"You give me reasons to smile and reasons to laugh, but most of all, you give me memories I could never forget." 

Michael and I met many years ago, during my senior year of high school and his junior year. Insert the cougar jokes now. Michael and I had a few mutual friends and eventually developed our own friendship. You could always find us eating lunch together, and walking to and from the cafeteria together and you could always find me strutting up to him, calling him by his whole name, giving him a big hug and sneaking him out of school early on occasion to go hang out. After I graduated our lives went in to different directions and we lost contact for quite a few years. Then one day out of the blue we become friends on social media again, it tickled me that I was able to catch back up with Michael since the awkward and shy high school Carley was too afraid to tell him how I felt back then. We made plans to go on our first date and we never missed a beat. We always had such a strong friendship and connection and that never faded or changed. Every day since then has been one amazing adventure after another. From running dogs, to turkey hunting, to fishing, to sharing a love of Mexican food and action movies, life with Michael has been fantastic. People say that you need someone who brings out the best in you, and I have that. I have someone willing to push me to be my best, to motivate me, to congratulate me when I do well but to also pick me up when I fall. I have had the pleasure of witnessing this amazing man become a phenomenal father to Sadie. He is caring, patient and loving to his little girl and that has made me fall more in love with him than I ever thought possible. I can't wait to begin this life with him and I can't wait to see all of the adventures that await us.