We first "matched" on an online dating app, Hinge, in August 2020. I had recently moved to Gadsden, AL for my clinical years of medical school and Thad was born and has been raised in the Birmingham area. We had each tried dating apps in the past (even paying for subscriptions) without much success and were feeling disheartened over dating in general, but had decided to take a chance anyway. I was attracted to Thad because of how genuine he seemed, and he was easy to talk to - a few minutes into our first online conversation we were practically sharing our life stories! Our first date was at Edgar's for coffee and breakfast on August 15, 2020. After several weeks of weekend "in person dates" and some regularly scheduled "phone dates" added in, I finally got up the nerve to make more long term plans with Thad. We had just finished seeing each other for milkshakes and a snack at Shake Shack - he was walking me to my car when I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and asked him to be my date to my best friend, Melissa's, wedding. He not only said yes - he stopped me in the middle of the parking lot and asked me to be his girlfriend!

After I asked Hallye to be my girlfriend in the parking lot of the Shake Shack in September 2020, we started talking and spending more time together. Visits to the zoo, formal and informal lunch and dinner dates, roller-blading, more walks, quality of time with family, museum meanderings, tv-stand assembly, and accent wall painting were among some of the things that we’ve done together that have helped our relationship grow. As we neared our one-year anniversary, what I felt for this special woman continued to grow. Her kindness, gentleness, resiliency, compassion, and work-ethic are a few of the qualities that make this woman such a treasure. She is a fierce friend and so very attentive to the needs/wants of everyone around her. Her desire to help others is extraordinary. So, all this leads me to the next stage in this journey. I knew in September 2021 that I wanted to marry this woman! In October, I proceeded ask her dad’s blessing to marry his daughter. This question actually was the hardest one for me! I felt confident that he was going to say yes, but it still was a very important moment. After receiving his blessing, I went to Diamonds Direct and selected an engagement ring. The next step was picking the right time and place. I settled on the idea of proposing the Saturday following Thanksgiving 2021 in Covington, TN (November 27, 2021). Thanks to the assistance of one of Hallye's wonderful cousins and her husband, the proposal remained a secret, while ensuring that the moment and setting were meaningful! I am a better man with this godly, thoughtful, kind, considerate, hard-working, gracious, and loving woman by my side. In health and in sickness, through mountaintop moments and those in the valleys, during times of celebrations and adversity, I desire to do so with this woman! May God be glorified as we embark on this journey together!

There's not much to this story because I was totally blindsided in the best way. As many of you know, I'm graduating medical school in May 2021, just one month before our wedding! This fall, I've been in the midst of Pediatrics residency applications and virtual Zoom interview season. Thad and I had discussed previously that once I found out where I was moving and had graduated, he would soon follow me - even if that meant moving to a new city together, so I knew marriage was our ultimate goal. But I was secretly starting to get antsy like any woman in love does. When I asked my dad if him and Thad had had the "intentions" conversation, my dad wore his best poker face and straight out lied to me (I'm so glad he did!) \ Therefore, I was fully expecting us to have a spring proposal after we had at least found out where our future together was going to start. Fast forward to November 27, 2021... ... for the last several years since my mom passed, we have always gotten together with her side of the family the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Last year in 2020 was Thad's first Thanksgiving with us and he was joining us again this year. We'd had a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch with his parents and brother, Allen, on Thanksgiving Day in Birmingham and then traveled to Memphis for an extended Thanksgiving weekend. All was normal, or so I thought. As part of our normal Saturday Thanksgiving celebrations, every gathers and we enjoy a delicious potluck lunch followed by family pictures. So, again, I was totally oblivious because it was normal for us to be dressed cute and taking pictures outside. We took our big group photo before splitting into smaller immediate family units for more photos. My cousin Sarah and her husband Chris (who were in on it) took our picture. Then there was some chatter about us getting in a different pose while Thad steps out of my peripheral vision - Sarah told me to look at him and I turned around to find him down on one knee!