Our Story in Photos

Ellie and I met in August 2020 through the inaugural cohort of the Emmaus program, an intentional Christian community at Whitworth. We quickly became friends as we spent time studying, cooking, and discussing theology together. Here's our whole cohort (groomsman Caleb back right)! 05/10/21

Our Emmaus cohort's first trip to Eloheh, a farm and Indigenous theological retreat center in Yamhill, OR, was full of hard work, prayer & mud. 02/09/21

Ellie's graduation! I (H) will always remember how the tears unexpectedly sprang to my eyes when Ellie and her family drove away that day. I started to realize this might be more than just another friendship .... 5/23/21

Fourth of July weekend 2021, our dear friends Becca and Kjersten (from Emmaus) visited us in the North Puget Sound. We showed them around our favorite places - here we are at Fort Casey on Whidbey Island. It was on this trip that I first told Ellie that I liked her. 07/03/21

The view from where Henry said "Let's do this thing." I thought he meant jump off the rock, he meant start dating... 08/03/21

Henry took this photo not long before he told me he loved me for the first time 08/12/21

Sunrise hike up Holmberg Park first day for Fall Semester '21 - this became a tradition every school year. 9/8/21

Our last big date before Henry went to Central America and the first of three Christmas Whitworth Choir dates, I love this time of year with him! 12/11/21

Henry is finally home! After four months of long distance while he was in Guatemala & Costa Rica and I was in Spokane, I surprised him at the airport! 05/03/22

First big trip! Went to Reno NV for Elianah's wedding (Ellie's bridesmaid) and got to spend a day at Lake Tahoe! 06/07/22

One of the joys of Summer 2022 was getting to reconnect with a friend from Switzerland I (H) made while in Costa Rica. Here we are in Leavenworth, WA on a weekend trip with my Swiss friend and her partner. 07/28/22

Over Summer 2022, we both worked for River City Youth Ops, a Spokane nonprofit focused on urban gardening and job training for local youth. I took this picture of Ellie and the crew at the farmer's market we worked at every Friday. 08/05/22

Dancing at our friends Elijah and Meghan's wedding reception! 10/8/22

For my 22nd birthday, Ellie organized an amazing surprise party! I opened a door to an empty Whitworth classroom, turned on the light, and there were 17 of my friends (among them groomsmen Drew and Caleb (center))! I felt so loved and cared for. 10/20/22

Ellie and I returned to Eloheh together two years after we had gone with our shared Emmaus cohort. After a long week of work at the farm, a group of us made it out to the Oregon coast - freezing cold but so much fun! 3/31/23

A surprise visit from Ellie while I was living at home during my academic hiatus last year! Here we are at the beach on Camano Island - a must-visit anytime Ellie is west of the Cascades. 5/22/23

Dinner with our collective housemates! Henry and I lived across the street from each other for the 23-24 school year with a group of some of our closest friends, including groomsman Drew (lower right). 10/6/23

Swing dancing into the new year became a tradition for us, always alongside my (H) brother Stuart and his fiancee, Khyla. Little did Ellie know I would propose the very next day! 12/31/23

On New Year's Day 2024, I proposed to Ellie on a Fidalgo Island beach we had once visited together as friends. She said yes! I find her happy tears in this photo beautiful. Her ring is a family heirloom, passed down grandmother to granddaughter for five generations. 1/1/24

Goofing around at our engagement photo shoot with bridesmaid Elianah! 2/2/24

First Easter Sunday together at our beloved church, Christ Our Peace Anglican (COPA)! COPA has been a huge blessing in our lives over the past couple years, and our priest, Father Billy Gaines, will be officiating our wedding ceremony. 3/31/24

First photo with both sets of parents! It has been such a joy watching them get to know each other as we prepare for the union of our two families. 4/22/24

Celebrating graduation with our good friends (left to right:) Drew (groomsman), Sabine (baker of our wedding communion bread), and Sabine's now-husband(!) Ian. 5/19/24