The moment we've all been waiting for!

After moving from Texas to Washington following my 8th grade year, I was forced to immerse myself in a new culture, make new friends, and start fresh. I remember walking into my freshman english class, as the new kid, and noticing a girl that so far I was unfamiliar with. Although there were a few of my buddies in there from football that I had come to know over the summer, there was a girl that I was dead set on getting to know. Her name was Tiana Peterson and throughout the semester our friendship started to grow. As nervous as I was as the new kid, it paled in comparison to when I would sit on the heater prior to class and talk with her about our classes, teachers, honestly anything I could carry on a conversation about. Little did I know, following that year she would leave Kings and start her Sophomore year at a different high school. During our years apart, we were able to briefly stay in touch. Communication was much less that I had wanted but quite frankly any time I got to talk/text with her I was on cloud 9. The remaining 3 years went by quickly and in seemingly the blink of an eye I was headed off the BYU. Football kept me busy as I had ever been but situations do change. About a week prior to arriving on campus there was a complete overhaul for the offensive staff and everyone I was familiar with and the coaches I had committed to were gone. After a year at BYU, I decided on Weber State to continue my football career and education. This was a difficult transition for me, much similar to the move from Texas, but again that SAME GIRL that made the move a bit easier was there for me again. T probably doesn’t know this but those brief conversations we had during that time kept me motivated for what was to come. More importantly, they made me so excited to get the hell out of Utah and back home. Again, another 3 years went on… School, football, the same routine dragging on until I finally was able to get back home! See Part 2

Our first date was perfect. I’m a pretty “to the point” kind of guy so we spent a big part of that night talking about what we wanted in life and what we wanted in our next relationship. As infatuated with her as I was, I was shocked to learn how similar our goals and future plans ended up being. After a number of dates, not that I needed them, I knew she was the one I wanted to spend my life with. Roughly two years later we bought a trip to Cabo at the Mill Creek Rotatory auction, spending just a bit more than I originally had budgeted for. I was ready to call it but at the last minute T decided to raise the paddle for one more bid… at first I was not too happy but we ended up winning the auction much to my surprise. I immediately walked to the bar and grabbed a much needed whiskey following the process. She won’t believe me but part of the reason my face went so red is because I knew the moment we won that auction, that’s where I was going to propose. As the trip got closer and closer I couldn’t wait. I had purchased the ring, after a bit of advice from her family as to what she wanted, and planned the proposal. Initially, I was going to wait a few days once we arrived down there but again patience is not my strength. On the ride from the hotel entrance to our room I knew I wasn’t going to wait. As she FaceTime friends and family to show off the room, I waited impatiently. Once she was finally done, we walked to the patio, watched the sunset and I was finally able to get down on one knee. It had been a moment that was well worth the wait. As crazy as it sounds, it was the moment I had waited for since that freshman english class… the woman who made the biggest transitions in my life easy… was the woman who said YES to spending the rest of her life with me.

Billy and I met almost eleven years ago back in high school, but I wouldn’t say that’s where our love story began. Billy had just transferred to my school and all the girls loved him. We rarely got new kids at our private school, so I understood the girl’s obsession. Billy and I became friends that year and spent time before our classes just talking on the old school heaters warming our tooshies up. Him and I had two classes together and I remember him being a total goof ball- yet super cute and athletic. I had known about halfway through my school year that I wouldn’t be returning to King’s the next fall but didn’t really let anyone know. After about a year and a half at being at my new high school, Billy and I started texting back and forth. This was only every so often because I was frequently grounded from my cell phone. (Shout out to all of you that let me text Billy off YOUR cell phones.) Eventually, our texts led to hanging out one night junior year. He brought a friend, I brought a friend- that kind of thing. I remember thinking how easy it was to just be myself around him. I had often felt like I had to be a certain way with certain groups in high school to fit in, but not with B. Him and I had never run out of things to talk about and we could talk about literally anything. That night Billy kissed me for the first time, but even then I wouldn’t say our love story really started there. A couple years went by and life started getting more intense for both of us. I was working full time as a waitress, part time as a dance instructor and going to school trying to start my career. Billy was in college debating transferring to a different college and working his butt off in school. We were both also in relationships, so trying to maintain those as we grow into the people God wanted us to be all at once! Even with all the chaos, Billy and I still somehow found time to check in every once and a while and it always felt SO nice to hear from him. (SEE PART 2)

Two years after THAT Billy had finished up with college and was on his way home. I had started my career and was in a really good spot. Things really seemed to be lining up… NOT to mention we were both FINALLY single. Billy and I started texting every day and facetiming on occasion. About a week after he arrived home he asked me out on a date. Not a single part of me was ready to date yet, but a part of me had always been curious and I did miss him a lot. So… cue the love story. I ALMOST DIDN’T SHOW UP TO OUR FIRST DATE YOU GUYS! I was so nervous the nerves almost physically took over. Billy hadn’t seen me in about five to six years, and I looked totally different. I was rocking the shortest hair I had ever had, just cut bangs and… braces. My sister convinced me it was all going to be okay and if anything, it was just dinner. I walked in the restaurant and he was standing up waving at me from the bar. He looked SO CUTE. I didn’t talk much and Billy carried the entire conversation over guacamole and coronas. Billy had really opened up to me about what had happened between roughly 2012-2017 and I just sat there questioning if I had guacamole in my braces. After another corona or two I was ready to open up and that’s when we headed to another bar in Kirkland. On our car ride there we jammed out to early 2000’s hip hop and we sang to every single word. Before we got out of the car I forced him to take a selfie with me. It was poor quality, but I wanted to remember this day for the rest of my life. Our conversation at bar #2 was when I realized how truly incredible he was. He would ask me personal questions and when I answered he just listened. We shared the same “wants”, “needs”, and life goals. We wanted the same exact things in a partner. Trust, honesty, communication, and love. Things you have naturally with a best friend. Before we left that night we scheduled date #2.

We were both upset over having to reschedule our wedding, but I don’t know if I would want it any other way. 2020 was a trying time for most, but we made it through it all. From my salon being shut down for over three months, moving out of our townhome, moving in with our parents, building a home… I think we deserve a few margaritas!! Funny to think our first date started with chips and guacamole and a few cervezas.. and four years later on that SAME EXACT DAY we will more than likely be doing the same thing and saying “I DO”.