It all started with a “Howdy”. On April 30th, 2021, Delaney took the bold move of reaching out to TJ for the first time, sliding into TJ’s Instagram messages with a “Howdy”. As TJ is always one to remind Delaney, it was Day 2 of the 2021 NFL draft and from that day forward they talked nonstop. But TJ was living in Dallas and Delaney was living in DC, so the chance of meeting in person felt increasingly slim. 

Fast-forward to July, and after a few months of not being able to stop talking to each other, TJ was on a flight to DC to meet Delaney for the first time. The plan was to go on a first date and TJ would stay with a friend of his who lived in DC the rest of the weekend. Delaney took TJ to Ambar for dinner in Eastern Market, and they have been inseparable ever since. After nearly a year of flying to and from Dallas and DC, TJ made the big move to Washington where their relationship continued to grow. Delaney took on the role of second dad to TJ’s beloved Husky, Balto. They began integrating one another into each other’s families, taking some of the most memorable trips to Vail, Tennessee, the Outer Banks, the Dominican Republic, Rosemary Beach, and of course to as many Chiefs games as possible. 

Then, in January, they made the ultimate leap. With TJ starting a new job in Dallas, they made the big move to Dallas. While it was home to TJ, it was still a new adventure. Delaney, having not driven in nearly a decade, had to learn to drive again. TJ had to learn some things too, including learning another level of patience with Delaney as they transitioned from their 1-bedroom apartment to the stress of creating and filling the space of a whole home. And as they began to transition into their new life in Dallas, a new adventure began that TJ didn’t know about – a proposal. 

After asking TJ’s mom, Ashlee, for permission to propose, Delaney, Ashlee, and Delaney’s mom, Pam, began thoughtfully planning out the big surprise. A place that had become sentimental over the years, they began planning the proposal to take place at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. It was a place Delaney and TJ had been to several times before when visiting Delaney’s family in North Carolina. After months of planning and not knowing until two weeks before if they could pull off the engagement after the town of Asheville had been devastated by Hurricane Helene, Delaney and TJ arrived at the Biltmore on the chilly afternoon of November 23rd where Delaney got down on one knee and asked TJ to marry him. With Delaney and TJ’s families having arrived the night before, TJ was met with not just the surprise of the proposal, but our closest loved ones to celebrate the special moment with us. 

We cannot wait to celebrate our engagement with you all soon. We appreciate all of you for sharing this special time with us and recognize the time and travel commitments many of you will make to do so. Know that we are so thankful to have the support of you all as we embark on this new journey together. 

With Much Love,

TJ Kleinert & Delaney Crampton