We met online on a Christian Dating App called Upward. Neither of us wanted to be on the apps in the first place, so when Zack asked me after only five text messages if I wanted to get dinner at Firebirds (my parents favorite steak place!) I had to say yes right away. Zack was my first everything, I had never been on a real date before. On the drive over I was just praying that I wouldn't cough on this guy or spill water or something... it was my first date... off of an app...anything beyond this would be a MAJOR win. Drove to the restaurant with "I Want to Know What Love Is" blasting over my speakers. Got there and the waitress had sat us at separate tables facing each other. So it was kind of like an unintentional meet cute! We then proceeded to have our first of many 6+ hour long dates. Zack was very funny and sweet from the very beginning. We talked about our shared faith, our love of football, and similar childhoods (everything was inverse, he grew up in the freezing tundra of MN, I grew up in the deserts of AZ, he had a brother, I had a sister). After dinner he took me walking for two hours and stayed outside to talk with me (despite it being over 100 degrees!). We ended up going on several other dates like that before becoming official in September. We never ran out of things to talk about and could stay out till the early hours of the morning just sitting on park benches, watching street cleaners and sharing our hearts, dreams and goals. During this time, we talked a lot about our future. We wanted to have our own families and stable careers that would be glorifying to God. Zack also shared many exciting stories about his time growing up traveling overseas. From these stories I learned about his heart for adventure and the nations. He wanted to continue the tradition of travel in his own career, which was a goal we came to share over the course of the relationship. As our relationship became more serious God strengthened and tested our bond through many different events. We had been dating for 5 months (officially for two and a half) when I got very sick with Valley Fever. My illness was so severe I could barely walk, couldn't use my hands and had to take time off of work. During this time Zack was my "walking stick". He drove me all over town to doctors, my parents, ran errands for me etc. He even helped me attend my office Christmas party where I got to tell my colleagues about my relationship for the first time. I decided I wanted to marry Zack the morning after this event (December 5th). I told my mother sitting in a diner: "I think I've met my husband". After that Zack continued to be my "walking stick". He walked with me through laughter and tears. Through loss in our family when my Poppy passed. And excitement but uncertainty as I started a new job. All of these things happened in the first 10 months of our relationship. At the end of April Zack shared some exciting news with me! He had received an offer to be part of a program that would guarantee him a job. The catch - it was overseas and could be anywhere in the world! We had been discussing this possibility for many months and after a lot of prayer, we decided that Zack should take the job. We will be relocating together in a few years to wherever his job sends him. We are excited to see where God takes us! Zack asked me to marry him a year after our first date on July 5th, 2025. He took me on a drive down to Tucson where we visited many of our favorite spots (Picacho Peak, A-Mountain and an Italian Restaurant). Afterwards he drove us back home where we walked along our regular path and stopped at our favorite bridge over a beautiful pond. There he asked me to keep walking with him for the rest of our lives. I said yes! Zack is a person who stands by people. He is kind, compassionate and wise. He makes me want to be a stronger woman and to jump into challenges head on. We walk together into the unknown and trust God with where He leads!