I visited a family friend in Connecticut several times growing up and luckily, the Boerenko’s were their neighbors. The summer after my high school graduation in 2015, Garrett and I kissed for the first time in between trees so our families wouldn’t see. Although, I don’t think we fooled anyone. Fast forward to November 2015, Garrett flew to visit me in college at Christian Brothers University in Memphis. We made our relationship unofficially, official this trip. In October of 2018, after three years of flying back and forth (many, many flights), Garrett moved to Memphis and got to support my senior year of college softball! We then packed our bags, because I was fortunate to get a scholarship to get my MBA at the University of New Haven. We lived about an hour apart while he worked and I studied. It was much better than 18 hours.. For the sake of the time line, I graduated in May of 2021. We finally moved in together after 6 years of a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Garrett proposed in November of 2021. (I know mom, I procrastinate everything.) It was the most romantic, surprise ever. We watched the sun rise in St. John Virgin Island and the next thing I know he’s down on one knee. He tells this part of the story better. I was so surprised and so happy. Love is a crazy thing. I pray I am able to be patient and present each day in our relationship, because I have no idea where the past 9 years have gone. I am happy to stand by his side and honored I have been able to watch him transform into the man he is today. This is my side of our love story anyway. I’m curious what his version is…

Yall, this story really is from a romance novel. Besides the fact I almost dropped the ring down the toilet…. I’m getting ahead. Once upon a time, two love birds named Garrett and Sierra went to St. John Virgin Island with Garrett’s family. Garrett’s point of view - he got the ring several months back (same place his grandparents bought theirs dawwww), he asked his dad to travel with it the day of and keep it safe until he needed it, planned out the best part of the island to be on during the sunrise (we are sun rise watchers, so I didn’t expect anything), borrowed the jeep the fam was using all week and if I hadn’t already trusted the man with my life, I should have been worried. We start off roading a little bit… maybe a few private property signs.. about to turn around and we pull up on this dead end (aka if we keeping going, we go off a cliff) the view is absolutely amazing. The sunrise hasn’t peaked just yet, waves crashing below us, just the perfect amount of wind, I look at the sun rise and back at Garrett to find him on one knee… I think he officially asked me to marry him.. I guess he could have said anything but the answer would have been YES DJDNWKDJSMXLSNSNX! He put the ring on my finger and y’all, the love of my life grabbed my THUMB RING TO GET SIZED. Size 10 was a little too big…. but I didn’t want to take it off!!!! After happy crying with his family, facetiming and celebrating with mine, and almost dropping it down the toilet…. it was absolutely unforgettable. This slowly turned into my point of view, LOL. Garrett tells it better! Honestly, we're just so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. See you soon!