I wish I could say we met in some wildly romantic way—like bumping into each other at a bookstore, or him heroically saving me from a shark attack. But nope... our love story begins in the most modern way possible: Bumble. Yep, a dating app. cue the dramatic eye roll

As we got to know each other, we realized we had way more in common than we ever expected. We were both homeschooled, and not just that—we actually went to the same homeschool co-op classes when we were younger. Our families knew each other. There’s a good chance we were in the same room more than once before we ever really “met.” Oh, and get this—we’re both from big families. And not just that… we’re both the sixth born. It all officially began on our first date—October 1st—a day that would quietly mark the start of everything.

Okay, if you’ve made it this far into our story, you’re either my mom… or just really bored. Either way, thanks for sticking around. I’ll speed things up. After our first date, we pretty much became inseparable. Honestly, it felt like we started doing everything together—about 50% of our time was spent eating or cooking, and the other 50% was at the gym. (Okay, maybe not exactly 50/50, but close enough.)

One of the first things I fell in love with—besides Joe—was his dogs, Rocky and Bee Bop. Rocky especially took to me, and now I officially claim him as mine. If we ever get divorced, I get Rocky. (Totally joking... kind of.) From there, it was date after date. We spent so much time outdoors, hiking, hanging with friends, and being with family. I fell so deeply in love with Joe—it just felt easy, fun, and completely right.

I’ll end this little saga with a quote that has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but feels appropriate anyway: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. – Wayne Gretzky” —Michael Scott