Our story all started with the Hinge algorithm actually getting it right. "Most Compatible" for sure! We both swiped right, chatted through the app briefly, then met up for coffee on March 26th. Jake likes to give Caryss a hard time for being late for that first date. But the conversation flowed easily right from the start, and we made things official only 3 dates in.

Jake attending a Kenny Chesney concert was an early act of love, though Caryss hasn't given up hope of making him a country music fan in time. This concert was also the first time Jake met her parents.

The Rangers lost, but we still had a great time together at the game. Caryss got to spend time with more of Jake's wonderful friend group. And accepted that watching sports will be one of her ongoing acts of love.

Fun fact, one of our favorite early dates was taking pictures for a best friend's engagement. A few months later, we celebrated their wedding. Jake already suspected we would end up celebrating our own wedding in time, even though it took Caryss a little longer to believe it.

Fall vibes are our favorite.

We enjoyed one of our first hikes together at Cumberland State Park in Tennessee. We talked about the future trips we wanted to plan, and we acknowledged how easy it was to think about a life together.

We got to spend a lot of time together this Fall working at the Hoegenauer family's pumpkin patch. One of Caryss's favorite things about Jake has been how easily he's stepped into her circle of family and friends.

Jake remembered Caryss talking about one of her favorite hiking destinations in Arkansas and decided it would be the perfect spot for a proposal. He conspired with Caryss's best friend to get out there in time for sunrise, even though that meant waking up at 2am. Talk about commitment to the cause! Then morning of, we took a wrong turn into the park, needed time to find our way, and almost missed the sunrise. We hiked with purpose and made it to a gorgeous overlook just in time. Between the sleep deprivation and nervous energy, Jake completely forgot what to say when he got down on one knee. (That's Caryss's favorite part of the story.) But his efforts still made it the sweetest morning. In this picture you can see all our nervous energy, but also all the excitement and joy.

These friends played a huge part in our proposal. It takes some true commitment to wake up at 2am for someone else's love story, but these two didn't skip a beat.

Look at that morning light, y'all.

The Lord has been so good to us all our lives, and we're thankful He's decided to bring us together this year. Great is His faithfulness.