We began dating in 2018 when we were 15 and are together going on 8 years later at 23 years old. We met through mutual friends as homecoming dates and never stopped hanging out after that first dance! Matthew and I are both very independent people who have prioritized and pushed one another as we have found what we are passionate about. A very crucial part of this is how we have continually chosen to grow together not just in age but as people and still fall in love with one another every day.

Our favorite memory isn't the happiest, but it reminds us what matters most. In Pocatello, Idaho, Matthew's truck broke down, and we sat outside a Starbucks for hours with our rescue dogs. Max slipped his harness and bolted through the streets, after what felt like forever, a stranger lured him back with a chicken nugget. It was the longest day, but we still look back on it as proof that through every irritant and change, all we need is love for each other and the family we're building.

We could do so much with $20k. Bella's currently in law school, and it would help chip away at that debt. But we think it's best used toward our future home fund. We're grateful to be staying at Matthew's parents' guest home right now, soaking up time with both our families, but after law school, we plan to move out and put down roots of our own, somewhere we can keep growing together and make our family and support system our top priority.