Kyler and I first met sophomore year of high school through mutual friends in one of our favorite places: Destin, FL. Neither of us could have ever imagined at that moment that we would meet again as adults and become each others forever person.

Fast forward to 2019, our college years brought us back into each other’s lives through social media. We decided to hang out, but God knew we weren't ready for what He had planned for us because we could not stand each other! Kyler thought I was boring, and I thought he was just too wild. Reflecting on it now, we realize we both had a lot of growing up to do back then.

It wasn't until a year later in 2020 that we reconnected once again through social media talking about guess what? Destin, FL. Kyler was vacationing there, and I was on my senior spring break in Fort Lauderdale, just before the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even though we weren't able to hang out for five months, we spent that time texting and talking on the phone nonstop. Once we finally got to go on a first date, it felt like we had already hung out 100 times due to how well we were able to get to know each other in those first few months. That time allowed for us to set a strong foundation that we are both so thankful for.

As the world began to return to normal, I headed back to Lexington, KY, for graduate school while Kyler stayed in Metropolis, IL, to work. Nervous and unsure of how distance would play out, we decided to wait to become "official" until we gave the long distance a try. We quickly realized we could do this - if we went 5 months without hanging out we could go a month at a time before committing to a visit.

Two years of long-distance later, I was thrilled to be graduating and moving back home to Paducah, KY, and say goodbye to long distance!

Yet, even after enduring the ups and downs of the pandemic and two years apart, Kyler made me wait an additional two years before asking me to marry him in what will soon be our first home together. While I may have grown a bit impatient, I wouldn’t change a single moment of our story.

Throughout these four years together, we have seen each other in every season, through ups and downs and through so many obstacles and successes, and because of that, Kyler and I know that we can make it through whatever life throws at us as long as we have our faith and each other.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our story and we are so excited to be surrounded by you all on our BIG day!

M&K