In September 2024, after years of attending Journey Church in Bozeman, I decided to start serving regularly. I have always loved meeting new people, and as it turns out, so does Drew. One Sunday in September, Drew was on stage sharing about serving opportunities. He mentioned that if anyone had an interest in serving they should fill out a connection card and someone will be in touch. So, as you might guess, I filled out a connection card. Now, depending on who you ask, there are two versions of how this story continues: According to Drew, I saw him on stage that Sunday and decided I needed to get involved. According to me, I just genuinely wanted to serve and get plugged in. This is still up for debate between the two of us. Either way — the card did way more than just getting me connected. Fast forward a couple weeks — Drew hosted a team dinner for the New Crew team we both served with. A few of us stayed late talking, and when I went to leave, Drew followed me outside – in his socks – and asked if he could take me on a date, right on the front porch. Our first date was so special! We ate lunch together at one of our favorite spots in Downtown Bozeman and walked a locals favorite trail, talking for hours. We quickly realized how easy it was to be ourselves and how much fun we have together. Some of our favorite early memories include skiing together, trying new restaurants, and something new for me — hunting! Fast forward to August 2025. Anyone who knows me knows it’s nearly impossible to keep a secret from me. So, naturally, Drew made it his personal mission to pull off the ultimate proposal surprise. On August 4th, 2025 Drew suggested we go for dinner and a hike on the M Trail, something we found ourselves doing all summer. We had a favorite bench we’d stop at to sit, talk, and watch the sunset, but that day, I wasn’t feeling it. It was rainy and I wanted to stay in rather than go out for dinner — coming up with every excuse to skip the hike. But Drew, using his impressive persuasiveness, convinced me to stick to at least a hike. I got off work, ran home to change — mind you, into workout clothes, not dinner or proposal clothes — and Drew picked me up for the hike. We arrived at our bench. We sat down, talked and prayed together, and before I knew it, Drew got down on one knee. Our best friends popped out of the woods, where they had been hiding for a couple hours, to celebrate with us! It was the most special, joy-filled, and, I’ll say it, completely unexpected surprise — which will always mean so much to me. Even before Drew and I met, our circles were overlapping. While I was in college down in Arizona, many of my Bozeman High School friends became Drew’s college friends at Montana State! We are excited to celebrate and enter into this new season surrounded by all the people who have prayed for us, loved us, and been a part of our lives through many seasons. We will see you in the mountains, February 28th, 2026!