Matt is going to tell the story of how we met because he is much better at storytelling than I am. The very beginning consisted of an awkward gym interaction, many short conversations, and growing affection of the mutual, unacknowledged variety. On her end, she was planning her move to Tucson and wouldn't allow herself to admit that feelings existed. On my end, I knew that she was moving and decided that I would seek council first. Her dad and I had a friendship already because of my role at the church and playing softball together and after a practice I confided in him my desire to know her more. His response to me at the time was, "You know she is moving to Arizona?" I took this as my answer and so I didn't pursue her. She moved and the only interactions we had for awhile were random and undefined. However, that changed when she came home for Christmas break just 5 months ago. At a game night with Jason and Megan we were playing the game of life and we were just having such a great time. I looked over at her at one point and I said to myself: "Oh yeah, I liked her!" That same week we went to breakfast where we learned about each other and at the end of breakfast she told me about some errands she needed to run and I invited myself along. We ended up spending 11 hours over the next two days driving around together and on that Friday I told her that I had feelings for her and that I would like to take her on a date before she left to go back to Arizona. She agreed and I knew that our first date needed to be about creating memories to hold onto over the distance and time apart. So we spent 9 hours driving up the shoreline of the Mississippi River and visiting wineries and parks and made our way back to Bailey's Chocolate Bar that night. I need to skip ahead, but it went well and set us up for the distance dating. The next time we saw each other was in Tucson, 7 weeks later. We had grown a lot during that time and had started to figure out that distance could work.

During our time in Tucson it became clear, through conversation and sheer enjoyment of each other, that this was something that neither of us wanted to end. The whole weekend was basically one long date and we were able to start connecting our worlds. When I left we had decided that, because so much had been confirmed, we would talk about the future we wanted when she came to St. Louis only a couple weeks later. Her plane landed and it wasn't 30 minutes before I told her that what I wanted was to marry her. She excitedly agreed that this was what she wanted! I couldn't hardly believe how faithful and generous God was to provide such a wonderful woman and for our feelings to be so united and confirmed so quickly. We spent that week together and when she left to go back to Tucson, it was on! I started planning the engagement and got a lot of help from some of her close friends. A brief aside: shout out to Katie Day, Sam Nicolay, Tanner Parten, and the Welchans for all of their combined effort in throwing her off and helping me propose without a hitch. Sam and Tanner were in charge of pictures and Tucson planning and Katie was in charge of distraction and Arkansas planning (we had a delayed engagement party in Fayetteville). Back to the story. We had to wait another 6 weeks between when she was in St. Louis and when I would go to Tucson again. When I arrived we stalled for time and made our way up to Mt. Lemmon. Tanner had helped me pick out the spot weeks before. I had written her a letter in which I told her I loved her for the first time...we had made it by with things like: "I so much more than like you" for long enough! Sam and Tanner were hiding and ready to take pictures and when I read to her those words, "I love you;" she knew. I got down on one knee and asked the woman, who is far more than I could have ever hoped or dreamed for, to marry me. Spoiler alert, she said YES!!! Now we are in St. Louis together and loving every minute of it. We are so thankful.