Clay and Mariah met towards the end of freshman year of college at Abilene Christian University, and actually spent quite a bit of time together through mutual friends - they even went on the same Spring Break trip sophomore year! After Clay transferred from ACU to Austin College, they lost touch for a few years until Clay was back in Abilene celebrating graduation with his ACU friends when they reconnected!

They spent a lot of time together while Clay was in Abilene visiting friends. All the graduation festivities ended and he ran out of excuses to come to Abilene. Eventually he convinced Mariah to visit him in Sherman, where he made it official! They spent the next year driving back and forth between Sherman and Abilene visiting each other on weekends - spending over 200 hours on the road in that year! Mariah took a job in Sherman so they could end the long-distance season of their relationship and they both are so glad to drive 600 feet to see each other rather than 239 miles!

Clay had been planning a ski trip with his family and Mariah's for months, but he made Mariah feel like it was her idea. They drove to Winter Park, Colorado and spent the day skiing and snowboarding on the mountain. Mariah was worn out and it took the whole family to convince her to get ready and "go on a walk through town" - and somehow she still had no idea what was coming! Clay pulled Mariah in to a snowy grove of trees draped in Christmas lights to "take a picture" and it wasn't until he was down on one knee that Mariah realized what was happening! Best day ever!

Mariah and Clay are so excited to start their lives as husband and wife & are thankful for all of you who cover them in love, support, and prayer!