We worked a summer camp together in 2016 (shoutout Fuge Camps). We became quick friends, leaning on each other in times of exhaustion and joy, telling each other stories of the Lord's victory in our site kids and our campers. As far as the romantic side of things goes, Austin claims that he knew as soon as his jaw hit the floor when I stepped out of my Jeep. Apparently I needed a little more convincing, considering I said no when he asked me to be his girlfriend at the end of the summer. The Lord, however, in His perfect timing, worked on our hearts that summer, teaching us servanthood and the Gospel in it's purest, truest form. We are so thankful for Ridgecrest and Fuge for countless reasons, but dang are we thankful that it brought us each other.

My family took a vacation to Asheville, North Carolina the week leading up to the proposal and Austin joined us. I had a feeling it would happen while we were there (considering I searched his bag for the ring...oops), but I was wrong. Austin and I left on Friday to go back to Charlotte because he told me that his family was throwing his dad a surprise birthday party and he wanted to go on a hike before we went. We went to the farmers market in Matthews on Saturday morning, then drove two hours to Hanging Rock State Park. When we reached the top of the hike, I refused to go to the edge (a little too scared of heights), and sat down. Austin kept begging me to go to the edge, but I kept refusing, to which he got a little frustrated. He finally convinced me to go out to the edge, where he then knelt down on one knee and asked me to spend forever with him.