We met over a decade ago (like the summer of 2010) when Wyatt rode his bike over to my house in Middleville, MI, with one of my friends. I was training for cross country at the time, and he could barely keep up with me -even on his bike. He had long blonde hair that was (and has continued to be) very glam, and I was informed that my friend and, I (who are both only a year older than wyatt) would be babysitting him that day. Solid way to ensure a spot in the friendzone... right? That day was the unlikely catalyst for a friendship strengthened by a decade of random shenanigans that have become some of my favorite memories. Wyatt was there to save the day every time I crashed my truck (it happened a lot, sorry dad). He was there to cheer me on through essentially every athletic event I participated in during middle school and high school. And he was there during the holidays to chat up my family and eat the questionable baked goods that I served up. With our commitment to the friendzone established and affirmed, we chattered happily and intentionally on through highschool, through college, and through our young adult lives. Wyatt's friendship was (and is) my "constant". The world could be burning down around me, and a single phone call to him would bring it back to life. And when I called, he always answered.

Fiona and I met (as she so kindly pointed out), while I was bicycling with my babysitter's daughter who was a cross country teammate of Fiona's at the time. Clearly I made a very strong first impression. We proceeded to have many events and situations that tied us together throughout middle school and high school - both of us ran track, cross country, and we sang together in choir! We spent most of high school dating each other's friends and we kept our relationship strictly friendship oriented. Fiona went off to college and I stayed in our home town (Middleville, MI). We never lost touch. One weekend, (her sophomore year) she came home and we went out riding quads across the Shea's family property. Something strange happened- I started to get butterflies as we were riding around together. Our "strict friendship" had just encountered a curveball. Fiona was in a relationship at that time but I did not let that stop me. I proceeded to tell all my friends that that if marriage was in the cards for me, it would be to Fiona Shea. They proceeded to correctly point out that she was in a relationship. It was only 2016, but I knew. With a lot of persistence and by the Grace of God, here we are!