Celebrate with us!

Now before you go making assumptions, just hear us out about how we met. Hope College has this tradition called Nykerk. Nykerk is similar to the famous “Pull” in that the teams are split by graduation year. Therefore, the competition is odd-year (the better year) versus even-year. The Pull is a competition between the guys and Nykerk is a competition between the girls. Nykerk is a competition between Freshman and Sophomores coached by Juniors and Seniors, respectively. At the end of October, the women compete in song, oration, and play for the Nykerk Cup. Our freshman year, Gretchen tried out for the play which was written by the Juniors. She got into the play, gaining the title of “PlayGirl.” She played Barista Barb, a hipster coffee barista at Lemonjellos. Her famous line being “We just got this new gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based muffin that I just LOVE.” Guys are also part of this show through working backstage, making the set and props, and motivating the girls throughout the month of October. The guys who do all of these things are similarly and innocently named “PlayBoys.” Each guy is to morale one girl randomly and anonymously chosen by the “Play Coaches” at the commencement of play practicing and making of the set. During the Nykerk month, the playboys anonymously send letters, gifts, and emails to their playgirl. One particular night, each playboy has the privilege of “decorating” their playgirls dorm room. Decorating a playgirls room usually consists of destroying their room with lots of yarn, streamers, and balloons. The playboys are revealed just a couple days before the official competition night. All of this detail to inform you how we met. Addam was Gretchen’s playboy.

Addam and Gretchen got engaged in Jacksonville, FL at Micklers Landing. The engagement story begins on a very hot and beautiful sunny Florida day, May 22nd. The morning of the engagement Gretchen did her favorite activity, shopping. Afterwards the “plan” was to hangout by the pool at the McCraines (Addam’s aunt and uncles). The real plan was for Addam to get Gretchen dressed and go to Mickler’s Landing to hunt for shark teeth. A dinner reservation was planned ahead of time to make the dressing up more innocent. Lauren (Addam’s sister who lives in FL) and Meghan (Addam’s cousin’s wife) planned the proposal and dinner reservations knowing Addam is more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. After sometime of hanging at the pool Addam told Gretchen that they should get dressed nicely and go look for shark teeth and then go for the dinner reservation. Gretchen, who is too logical for Addam’s plans, said it would be a better idea to go to the beach then come home and shower then go to the dinner reservation. Addam tried to play it off saying the reservation was closer to the beach so it would not make sense to comeback. Gretchen asked Addam to map the dinner reservation to see if it was actually closer or not. Addam realized he lied. Therefore, Gretchen reluctantly and annoyed got dressed up to look for shark teeth on a sunny above 95 degree day. The plan was for Addam to walk straight to the water and then down the shore while looking for teeth so that Lauren, Meghan and Meghan’s dad could take pictures. Noticing how busy the beach was, Addam decided to walk with Gretchen along the beach grass. Lauren and Meghan frantically tried to find places to hide. At this point it would be ignorant to say Gretchen did not know what was going on. After walking roughly three quarters of a mile down the shore there was a place open enough for Addam to get down on one knee and ask Gretchen if she would spend the rest of her life with him.