Charlie and I met at a leadership conference in high school, and as prom approached, he reached out to ask me on a "date" to see if we wanted to go to prom together. He picked me up and we enjoyed a fun evening at Buffalo Wild Wings watching March Madness. I came home so excited to have plans for two proms, since we went to different high schools. After our initial prom date, Charlie and I realized we connected on many levels— our faith, love for sports, fitness and devotion to our families. A few months later, Charlie moved to Parkland College to start his collegiate baseball career while I committed to play volleyball at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Although this marked the beginning of long-distance, it only strengthened our relationship as we made the most of every trip we spent together. The shared experiences and support for each other laid a solid foundation for our relationship. A few years later, Charlie transferred to East Carolina University to continue his baseball career. While this was an answered prayer for both of us, it also meant committing to three years of being 13 hours apart. Despite the distance, we both pursued our dreams of playing college sports, which brought challenges but also deepened our faith, love, and commitment to each other. We cherished the trips I made to North Carolina, creating wonderful memories together—whether it was late dinners at Sup Dogs after long days of baseball, Sunday morning coffee and church dates, or spending time with his college friends. We found joy in the everyday moments, embracing the mundane and making the most of our time together. We wouldn’t want it any other way. As we both graduated college, we moved back home, marking the end of a challenging five years of long distance. While it was tough to leave our friends in Edwardsville and Greenville, we were excited to finally be a twenty minute drive from one another and spend quality time with family and friends. Just weeks after settling back in, Charlie planned the most intentional engagement. Surrounded by our families at Jonah's, he got down on one knee and proposed by the water. After celebrating the special moment with family at my favorite restaurant, Charlie surprised me with an engagement party at my parents' house, filled with our closest friends and family. It was an emotional day, reflecting on the sacrifices we had made to get to this point, and we felt incredibly blessed to celebrate this next chapter in our lives. We recognize the many answered prayers that have brought us to this moment and we praise God for His faithfulness in our relationship. As we embark on this new journey to become husband and wife, we are filled with hope and confidence knowing that He is the author of our story. We are so excited to celebrate our wedding day with you all! We understand the costs of travel and the time it takes to be with us on Thanksgiving weekend and we want to express our appreciation for the love and support we’ve already received. Your presence means the world to us and we can’t wait for the wonderful memories to come. Jenna and Charlie