The Hanleys

Noel and Breckin didn’t meet under a spotlight or at some magical moment. They met… in middle school. In Mrs. Coulter’s class. Where they did not speak. At all. Noel had just moved from Bridge City and was the quiet new girl. Breckin came later from LCM, slightly dramatic about leaving his old school behind. While they technically shared a classroom in 8th grade, any interaction between them was nonexistent, unless you count avoiding eye contact as interaction. Things didn’t really start until high school. Somehow, they ended up in a small, quirky band friend group—three boys and one girl (Noel). No one really knows how that group came to be, but it worked. Every weekend after Friday Night Lights, the group would ride four-wheelers through Noel’s neighborhood. Even though she wasn’t exactly the “country” type, Noel was always there, ready to roll. The rides often ended with early morning K-Dan’s breakfast runs and lots of laughs. Around this time, Breckin decided the best way to impress Noel was by starting debates about Catholicism. (Romantic, right?) He would constantly ask her questions and try to get a reaction out of her, but Noel held her ground. Eventually, she hit him with things he couldn’t answer, and he’s been doing research ever since. As the friend group drifted off to different schools, Breckin and Noel were the last two standing. Breckin had already made up his mind that he was going to marry Madison Noel Meyer. Noel, on the other hand, made it very clear that she was not interested. At all. But Breckin doesn’t give up easily. After some time, he looked at her and asked, “Why aren’t we dating yet?” And for reasons she still can’t explain, Noel gave him a chance. And thank goodness she did. From that point forward, they made faith the center of their relationship. Breckin went through baptism, confirmation, and his first communion through the Catholic church, all with Noel by his side. Days after high school graduation, they took a senior trip to Puerto Rico. Somewhere between the beaches and the sunshine, Breckin got down on one knee and asked Noel to continue their next sacrement and marry him. She said yes! Now they’re both students at Texas A&M University, living life, chasing dreams, and getting ready to officially start their forever together.