It's springtime of twenty-nineteen. We both had just got out of other relationships. Todd saw me walking across the campus of Itawamba Community College and told one of his good friends who happened to be a mutual friend of ours, "I'd marry that girl if I ever got the chance".. Fast forward a few months into May. Mississippi State is hosting a super-regional in Starkville and Todd asked me to go with him to the game, but I was pretty reluctant because I wasn't sure I wanted to jump into another relationship. So, I asked my best friend Mattie to tag along since her and I knew Jacob (our mutual friend) and it would make it less awkward if we all went together. The weekend comes around and I believe the game was on a Sunday - this would have meant Mattie and I were driving 2 hours there on Sunday and 2 hours back, I had work at 6 a.m. the next morning and Mattie had summer school, so we both decided to bail on the boys and not go to the super-regional game. After this, Todd, in perfect millennial/gen z fashion, DM's me on instagram after I had posted I was reading "Everybody Always" by Bob Goff. He claimed he had read it, which I later learned he had only read maybe a crisp 16 pages of it, but it was the perfect opportunity for him to spark up a conversation with me.

Maybe a week or two later, I felt bad for bailing on them, so I invited everyone to my parents to hangout and swim. Todd returned the favor of bailing on me because it was the middle of planting season and he had to get the corn planted before the rain hit.

We texted occasionally and talked on the phone one time before we ever actually met each other in person. He asked just about every day to drive up to Olive Branch and take me out on a date, but I told him every time "I can't let you do that". Finally, at the end of June, I was in Fulton working Freshman Orientation at ICC. I told him I would be there and that I'd let him take me out then.

I had worked a double Orientation session that day, came home, showered, ate dinner and everything until I realized I completely forgot to call him and let him know I was in town. It was probably 7:30 or 8:00 by this time, but I texted him and let him know I was here and if he wanted to go get ice cream or something, we could. So, in his words he jumped in his truck and drove about 80 on HWY 25 to get there as fast as he could. Picked me up (keep in mind I literally had wet shower hair and was already in my pajamas), and we went to sonic, got milkshakes, cheese sticks, talked and rode around for probably 2 hours or more.

After that, we talked on the phone just about every day, and neither one of us could wait until I moved back to Fulton for the school year. School started August 12th and from the day school started, we hung out just about every day after that until I'm writing this now.

He waited to officially ask me out until he met my parents and asked my dad if we could date. So, officially we started dating September 8th of 2019. I would say we skipped the typical "honeymoon phase" as we were both working and full-time students, but we both knew early on how much we would come to fall in love with each other and how we both were in pursuit of a Godly relationship that would lead to marriage.

We then went on to celebrate our first holiday's together, went on lots of road trips, and shared lotsssss of belly laughs. Then in the spring, we visited his aunt and uncle in Tampa and came back to the world being shut down by COVID. All of our schooling went online, and it really felt like our worlds were flipped upside down for a while.. We spent a lot of time on the water in the pontoon boat that summer until we both moved to Starkville and started at Mississippi State. The next two years of our relationship tested us, shaped us, and changed us in many ways. Navigating college during a pandemic, working multiple jobs, Todd losing his Pop, our horse getting in a terrible accident and having to be put down, our great dane getting sick and passing away, and everything in between. But, there is no doubt in my mind that God allowed us to face times like this so young and early in our relationship to prepare us for anything else we face in life. We often asked "why us?" but now, looking back, are so thankful to have made it through and know what we know now. We say a lot "it's not always rainbows an d butterflies" and it's really not, no matter what social media portrays or anything else - but our relationship has been such a testament to God's faithfulness and steadfast love. We have endured, persevered, and overcome - and I would much rather our relationship and testimony be of that - than of rainbows and butterflies.

If you made it this far - thank you for being a part of our lives. We ask for your prayers for our marriage, that God would be the center, and that our family and household are glorifying and furthering the Kingdom.