"Hey! I'll go with you to get a lemonade." was the opening line to our love story. We were finishing our sophomore year of high school and had gone to the renaissance fair with some of our mutual friends. Whether it was his kindness, his humor, or those really great looking sunglasses and cargo shorts he was wearing, I knew I wanted to get to know him better.

Now this is my favorite part to tell, we had been texting until midnight every night for a week and I thought I had been flirting up a storm, but 15 year old Eli was a little oblivious. Wanting to go on a date, I decided to take things into my own hands and casually said, "I really want to see the new Spider-Man movie, but I don't have anyone to go with. :(". Eli then proceeded to list off literally 5 other people that I could go with. He genuinely did not realize I wanted to go with him. Eventually, I bit the bullet and asked him.

From there on Eli has been home. He entered my life in a challenging moment, and he was exactly what I needed. He somehow knows the exact right way to celebrate me, the exact right way to comfort me, the exact right way to tell me I am just being dramatic, or the exact way to make me laugh so hard my sides start to hurt. I am so lucky that I have gotten to love a love that has grown up with us. Eli is truly the best man I know, and I can't even put into words how grateful and blessed I am that he chose me.

I love this man with every ounce of my being, and I can't wait to start our new chapter. I love you honey forever and ever.