Our story begins in Dunbar, West Virginia in the 1960s when our fathers -- John Sampson and Jeff Downing -- became best friends. They grew up together, fell in love with our mothers, and started their families. In 1991 Jeff moved his family to Eastern Pennsylvania for work, but the distance didn't distill their friendship one iota. John was a car lover, and every summer he would pack John David up and they would travel to Pennsylvania for a car show. They would stay with the Downing's and enjoy great food, cold drinks, and lots of poolside laughter. The Spark of the Fireflies: After our parents would go to bed, John David and I would stay up and talk (I swear!!!) all night as he rubbed my feet and we watched the fireflies. We knew there was something very special between us, but, as with so many at that age, life got ahead of us. John David went into the Air Force and served our country overseas, and I was just coming out of my teenage years and not ready for any commitment. We would reconnect over the years, but our paths just never seemed to cross. We went through our late twenties and early thirties just living our lives, until one cold February morning I got a Facebook message. John David Sampson had sent me a message! My heart filled with joy and my stomach filled with butterflies! (Or, perhaps, fireflies?) I remember what I was doing when I got that message; I was sitting at my tiny toddler table in the preschool where I worked, having my tuna salad sandwich lunch. I responded immediately, and later that night we talked on the phone for hours! Everything fell into place. The Jump becomes The Leap: Our long-distance relationship lasted for nearly two years. Then John David asked me to jump… and I jumped! I moved to West Virginia and started full- time at Marshall University. I fell in love not only with John David, but all the beautiful people of Kenwood Holler that surround him. I graduated with my undergraduate degree in April 2022, and later that evening John David asked me to be his wife.