I never thought I would find the love of my life on a dating app. I didn’t think it was possible to meet a normal person who was who they said they were but, I did. Her name is Kezia Lee. I first “matched” with Kezia in late September while I was student teaching to become a Tech Ed Teacher. We talked and it was nice getting to know her. I was new to using a dating app and did not want to waste her time, so I cut to the chase quickly. I told her that I was looking for a Jesus-loving wife and did not want a one-sided relationship. She agreed that she wanted a God-honoring marriage and did not want a one-sided relationship. We talked for a while longer and she decided that she was too busy with school and Aquatennial to be able to commit to a serious relationship. That was sad. I thought I had a chance with this amazing girl. I gave up on the dating app and went on with student teaching and coaching, until the end of December. On December 30th I went on an Ice fishing trip with a buddy. We did not catch a single fish out on the ice, but I think I caught the best fish of my life that night. As buddies do, we caught up on each other's love life that night and I talked about my experience with the dating app and how I met one really nice girl but unfortunately, we stopped talking. I realized I missed talking to her. I decided to find her Snapchat and send her one word, Hey! To this day I do not know why a girl would respond to hey, but she did! We have talked every day since. Literally. We spent the next two weeks talking more and more every day until finally, we wanted to Facetime. We decided to Facetime on January 15th after I got home from Districts, and she got home from a trip to South Dakota. We talked for 4.5 hours, and it even included a mutual bathroom break! I knew this was going to be something special. I needed to meet this girl named Kezia in person as soon as possible. That day came less than a week later Friday, January 20th. I had the day off school and drove down to Winona and spent the day with her. We went hiking, walked around Campus, ate Culvers, and talked the entire time. We continued to FaceTime every day and see each other whenever possible. On January 30th, I asked her to be my girlfriend, and guess what! She said Yes! She did not know what she was getting herself into lol. Over the next several months I got to meet the Lee family, go on adventures, and continue getting to know Kezia. Every time I saw her and talked to her I fell more in love with her. She is someone who cares deeply for other people, and she inspires me to think more about others. She is incredibly organized which I am not always the best at, she is teaching me and I am surprised she has not given up yet. She has a deep desire to know the Lord and to grow in her faith. She inspires me to do the same.

Kezia I cannot wait to grow old and grey with you. I can not wait for the mundane Tuesdays spent at home cleaning up dinner and spending time together. I’m excited to serve our church together and to welcome others into our home. You are the Love of my life and I cannot wait for forever. Thanks for responding to “Hey!”

In September of 2023, I met the love of my life, but I wouldn't realize it then.

I was beginning my sophomore year of college at Winona State. My life seemed to be consumed by school, Aquatennial events, and trying to keep my head above water. Life was extremely busy. All I could do was trust in the Lord and that He would provide. I was content in singleness and put my relationship with Jesus first. Then one day, as I was scrolling Tik Tok, an ad came up for a dating app called "Upward". It was a Christian dating app. I didn't have much hope in a dating app but something told me that I should download it. So I did. As I swiped through these profiles, feeling kinda weird about what was happening, the guy, "Matt", came up on my phone. I remember he looked like he had the kindest eyes. Eyes that wouldn't even hurt a fly. I looked closer at his profile where he shared that he was a teacher. Seeing a male teacher is pretty uncommon, so I was intrigued. Of course I immediately start thinking how cute it would be to have two teachers together. How we could bring our kids to work with us. I know... cheesy! The eyes, his love of the Lord, and his desire for a wife, and maybe with some influence of seeing the cutest dog, I swiped right. And.... MATCH! Later that day, Matt had sent me a message. From the start, our conversation never seemed to run dry. We talked about our love for the Lord, our desire for a partnership, and our passion for teaching. After a week or so of talking, I realized with the load of school and Aquatennial, I was not able to give the amount of effort that Matt deserved. Knowing his desire for a wife, I didn't want to waste his time. All I could do was trust in the Lord that my future husband would find his way to me in His timing.

For the next few months, crazy continued. The fall semester finished, Christmas came, and I left for a Visiting Dignitary trip with Aquatennial to Pasadena, California. Little did I know that in California on December 30th, my future husband would slide right back into my messages with a simple "Hey". I remember my heart jumped. The conversation never stopped flowing. We texted all the time. My Aquatennial sisters, Brooklyn and Kaia, were the first to hear about this Matt guy. I would not stop talking about our conversations. I had gotten home from California, getting packed up to go back to college, and my mom saw a message from "Matt". Curiously, she asked who he was and I responded with a quick "um nobody." And left it at that.

After a few weeks of nonstop texting, we planned to FaceTime. After a 4.5 hour call, with a bathroom break in the middle, I knew this was something different. Five days later, Matt was making his way to Winona to meet for the first time. Boy was I nervous! A random guy driving an hour and a half to spend the day with me, sounded a little sketchy. For those who were curious (aka the Lee family) many people knew about this and I felt completely safe! On January 20th, 2023, Matthew Micheal Blake walked up to me for the first time. The first words he every said to me you may ask "Wow, you are taller than I expected!" We spent the whole day walking in downtown Winona and hiking the bluff (in January). From this day on, we were inseparable. We talked every night for at least 2-3 hours. It was late night FaceTimes, quick calls whenever we could squeeze them in, and random trips to Chippewa Falls.

The talk of marriage started very early. I knew within the first month that he would be my future husband. It was only a matter of time. As an Aquatennial Princess, I was under contract where I was unable to be engaged, married, etc. Boy could I not wait until July 22nd when my contract was over. Within the week, I exchanged one adventure for another. July 28th, 2023 you asked me to marry you! It was the easiest YES in my life!

July 13th, 2024 will become one of the best days of my life. The day that I get to begin the rest of my life with my best friend by my side.

Matthew Michael Blake I can not wait to marry you! It is still unbelievable to me that God put you into my life when He did. He knew that we were meant for each other. That we could lead each other closer to Him and glorify His name together in the process. I can't wait to see where the Lord take us through marriage. I love you!

The countdown is on!