I was the very one who always said, "I am not going to be the type of girl who finds their future husband in college." Well... the Lord obviously had other plans (lol). That is where it all started. Nate and I were beginning our freshman years of college at the same time together in 2019. A little bit of a back story -- Anderson University creates Freshman Instagram pages where you can introduce yourself to get familiar with other incoming freshman. I saw where Nate posted pictures and shared information about himself. I, of course, end up posting myself and then get his contact information and reach out to him (yes, I did shoot my shot first lol). So, right before starting college, we began communicating with each other with no expectation of it turning into more. Nate was trying to get a better feel of people who he would see on campus and I was trying to make a friend since I would commute to Anderson each day for class. Before arriving to AU, we decided to hang out for a day at Carowinds. It was a rocky start, I will admit (for me anyways) because hey, I am a girl unsure of this guy. Jump forward a few weeks later and we are beginning our first year of college (cue high emotions, freshman scaries and so much more). When Nate and I saw each other on campus, we would hang out, grab coffee together or just wait around on our next class (yes, very college of us). With time, he quickly grew on me and I realized this was either going to be the guy I marry or the one who gave me the biggest heart break of my life. Phew! Thank the Lord we are getting married! Over the next four years of college we grew individually and as a couple. We experienced the student - athelete journey of a college student, long distance dating between breaks and the summer, figuring out how to handle a new relationship on top of classes, baseball, jobs, family time and so much more. We went through four years of college, experienced covid, and then Nate was given the opportunity to play a fifth year of baseball. This is where our decisions began to needing to be made. Was it going to be a fifth year and I begin my first year of teaching? Or do we go back to long distance dating and both work jobs as we continue to figure out our future? After long many nights of hard conversations, LOTS of prayer, and speaking with mentors who could guide us in the right direction, Nate decided to move on from baseball and begin working. This may not seem like a big deal, however, it was our life for four years and his since he was a little boy. It was our routine that we absolutely loved. After graduating from college in May of 2023, we began our separate paths of working. Fast forward to August 18th, 2023, Nate got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. What we thought would happen two years later from May 2023 happened quite quicker. We dealt with a lot... both good and not so good. It allowed us to truly get to know each other, realize the importance of our time together and yet navigate how the future was going to look for us. Challenging? Abosolutely. Worth it? 100%. Nate has become my very friend and now my soulmate. These past four and a half years have not only given me my husband, it has also given us lessons learned, experiences had and memories to last a lifetime. We found us! Some days I wished the days away just so I could be at this point and get to marry him, yet Jesus has the most perfect timing. Nate went from being the guy I wasn't so sure of to the man I couldn't imagine my life without. We are so blessed and I truly cannot wait to see what this life has in store for us as a married couple!