I met Miguel at my first job out of college in LA at a small private school. My first impression of him was that he was incredibly friendly and handsome. At the end of that first school year, we started to spend more time together and ended up spending hours and hours talking and hanging out. I had never felt so comfortable and giddy talking to someone. Pretty soon, I very boldly told him how I felt and asked if he liked me too! He did! We dated in secret until I left the school, and I eventually ended up moving to Nashville for grad school. When I left LA, we decided to try our best to make long-distance work, but I felt like I might never see him again. I had the saddest summer ever, unsure if we would be able to make things work.

Flash forward to Fall 2023, through lots of ups and downs, Miguel and I mutually decided to fully commit and give it everything we have. For two years, Miguel continued to pursue me from 2,000 miles away with tons of coffee date Venmos, long conversations on his drive to work, and weekly FaceTime TV watching. Somehow, I fell more and more in love with him even without him there. I dreamed of the day we would finally be together again and grew more and more confident that Miguel was going to be my husband. There were days that I would cry from missing him but also cry from great joy that God had given me someone so special and servant-hearted.

Near the end of grad school, I was convinced that I would move back to LA to be with Miguel. It was getting harder to say goodbye, not knowing how we would end up back together again. In March of 2025, Miguel got the opportunity to work in Atlanta. He sat me down in the Cheesecake Factory and told me that it was his turn to move since I had been away from my family for eight years. I was shocked! If you know Miguel, you know how much he loves those LA rooftops. By the end of May 2025, Miguel made the big move across the country to pursue his Chick-fil-A dreams and be with me!

Before I knew it, Miguel was down on one knee asking me to marry him in my backyard. It was an easy and absolute yes. It has been my greatest joy to fall in love with him, laugh with him, and grow alongside him these past few years. Through all of our seasons together and the seasons to come, God is always so good.

The first time I met Mary Grace was during the summer at a small private school in Calabasas. My very first thought when I saw her was, “Oh man, she is probably going to call me a short king behind my back.”

Once the school year started and I got to know her better, I realized she was not only pretty and tall, but also incredibly funny, nerdy, and kind-hearted. She was genuinely nice to everyone, and it did not take long for us to start spending more time together. Toward the end of the school year, once we were already working together, I decided it was important to establish one thing early on. I had to prove that I was the best at basketball. So naturally, I wanted to play basketball against her and her students. The students were in third grade, but I still felt the need to prove a point.

We dated in secret until she left for Vanderbilt, and I stayed in LA, which made things interesting. With her in school and me working two jobs, we had no idea if long-distance was going to work, but we tried anyway. We stayed connected through phone calls, FaceTimes, and randomly sending each other coffee or candy just to feel close. We only got to see each other about once every three months, which made every visit count. I am a big family person, and I absolutely loved how well Mary Grace got along with my parents. I knew they would love her. The only problem was that they loved her immediately and very quickly started siding with her. I knew then that I was in trouble.

As time went on, I realized I was not just dating this girl. I loved her and truly wanted to build a life with her. The challenge was figuring out how. Her family was in Atlanta, mine was in LA, and we did not know where we would end up. Right before she graduated from Vanderbilt, I was given an incredible opportunity to work with Chick-fil-A in Atlanta. At the same time, she got an amazing teaching job there, too. That felt like God making things very clear, so I packed up my life and moved across the country.

That graduation weekend, we casually decided to go ring shopping in Nashville. Casual for her, but not so casual for me since I walked out with a down payment on a ring. In late September, her dad and I went to Waffle House so I could ask for his blessing. I ordered the Grand Slam, and somewhere between the waffles and the nerves, I asked if I could marry his daughter. I do not remember my exact words. I was very nervous, but I meant every single one.

I knew I wanted to propose in October, and when the moment came, I got down on one knee in her parents’ backyard. Once again, I do not remember exactly what I said. I was nervous and scared I was going to mess something up. But I do remember knowing with complete certainty that she was the one.

Loving Mary Grace has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and I am beyond grateful that I get to spend forever with my best friend.