Our story together began in Shreveport, Louisiana. After completing medical school, we both matched at Louisiana State University Health Science Center in Shreveport for training in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Shelby joined the program as an intern when Mitchell was in his second year of residency.

The story truly began on December 28th, 2019. After Oklahoma's brutal 28-63 loss to LSU in the first round of the 2019 College Football Playoffs, Mitchell sent out a message to co-residents that he planned to go out to the casinos (what else is there to do in Shreveport?) to recover from the game. To his surprise, Shelby said she would tag along, and that is where this journey had its first spark.

Our first kiss was at midnight on New Years 2020, where we were dancing at Big Country in Bossier City. Barely a month later, we took our first trip together down to New Orleans for a short getaway from residency. It was in New Orleans that we made things official as a couple on February 5th on a romantic dinner date at Mona Lisa.

We spent the days that week seeing historic New Orleans, and spent the nights on Bourbon Street hopping through French Quarter staples like Pat O'Brien's and seeing a Mardi Gras parade.

Our relationship, and the world, took an unexpected turn over the next month as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, with Louisiana as one of its major epicenters in America. While most couples probably spend their early months going to the movies and on fun dinner dates, we spent it quarantining and de-stressing after long days/nights on labor and delivery and the medical ICU.

As the world returned to normal, we took the time to catch up on the things we missed in our early relationship--date nights at our favorite restaurant (shout out to Cheng's Garden), vacations to Hot Springs and Hochatown, and trips to Norman, OK (Boomer Sooner!) and Tuscaloosa, AL (Roll Tide!) for football games.

Our favorite vacation spot has been to visit the Valentin Imperial in Riviera Maya, Mexico, just outside of Playa del Carmen. In May 2025, we made our second trip and brought Mitchell's parents along for the vacation.

Unbeknownst to Shelby and his parents, Mitchell had smuggled an engagement ring in his luggage (hidden carefully amongst his socks) and had kept the plan under wraps until the final night of the vacation. During what should have been routine pre-dinner nightly outfit photos, Mitchell popped the question on the beach and Shelby, luckily, said yes.

We celebrated that evening and are looking forward to celebrating with all of you in February 2026!