Alex and I met for the first time during the "shake your neighbor's hand" part of church, but really connected later that evening at our young adult ministry's Super Bowl party. Alex had been hanging out in the kitchen all evening, while I intently sat by the TV wishing for Tom Brady to thrown an interception. About halfway through the game, I went up to "get a snack" (in other words, go talk to the cute boy in the kitchen) and Alex and I struck up a conversation that lasted the rest of the game. We talked about our mutual interests in running and cooking, as well as learning. At the end of the night, it came time for Alex to drop his line: "So, um, for the sake of community, can we exchange numbers?" For the sake of community (you know, because it's Biblical and all...) we exchanged numbers, and I beamed when I got a text the next evening that began, "Hi Katie, this is Alex Abraham..."

Alex had schemed with a few of my friends to schedule a "girls' night" with me one Saturday evening, but instead of taking me to the restaurant, they took me to SMU - my alma mater! We pulled into SMU, and I knew this was not a girls' night when I saw Alex dressed very handsomely in his suit. He walked me to the top of the Boulevard (SMU's iconic main street), saying sweet things along the way, and got down on one knee and pulled out a ring! We had a moment to celebrate our new status as a couple before my parents came walking down the Boulevard, having surprised me all the way from Houston (see picture in "Photos" section of my surprise at seeing my parents post-engagement)! However, the surprises didn't end there! Then, the Abrahams, all the way from Pittsburgh, come walking down the Boulevard too! We then spent the rest of the night with our two families together celebrating the union to come.