Hey Everyone! Although everyone pretty much knows already how Nicholas and I met, I'll start from the beginning. We met through mutual friends in middle school... we think. I say "we think" because it might have been earlier. We would see each other during parties or during social occasions and recap what was new with one another. We might not have been attending the same school or seeing one another everyday, but we always were comfortable with each other (and I always had a secret crush on him, shhh). We graduated high school and both went to college. He went to SUNY Cortland and I stayed home and commuted to college. On February 9th of 2014, Nicholas decided to comment on a Facebook picture of myself. We of course started texting, texting turned into calling which then turned into FaceTiming. Our first date was a movie and dinner at Johnny Rockets where he awkwardly sat on my side of the booth and yes we shared a kiss after walking me to my car (sorry Mom, I know you don't kiss on the first date). Even though we were both nervous to have a long distance relationship, we figured it was something we both were willing to try. We made our relationship official on May 18th of 2014 and although the long-distance was difficult, we made the best of it. We would call each other during class breaks, surprise one another with visits, and take turns and drive to see one another even if that meant we would only spend a couple of hours together. We did this for almost 6 years! Once he finished college, we moved in together full-time and were always together! Now for the proposal... On a family trip to Florida for a cousin's wedding, he thought it would be romantic to propose on Fort Lauderdale beach (for those of you who do not know, I was born in Florida and grew up in Fort Lauderdale). On May 6th of 2021, he was racked with nerves... and I was being myself - a brat. I also at this point had no idea why my parents and him were acting so weird until beach-goers started clapping. That's when I turned around (almost falling into the water), to find him on one knee. Instead of saying something more appropriate for the situation, like "yes", I responded with "I told you not to do it in front of people" - again I'm a brat. Looking back, all I can say is wow. We have made a life for ourselves. We've traveled to new and old places together, we graduated college (multiple times), we both became registered nurses and survived a pandemic, we went through some of the most difficult times together and supported one another through them all, we became an "auntie" and "uncle", we bought some land, we got a couple of cats and we built a house of our own. Even though I might have not said "yes" that day, I will forever say "yes" to a life with you in this one and the next. We both want to thank all of you for taking the time to celebrate our relationship and wedding with us and for those who have helped and supported us through our journey and continue to do so. With lots of love, Mackenzie & Nicholas