First of all, thanks so much to all of you who have been and continue to be a part of our story. We are so very grateful for the influences that have given us wise advice, spent time with us, and helped us thrive thus far. For those who may not know our story, here's some fun details:

August 2016 ➡ Michael and Kyrda met at Mizzou's Christian Campus House. Michael was a freshman and Kyrda was a senior at Mizzou. They met behind the Rec while on the Snapchat Scavenger Hunt. Over the next several months, Kyrda and Michael became part of the same friend group, one that thrived on late night card games and trips to QT and Wendy's. They became pretty good friends by the end of the fall semester and only got closer when spring rolled around.

May 2017 ➡ Fast forward to the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Kyrda has graduated from Mizzou and has started her favorite job ever at Coyote Hill. As an end of the year vacation, Kyrda and Michael went on a fun road trip with five others to Clarksville, VA. Michael and Kyrda got to spend a lot of quality time together on this trip. They spent the last night of the trip stargazing on the roof of the house and talked about their feelings for each other.

June 2017 ➡ On June 9th, Michael and Kyrda went on their first date. Kyrda spent that summer with limited time off, so the two had to make their dates count. They got Mugs Up for dinner and took a hike where they sat and told stories until WAY too late. This pattern continued each week throughout summer. Michael and Kyrda grew closer together.

July 2017 ➡ On one of the WAY too late dates, Michael asked Kyrda to be his girlfriend. They've been together ever since. For two years, they've learned so much about each other and had tons of sweet adventures.

April 2019 ➡ One Sunday in April, Michael asked Kyrda if she wanted to go on a nice date, dressing up and going to dinner. He asked if they could go to Jeff City, as they hadn't been in a while. Kyrda suggested a number of activities in Jeff City. That afternoon, they had ice cream at Central Dairy. Kyrda is from Jeff City and her all-time favorite place is at Noren River Access. Michael took Kyrda there to take a walk by the river. Little did she know that Michael's sisters were covertly hiding in a hammock and behind a tree to document what was to come next. As they were standing next to the river, Michael got down on one knee and asked Kyrda the best question she's been asked so far: "Will you marry me?" She said yes!

Now ➡ Michael and Kyrda are eagerly planning the exciting occasion of joining their futures together. They look forward to a lifetime centered on Christ and loving each other more.