WELCOME TO OUR CELEBRATION!

When I was 14 in the summer of 2014, I moved to Rocky Mount, NC, to a town full of people I didn't know and quite frankly to a life I didn't really know. Then I met this family named the Patterson's, and quickly our two families grew close. One of their daughters, Abby, the woman to be, I honestly did not like very much at first. But over time we starting talking, hanging out, and became best friends really. A couple years went by, we started drifting apart and went our own ways. I finished out high school in 2019, and begin working for Life Action which put even more distance between us. It wasn't until winter of 2020 when I was at my brother's wedding that something changed. He had asked her to play music for the ceremony and I just remember looking and thinking, "Hm." When the ceremony ended we helped clean up afterwards, and from folding a tablecloth together we began exchanging conversation again. So I decided that I was going to ask her out to coffee just to "catch up". That catching up turned into an hour and a half long heart to heart chat, and a week later I asked her to be my girlfriend; a week before I left to travel again. Much to my surprise, she said yes. So for about 5 months we navigated a long distance relationship, and man what a long 5 months it was. Then in summer of 2021, God did amazing stuff and decided to allow her to travel with me my last year. Was a huge learning curve and had it's own challenges, but through that it didn't take me long to decide this was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my days with. On December 3, 2021, I asked her the BIG question. Even through the nerve wreck I was feeling the words, "Will you marry me?" just fell out. Needless to say she said yes, and now I get to look forward to spending forever with the love of my life.

I was 13 when I first met Drew at my church after his family had moved to Rocky Mount. Our families became good friends, and I started taking guitar lessons from his brother, Will. Drew and I quickly became very good friends. I thought he was cute. Over the years into high school, we distanced for awhile for different reasons. It took me a bit to get over that. Then, when I was 17, he left for Life Action to travel. He barely crossed my mind, and I enjoyed my single days. I graduated in 2020, and I felt in my spirit that God did not want me to go straight into college. So, I got a job at Hobby Lobby. Impatiently, I figured it was time to apply for community college in November. I felt so lonely at this time and kept praying that God would fill the space in my life. In early December, I met Drew again. He was on his break from the road for awhile, and we got to lead worship with some others at our church. I noticed his character. I was also scheduled to play at his brother's wedding that month. At the wedding, I noticed how grown up and attractive he was. When we folded a table cloth together after the wedding, we started talking, and I invited him to college group at church. We started texting a lot, and one evening after I had finished my shift, he texted asking if I would go to coffee. I said yes. We went to coffee, and it was such a sweet talk. We went on a second date, and he asked me to be his girlfriend. My "yes" fell out. I knew it was God's plan. A week after, he went back on the road. After a while of long distance, God pricked my heart to travel with Drew and serve our Lord together. So...I said yes. Again. So, I quit my job and finished the school semester and started travelling in July. God knit our hearts together so strongly through working together, and we both knew we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together. So when we both got on break, not too long after, he got on one knee and asked if I would marry him. And guess what? I said yes.