We Are Getting Married!

Our story, as is probably true of most, has consisted of amazing individual moments woven together by God with the mundane yet beautiful everyday aspects of life. For every major moment that would be deemed worthy of a mention in this format, there are countless smaller moments — weekly attendance at church on Sunday, visits to Moe’s on Monday, meals and coffees and (lots of) ice cream shared — that have been foundational in our path. Nevertheless, the major moments deserve their spotlight, too, and I will attempt to recount some of them here. After supper on our first date, not wanting the date to end, I asked Madeline if she wanted to go for a walk. Even though it was raining, she agreed. We walked through Avondale, talking about places in South Carolina and Georgia that we would later take each other to, before moving our walk to the Southbank Riverwalk. It’s cliche to say that I knew from the first date that she was special, but it was certainly true. I waited until the third date to tell Madeline that I would be leaving for deployment in a couple months, hoping to give her enough time to start to get attached without springing it on her last minute. Needless to say, she stuck with me. We wrote letters and called and looked forward to the day that we’d see each other again, a day that came last summer. Despite the difficulty, or perhaps because of it, our relationship had grown stronger over the course of deployment, and we picked back up with a fun fall of visits to each other’s hometowns, Jags home games, and a Hootie and the Blowfish show in Jax (Madeline’s Christmas gift to me). We got to show each other places we had written and talked about and placed in the backdrop of stories. I got to learn more about her upbringing in a loving Christian household and extended family in rural Georgia, remarkably similar to mine in rural South Carolina. I got to learn more about her individual story and what made her into the woman I know and love. I asked Madeline to marry me on the Jacksonville Southbank Riverwalk in December, the same one we walked on during our first date. Because of full parking lots, I unintentionally parked in the same spot I did in on our first date. I could spill endless ink talking about how special that day was alone, and it served as a culmination and celebration, at that point, of all the other moments of our relationship, as well as a marker of what is to come. One of those major moments was the day I got to see Madeline standing with Mama and Daddy waiting for me to arrive in Jacksonville after deployment—truly one of the happiest moments of my life. Very soon, I will get to see her standing by the altar of our church in Jacksonville, in front of family and friends, and will get to make her my wife. That will be an unforgettable moment, and one that we would be honored for you to be a part of. - Gib

Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for the love and support we have received as we embark on this new journey. It means the world to us knowing that you have been there for us and will continue to be by our side as we start our life together. Each of you holds a special place in our hearts, and we feel truly blessed to have you in our lives. We hope you receive the same love and happiness that you have so generously shared with us. May God bless you abundantly, and we ask for your prayers as we begin this beautiful new chapter. With all our love and appreciation, thank you!