Love is very, very patient.

Our story begins six sweet years ago in Chesapeake, Virginia. We were sophomores in high school at the time, going to completely separate schools in two different districts. Josh was in public school, and I (Lynelle) went to a private Christian school just a few minutes away. As some of you may know, I (Lynelle) played travel softball for a number of years in junior high and high school. I met one of my closest friends through it, who just so happened to be in Josh's History class. She would mention me or show pictures to him of me, and he would always ask how I was doing, despite not even knowing me at all. What we thought would be a platonic friendship actually turned into something much greater. Time went on, things changed for the both of us, and--without having met in person this entire time--we finally decided it was time to meet face-to-face. It was a Friday night--September 19th, 2014 to be exact--and Josh’s high school was having their homecoming football game. Because of our mutual friends, I (Lynelle) decided to take a leap of faith and give this kid a try. We met inside the gates of that football stadium, and that's when our lives changed forever. Just a little under two months later, Josh asked me (Lynelle) to be his girlfriend in one of his friend's basement (It was intimate, really, though it may seem a teeny bit sketch). That day was when we both realized that we were in it for the long run. From financial struggles to long-distance to joining the military life, the Lord has been ever-present. No, it has not been easy for either of us, as we have both had to sacrifice and learn things about each other that hadn't really been prominent until then. But, we are so thankful for the growth and strength He has blessed us with throughout all of it. Our senior year of high school is when we really took an initiative towards our faith, and we are continually pursuing Him day in and day out throughout our relationship.

August 29th, 2020 was the day that Josh decided that he wanted to change my (Lynelle) last name for good. What I thought was a simple photoshoot turned out to be the day we made the switch from "boyfriend and girlfriend" to fiancés. With the help of our closest friends and family, we were able to celebrate beginning the season of engagement and feel so loved through it all. And we truly cannot thank them enough. And so, after these six (nearly seven) sweet years discovering more about, loving, and supporting each other, we have made the decision to move closer to marriage. Little did we know on that September night that we were meeting our one true love for the rest of our Iives. Cheers to life and love, Lynelle & Josh