Derek: “I knew Lydia was the one when she not only agreed to us not being together on our first New Years Eve but was excited for me to go down to Kentucky on my elk hunting trip. I knew then she wasn’t like any other and that she would always be supportive of all that I do. I knew she wasn’t going to be happy not being together but that showed me just how much she was willing to sacrifice for me. From then on she has showed me endless support, love, and an astonishing amount of patience. I fall for her every day all over again because she surprises me every day with her love and passion for all the things we do and want to do in our lives.”

Lydia: “I knew he was different from the first message he sent me as I was lying there in the hospital bed and my phone lit up at midnight. I remember reading it and literally mumbled “wow” to myself because here this guy was sending me this sweet genuine message and he didn’t even know me. There were lots of things he did as we dated that definitely showed me how great Derek was and always is. Always patient and encouraging to me when I was going through concussion therapy and I couldn’t remember or retain anything. He was patient, understanding, loving and encouraging when I was anxious about the future and any possibility of being back to normal. But the moment of “he’s the one” probably was when I had a BAD migraine Feb 17 2023. I didn’t leave the couch, was in the dark all day, couldn’t eat because of how bad the nausea and vomiting was and the pressure was unreal. He had worked for hours and forced overtime. He surprised me by showing up to my house with Waffle House and it was like 10/11pm at night and he had work the next morning. He is selfless and always making me smile, laughing, and brings joy to my life everyday. I’ve told him after getting hit and laying in the hospital bed, at that moment I felt like I was at rock bottom. But sometimes God does weird things to get you turned around and on the track you’re suppose to be on. What I thought, was the worst day of my life slowly but surely showed me I was out on track to the best thing that happened to me. Now I get to experience the man God meant for me to have and live this life together.”