A Home Run Kind of Love

Welcome to our wedding website! We’re so thankful for the family and friends who have supported us every step of the way. We can’t wait to celebrate this big moment with the people who mean the most to us—cheering loudly, loving fully, and having a great time together. Thanks for being part of our team and helping us make this celebration a total home run. We’re so glad you’re here!

By the time I met Emily, I had reached that very specific stage in life where dating feels less like an adventure and more like a part-time job you never applied for. I was tired. I was seasoned. I was done with the nonsense. I wasn’t looking to “see what’s out there” anymore—I was looking for my wife. Period. So naturally, I found myself on a dating app called Stir, bravely uploading a few photos and writing something heartfelt, hopeful, and probably a little too honest about wanting something real. I hit submit, said a small prayer, and went back to my life. Then one day, while I was at work, my phone buzzed. “Hi Martin, I’m Emily. Nice to meet you.” And just like that… things changed. We exchanged a few messages, nothing crazy at first. Just enough to spark interest. The next day, I showed my friend Teddy her profile pictures. What he said about them will remain classified information, but let’s just say his reaction was memorable. And then… Nothing. Silence. No messages. No emojis. No smoke signals. No carrier pigeons. Just five solid days of absolutely nothing. I was ghosted so hard I started questioning if she had ever existed at all. So finally, I decided I wasn’t going to sit around waiting. I sent her a message that basically said, “Hey, I’m not going to wait forever. If you want to talk, here’s my number.” A few days later… she called. We started talking more, and eventually decided to meet in person. January 21st, 2024. The big day. She managed to squeeze me into her busy schedule for a late-morning brunch at BJ’s Brewhouse in Tacoma. Romantic, right? When we met, she seemed a little distracted. I thought the date went okay, nothing terrible, but not exactly fireworks either. We wrapped it up because she had somewhere else to be. And then came what may go down in history as the most awkward hug ever performed by two adults. It was uncomfortable, confusing, and over way too fast. I got in my car thinking, What on earth was that? So I texted her and said, “I’d really like another shot at that hug.” And then… silence again. Crickets. Ghosted. Again. I went home, told my daughter the whole story, including how I was apparently the king of getting ghosted. She told me it would be okay and to give it some time. Smart kid. A few hours later, my phone buzzed. It was Emily. She was apologizing profusely, explaining that her phone had been on Do Not Disturb. In my head, I was thinking, Sure… or you were on another date. (Which, to be fair, she later admitted she actually was—speed dating, to be exact. Respect.) Then she asked what I was doing and told me she’d give me a chance to redo the hug. So naturally, I said yes. We met up again that same day—two dates in one day—and this time, something clicked. The conversation flowed. The laughter was real. And the hug? Much, much better. From there, things took off. We went on a few more dates, and about ten days later, she was officially my girlfriend—though she insisted she didn’t want to “label it.” (Spoiler alert: she absolutely did.) Since then, we’ve been through deployments, crazy schedules, traveling, blending families, and all the chaos that comes with building a real life together. And somehow, through all of it, we’ve only grown stronger. Looking back, it’s funny to think that our story almost ended before it even started—twice. But I’m grateful for every awkward moment, every missed message, and every second of waiting, because it all led me to her. And now, here we are. Getting married. Still laughing. Still choosing each other. And I can honestly say that no matter what the future brings, as long as I have Emily by my side, it’s going to be amazing.

By the time I met Martin I had officially run the dating app marathon. I had tried all of them. And I mean all. I’d been on breakfast dates, lunch dates, brunch dates, dinner dates, and even coffee dates—which is impressive considering I don’t even drink coffee. By the end of 2023, I was tired. So I made a very firm, very dramatic decision: 2024 was going to be my year. I was going to focus on myself, my daughter, and my peace. By January, I had deleted every dating app and sworn off men for the foreseeable future. If I hadn’t found my person by now, I figured it either wasn’t meant to be… or I needed to stop trying to control everything and let life happen. (If you know me, you know that letting go is not exactly my strongest skill.) So yes, I entered 2024 fully “solo-minded.” And then… Stir happened. I was scrolling aimlessly on a random day off when this app popped up out of nowhere. A dating app for single parents? And free for moms? Where had this been hiding while I suffered through the others? Against my better judgment, I told myself I’d give it one last try. No expectations. No pressure. Just vibes. I downloaded the app and swiped left. A lot. And then I saw Martin. I read his profile. I looked at his pictures. And I swiped right immediately. No hesitation. It was a match, and I messaged him right away. I closed the app and went about my day, not thinking much of it—because remember, solo year. The next few days were… life. Work. Mom life. Gymnastics. Vet visits. A full-blown emergency at my parents’ house involving a flooded attic. Chaos. The app? Completely forgotten. Five days later, it finally crossed my mind that I had downloaded a new dating app and maybe—just maybe—I should check it. And there it was. A message from Martin, patiently waiting for me to reply… and eventually giving me his number and asking me to call him. Eek. So I did. I called him while getting ready to go to a friend’s birthday party, and we talked for over an hour. Then we texted the rest of the night and made plans for brunch the next day. I was cautiously excited—emphasis on cautiously. We met for brunch, and I put my phone on Do Not Disturb so I could actually be present. What I didn’t expect was how easy it would feel. The conversation flowed, the laughter came naturally, and yes—he was very easy on the eyes. Confident, charming… maybe a little ego, but I decided I could work with that. The date went really well, though I did learn a few important clarifications from his profile. Like how he didn’t have one kid… he had four. (Bonus points for me—I love kids, and his kids are pretty great.) And how his love for hiking and camping was… more primitive than mine. But we had so much in common that none of it felt like a dealbreaker. Then came the goodbye. We walked to our cars, said our goodbyes… and he gave me what may have been the most awkward hug I’ve ever experienced. It was quick. It was confusing. It was giving nice to meet you, coworker energy. I got in my car thinking, Well… guess he wasn’t that interested. And I went on with my day. Later that afternoon, when I finally checked my phone (still on Do Not Disturb), I saw a message from Martin asking for a redo on the hug. Oh. He was interested. And since kid-free days are rare and must be taken seriously, I suggested we meet again that same night. Date number two. He said yes. We redid the hug—and this time, something clicked. Since that day, the only times we haven’t hugged have been during Martin’s deployment and the bucket list trip I took to Greece. Other than that, it’s been us—choosing each other through busy schedules, blended families, and real life. I’m endlessly grateful for Martin’s patience, confidence, determination, and sense of humor—because he absolutely needs all of it with me. My “solo year” didn’t last very long, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier about that. Doing life with Martin is everything I didn’t know I was waiting for.