Our story began in December 2016, during one of those rare times when life brings people together at just the right moment. Aarron was home on leave, preparing to deploy to Iraq, and Cheyenne had just returned to town for winter break from OU. A mutual friend thought we should meet, and luckily, we all ended up at Buffalo Wild Wings one night-Aarron, his two younger sisters, Cheyenne, and our friend.

From the moment we sat down, we hit it off. We bonded over our love for OU, sports, and Star Wars, and the night was filled with nonstop laughter. So much so, in fact, that Aarron's youngest sister laughed so hard, she threw up all over the table-definitely a first impression we'll never forget!

After dinner, we all went back to Aarron's family home and stayed up talking and laughing until the early hours. it was one of those nights that just felt effortless. A few weeks later, Aarron deployed, and Cheyenne returned to Norman, but that one unforgettable night sparked something special that neither of us could ignore.

After our unforgettable first meeting in December 2016, life took us in different directions-Aarron deployed overseas, and Cheyenne returned to OU. We actually didn't speak for nearly 10 months, but during that time, Cheyenne became best friends with Aarron's sisters, which kept our connection quietly alive.

In October 2017, Cheyenne reached out to Aarron on Facebook Messenger-and from that moment on, we haven't gone a single day without talking. We started a long-distance relationship between Fayetteville, North Carolina and Norman, Oklahoma. Aarron was stationed with the Army and Cheyenne was finishing her degree. We made the distance work with weekend trips, long drives (mostly Aarron's 18-hour hauls), quick flights, and a few sleepovers with his friends-thanks Nava and Decker.

In 2019, Aarron deployed to Afghanistan. It was a tough nine months, but we made it through. He returned during her spring break- but thanks to COVID and quarantine protocols, we didn't even get to see each other. Cheyenne made the full 18-hour drive out to Fayetteville alone in his truck, only to turn around and fly back home a few days later. It wasn't the reunion we had hoped for, but it made us even more sure of what we had.

After Cheyenne graduated in May 2020 and Aarron was discharged that August, we finally got to start our next chapter together in Oklahoma City. We got our sweet pup Luna in October and instantly became the proudest dog parents.

Every step of our journey-from deployments and long-distance to late-night dog walks and weekend hikes-has made us stronger. And now, we can't wait to take the next one together.

Every fall, we take a hiking trip to Arkansas to celebrate our "anniversary"-even though we never had an official date. The fall colors, crisp air, and chance to unplug together (and with Luna!) have become a tradition we both love. In November 2023, we booked a brand-new, dog-friendly treehouse to make the trip extra special- though Cheyenne had a slight suspicion something else might be going on. Aarron had been acting suspiciously for weeks, but after a few convincing conversations (and even making Cheyenne say, "I am not getting engaged this weekend" out loud), she let it go.

Then... we hit a deer five miles from the treehouse, totaling the car. Our families were oddly upbeat when we called, which only added to the weird feeling-but again, Cheyenne let it go. (They all knew the plan)

That night, while Cheyenne relaxed in the jacuzzi, she caught Aarron sneakily texting. Suspicious again-but he stayed quiet. The next day, after trying to fix the car, we headed to the national park and hiked over 10 miles, drank from the springs, and made Luna an official Bark Ranger. Aarron suggested grabbing ice cream before our last stop. He went in alone and came out flustered, saying we had to hurry to the next trail before it got dark (since we only had one headlight). Nothing seemed too out of place.

At the final trailhead, Aarron told Cheyenne the ranger gave him a shortcut to the waterfall-only 0.5 miles instead of 3. When we arrived, there was a woman sitting on a rock reading, and a man across the water taking photos. Aarron and Luna crossed over, but Cheyenne didn't want to get her feet wet. The man struck up a conversation after seeing her OU hat-he said he was a professor at the law school, and they chatted for a bit. That's when Luna ran back over and got Cheyenne's attention. When she looked up, Aarron was on one knee.

Cue tears, shock, and complete joy.

After saying yes and hugging through happy tears, Aarron told Cheyenne to smile for the camera-turns out the "woman reading" was their secret photographer. He even pulled out a pack of press-on nails for the photos... which Cheyenne promptly dropped in the water from shaking so hard.