We're getting married!

Our Story It all started with a Bumble match—simple enough. But truth be told, for the longest time, there wasn’t much of a spark. He’d send a message, I’d reply... and then disappear. Time and time again, he reached out, and I’d leave him high and dry. But then came November 2022, and another message from him popped up on my phone. I remember thinking, “Dang, he is really stubborn.” After all the ghosting, here he was—still showing up. That text was the turning point. We finally started talking, really talking. One day I mentioned that I had to go to church—alone, something I always dreaded. He responded by saying he’d go with me. I thought he was joking (because who goes to church for a first date?), but that offer turned out to be very real. That was the first glimpse into his kind heart, and something told me he might just be serious. So, I invited him. December 5, 2023, was the day. My first official date ever. I was nervous. He was nervous. What I didn’t know at the time was that he didn’t even have a license and barely knew how to drive—but he still showed up, stood at my doorstep, and greeted my parents with confidence and respect. Meanwhile, I was texting my friends mid-car ride about the songs he was playing (and singing!) and how unreal everything felt. Before church, I introduced him to Dutch Bros (which may have created a full-blown addiction), and then we headed to service. During prayer and worship, he gently reached for my hand. It was simple, sweet—and powerful. Afterward, we had plans to grab dinner, but my mom called in the middle of our date asking me to run an errand (classic mom move). Without hesitation, he said it was totally fine—the second glimpse into his patient and generous heart. We made a quick Walmart run to search for giant Christmas lights (no luck), then finally stopped at the food trucks on 83. He ordered a torta, I got a taco combo, and even though I can’t remember every word we said, I remember the warmth, the laughter, the intimacy. It was cold outside, not crowded, and we couldn’t stop smiling. Toward the end of dinner, a man approached our table selling American flag stickers for a dollar. Without hesitation, the man sitting across from me pulled out his wallet, handed over cash, and told him to keep the stickers and pass them along to someone else. The third glimpse into the kind, giving man I was getting to know. And the night didn’t end there. We sat in the car talking endlessly in front of my house—so much so that my parents, watching from the front cameras, felt the need to chime in through the intercom, telling us it was late and that we could call each other if we had so much to talk about. Since that night, time has flown by. It still feels like yesterday when I met the man I had prayed for—someone kind, patient, selfless, and sincere. And now, we’re just weeks away from saying “I do.”