It all started in the summer of 2013. He came to visit his family—who just so happened to be my neighbors—and suddenly my summer got a whole lot more interesting. He was 15, I was 17, and somehow we hit it off right away.

When he went back home, we kept in touch like two lovesick teenagers starring in our own rom-com. Two years later, we made it official… and then promptly made it long-distance. Six months in, we broke up.

Fast forward two years: he’s a high school senior, I’m in college, and we decided to give it another shot. Spoiler alert: it worked. We’ve been together ever since, and honestly, it’s been the best sequel ever.

Since then, we’ve moved from South Carolina to Ohio to Virginia, where we now share a cozy home with five fur babies (two dogs and three cats who think they run the place). We’ve spent almost a decade laughing, quoting movies and TV shows at each other, and proving that the secret to love is never taking life too seriously.

After nearly nine years together, he FINALLY popped the question during a ski trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Picture this: a dog sledding adventure, snow-capped mountains, and him asking me to marry him.

And now, here we are—ready to celebrate with all of you.