Tyler and Abby Grace met when Tyler's cousin, Noah Darnell and his girlfriend (at the time, now wife and mother of our mini bestie Dane), Jaclyn introduced us at church on Sunday morning in 2021. Abby Grace's first impression of Tyler was that he was really grumpy. Tyler's first impression of Abby Grace was that this crazy girl had a lot of energy. Fast forward to January of 2023. Tyler had moved back home from Eastern Mennonite University in spring of 2022 and had begun working as a FCA representative in the Kernersville area. Abby Grace had just begun her last semester of high school and had recently joined their church's trip to Passion Conference in Atlanta with hopes of becoming more familiar with the college ministry. One Sunday morning, Abby Grace asked Tyler, "Hey! You're Noah's cousin right?" with hopes of reintroducing herself and becoming friends with a guy she thought was cute but knew was probably too old for her. From that moment on, Tyler and Abby Grace were simply church friends. When Tyler started serving with Abby Grace's youth ministry as a middle school boys small group leader, they had more opportunities to get to know each other. Tyler begun to think that Abby Grace could be the one when they had a small disagreement at the basketball ministry event over which translation of Psalm 23 was the best. Abby Grace was persistent that the New Living Translation was the easiest to remember and the most practical way to memorize it while Tyler believed that the English Standard Version was better by far. Tyler went home from this and briefly mentioned to his mother that he thought Abby Grace was cute. Little did she know she was being introduced to her future daughter-in-law. In June of 2023, Tyler and Abby Grace were talking practically every day, however Abby Grace was convinced Tyler was just one of her best friends and could never like a little high school senior like her. After the first Summer Night at Life Students, the Luau on June 7, Tyler and Abby Grace stood in the parking lot for hours. While Abby Grace was still debating whether or not Tyler would like her, Tyler knew that night that she was his future wife. A few days later, Abby Grace met her future family in laws wearing a sweatshirt over a cocktail dress with no shoes on. She had just been to her high school graduation and was celebrating with her best friends at Andy’s, a local ice cream shop. Tyler, his brother Drue, and the rest of the church softball team had just won the championship game of the season and his family also thought a celebration at Andy’s had been earned. So that night, Abby Grace met her future family barefoot in a parking lot. Believe it or not, it's not the most wild state they’ve seen her in. The next day, Abby Grace and her parents were hosting a graduation party from 2-5. Tyler walked in the door at 2:02 and left at 6:05. He stayed the entire time, sitting on the patio watching baseball while Abby Grace was being herself bouncing around from every table. Abby Grace didn’t know what to think and she was expressing that to her mentors, Jordan and Curstyn Carr when finally Jordan told her that Tyler really liked her. She shook it off and thought nothing of it but when Tyler began to help her father take everything out to the car and clean up after the celebration. That night, Tyler and Abby Grace shared the first of many hugs when she said thank you for coming. The day after that, Tyler was dogsitting for his Aunt Lori and Uncle Jay who just so happened to live .2 miles from where Abby Grace lived. Abby Grace had decided she would go get sweet tea from McDonald’s so she would be kind and also grab Tyler one. Later that night, Tyler admitted to Abby Grace his feelings for her, and the rest is history :).