Picture this: I'm reading Charles Dickens' riveting, 912-page tome- "Bleak House." Unceremoniously devouring my Chick-Fil-A fries and slurping my Hi-C fruit punch, I settle in for a pre-class cram session. Then some guy approaches and asks for my number. To avoid a scene, I give him my number and return to Dickens. I didn't know then that my life had just irrevocably changed. Fast forward to my 19th-century literature class (all four hours of it), my friend Jessica drafts a text to that random guy. Later that same night, my Bible study leader's ice-breaker is Cup-of-Joe or Joe. I tell the girls about Justin and they suggest I invite him to NavNight (#strangerdanger). When NavNight rolls around, I can't remember what Justin looks like. So I wave at ten different guys because I couldn't remember what he looked like. Now I see his face when I close my eyes and his eyes are my favorite cross between blue and green. That same night I brought Justin back to Rosewood House so that my roommates could vet him (once again #stranger danger). By the evening's end, they began calling him 'Justine'; suffice it to say, he was in. Only a couple months later, I tell him, "I love you." For the record, I said it first! Today, I can pick Justin out of a game-day crowd just based on his walk. Every time I see a man in 'camo,' my heart skips. I wear his locket every day. I save his voicemails because hearing him soothes me. As the cliche goes, he is my hardest goodbye and my happiest hello. When thinking about how we met, I see God's providential orchestration. If my class wasn't canceled, then I wouldn't have eaten Chick-Fil-A. If Justin went to the Naval Academy, then he wouldn't be at UF in the first place. Without us knowing, our life paths merged closer until we inevitably intersected. Our wedding is a celebration of this providence. I'm so thankful I met you, b.

I will never forget the first time I saw Lauren. I had gotten out of class early and had some extra time for lunch, before my next class. As a child, I used to hate going to Chick-Fil-A but after one semester of college I was hooked. I proceeded to the only one on campus and ordered my usual (two chicken sandwiches and a medium fry). When I went to find a place to sit, I saw the most beautiful woman in the world pass by. She was wearing a bright pink neon shirt which made it impossible for her not to catch the corner of my eye even when I turned away. As I ate my meal, I debated whether or not I should ask for her number. Those who know me will tell you I’m the last person they’d expect to walk up to a random girl and ask for their number, but as I started to leave I turned back around and said to myself, “Oh what the hell.” Everything that happened from that point up until I walked out of Chick-Fil-A was a blur. The first thing I remember was walking to my next class and thinking, “I can’t believe that worked.” I was further surprised when I texted the number and discovered the number she gave me was actually her’s and not the number for Domino’s pizza. We proceeded to set up a date for later that week where I attended my first ever NavNight. Never in my life had I witnessed so many happy people sing in one place. Lauren’s bubbly personality matched the atmosphere perfectly, and I couldn’t help but have a good time as I met all of her friends who were just as joyful and energetic as her. After the service was over, she invited me to meet her roommates who would later become some of the best friends I’ve ever had. By the end of the night, I had fallen head over heels for Lauren’s selflessness, funny, and angelic character. I knew as soon as I had gone home that I had found the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Lauren!