Jeff and Taylor first met in November of 2021. Jeff arrived in Fort Belvoir, Virginia in the Fall of 2021. He had orders for the Soldier Recovery Unit so he could have shoulder surgery from an injury he obtained overseas. He was back in the states for about a month when he stumbled upon Taylor’s online Hinge dating profile. The two talked for a couple days and then Jeff got the courage to ask Taylor to dinner. Their first date was at the Bahama Breeze outside the Potomac Mills Mall. It was a lovely first date; the pair talked for 2+ hours and made plans to go on a second date.

The second date didn’t come for another month or so. Taylor came down with infamous “COVID”, but that didn’t stop Jeff. He wanted to see Taylor again and check on how she was doing. He drove an hour from base to her apartment and got her Panera broccoli and cheddar soup and a salad. Taylor warned Jeff she had COVID and she didn’t want to get him sick but that didn’t stop him.

They chatted on Taylor’s couch for a few hours until Taylor was practically falling asleep from exhaustion. If you know Jeff, you know he was chattin away!

A few days go by and the two made plans again for Jeff to visit Taylor as she was finally feeling better and in better spirits. Jeff got tickets to the Eagles vs Commanders game that day at FedEx Field in Maryland. The Eagels won that day (sorry Commanders fans), but he stayed true to his commitment and drove all the way from FedEx field to Fredericksburg. If you’re not from the area, you might not appreciate what that statement means but just know that’s a terribly long, hair pulling traffic enraging, drive to see a girl he’s only seen a few times. Jeff ended up staying the night because it was late by the time he arrived and Fredericksburg was getting some winter weather that night. The two stayed up for hours, talking like they had been friends for years. They fell asleep eventually and woke up to 12+ inches of snow. Taylor’s apartment lost power early that morning so the two watched movies on the iPad until Jeff drove to the grocery store up the street to get some food and then they hung out all day.

As evening was approaching, Taylor politely suggested to Jeff maybe it was time to go home (lol). Jeff later states in his version of this story that he stayed all day because he wanted to make sure Taylor was going to be okay with no power as he didn’t realize her family lived down the road (a true gentlemen). Taylor followed back up with him around 11am the next morning and it turned out he never made it home! He was stuck on I-95 for over 16 hours in the freezing cold, no food, no water. Just the snow on his truck. Oh, did Taylor feel terrible! Despite the overnight sleepover in his truck, Jeff still wanted to pursue a relationship with Taylor.

The two went on a few more dates and finally made things official on 28 January 2022. Jeff was only in Virginia for a few months to recover from him shoulder surgery but he would soon move back to Pittsburgh to get back to his civilian life. The two dated long distance for a while; that got old quick! In true Taylor fashion, she asked Jeff to move in with her.

In January 2024 the two had chats about celebrating their anniversary; Jeff had plans to take Taylor back to the National Harbor Ferris Wheel where they had one of their early dates. Little did Jeff know, it was Football playoff season and going up to National Harbor during game time was unheard of. This left Jeff in a conundrum because, little did Taylor know, Jeff had much bigger plans than just reliving a third date; he was going to propose! Jeff though quick on his feet and changed the plans to a brunch date this way Taylor could still watch playoff football that afternoon. Much like the third date, it was frigid and windy at the National Harbor Ferris Wheel and started sleeting. It was pretty miserable to be honest, but Taylor was none the wiser as she was happy to relive a sweet moment while Jeff was anxiously waiting to pop the big question. Much like the first time in the Ferris Wheel, Taylor was nervous as the wheel was going over the water. Moments into the ride, Jeff bent down on one knee, in the small pod and asked Taylor to marry him. All Taylor could say was “SHUT UP!” “Is this forreal??” “Did you ask my dad??” “SHUT UP!!!” We exited the Ferris Wheel and Taylor exclaimed, I’M ENGAGED! The 22 year-old boy running the pods was less than enthused. We celebrated by toasting champagne at the Bond 45! And the rest was history.

Jeff and Taylor bought both their first home together in March 2024 and have been enjoying homeowners’ life and all the excitement that brings.

Taylor continues to support the the government as a Contractor to the Marine Corps celebrating 7 years this July with her company.

Jeff will be celebrating his 2-year work anniversary with Alexandria City Police Department in May. In addition to policing, Jeff has signed a contract with the North Carolina National Guard Infantry unit. He will be attending re-class school in July for 3 weeks in Blackstone, Virginia. After completing the re-class training, Jeff will continue the long, extensive process to attend Special Forces Training.

We have had an eventful 3+ years together and can’t wait for 60+ more. Thank you all for being with us during such an exciting time and we can’t wait to celebrate our love with you soon!