C&H

Canyon and Hannah grew up in different parts of Texas, but they met in May 2024 when Hannah responded to a message from Canyon on Hinge. Her profile boasted about her terrible, but funny, jokes. Would she tell him one? She responded: "RIP water. You will be mist." That obviously sealed the deal. Canyon responded with another joke, but, as always, Hannah was just funnier. He immediately asked her to dinner. Canyon made reservations at Buona Forchetta in Liberty Station, a small shopping district next to the San Diego airport. Hannah's foot was broken at the time (she'll be the first to tell you that she isn't the coordinated one in the relationship) but, since she wanted to impress Canyon, she didn't wear her "astronaut boot." They sat on a bench outside the restaurant for almost five hours talking about everything under the sun, and Canyon asked her out for a second date twice over the night - he wanted to make sure she didn't forget. Hannah re-broke her foot that night without her cast, so their second date was even less mobile: a sushi dinner in lawn chairs on the bed of Canyon's truck overlooking La Jolla at the top of Mount Soledad and listening to music. Canyon picked flowers for her off the side of the mountain and for the first time asked her to dance with him; for the first time, Hannah told him she didn't want to. They both agree that by the end of the night, they knew they found their forever person. Hannah came to Northern California years ago for ministry and moved to San Diego to get her Bachelor's and Master's in architecture; Canyon was stationed at MCAS Miramar in San Diego in 2021 to serve as a Marine Corps Judge Advocate. Their relationship blossomed quickly and Canyon proposed on January 31, 2025, at the bench they spent their first date together in the blessed company of their family and friends.

When Canyon decided to propose to Hannah, he had two goals: 1) he wanted to surprise her, and 2) he wanted it to be somewhere memorable they could visit for the rest of their lives. For the latter goal, he quickly decided on the bench where they spent their first date. It’s located in Liberty Station in San Diego and because it’s a public park, it is unlikely to ever be torn down. Still, Canyon needed to find a way to get Hannah there, she be dressed up appropriately for the occasion, and it still be a surprise. Ever since the first date, Hannah knew that Canyon volunteered every year for Night to Shine, a prom for those with special needs founded and run by the Tim Tebow Foundation around Valentine’s Day. When he invited her to volunteer with him this year, she said yes and then was on the hook to get something nice to wear just for the occasion. The only problem was that Canyon fibbed about the date; he told Hannah it would be on a Friday, January 31, 2025 – but the event actually was happening a week later. If she ever Googled for details about the event she would know that, but Canyon took the risk. He told her he would get her all the details and not to worry about it, just focus on her schoolwork and her day-to-day. He told her it was being hosted at a Church in Liberty Station so when they went that way, she wouldn’t initially think of their old date spot. Canyon knew it was a risk and if she found out, he was going to just tack more on the fib and say he misread the date, but since they were free they should go to a nice dinner dressed up. That was Plan B, anyway. But, for once, Hannah actually listened to Canyon and never Googled it. Must have been God’s providence to do that. Canyon planned the proposal for a couple months; before Thanksgiving, he was searching for photographers. He was talking with Hannah’s best friend back home for ideas on flowers and candles and how to decorate the bench. He had a sign custom made for the event so that, in his words, “it will hang in every home we live in.” He stayed in California over the holidays and met with photographers and staked out the spot he would propose and he met with a restaurant to have an after party just feet away from the site so all their guests could watch with champagne in hand. He called her mother and her father to get their blessing and he arranged for them, and his family and some of their friends, to fly to California for the proposal. On the night of the proposal, Canyon had already spent the last few days lying stretching the truth to Hannah that he was so busy with work, he was in Court for days in trial, and he couldn’t see her over the weeknights. In reality, he was putting together the surprise with his brother who had flown in early and, on the morning of the proposal, even walked all their guests through the location like a museum tour guide or a theater director, just to make sure everyone knew their parts and timing. In the end, Hannah guessed just a couple minutes before it happened, but she never saw anyone but the photographers. It was an intimate moment with just them, and Canyon asked her “do you want the short version or the long version?” She said the long version, and Canyon took out a handwritten letter that only she has ever seen and, when he was finished, took a knee and proposed. Hannah had just been thinking that week he still didn’t have a ring, because he kept asking her what she wanted or what her size was. The truth is, he had the ring for months and just tried keeping her off his trail. After she said yes, Canyon turned her around to see her family and friends gathered to celebrate her, and they all ran and dogpiled the happy couple. They celebrated the rest of the night and weekend. They didn’t have a chance to volunteer that year because Canyon had to go to a training for the Marine Corps that next week, but it really was a night to shine.

The Marine Corps has given Canyon new orders to Camp Pendleton this summer, and Hannah has a few years left in her program. God's providence has opened many doors and they're excited to begin their story together close to where they met. They plan to work on some ministry projects together and always look for ways to advance God's Kingdom on earth. His hand has been on their relationship since that very first message.