Our story began when we met during the summer of 2018 at a Christian summer camp in Clinton, MS. At that time, we were entering our junior year of high school. On the first night of camp, we were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. One hour of talking about ourselves and our shared love for Ole Miss football led to us being attached at the hip, eager to learn more from each other for the rest of the one-week term.

Coming from two different hometowns, Water Valley and Madison, paved the way for our relationship marked by many weekend adventures of traveling to each other. The first adventure took place weeks after we had returned home from camp. We planned a way to meet up for the Watermelon Carnival in Water Valley. After much convincing to gain permission from my parents to allow me to drive to this carnival to see a boy they had never met, they agreed, but only if I brought two of my friends along. Little did I know then that the drive from my hometown to his would soon become very familiar to me.

Taylor played golf during his freshman year of college at Northeast Community College as I began my college journey at the University of Mississippi. After that year, Taylor transferred to Ole Miss, and we embarked on the journey through the years of college together as students.

On March 2, 2024, I was celebrating my friend's birthday on the rooftop of the Graduate in Oxford, MS when Sara Ellis, Taylor's sister, picked me up and brought me to what I thought was the house she was dog-sitting. We walked to the back of the house to shut the gate so that the dog would not be let loose. As I walked to the back gate, I saw Taylor on the dock, ready to bring me down with him. He walked up the steps and grabbed my hand as we descended the stairs to the arrangement of flowers and pictures that he had put together on a table by the water. There, he asked the easiest question I have ever had to answer.

Iris and I met at a Christian church camp called Super Summer in 2018. The first night of camp that year we officially met and started talking. In just minutes, I realized that I didn’t want that conversation to end. Even when everyone else around us had gone to bed, it didn’t matter to me. I wanted to stay right there and get to listen to her talk for forever. (And now I listen to her talk forever and wish I couldn’t…ha kidding!) We spent the rest of that week continuing to hang out whenever we could and from that week on I didn’t want to spend another day without her!

Although it’s only been 5 1/2 years since we met, it only took a week before I knew I wanted to marry her. Some would say that’s crazy and to that I say true, but I was crazy for her! Fast forward to March 2nd, 2024 and I finally got the chance to ask the question I’ve been wanting to ask since super summer 2018. The plan was to surprise her on a decorated dock and flowers and pictures of us and luckily that’s exactly what happened and what do you know, she said yes! Now I get to look forward to the day that it actually becomes official, Mr. and Mrs. Dean. Thank you Super Summer! Now onto planning a wedding.