Wedding Date on Oct 20, 2018

From the bride: Holden and I went to different elementary schools so we met once we got to 6th grade. It was the first day of class, and I walked into my last class of the day, sixth period science class. I have always hated school so I picked a seat in the very back of the classroom at one of the lab tables. The teacher started writing on the board at the front of the classroom, and I kept having to move to see because there was this really tall boy that sat two tables in front of me blocking my view. Although I have always hated school, I took my schoolwork very seriously. The teacher handed out an assignment that day, and I had always been the first one finished with all of the correct answers, until this day. The tall boy two tables in front of me got up first and turned his homework in before me, which made me mad. I knew immediately he would be my competition when it came to grades. A few weeks after that, we had basketball try-outs, and Holden and I both made the team. We started seeing more and more of each other around school and once we started traveling for basketball games, we realized that we were two of the few who had cell phones way back in 2006 so we started texting constantly. After this, we became friends instantly, and luckily, we have always had the same friend group so we would get to hang out together all of the time. Holden knows me way too well so I did not suspect the proposal at all. Our friend Jordan, Holden, and I have been best friends since 8th grade. It's always been the three of us hanging out so I have always been the third wheel to their bromance. Holden and Jordan will plan to do something, and I always invite myself whether it's going out to eat, going to the lake, or going fishing. This day was no different. It was a Friday night, and Holden and I were hanging out. He told me that he and Jordan were going to go hiking at Fall Creek Falls the next day. He never mentioned inviting me. He just said he was going to pick Jordan up Saturday morning and go. I waited and waited and didn't get an invite. After we watched a movie, Holden went home and still hadn't invited me. I finally texted him before I went to sleep and asked if I could go with him and Jordan. He told me he would check with Jordan since it was going to be a bro day, but that he didn't think Jordan would care. Holden texted me back and said Jordan was fine with me going. Saturday morning we loaded up, packed a lunch, and took off. We hiked for most of the day and finally at the very end, we were out on a ledge overlooking the trees that had started to change colors and I asked if Jordan would take a picture of me and Holden. Jordan did and asked me to look at them to see if I approved of them, which is what I always did. When I wanted to take a couple more just to make sure we got a good one, I turned around and Holden was down on one knee and Jordan caught it all on camera. It was the most perfect day! I am in my last year of law school at Belmont University. I have a passion for criminal law so I intern with our hometown district attorney's office, and I get the opportunity to work in Sparta (my hometown), DeKalb County, and Putnam County. Holden is a registered nurse, and he works at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He works with a little bit of every type of problem on his floor. The other departments and floors send people to his floor. For fun, I love going to the lake. My family has always had a boat so throughout school, I would always be on the lake after school and on weekends. I love doing things I have never done before so I am always exploring things to do in Tennessee and love to take day trips. My family lives on a farm so I also enjoy helping my Pa and Dad with the cattle and riding four wheelers over our property. I am definitely not a redneck, but I love the simplicity of sitting on the back porch watching the cattle and looking at the stars after a long day. Living in Knoxville for undergrad and Nashville for law school has made me appreciate it even more. For dates, Holden and I go to the local drive in. It's my favorite thing to do (and basically the only thing to do) in Sparta in the summers. Holden used to work there so we also get free movies, which was a nice perk! Holden loves being at home. He went to college locally so he has always lived at home in Sparta. He says he hates going places but he really just hates the drive and then has a blast once we get to where we are going. He has always worked so hard so he loves to go somewhere and pick up food and watch Netflix at home in comfortable clothes and relax. He is content with staying home, but he knows I love doing new things and going places so he is always a good sport and goes wherever I want. He has so much fun actually doing the things I have planned but just thinks he won't before we get there. He is the typical southern boy, but I still wouldn't say redneck. He loves to go fishing but doesn't like hunting as much. He and his uncle also love getting new guns and target shooting.