I’ve known Amy for years through church. However, we had little interaction before the summer of 2017 when we interned together in youth ministry at Chapelstreet Church. When we met for food at McAllister's before interning, I learned Amy and I were very different. That’s where it started. I sometimes didn’t understand Amy, working with someone different was good! I loved her sweet, enthusiastic attitude. It was a joy to work together. Our students even nicknamed the two of us “Damy” (they’re the earliest predictors of our wedding, something many have tried claiming). But at summer’s end, we were just friends. After summer I expected me and Amy to talk less. But we continued texting from 500 miles away. We had a text conversation every day that Fall. We grew closer as we reminisced of summer, talked about school, and ranted about problems (Amy loves a good rant). At the same time I was struggling with sickness/frustration. In my sickness, Amy was someone I relied on. Amy brightened up my day. I was surprised when Amy told me she and her friends wanted to visit my school that Fall. I was excited to spend time with Amy. The visit was a blast as our friend groups mixed; we hiked, tried restaurants, and ate ice cream (Rookie’s ice cream is a staple of our relationship). When I finally had the chance to see Amy again a month later, I took her out for Italian and ice cream (Amy’s favorites). The night couldn’t have gone better; I loved every second. Though we were different, I loved Amy’s positivity and humor (I’m still funnier). I knew it was time to ask her out. 2 days later over deep-dish pizza (a Chicago classic), we embarked on a 3+ year journey that continues to this day. The journey we are on has been wild. We’ve battled long distance, broken phones, summer jobs, and wedding planning. It hasn’t come naturally, and we’ve learned a lot about “Damy.” BUT, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than on this path with Amy, my best friend, pursuing God and each other together.

I was so excited when I found out that we'd be interning together at our home church in Geneva, IL the summer of 2017. My first thought was that he was the nicest guy (I knew this from the trips we had gone on together in high school) and it'd be super fun. Dustin and I made plans to have lunch before the internship started and as soon as I got in my car after lunch, I knew we'd be getting married. That summer was fun and I got a lot of advice (mostly from freshmen girls) on how to flirt properly and a lot of people telling me how much he liked me. He didn't (or so he says). We got to know each other well that Summer though and made a lot of memories as friends and co-workers. I made sure my best friends from college, Dakota and Destiny, met him when they came to town and made sure to get the okay from my friends who all knew him in middle school too. I thought he liked me all summer, but It took Dustin a while to actually realize it;) , but after a little road trip with my roommates that following fall to Virginia to visit Dustin, I think that did it. We had our first date a month later while we were both home for Thanksgiving break at a local restaurant in Geneva. We made it official a few days later and immediately were long distance and have been since. I am so grateful for the growth we've had in the last 3.5 years. I am overjoyed that we get to pursue Christ together in our everyday lives. Let's get married!!

We had talked time-line for a long time. For awhile we even thought we'd get engaged six months before the actual day. I had waited all summer and wondered when it would happen. I wondered if we'd go home and he'd do it or if he'd invite my friends, but Dustin wanted simple and wanted to make it a surprise as best as he could. I had known it was coming so I had even dressed up for an entire week waiting for it... nothing. But one night, I told him I reallllyyyyy wanted to go for a walk at a cute park and get ice cream (my favorite treat). I thought I was setting it up and I dressed cute and got all ready. On our way to get ice cream, he told me that he had bought tickets for us to go see zoo lights that weekend in Cleveland... I was very confused because I told people I thought it'd be that night... I was silent the entire car ride and knew it'd be that weekend because Dustin doesn't plan ahead for dates that often. We got to the park and walked with our ice cream and then got to a spot where we had sat, just 2 years before, on a date. I turned around and there he was on one knee.