“So who is this guy? Your face lights up when you talk about him!” That was what my mom asked me as we shared a plate of sushi and chatted about the man I had just met on a dating app. “He’s just one of the kindest people I’ve ever met,” I answered. To this day, I know that to be true about my Caleb. His first message to me on the app came right as I deactivated my dating profile. Encouraged by the sincerity of his initial message, I responded to him, and so began a journey for which I will be forever grateful. It wasn't long before daily messages turned into daily phone calls and FaceTime dates. The longer we spoke (and the conversations were indeed long), the more I realized Caleb embodied everything I had been praying for in a husband. His humor, gentle strength, humility, and love for the Lord made him the best friend I ever had. Despite being from completely different backgrounds, our core similarities eliminated any barrier to our understanding of one another. One month into meeting, we knew that God had set us apart for each other. We both chose to love one another and commit to a relationship long before ever seeing each other in person. Now, over a year, many plane rides, a degree, and two jobs later, our love has only deepened. We cannot wait to journey through a lifetime of joy, service, and growth together. Our story thus far is nothing we could have ever planned or written on our own. We are so humbled by the blessing our relationship has been to both of us, and so we are doubly grateful that God saw fit to cross the paths of a Southern California girl and a Pennsylvania boy at the most unlikely time in the most unlikely of places.

Within days of meeting Abi on November 24th, 2018, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. She so quickly became my best friend, and by June, I could not wait any longer to seal the deal- it was ring time, baby! Between our geographically challenged relationship and my cluelessness, I didn't know where to start. However, after some investigative conversations with Abi (about what she thought would be a far-off engagement), I stealthily gathered the information I needed. The surreal nature of the process began to fade as I selected a ring... and a few overtime shifts later, the reality of it all definitely sank in. Abi had planned a trip to visit me around her birthday, and after receiving her parents' blessing, I knew that would be the perfect time. She remained oblivious to everything and knew only that I was adamant about taking her on a hike when she visited. As August 5th rolled around, my excitement gave way to total nervousness. All I wanted was to hear the love of my life say "yes" to forever with me. Abi, sensing I was on edge, asked if I was okay many times, but I played it off by pushing our hiking pace to Mach speed. Sweaty and out of breath, we finally reached the spot where it seemed the Lord had opened up the mountainside just for us. I set my camera on a tripod and told her to face the open scenery for an Insta-worthy picture. As she turned around, I hit the video recording button, pulled out the ring, and bent to one knee... Considering that you are now browsing our wedding website, I'm sure you can guess at what happened next. Although we have faced many obstacles since then, our God has been faithful in finally bringing us home to each other. We are so excited to experience our wedding day, marriage, and the joy of it all with you. ...Oh, and I almost forgot, a few days after the proposal, we received a thoughtful memento from Washington County: a camera enforced speeding ticket dated 08/05/19. Clearly, I was in a hurry.