Our story started eight years ago in the hallways of Holland Christian High School, long before we knew it would turn into a story at all. Jacob was an unaware freshman and Lizzy was a sophomore on a mission from her cross-country coach to find the skinny, fast, blonde kid who didn't go out for cross country for some reason and pester him until he joined. While Lizzy was unsuccessful in getting Jacob to join the cross country team the first year, it was the beginning of what would turn into a very successful friendship - and Jacob did join the team the following fall.

Jacob and Lizzy turned from track and cross-country teammates, to spikeball partners, baking buddies, pickleball competitors, and inseparable best friends.

While Lizzy was supposed to be "just one of the boys," Jacob was secretly catching feelings, but he was forced to swear off making any moves so that he didn't ruin the group of friends.

Jacob stuck to these rules until Lizzy went to college. Apparently, he missed her enough that he stopped caring. Jacob asked Lizzy out like a proper gentleman and Lizzy, horrified to be having that conversation with her "buddy," rejected him like a proper "bro". Jacob was patient and persistent, staying Lizzy's best friend through her freshman year of college and several more rejections.

However, when Jacob came to Grand Valley the following year, Lizzy's college friends told her she was "doing a dumb". Simply, they were all wondering why Lizzy always said she wanted to date her best friend, but kept rejecting her best friend who clearly adored her and wanted to be her boyfriend.

By the time Lizzy realized that she was in fact "doing a dumb" like her friends said, Jacob had lost hope that Lizzy would ever come around. In the end, Lizzy was the one to ask Jacob to be her boyfriend - to which Jacob replied, "That's not funny, Lizzy."

Lizzy eventually convinced Jacob she was serious, which was the beginning of years of adventures in which Lizzy found out that dating her best friend, was in fact, the biggest adventure of all.

Since then, Lizzy and Jacob have found so much joy in doing life together, playing hard together, traveling, partaking in endless shenans, and growing together.