I moved to Shreveport, LA for an exciting job opportunity, and just four months later—bam—COVID hit and everything started shutting down. Suddenly I was working from home, and my girlfriends finally talked me into making a dating profile. That’s when Josh (JB) and I matched on Bumble.

Now, JB loves to remind people that I made the first move. 😂 But hey—that's how Bumble works! The girl has to message first, so I had no choice! (Honestly, not a bad setup...keeps the creeps at bay, LOL.)

Not long after we matched, the TX/LA state line was about to close. I panicked a little—didn’t know many people in Louisiana yet—and thankfully my boss let me work remotely from my parents' house, since everything was shut down anyway. During that time, JB and I kept chatting and started tossing around the idea of meeting up.

Since the only things open were outdoor spaces, I found the East Texas Arboretum in Athens, TX—a perfect halfway spot between Midlothian and Carthage.

Our first date? A walk around the cutest little arboretum—over the bridge, through the trails—and then a classy lunch at the Schlotzsky’s drive-thru, eaten inside his truck. Romantic, right? 😂

Y’all, I was not about to be unprepared. I sent my sister Paige and my BFF Taylor every screenshot I could—his truck, his face, his social media, AND my location, plus where we were meeting. Safety first!

As we were walking back to the truck, I was texting my sister…and JB totally saw. He saw the pics I’d sent and asked, “Uhhh… is that my profile??” I panicked and blurted out, “No… yes. LOL.” I was mortified—but luckily, we just laughed it off and kept walking.

After our date, we each headed home—but he texted me before I even made it back. And honestly? The rest is history.

We never would've guessed we’d meet our soulmates on a dating app…but here we are. ❤️

COVID was a wild time, y’all.

Registry

Your presence is the best gift ever! But if you want to give us a gift to send us on our way, a gift for our honeymoon would really make our day! If physical gifts are more your style, we are registered on Amazon. Thank you so much!!