I first remember meeting Paige almost 2 or 3 years ago when we were briefly in the same community group! I remember thinking at the time I knew her brother was in my fraternity but that is about it haha. Fast forward to 2024 and 2 friends of ours reached out to me after reconnecting with Paige at a concert. They asked me if I knew who she was, told me she was single, and then sent me one of her Instagram pics. I was almost immediately interested and wanted to take this girl on a date! I spent the next 2 or 3 days praying about it and talking to the guys who were closest to me. After that one of her best friends sent me her number! I shot her a call that night… and the rest is what you are looking at now! We went on dates for about 3 weeks before I asked Paige to officially be my girlfriend. I remember a moment around 4 months into dating when Paige told me she was ready to take our relationship to the next level and make it more serious. I received that challenge and told her I would start working towards that for her! Right around the 5-6 month mark we took a trip back to my family’s farm so she could see how I grew up. This was our first “big trip” together because we would be spending about 4 hours in my truck on the drive down. That trip is what I think truly solidified my desire to marry Paige! The deep convos and level of care she showed while navigating hard things was nothing short of complete grace. Seeing the way she interacted and completely fell right in place with my family solidified that I wanted to officially make her apart of it. Quite literally the day after we got back from that trip, I called my parents to ask them what they thought and that was the first time I ever said it aloud. I told them “Hey she’s the one, this is the girl I’m going to marry.” Ever since that moment, it has been so sweet to get to lean into what we call our “unexpected gift” which is just the fact that God led us to each other when we were not even trying!

Before Jonathan and I's relationship began, we actually knew each other as loose acquaintances! In 2022, we were briefly in the same community group through Fellowship Bible Church. We ran in similar groups through church but did not know each other very well.   Fast forward to October 2024, one of my best friends, Madie Cross, mentioned she had a guy she wanted to set me up with! She mentioned how awesome he was and how he was a great guy who knew the Lord (say less!). Madie's words were, "Ok you might know him, his name is Jonathan, but he goes by a weird name, do you know Deeb?" (Jonathan's nickname for context). I quickly responded that yes, I knew who he was and that we were once in a community group together. I gave her the green light to set us up!   A week later Jonathan called me and asked me out on a date! Our first date was 5 hours long! We went to the Bentonville square and shared a 2-hour meal over fajitas at Tacos and Tamales! I remember being pleasantly surprised that we shared the same favorite book (Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by JMC) and how easy our conversation was! Turns out he also was my brother's bible study leader in their fraternity in college, how sweet! My initial impressions of Jonathan were that he was kind, genuine, and had a heart for the Kingdom of God. Safe to say the date went well and we have been together ever since! :)   Throughout the course of our 9-month dating relationship we recused two stray dogs (both rehomed), started new jobs, moved to new cities, and navigated the joys and trials of striving to date in a God-honoring way. I knew early on I wanted to marry Jonathan because of his leadership, steadiness, and wisdom during the hills and valleys of the life we had shared. Jonathan is a man of Godly character. He is a leader, a pursuer, and has the gifts of gentleness, graciousness, and wisdom. Jonathan's love for the Lord and love for me has deepened my understanding of the love of Christ. My greatest gift and the most unexpected blessing!