L & R

Ryan and Larissa’s story began at our church’s life group, where we were studying 1 Corinthians. Ironically, Ryan’s first night was about singleness, and of course, Larissa was the only single person in the group—a detail that was mentioned over and over. To make matters worse, Larissa showed up looking like she had just rolled out of bed, with wild hair, no makeup, and extremely comfy clothes - must have been a tough day teaching. She thought, Well, he’s definitely thinking, “Of course she’s single.” Our first date? That’s still “TBD,” we gradually spent more time hanging out, watching movies (Ryan introduced LoTR to Larissa), watching ice hockey, and checking off items from Larissa’s bucket list, like ice skating. Several months (And I mean S E V E R A L months) of text exchanges and hangouts, Ryan surprised her saying "So I got you something" and it was a bag of elusive Starburst jellybeans she’d been searching for everywhere, and that’s when she believed he might actually be interested. If only she knew at the time, that he was questioning the same thing. The made their feelings known, had some serious conversations, and began dating on May 10th, 2023. Almost a year later (March 10th, 2024), while hiking with friends at Ijams, Ryan turned to Larissa and said, “I got you something.” She turned around to find him on one knee, proposing! Looking back, she’s not sure how she missed the signs everyone else saw, but he’s been her first and only love. In fact, her best friend Carli knew he was her future husband after meeting him for the first time just a month into them dating. Larissa was shooketh! Now, they love spending time outdoors, hiking, traveling, going to festivals, eating Chick-fil-A, and playing with their dog, Cooper (now their dog). It was iffy between Cooper and Ryan at the beginning, but Ryan won him over after many long walks, treats, and a trip to the vet. Coop still holds a grudge on that last one, but now prefers his "stepdad" over his mom often times. Larissa, Ryan, and Cooper are excited for what’s next in their beautiful journey together as a family.