Chad and I met in September of 2013 through mutual friends in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I was just beginning my first year of grad. school at James Madison University and Chad was living in Harrisonburg establishing his own company. Chad and I immediately shared a love for adventure, sports, being outdoors, family, and of course JMU!

Although I knew Chad was the one early into our relationship, I had no idea what to expect as far as when and how he’d pop the question. Well… let me tell you guys, it was magical and sweet. On Saturday, January 7th, we went to Great Falls Park to enjoy hiking and the first snow in Virginia of the season. Not even for a second did I expect that beautiful, serene scene was about to become one of the most meaningful moments of our lives. I didn’t have any words at first (me! no words!). All I could do was explode into his arms and experience pure joy from head to toe. After hiking, we went to a local restaurant and enjoyed watching James Madison University win the NCAA Division I Football Championship! We had the entire restaurant to ourselves in pure relaxation.

Getting engaged has been about much more than the engagement itself. The rush of love from friends and family, plus the support from all of you has been overwhelming. The love being poured into this next step of our relationship is incredible, and we're very grateful!! Thank you!