It’s challenging to capture the full extent of a love story like ours, but here’s a brief glimpse into our journey.

Tyler and I have known each other most of our lives. With us both having older brothers and attending the same daycare it was hard to miss each other. However, we never talked much as we were just little kids. Once we got into middle school we both joined the band, I played clarinet and he played the trumpet. The summer between sixth and seventh grade we both attended band camp at Henderson State. He caught my attention throughout the whole week and I couldn't understand why I felt so drawn to him. At the end of the week the camp has a "dance" which is exactly how you would expect a middle school dance to be. He had been asked to this dance by someone else and a switch flipped inside of me. How dare someone else be with him! So naturally I did what any other middle school girl would do and I tried to hang around him the whole night so they were never alone. Luckily for me, nothing happened there! As the weeks went on I started slowly making myself known to him. I messaged him on Instagram for the first time in January of 2016. Due to us both being introverted and shy, we ended up talking for quite a while before anything came of it. We went on our first official date around October of 2017 which just so happened to be a haunted house. He held my hand for the first time and after it was over we talked for a few hours just getting to know each other. It was amazing. That night marked the beginning of a beautiful transformation in our relationship. We hung out at the park on weekends, hung out at school, and finally started hanging out at each other's houses in 2018. Then on May 31, 2018 Tyler asked me to be his girlfriend, and of course I said yes.

After 3 years of dating in high school and being together every day, we had to start doing long distance for college. As I attended UCA and he attends LA Tech in Ruston, Louisiana we spend around 6 days together a month and live 3 hours apart. Long distance has tested our relationship in many ways, and in many ways I absolutely hate it. On the other hand, I would not change it for the world. We have survived so much more than any typical relationship could have. We are better together and have learned to truly appreciate what it means to be in a relationship because of long distance. This was proven when Tyler officially proposed to me on July 14, 2024, the greatest day ever.

There aren't enough words to describe the relationship between Tyler and I. We each found our soulmate at just the young age of 15. Not a day has gone by where we don't thank the Lord for allowing us to be together, as we would not be where we are without Him. Tyler and I can't wait to start this life together exactly 7 years after we first became a couple. Here's to lucky number 7, and a lifetime to go!