Ryan and I met more than ten years ago. It was a Sunday after church in late summer of 2011. Ryan doesn't remember it, and I remember it as my dear friend Hannah introducing me to her friend from youth group. We spent the next 7 years as friends, and only friends, neither of us will admit ever even having a crush on one another. Our lives naturally intertwined, we shared many friends in college and at New Life Ranch, the summer camp where we both worked throughout college. We went to date parties together, but we dated other people. I always thought Ryan was handsome and loved spending time with him, but I assumed we were too different to ever make it work. Ryan felt the same and happily considered me his friend. This all changed, truly suddenly, in September of 2018 on a road trip to Colorado with our dear friend Hannah. Neither of us can fully explain why our feelings toward each other changed during that trip, but we both returned with giant crushes. Ryan asked me on a date a few weeks later, and after a solid week of sweet texts and thoughtful consideration, I said yes. We went on our first date at Osaka Hibachi Restaurant, followed by two stepping on top of Hillcrest Hospital's parking garage. We both knew fairly quickly that our long friendship could grow into something more and we have been so pleasantly surprised by the depth of love, companionship, acceptance, and joy we have found in our relationship. We are also so grateful to our friends and families who have welcomed us into their worlds wholeheartedly, and enabled Ryan and I to seamlessly begin building our life together. Ryan proposed on May 15, 2021 in Tulsa, OK while my family was in town after their first year away in Iowa. It was perfect. We have felt so celebrated and encouraged by our friends and family since that day, and eagerly look forward to celebrating with all of you on our wedding day.