Their story began more than ten years ago, though neither of them realized it at the time. They grew up attending neighboring churches and sharing many mutual friends, so their paths crossed often. He also went to college with her brother, and together they competed in a World Skills competition, winning first place in state and third in the nation. Back then, they only saw each other as friends, always joking around when they met, though everyone else probably noticed more. It wasn’t until last year that everything began to change. In July, they went rafting with his family and a group of church friends, and the day quickly became one of unforgettable moments. He playfully pushed a friend out of the boat, but both the friend and Hannah ended up in the water! One thing about Hannah is she is NOT a proficient swimmer... Luckily, Christian was fast-acting and pulled her back to saftey. Later, when they surfed down the rapids, he swam her back to shore. Something about those moments started to shift the way she saw him. When she got home that day, she sat in silence, and her parents instantly knew something had changed. Little did she know, he had been feeling the same way for long time—or so everyone kept telling her. Still, neither of them admitted their feelings until November of 2023, when they finally shared how they really felt... As the holiday season approached, their relationship blossomed in a way neither of them expected. She had asked him to help decorate her aunt’s Christmas tree one afternoon, and he gladly offered to help until the job was done. What started as a simple task quickly turned into something more. They spent time together watching Christmas movies, and before long, they were seeing each other every day. He made many thoughtful gestures, like bringing donuts to her coworkers and taking her out to lunch. They talked for hours about life, the future, their goals--whether in person or over the phone, and enjoyed every moment of it. The turning point came during the National Youth Convention. It was there that he asked her to go steady with him. One day, while having a deep conversation about life goals, he took it a step further, telling her his intention was to marry her. She laughed, saying, "We’ve only been dating for like, a week! ...I feel the same way".