I had been friends with Cooper’s younger siblings for a little while. His brother Grady often talked about his older brother Cooper who was in college, and I was always somewhat intrigued. Fast forward a couple years I transferred to LBC. I initially got to know Cooper a little bit during the first semester, he was funny, kind of weird, obsessed with star wars, but sweet, and so fun to be around. Second semester rolled around and I began to see him more and more as he started to hangout with me and some of my friends. Due to some unfortunate circumstances I denied him a coffee date, but he did not take “no” for an answer! He continued to pursue me and after getting to know him I realized that I actually really really liked him too. I thought I was making my feelings very clear and was expecting another date offer, however it was not happening. So I took matters into my own hands. After a while of talking I finally addressed the elephant in the room and asked him what his intentions were. He was shocked by my forwardness but then began to share his feelings with me. He shared about Martin's offer, which I thought was silly and kind of stupid but then, after what felt like weeks, he officially asked me out on a date in his dorm room as I was cleaning his messy closet out. So we went out to dinner but it was WAY too short and I wanted to spend more time with him. Then what felt like MONTHS (because it was) he finally asked me to be his girlfriend, but I appreciated the time he took to really think about it. He also wanted to be sure to tell me his testimony before things got too serious between us, which I really appreciated. Now fast forward after some time—cough cough, Ten months later, Cooper asked me to marry him and I joyfully said yes! So here we are, blessed and overwhelmed by the goodness of God and so excited to celebrate with all of you!

It was the second semester of my junior year at LBC when I first met Arella. I saw her while saying hi to my brother Grady at the student center and immediately noticed how bright and friendly she was. From then on, I started seeing her around campus more and more, and I knew I wanted to be around her. One day, she texted me—though I didn’t recognize the number at the time—inviting me to go sledding with some friends. That kicked things off, and I began to make it very clear that I was pursuing her. Around that time, my favorite professor, Martin Sauer, who loved teasing me about being single, jokingly offered to pay for my first date if I ever landed one. I had already decided I wanted to ask Arella out, but I was nervous not knowing if she liked me. Then came a movie night she hosted, where no one else showed up but me. After putting her little brother KJ to bed (whom I had spent two hours bonding with over Legos), Arella asked, “What are we doing?” and initiated what you’d call a DTR (determine the relationship). I shared how I felt and told her I wanted to take her on a date. A few days later, while she was helping me sort through my wardrobe (because I wanted to dress better for her), I officially asked her out—in my messy dorm room of all places—and thankfully, she said yes. Fast forward through months of dates, beach trips, flower fields, movie nights, and long talks—I knew without a doubt she was the one. I had actually started planning my proposal just one month into dating by writing her monthly anniversary notes that would eventually spell out “Will you marry me?” But I didn’t expect to be ready so soon. I thought I’d wait until July, but when I got her ring and saw it in January, I just couldn’t wait any longer—when you know, you know, you know? Now here we are, deeply in love and ready to begin this incredible journey together. We are so thankful for all of you who’ve supported us along the way. God has been so good, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!