Hunter and I first met at our churche's daycare as we volunteered one Sunday morning in the Pre-K - Kindergarten room. I remember talking to the volunteer coordinator about my responsibilities when they asked this guy to help out as well. We were a little short on numbers. That guy was Hunter and, come out find out during our time watching the kids, we had a mutual friend that we were both interested in inviting to our church. This common interest brought us back together a few weeks later when Hunter stopped me at church and asked if there were any updates regarding our mutual friend attending a church event. If I was interested in Hunter before, this encounter was the time when that interest increased substantially. I was blown away with his care for this friend and desire to bring people to Christ. Fast forward a little bit and Hunter introduces me to the Catholic church for the first time at St. Mary's in College Station, Texas. Over several months, we both became incredibly interested to learn more about the Church so we signed up for weekly classes to learn about Catholicism called RCIA. During RCIA, we both developed insanely close relationships with the people who were seated at our table. We all made up a group of about 8-12 people and we would discuss the class topics after our Tuesday meetings over a beer at Dixie Chicken or Rough Draft, (bars in College Station). Those friends that Hunter and I made were integral in our spiritual growth and in the growth of our relationship. I'm so excited to see them at our wedding and get to celebrate our sacrament of marriage in the same church that we were all confirmed in. After being confirmed into the Catholic church in April of 2022 for Hunter and June of 2022 for me, Hunter and I were seriously dating and planning our future together. In July of 2024, Hunter proposed! He asked me to be with him for the rest of our lives. I was elated to accept. Since July 2024, we've been tested by something we didn't expect: cancer. Hunter was diagnosed with a rare cancer called Ewings Sarcoma on October 28th. On October 29th we moved to Houston so we could receive all of his treatment at MD Anderson and on November 1st he started the first round of intense chemotherapy. This would be the first of 14 rounds of chemotherapy that we are scheduled to receive for the next year. We've now learned that we will be in Houston receiving treatment until fall of 2025, if all goes as planned. Which means...wedding plans have certainly changed. We'll now get married in Houston so we can be close to MDA during the whole wedding experience. We'll have a group of just our family at the wedding with a very small handful of friends. Then maybe a bigger party down the road to celebrate with everyone! We are excited for our wedding and we are very confident that the Lord has a lot planned for us this year as we grow closer to Him and to each other. We would love to receive your prayers! Please stay tuned for wedding updates in the next year. I can only imagine all of the beautiful graces that are to come next in our life as Mr. and Mrs. Burney.