I was given the simple task of writing "Our Story" for this website. Colleen was looking up ideas online and I suggested "I think I should just start typing and see what comes out."

Colleen and I met online. I messaged her first asking about her favorite book, I noticed she was interested in books and I am an avid reader. I initially thought she was very attractive. I thought to myself I’d win her over with my quick wit and knowledge of books. We immediately hit it off and discussed all topics, big and small. The first couple times we’d text or talk on the phone - it was me asking questions to get to know her more. I would tend to ask her a lot of questions, keep her laughing, and occasionally pick on her from time to time to make her smile. I then asked her on a date, a conservative week and a half away from the time we met. This would give me plenty of time to think about date topics to talk about and help with nerves. Unbeknownst to me - this is not how Colleen rolls and she randomly texted me one day "we should just go out this weekend". This immediately made me panic but I was very interested so we went out. I was incredibly nervous when I first met her. We hit it off and dating was very easy. We would enjoy taking long weekend trips, long walks, and drives around the Florida countryside, with no particular destination.

After getting to know Colleen more and more, I knew she was the woman for me. She is one of the most emotionally intelligent, smart, and hard working people I know. Also, she is cute as Christmas.

I proposed to Colleen the day we got home from Atlanta. We were in Atlanta meeting some of my family. I rambled for about thirty seconds, she started to cry - then laughed. I am really not sure what I said. I was incredibly nervous. Turns out - she said yes!!

After proposing - Colleen and I had to make several “life decisions” watching her and making these decisions by her side has been an incredible experience.

Planning the wedding-

Colleen would always listen to my opinion and ask me several questions. 90% of the time I would agree to say what I could to support her. She would give me several tasks that showed off my skill set -

Envelope stuffer- I am excellent at it , we only had to throw a few away

Address stamper- not great but was most improved.

Getting the house ready -

After the wedding, we will be moving into my current house. We have been picking out furniture and painting.

We would agree on a paint color, I’d paint. She would then spend hours “touching up”; although, she would say “fixing your mistakes”. As our marriage blossoms, I hope to improve on my painting skills. I am excellent at wide open spaces- I could use some improvement on details.

Inclosing (as I typed this she laughed) , I am beyond excited to do “life” with Colleen . She is an incredible human being. I cannot wait to grow our lives together and hear her laugh. (Colleen’s laugh is very loud and could be heard down the street)

Kyle has always had a knack for surprising me, and that didn't stop when he took the reins to write "Our Story" without a second thought. It's funny because I never imagined I'd be marrying someone more decisive than myself. Kyle has this remarkable ability to pull the trigger on decisions before I even have a chance to say, “wait, let me think about it."

Our journey began with a simple message from Kyle. He had a way with words that immediately drew me in, and a cheesiness that made me shake my head. Contrary to what he believes, it wasn't his wit or literary knowledge that captured my heart; it was his genuineness and depth of conversation that truly moved me. Kyle knew exactly who he was and what he wanted in life, and he wasn't afraid to pursue it wholeheartedly. He approached every conversation with sincerity and never shied away from the tough stuff. At the same time, he could be wonderfully playful, laughing with me for hours over something as silly as a pillow fight. Being with Kyle has been the most natural and effortless thing I've ever experienced.

He has become the steadfastness to my wildness of barefeet and mismatched socks (he rolls his eyes at both). Kyle is my safe haven, my partner in dreaming big dreams, and my constant reminder to keep our eyes on Jesus and trust in His plan for us. And to top it all off, he actually enjoys budgets and checklists so thankfully I don’t have to make those anymore. :)

I’m beyond excited to embark on this journey with Kyle and see where it takes us. (For all those asking, hopefully life takes us to kids right away :p) Thank you for being a part of our story, and we can't wait to celebrate our special day with you.