In March 2014, Mimi arrived in Independence, Missouri to start work as a Big Sister at Shelterwood Academy. She drove 12 passenger vans full of teenagers, held them accountable to chores done well, and built relationships over card games and friendship bracelets. After her first year at Shelterwood, she stayed on staff and started training new Big Sisters. She was killing it - playing a vital role in training up leaders, entering challenging conversations with kiddos daily, and making friendships that would last a lifetime. Then in August 2015, Chandon arrived to start work as a Big Brother. Mimi saw him outside the dining hall during his first week training... ... and nothing changed. "I thought he was cute, and then he opened his mouth." Meanwhile, Chandon was fresh out of college at Taylor University, coming to Shelterwood to try out a career in behavioral health before going back to grad school. He also spent his days driving 12 passenger vans full of teens and building relationships, but with less friendship bracelets. He loved the community he found, how even at the hardest times in his year, there was always someone who understood what he was going through. He met Mimi his first week at Shelterwood and strong feelings developed almost immediately... "I knew I had to stay away from her." At the time, Chandon had other obligations to focus on and knew, even then, that pursuing Mimi would mean major changes in his life. So, in a feeble attempt to stay away from her, Chandon came across to Mimi as distant and rude. They hung out with a lot of the same people and worked/lived at the same job, but with few thoughts of each other. Clearly, things changed.

Over a year after they first met, and after 6 months of Mimi living in California, Chandon started liking Mimi's posts on social media. As in, EVERY post she made on social media. She talked to her friends about it and one mutual friend told her how proud she was of Chandon for working on himself. She said she had seen him grow and change and become an even better human than he was before. Mimi decided to give him a chance, and by March 2017, they were dating. He introduced her to fresco style at Taco Bell and she introduced him to protein style at In-N-Out. They flashed 5.11c's together (meaning they climbed rocks that are super hard to climb and they did it real good). She visited his family in Indiana and he visited hers in California. They watched Firefly at Ben and Carolyn's, worshipped at Redeemer, and hiked at Burr Oaks. She loved watching him teach kids to climb at Ibex and he loved watching her shoot a gun. They grew and changed together and little by little they fell in love. Mimi loved how he was patient and took things slowly, and could be respectful and charming all at once. He made her laugh ("But don't tell him that... he doesn't need to go believing he's funny.") and squeezed her hand tighter when he thought her feelings might be hurt. "He makes me feel known," she said, as she started thinking more and more that this might work. Chandon fell in love with her unwavering passion and willingness to stand firm for what mattered to her. He loved that she was strong and spirited and didn't take anybody's crap lying down. The more he got to know Mimi, he saw that she was also tender and intentional. "She was anything but neutral," Chandon thought, while he started looking for rings only a few months into their relationship. And with all that patience and intention, their conversations about "IF we get married," turned into "WHEN we get married..."

As they talked about their future, Chandon and Mimi decided that equal pursuit of each other was important to them. Rather than the conventional proposal, they decided to have a MUTUAL engagement. In order to both ask each other at the same time, they had to plan the day they'd get engaged... otherwise, who's proposal counts? They landed on March 24th, and then decided that SOMEONE should be surprised. Enter Anna. Roommate of the bride, friend to both Mims and Chan, and also a dirty liar. Mimi and Chandon told Anna what they were planning and asked her to throw them a "surprise anniversary party" for their two year dating anniversary. Anna happily obliged, and over the next few months, proceeded to invite and CONVINCE all of the couple's friends that people actually throw anniversary parties when people are DATING. Anna's gift to them left Chandon and Mimi to focus on their engagement day. "I WAS nervous figuring out what to say... but once the day started, it was just a perfect day through and through," Mims said. They visited some of their favorite places and each of them took turns getting down on their knees and asking the other to spend forever with them. That evening, Mimi and Chandon walked into her house where all their friends waited with confetti poppers. "SURPRISE!" everyone shouted, and then saw the sign Chandon held that read, "We're getting married." "It was so nice to know we had so many good friends gathered in one place to celebrate us, and so reassuring to know the friends we endured so much with at Shelterwood would continue to cherish us and have our backs even years after we left." Months later, Chandon's words embody just how deeply the bride and groom value their people. They are humble and intentional, a little quirky and full of love. Thanks for reading their story and sharing in their lives. They're so grateful for you. Keep browsing through their site to learn when/where to celebrate Mimi and Chandon!