Our relationship serves as a perfect example of how wonderful the Lord's timing is! Clayton and Lauren started dating in June 2025, but Lauren took notice of Clayton the first time she saw him at church, which happened in summer 2024. From there, little happened until June 15, 2025 -- Father's Day. The two sat near each other at church that day and got some small talk in during the morning greeting. During that conversation, they both learned they were heading to Parkview Field immediately after church to catch a TinCaps game with their respective families. While they didn't talk to each other at the game, they did see each other from a distance and offered a friendly wave. Later that day, the two started talking over text, and the rest is history. Clayton and Lauren grabbed coffee at Penny Drip for their first date a few days later, and the two completely hit it off from there. Early bonding moments included cooking street tacos and zucchini bread together, going on walks and playing pickleball in 95° weather. Among the numerous things Lauren and Clayton admire about each other, they first and foremost love each other's love for the Lord and desire to honor and glorify Him in all they do! It didn't take long for Clayton to realize what a wonderful and special person Lauren is. He could write a novel describing all the things he loves about her that would span a mile long, but some of her qualities that really stood out to him from the jump included how considerate she was of others, how funny she was and how everything was a million times better with her around. Lauren had heard about Clayton's character from mutual friends, and that was on full display when she watched him give his testimony in February 2025. As the two started going on dates, she was drawn to his thoughtfulness and how much his family means to him, something the two share in common. God's hand can truly be seen on their relationship, particularly in the timing of it. In November 2024, Lauren invited a group of people, including Clayton, over to her house for a movie night. Although Lauren thought Clayton was cute at the time -- something he was completely oblivious to -- the Lord thankfully held off on bringing the two together until later on. It took Clayton a little longer to come to his senses, although he did really enjoy her famous carnitas. Looking back, both Clayton and Lauren agree that neither of them would have been ready for a relationship at the time because God was helping them grow individually first, and it serves as a reminder to trust in the Lord's sovereignty and trust that His will and timing are infinitely better than ours! Within just a few months, they both realized they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, and Clayton started devising a plan for a proposal. Thanks to his future father-in-law, he decided to propose to Lauren at Parkview Field, the place where everything started. The two grabbed dinner beforehand (it's a miracle Clayton didn't throw up or pass out), and headed to the ballpark under the impression they were grabbing something from Clayton's sister. He led Lauren down to the field, where some of their favorite tunes were playing, and she said yes! Now, Clayton and Lauren couldn't be more excited to get married!