I met "Pat" during my freshmen year at the Air Force Academy in basic training. Patrick was recruited to the Academy for wrestling and we ended up being roommates 2nd semester of our freshmen year. It was a good living situation because of the intercollegiate athlete schedules we both had. I remember Pat waking up early every morning before 5 A.M. to head down to wrestling practice before school. We had a great year together and Pat became a close friend of mine through all of the torment we had to put up with being freshmen at a military academy. We got into a few scuffles here and there and luckily I weigh a little more than Pat or else he might have actually won some of those….he may have won…one. We would often work out together and go off base for some good times. Whenever I needed someone I knew I could rely on Pat to pick up the pieces and be a great friend at any time. Pat has seen me leave the baseball team and go through different stages of my life without judging me; he has always been there to give me an unbiased opinion. He is the type of friend that would drive four hours in the snow to pick me up at 2 A.M. if I needed a ride and the friend that would tell me I am being a jackass when I am. Patrick is a loyal friend, the smartest guy I know, mature beyond his years, and a great all around guy. I could not ask for a better best man.

The "A" in our "ABC". April and I have been best buddies since grade school. We grew up together in Eagle Grove, IA, were roommates at The University of Iowa together, and now we live in the same city, Denver, CO. I imagine we will end up in the same assisted living facility together when we are in our 90's.Growing up together, April and I were always playing some type of sport or involved in some type of club (twirling a flag and spinning a rifle counts too). She is the only person in the world that can swing a golf club full speed and manage to have the ball go directly vertical 100 feet in the air and have it land 5 feet in front of her. I still laugh when I think about that day. Speaking of laughter, April seems quiet to most people, but she is HILARIOUS without saying much. Our roommate years at The University of Iowa were definitely some of the best memories I have with April, as well as helping her move from Washington to Colorado in a 10' U-Haul. I have the best stories about her and I cannot wait to tell her future husband! April is "that friend" I can call when I feel I've hit rock bottom and somehow she picks me up. She can just look at me a certain way and I know what she is thinking and vice versa. Her strong faith in our God is contagious, her non-judgmental heart is unique, and her inner and outer strength are a few reasons why I feel so blessed to call her my friend & Maid of Honor. We get asked all the time if we are sisters, and we usually answer, "Yes". I feel she truly is a sister from God and I am honored to have her stand by me and support our marriage.

I have known "Sean John" since 2006. We went to the Prep School together. We ended up in the same squadron at the Academy and got along great. Sean is a physical specimen typically getting perfect scores on physical fitness tests. However, we are both lazy in the sense that we will work hard when needed but love chilling out and relaxing. Cut from the same cloth, we also had many days where we skipped formation, weekend training, and just caused trouble. We have drank many protein shakes together and watched many episodes of Entourage and Spartacus together like all good roommates do. We've had a few great times in Boulder Colorado at CU Boulder and some great times in Denver as well. I would not have met Beth without Sean. When I was putting in for my second base, I spoke with Sean about it. He informed me I had to go to Buckley AFB in Denver, since that is where his older brother (Adam Johnson) was. Sean and I have been through A LOT. Sean made the Academy a reasonable place to live for the three years we lived together. Down to earth, relaxed, and funny as hell I could not have asked for a better roommate or groomsman than him. I always enjoy hanging out with Sean and know he will always look out for Beth and me.

My "J". Jenna and I met our first year of nursing school at The University of Iowa. We were pretty much inseparable our nursing school years. We studied together, did clinicals together, and of course had a ton of fun together! I will never forget one of our first clinicals where she had to demonstrate how to put a urinary catheter in a real patient in front of our group. The look on her face is a memory I will never forget. It still makes me giggle 9 years later. I remember dancing together to the song "Jump Around" after we both passed the hardest class of our lives. We managed to get through those tough years together. I could NOT have done it without her. Jenna moved to Colorado and became my roommate in 2011. I was so excited when she decided to head west! Together again at last! We share so many common interests, taking care of people, hosting get-togethers, cooking, decorating, gardening, yummy smells, and the most important, puppy dogs. We still say we could have been roommates forever! It was and still is so comforting to have her here in Colorado.Jenna compliments me in ways no one else does. She has a quirky side to her which I will always love and appreciate. She reminds me it is ok to be different and your own unique person. She sees the good in everyone and I admire her for that. Not only is she gorgeous on the outside, she is such a beautiful person on the inside. Jenna consistently keeps in touch with my parents which means a lot to me. She would do anything for Phoebe and me – we will always be, P-B-n-J! I am so excited to be her (soon to be) Matron of Honor next year and a strong supporter for their marriage. I know she will do the same for us!

I don't know if Matt remembers this but in 8th or 9th grade we almost got into a fight during a basketball game before we really knew each other. I respected Matt for standing up to me then. Later that year we ended up playing baseball on the same team and we became buddies. I have known Matt over ten years now. He lived just a mile or two away and when you live in the country that is darn close. We became close friends, some would call best of friends. We often went snowboarding, four wheeling, dirt biking, fishing, camping, drinking, and had bonfires…all the good times you could have in the Northwest, we accomplished. I remember having some great memories at Matt's house bailing hay and throwing a few beers back. Matt has a mother and sister that have treated me like family and I love the three of them. We played so much baseball, drank so much booze, and shot so many bullfrogs together we are practically blood. One of my best memories is hooking a rope onto a four-wheeler and pulling a kneeboard through about six inches of water for hours on the Holloway's property. We had a blast! As cliché as it sounds Matt is a popular guy and I don't know a soul who dislikes him; he can get along with pretty much anyone. I look up to him for his people skills and his magnetic personality.

