In the brisk October of 1999, a ten-month-old Anna Rowe traveled to Oregon from Oklahoma with her parents, Don and Dayna. As a newly minted family of three, they flew into Portland International Airport, setting foot on the iconic carpet that was only a handful of years old at the time. This wasn’t merely a vacation but a homecoming. They traveled to Don’s hometown of La Grande. Additionally, they took in popular Oregon sites such as Multnomah Falls and, of course, the beach at Seaside. Meanwhile, as Anna and her family explored, two-year-old Jake Doberenz, son of Mark and Dawn, was just getting used to life in Oregon. Only a few months before, a baby brother, Kenny, had entered the picture and was proving to be quite the challenge to Jake’s preference of being the center of attention. Thus during the Fall of 1999, Anna and Jake were both in the same vicinity. Mere miles, rather than 1,800, separated them. And perhaps, who knows, these two caught a glimpse of each other. Maybe they touched the same sand at Seaside, the same square of carpet at PDX. And for all we know, it could be that a photo with the two of them from that time is yet to be discovered. Who really knows! What is for certain is their lives were strangely intertwined even back then. It took 25 more years for the two of them to finally, fully acknowledge the presence of the other. It happened just like all the fairy tales of the modern century. No, they didn’t run into each other each with stacks of books, accidentally touching hands as they looked up and locked eyes. In truth, it was through the facilitation of one of those “dating apps.” For those condemned to use such things, they are horrid, superficial things that leave you feeling empty and hopeless. But occasionally, you see someone super handsome, obviously funny, very dedicated to Jesus, who has unproblematic politics, and is clearly well-traveled. That’s what Anna saw when Jake’s profile came in front of her. Legend says her pupils even turned into hearts. Yet, unfortunately, Jake had sworn off the apps for a while, so he didn’t see that Anna was interested. After another heartbreak, he decided to torture himself again with a dating app. While it was usually filled with uninteresting people, he was delighted to find that a woman named Anna had expressed interest. She was a kindergarten teacher, a Christian, a cat-owner, and meshed with him in terms of key beliefs. But as a bonus, she didn’t just look good on paper… she looked really good in her pictures! A full package. So Jake slid into her DMs, talking about her cat. Of course. They soon set up a date in downtown Oklahoma City. They walked around for hours, discussing family and the dismal state of education in Oklahoma. Jake was impressed that Anna was so vastly intelligent and clearly loved her job. Anna was impressed that Jake could carry on a conversation and was very kind. The date lasted four hours… but even when it ended, it was clear they wanted more. Things sped off from there. Neither was looking to mess around—they knew what they wanted and what they didn’t want. Their early dating life together included some hard parts, like the loss of Anna’s beloved grandmother. But it also included the joys of watching their siblings have kids. Before long, it was clear they both had the interest and the chops to make this thing permanent. On Memorial Day weekend of 2025, Jake planned a series of relaxing activities to wind down from the school year. This culminated in a private picnic overlooking Lake Hefner. While Anna was feeling decision-fatigued after a long year, Jake asked her to make one more decision: "Would you marry me?" She said yes. Obviously. Some early reporting suggests that Jake did more crying than Anna at that time… Through ups and downs, and possibly a near miss in Oregon as babies, there’s one thing that is certain: Jake and Anna love each other until death does them part. Thank you for celebrating this day with us!