Catholic Match first brought us together in the Summer of 2023. We were messaging regularly and found conversation easy and substantive. However, we both knew what we wanted in a courtship, and importantly that included the ability to go on a date and a long distance relationship was not what either of us was looking for. The Lord obviously still had more work to do in preparing us. In fact, he had another year (almost to the day) of preparation. But a year later a conversation began again on Catholic Match. A deeper and more intentional conversation, with the prospect of a long distance relationship being at least an option now. After a week of messaging we knew that if a relationship was going to begin then we should finally talk. So we decided that the following Friday would be a good day to schedule a call and see if we had any chemistry. Friday, July 26, 2024, finally arrived with excitement. The phone call started with only modest nervousness, but 10 hours later when the call finally ended, it was certain, we ABSOLUTELY had chemistry. The following day followed with a 7 hour video-call and the realization that we needed to meet in person as soon as possible and flights were scheduled at once. Aaron would come to visit and meet her family on August 23, 2024 and she would visit and meet his family the following week on August 30, 2024. But this was all just a formality. Even within that first phone call the possibility of a future marriage was already subtlety and sometimes (by the slip of Aaron's tongue) explicitly anticipated. By October, Aaron had the ring and was praying that he would find an opportunity to ask Jim (Amanda's father) for her hand in marriage. The time would come as Aaron's second trip to Cincinnati was winding down. At the Marcelli's house the evening before departing back to Denver, courage and luck would give Aaron the opportunity and without hesitation Jim graciously gave his blessing. After putting Jack, Corbin, and Maria to bed that night Aaron kneeled down in the kitchen and after a long and painful consideration Amanda decided she had no better prospects and begrudgingly accepted his proposal. <—HAHA Aaron, very funny 😂