Our story began in the most unexpected way. We met at Rickey’s place, where he was rooming with his friend JaQuan. Morgan, who was friends with JaQuan, noticed Rickey as “the guy with the laptop and the cutest dog ever, Bud.” Rickey, on the other hand, saw Morgan as “just another guest.”

The real connection happened over a card game. While Rickey and his friends were deep into the game, Morgan joined in and quickly picked up the rules, much to Rickey’s amazement. The rest of the table was still trying to figure things out, and Morgan was already showing off her new skills.

Our early dates were anything but ordinary. Rickey’s late-night work shifts led to our moonlit walks along the creek at 1 AM, where we bonded over late-night snacks and deep conversations. One night, we went on a hike on Table Mountain. Morgan, driving her mom’s old Ford Expedition with her dog Abby, got lost on the way. Despite arriving at nearly 3 AM, we managed to go on the hike, showing our dedication to adventure (and each other).

In May 2018, we took a big step by moving out of our shared house with roommates and into our own place, just the two of us. Shortly after settling in, we adopted our dog Sadie, who quickly became our chief mischief-maker.

Throughout our journey, we’ve tackled challenges as a dynamic duo, supporting each other with humor and patience. Rickey admires Morgan’s headstrong nature and her ability to make him laugh, while Morgan loves Rickey’s creativity and his never-ending optimism.

The proposal was a comedy of errors turned epic. After getting free tickets to a comedy show and a complimentary room at Rolling Hills Casino, Rickey, who had been holding onto the ring and trying to figure out the perfect moment, ended up proposing in the hotel room. It was the perfect end to a day filled with laughs and spontaneous fun.

As we look forward to our future together, we're reminded of the lyrics from "Spanish Pipedream" by John Prine – a song that captures our dreams and hopes for our life together:

Blow up your TV.

Throw away your paper.

Go to the country.

Build you a home.

Plant a little garden.

Eat a lot of peaches.

Try an' find Jesus on your own.