Like every person trying to date 5+ years out of college, where better to try to meet people than Bumble? If it couldn't get any cheesier, the match happened on Valentine's Day 2020. It was the luck of both of our jobs that we even found each other. Both of us were coaching at the time, Jess was coaching softball at Upper Iowa and was down in Fayetteville, Arkansas for a tournament. Mallory was coaching tennis at Missouri State and was playing the University of Arkansas. While normally over 450 miles apart, both being in Fayetteville allowed us the chance to find each other in the Bumbleshpere.

As coaches, we quickly realized we had a lot in common. From our childhoods, to our hobbies talking was easy right from the beginning. Luck struck again, when Jess' head coach informed her that they were adding games to their 2020 schedule and they would be travelling to Springfield to play Drury. That weekend we finally got to meet in person, and had our first official date at Gailey's for breakfast. Fast forward 1 month later and the whole world was turned upside down with Covid. With both of our seasons cancelled, luck struck a third time for us and allowed us months to be together in a Covid pod quarantining. In any normal year, our jobs would have never afforded us that opportunity.

As the world slowly reopened, Jess returned to Fayette, Iowa to coach while Mallory remained in Springfield. For over a year, we trekked the 450+ miles one way to see each other. By May of 2021 we both realized the distance wasn't for us and we were ready to figure out how to be together in the same place. Jess took a leap of faith, quit her coaching job and moved to Springfield, Missouri. Within a month after moving, Jess proposed and the rest is history. We are both loving life in Springfield. We have been able to expand our family, Jess adopted Mallory's sassy, geriatric cat, Deeds, with open arms and the two of us just added a puppy (or small horse depending on who you ask) Riggins. We feel so lucky to have found each other and are so excited to celebrate our day with you!