I—Josh—always thought that when you meet the person you are going to marry, the world would announce it in some way. Nothing too fancy, but maybe a cinematic gust of wind, just to make sure you don’t miss it. When I met Darlene at a young adult ministry called “The Table,” there was no act of nature to give me a heads-up on what God was getting ready to send my way. We met and exchanged some small talk in June of 2020, and that was the pattern for a few months. (Okay, Darlene here, and we met July 26th. I have a text proving that I was intrigued by Josh from the very beginning.) Then, by some “random coincidence” (ahem, I spazzed and pointed frantically at Rebecca and Josh to join the team I was on) we ended up on the same trivia team at the ministry a few months later. We hit it off over my nerdy socks and our desire to destroy the other teams, which we did. I thought there might just be something there, and my sister and Darlene’s roommate agreed. They quickly stepped into the role of wing-women and planned a game night with the trivia crew for October 5th, 2020. Unbeknownst to me, it was all to try and set us up. The time leading into the game night was one full of nerves. Darlene and I had been getting along amazingly for a few weeks following the trivia night, and I had fallen for her hard. (While I, on the other hand, was studiously not getting my hopes up, but also really really enjoying getting to know Josh now that I understood “economic analyst” did not actually equal boring.)

After talking with several friends, who all pushed me to go for it, I was ready to ask her out. After a fun night of games and dinner, I did my best to get her alone for a brief conversation, only to end up talking for another 2 hours on a work night. (He started talking about fantasy books, okay? Okay. It all makes sense now.) In Carrollton’s Square, now mysteriously absent of our original group, I worked up the nerve and asked out Darlene. She said, and our relationship kicked off with a four-and-a-half hour coffee date that Friday, October 9th. We also grabbed dinner at Nama. (Josh asked me out even though I exclaimed too-loud with too much energy how much I love Cosmic Brownies. And then he suggested Nama after I had mentioned it casually earlier that week, ‘cause he’s just thoughtful and great like that and considers it no big deal. Oh, and I was late to our first date. Oops.) The months that followed have been an incredible mix of adventure, community, and learning. Our dates have ranged from hikes through beautiful state parks, board game nights with friends and family, and just simple quiet nights of cooking and movie watching. We’ve met each other’s families and friends and have fallen in love with those parts of each other’s lives. Moreover, we have learned. I have learned how to properly fluff a Christmas tree and that my towels are so rough they should be unacceptable for humans. (Yep. I have nothing to add here. If you know, you know, and I’ve talked enough about it that you probably do know. And then there’s my delightful learning of where my emergency brake is and that having thirteen throw pillows is apparently “excessive.”)

All joking aside, getting to learn about Darlene has been a joy and a pleasure. As we have worked through the ins and outs of the present, I have learned to admire her heart for people, her thoughtfulness, and her complete inability to be anything other than herself. As we have discussed the future, I’ve learned about her hopes and dreams, and her desire to be a ministry for the people in her life. Most importantly, it is in this time that I learned I want to marry Darlene. (EEEEP, is this real life? To be chosen by Josh? He is so kind, determined, and just plain fun to be around. He’s incredibly intelligent in a way that doesn’t make others around him feel foolish. He’s game for any and every adventure, and he wants me around for all of them. He is willing to lose feeling in his arm when I fall asleep on his shoulder. He wants to know me, anything racing through my head, and he listens ever so patiently. He takes my interests into account so seamlessly, and I never doubt how much he loves me. He can chase away my grumpiness like literally no one else.)

So, The Engagement. The reason, really, that you ended up here reading this story. After an agonizing ring search, heavily guided by a Pinterest board and her sister Alyssa, I had the ring and was ready to go on June 5th. Darlene did not know I was ready to go by this time, and I believe she was just a little worried I would keep her waiting longer than she wanted. (I’ll admit it, I was a wreck. I knew engagement was coming and I trusted Josh, but I was also desperate to figure out when and where and how. I’m not really sure why, other than confirmation and surety of what we had discussed. I also didn’t want to mess it up. I apologize to everyone who had to endure my complaints/frustrations during that time—it was well worth the wait!) So, the day comes, and I have it all planned out, with our eight-month milestone serving as a great excuse to celebrate. I planned to start with a hibachi lunch, only to run into three closed restaurants in a row…. whoops. So, we ate Mexican food, which she thankfully loves as well. I then planned to take her to the coffee shop of our first date, followed by a stop for ice cream. Naturally, she orders a frosted coffee, so we ended spending some extra time at that location…. whoops again. Then we head down to Lake Carroll, where I plan to race the impending storm clouds to ask her the question. (Even though I had been trying my best to riddle it out, I had NO idea this whooooole time that the day was finally upon us. I told myself before our date to expect nothing and enjoy the day for what it was and to have a good attitude.)

After an excited shriek that eventually becomes a yes, I slip the ring on her finger. We took in that moment for a while, then we ran back to the car as the storm began rolling towards the lakeshore. I took her to a surprise party with friends and family, and the day finished in a blur of tears, congratulations, and the incredible realization that we were going to get married… to each other!! (I kept having to talk myself through it over and over what had just happened and what it meant, because I wasn’t prepared. I kept reiterating, “This means that you want to marry me—you know that right? Like, you’re choosing me? I get to be your wife? You get to be my HUSBAND?” And on like that the whole drive as I made Josh hold my hand at an angle so I could see the ring.) So now you know. A lot more has happened than can be explained in this already long story, and we’d love to share those memories with you. For now, we are excited for the future and the new memories we will get to make. Thanks for being a part of our lives, and for walking alongside us in this season of change. We will see you on October 23rd!!