The "C" in our "ABC". Christina and I grew up together in Eagle Grove, IA. When I say we were attached at the hip, we might as well have been conjoined twins. We did everything together. Christina became another member of the family in no time. My parents think of her as a daughter. I always wanted a sibling my age so I found one!Christina and I had a passion for sports. I remember playing countless hours of basketball in my driveway, usually until midnight when the neighbors would call my parents and say it was time to call it a night. One of the funniest things we would do was shoot free throws to see who we were going to marry (we totally made this game up). I have the best childhood and adolescent memories with Christina.Christina has always been my biggest fan. She supports me in everything I do, and stands by me when I am at fault. She is loyal through and through. The best word I can use to describe Christina is genuine. There is nothing fake about her. I am so proud of her and admire her resiliency throughout the years. There is no doubt in my mind Christina and I will be laughing about our teenage years when we are in our 80's. She will always be a sister to me. I cannot wait to have her be a part of our special day.

Daniel, my best friend from the USAFA Prep School. Daniel and I spent many weekends hanging out and visiting local colleges while trying to have fun and be normal college students on the weekends. We have had great times in the mountains and all over Texas and Colorado. Daniel introduced me to some of the best BBQ in the USA. We have had so many great times together but one of my favorites is staying in a cabin on Lake Travis down by Austin Texas with Daniel and a number of other friends. Daniel is an exceptional basketball player and was recruited to USAFA but due to knee issues had to readjust all of his priorities in life after working his butt off to get through the USAFA Prep School. I look up to him for the different trials he has gone through and how he has come out on top. While I wish Daniel and I could have been standing together on graduation day I know God had another plan for him. He started a company with his dad making electric guitars…he has handcrafted guitars used by the famous band Boston and the one and only, Neil Young. Working in the music industry and business industry as a consultant, Daniel stays busy. Although we are completely different the friendship we have developed over the years makes us practically brothers. I know he will always be there for me when needed and could not ask for another groomsman of his caliber. I am honored to have Daniel as a groomsman and a friend.

My "Jena Bena". Jena and I met my junior year of college at The University of Iowa. I remember the day we arranged our first outing together. I picked her up from her dorm and she was so excited that she slipped and fell on the ice running to my car. It was all downhill from there…literally.We instantly formed a strong bond and became roommates. Jena went through some of the toughest years of her life when we first met. Her mother was battling cancer and Jena was always at her side caring for her. Even though the GOOD LORD gained an angel, Jena stayed strong; she did not lose her faith. I will always admire her loyalty towards her mom, and her will to carry on. She reminds me to hold our loved ones close, and that even though times get tough, true friendships will help us through. I know that no matter how far the distance is between us, our friendship will only get stronger throughout the years. Good times and bad times, Jena will always be there. I cannot wait to be her bridesmaid this August and support her marriage. I am truly grateful to have Jena stand by my side on our wedding day, and for the years to come.

I realized I did not want to be a doctor as soon as I took anatomy class in high school. Derrick was in my class and all we talked about is how much we hated it. We both bonded through having our dreams of bigger and better things. While we loved Roseburg, Oregon we were ready to take our next adventure into the bigger lake from the small pond we grew up in so to speak. Derrick is a hard worker that loves to enjoy the present day while always having a bigger goal in mind. In that respect Derrick and I share a lot in common. We BBQ'd and hung out often. Derrick was about the only person that could beat me in tennis. Throughout high school and college Derrick and I always talked about women together...nothing crazy, just relationship situations, decisions, (guy stuff) etc. Derrick has been a great friend through college as well as after graduation, always keeping in touch. I am glad that I am able to share this experience with him and know he will be supportive of my marriage to Beth until the end of time.

My "Emmie". I met Emily at The University of Iowa right before my senior year started. I'll never forget the day I received a phone call from her asking if she could come live with me. The Iowa City Flood of 2008 was approaching her apartment building so she needed to evacuate. We lived together for a few weeks before she moved to Denver, Colorado. That horrible flood created a beautiful friendship. God works in mysterious ways.When I graduated from nursing school, I decided to move to Denver to live with Emily. I was scared to leave home, jobless, and sad to leave my friends and family. I'll never forget the night I arrived in Denver; Emily was waiting there for me with open arms. It is as if she took me under her wing and helped me start the next chapter of my life. I will be forever grateful. Emily is the type of person that would do anything for anyone. She goes above and beyond to show she cares. She has been through a lot in her young life and yet handles every situation with grace and has an amazing faith. I am so blessed to have Emily stand by my side to support our marriage.

My "Kateski". Katie and I met at The University of Iowa my junior year. Let's just say we had a lot of FUN in our prime, hence the nickname, "Crazy Katie"!Katie and I were roommates my last year of college, which was definitely my most challenging year. I had a lot of ups and a lot of downs and Katie was there for me every day. She always knew how to pick me up when I felt I had hit rock bottom ("here, let me make you a strawberry daiquiri" haha). When it came time for me to move to Denver, I remember Katie saying, "I will pay for your rent if you stay in Iowa City the rest of the summer". For those of you that know Katie, you know she rarely shows emotion, but this was definitely an emotional time for us both. It was the end of an era!Throughout my years in Denver, Katie has been that friend that always keeps in touch. She consistently makes an effort to spend time with me, she is compassionate towards my parents and their well-being, and she comes to visit often. I actually met Chad when she was here visiting. Katie is definitely a loyal friend and I know she will have my back until the day the GOOD LORD calls me into His kingdom. I am excited to have her stand by me on our special day.