that me denying him broke his heart. Little did either of us know, I just needed 11 years for the timing to be right ;) Throughout high school we were still friends, but definitely not as close. And after we graduated in 2012, we didn’t see each other again until the beginning of 2018. I was transitioning back to life in Sanford, and with that looking at different churches. The one I ended up at happened to be where I ran into Travis. I was surprised to see him after so many years, our interactions consisted mostly of “hey how’s it going good to see you!” etc. That is, until November 2018. Something shifted in both of us, I can’t really explain what happened except for the Lord’s hand was all over it. And also over some of our friends who seemed to all decide at the same time that we should be together. It was crazy. It took some group things together at church to get us talking a little more, and then some charming catch phrases from Travis of “having his eye on me” and to “get up with him” (a personal favorite of mine) before he finally asked for my number, and y’all let me tell you the butterflies were real anytime I knew I was going to get to see him. It felt just like middle school all over again. From there, we finally had a date with just us. We went to a Christmas parade and then had dinner at a Mexican restaurant where we sat and talked for two hours. The rest is history. Literally.

we’ve talked about when we knew that this was going to be something. And both of our answers are that night in the Mexican restaurant (still one of our favorite places to go!). We couldn’t keep it together. We knew there was something different. Something special. And that has only increased and been affirmed since that night. Which led to June 8, 2019, when Travis asked me to marry him on my family’s farm the day before I left on a 23 day trip. I was shocked! And insanely happy. I knew it was coming, but I didnt know it would be that day. It was perfect! And now we get to be husband and wife forever - something I never would have imagined, but couldn’t dream up anything better. He’s it. And none of it would have been possible or would be this good without God leading us together, preparing us for each other, and guiding us through our relationship to get to where we are now. I am constantly humbled and amazed at the Lord’s goodness and how He knows our hearts in bringing us to one another. Travis blows me away every single day and shows me more of the Father’s love through how he loves me. I’m so thankful he’s my forever. All glory to God!