We met in April 2019 at the Ringler’s Spring branding, my annual family tradition, and Blake’s first time showing up with his dad to help work calves. Everyone immediately started teasing us about being a perfect match. I laughed it off because I was about to graduate high school and he was younger. Absolutely not.

But we stayed friends. Actually, we never really stopped talking from that day on.

Then came summer 2022, when I finally decided to give “the kid who always had a crush on me” a real shot. Spoiler alert: it worked out.

We survived long distance, moved in together, collected two fur babies, and now here we are, engaged and getting married. Turns out everyone at that branding might’ve been onto something, even if we (I) didn't see it at first!