Sam and I first met on August 12, 2018. He still talks about how my messy bun and no makeup look made him fall! I found his red hair, hilarious jokes, and goofy, fun personality quite amusing.

Fast forward to April 2020 during the height of COVID, Sam and I were home from college because the world was shut down indefinitely. Due to mutual friends, I found myself hanging out in his brother's driveway almost every day playing four square and card games to pass the time. Sam and I started texting and Snapchatting and he invited me over for a “pool day”. We enjoyed the time getting to know each other, ordering Five Guys, and watching The Vampire Diaries at his suggestion. That was a clever move on his part because that was one of my favorites. In retrospect it was totally calculated to make an impact! It was working.

When my 24th birthday rolled around in May, I celebrated with my brother-in-law at his pool because we have the same birthday. We both invited friends. Sam knew about the party but was never “officially” invited, however, after a few drinks and much trepidation, I called him to say, “come join the fun” at the urging of my friends. Looking back, it was the best decision I ever made. Sam pulls up in his little 1988 Ford Ranger pickup truck with a gift in hand, and instantly becomes the life of the party without knowing a single person; impressive to say the least! That’s when I knew that I really, really liked this handsome redhead. Two weeks later on June 13, Sam asked me to officially be his girlfriend and we had our first date as a couple at his family ranch. It was a day full of shooting, fishing, four wheeling, and most of all FUN! I was swooning.

Two and a half years later filled with laughter, love, and everything in between, we headed to the Florida Ranch for Easter Weekend. The first morning we were there, he woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed (which if you know him, is a rare occasion), and he was determined to take me on a four wheeler ride. I’m not a morning person and was not about it. Eventually, he persuaded me to go; before my morning coffee, with unbrushed hair and teeth, wearing the shirt I slept in, I got on the back of the four wheeler. He then drove me to the top of Pop's Lake which is one of the prettiest and most special places at the ranch. He insisted that we had to stop there because there was something "wrong" with the air filter. I stepped off the four wheeler, he opened the seat, and then pulled out a little black box with a bow on it. In a special moment between the two of us, Sam got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! We still both laugh about how we blacked out because he was so nervous and I was in shock! After soaking in the moment, we drove back to the doublewide and I ugly cried out of pure joy. We got to spend the rest of the weekend with his family and truly relish in the excitement of what was to come!

Here we are! Sam and I are so excited to start this next chapter of our lives together! We can't wait to celebrate our love story with our sweet family and friends. See you on September 28, 2024!

Registry