Our story, according to me (Chelsea). Ian became very interested in me when he first saw me at work. I was working at the church at the time, and he was working for Featherston Media...he often found himself at the church offices helping with this and that. There were a few times when my friend, Angie, joked about us dating...I was adamant that it would never happen. A few months later and I had announced that I was going to be moving to Phoenix, Ian wanted to ask me out, but decided not to because I was going to be moving. This didn't stop him from secretly pining for me... In January a lot changed for me, a very close friend advised me during this season of change that I should be nicer to Ian, so I said hi to him one Sunday and he saw that as his chance to NOT make a move. He did sit down and talk to me about video games...I have to admit that I immediately regretted my decision to say hi, but he was nice and made me laugh. I decided that I didn't have anything to lose, and told myself that if he asked me out I would say yes... He didn't ask me out for another month, then after our first date, he didn't talk to me for an entire week. Our second date was on Valentine's Day, then he started acting weird again...I prayed for the first month that God would shut it down, but then in March I knew that he was the dude (that has become a nickname for him with my family) and I cried in the parking lot of Wal-Mart (don't ask) while on the phone with a great friend. God didn't shut it down, if anything He opened door after door for this to be the type of relationship I had prayed for, the type of relationship that would glorify Him. Ian makes me laugh, he makes me feel light in a heavy world, he holds me when I need him to, he listens, he loves me for what you see and what you don't see, for what was and what is. He challenges me and makes me want to be better. I'm not sure how he got here, but I'm forever grateful that he did. This is only the beginning...

We had been talking about marriage for a few months, and Ian told me that he wanted to propose before his birthday (10/27). I jokingly said it would probably happen the day before because it would be just like him to make me wait. I looked at rings, dresses, and started planning. I designed our invitations in June, started the guest list and decided on the look that the wedding would have, and I waited for the day when it would be "official!" It is now September, my birthday week, and throughout the week I asked him to tell me the 35 things he loved about me because I was turning 35...he came up with some pretty good ones but saved some for a special night. The Friday night of that week our parents met each other for the first time over dinner, he later asked my parents for their permission and their blessing. He told them and my sister about his plan, come to find out he told my closest girlfriends too. Saturday, September 8th is the day to remember...Ian planned a dinner at my favorite restaurant with my closest friends. It was a magical night. My dear friend Ashley has a tradition that each person goes around and says what they love the most about the birthday person, Ian went last and he started talking then stopped, crying he simply said that I was the best thing in his life. We made it home after dinner and cake, I went inside to change and everyone waited...on my front porch he handed me a card, on the right was the sweetest note, on the left (covered by heart-shaped sticky notes) was numbers 9-13...9. Will 10. You 11. Marry 12. Me 13. ? I looked up and said "Is this really happening?!" and then noticed he was on one knee with a ring, and he said "I love you. Will you marry me?" I tentatively said yes, because I didn't believe that it was real. We went inside and told my family, who had been waiting, and we all cried and celebrated. I have prayed thousands of prayers for this man and the life that we will share together. God gets all the glory!