The summer going into our junior year of high school, Logan and I got to know each other through our church friend group. Fun fact: we had the same teacher in 4th grade and one day I decided to throw carrots at him because I was bored. We had a few classes together after that, but he was a cool lacrosse guy who was frightened of me(rightly so, carrots are scary). I have no clue what he saw in me, but with the help of our friends, he asked me to homecoming in the fall of 2017. A couple of months later, Logan knocked on my car window after youth group to ask me on a date. Our first date consisted of longboarding, Publix sushi, and a high school play. I was still unsure who I wanted in a boyfriend at this point, but I did know that I liked his calm demeanor and gentleness. His family was so welcoming to invite me in with kindness and yummy food. He asked me to be his girlfriend after a soccer game on December 1, 2017. Since then, we have gone through 7 years of life together. We have navigated the struggles and joys of graduating high school, going into college, and becoming adults. I am so thankful for how God has shaped our relationship to be built on Him. For both of us, Christianity has transformed from being a list of rules to a relationship with Jesus. Logan has shown me that being a leader looks like resembling Jesus first, with humility and grace. I am so excited for this next chapter with my best friend :)

Like Madi’s story, we became friends through our church friend group during our summer going into junior year. We had known each other since elementary school and yes, I was in fact frightened of the girl who threw carrots at me for no apparent reason. That summer we spent a lot of time together in our friend group and started to really enjoy being around her. I noticed that she made me laugh, she was pretty, and I couldn’t get her off my mind. One night, I hid in our friend’s trunk, and we drove to her house so I could surprise her to ask her to homecoming. Thankfully she said yes, and after our first date, I officially asked her to be my girlfriend. I saw a girl who was beautiful, had a very silly sense of humor, and was just a joy to be around. From that day forward, we have experienced a lot of life together. We have travelled, moved out of our parents’ houses, struggled through college classes, made new friends, served in ministry, and loved and served each other. In May of 2024, I asked Madi to marry me at a park where we had shared many meaningful memories. It’s funny to think back at how much we have grown since I knocked on her car window after youth group. From being goofy 17 year olds to now joining together in marriage is a blessing beyond belief. We are thankful to the Lord as the foundation of our marriage, and to everyone who has supported us.