6.25.22

Nicolette and I met in August 2020 on a blind date setup by one of my best friends, Lincoln, and his sister, Laney. Nicolette was roommates and friends with Laney in Nashville when she was there for a summer internship during college, and through that friendship (and her genius digital marketing skills) eventually started working with my friend, Lincoln at a marketing agency in Southlake where she still works today. Lincoln also happens to be Nicolette’s boss… Rather than report Lincoln and Laney to H.R. for intruding in her love life, Nicolette graciously agreed to take a chance on a blind date with a random guy who, at the time, lived 250 miles away in Houston. The first date— Pizzeria Testa followed by dessert at Steel City Pops— was a big success, despite at one point Nicolette letting her popsicle melt all over her hand as I babbled on telling a story that neither of us can remember. Her reasoning for cupping her hand to catch the repeatedly falling drops of chocolate-peanut butter flavored popsicle instead of asking me to get her a couple of napkins was “because you were in the middle of telling a story and I didn’t want to interrupt you!” A small, funny moment from our first date I’ll never forget and one that offers a tiny glimpse into the sweetness of Nicolette’s heart and what first attracted me to her. Sparks really flew, however, in the car ride back from date number 2, after some Joe T Garcia’s and a concert at Billy Bobs, I belted out the words to “Family Tradition” by Hank Williams Jr. on our way back to Dallas. She won’t admit this, but that was the moment she knew I was the one. A couple more dates and a few weeks later, I asked her to be my girlfriend. It’s the second best “yes” I’ve ever gotten from her.

We started dating long distance which meant lots of talking on the phone and lots of driving. Weekend trips to see her in Dallas and her visits to Houston quickly became the highlight of every week for us. I was pounding the pavement up and down I-45 most weekends, but didn’t mind one bit as I was having the time of my life falling in love with my best friend. I came to dread Sunday afternoons after church. Not just for the disappointment that comes with being a Cowboys fan, but to say goodbye and make that drive back to Houston. While it had its challenges, the time we spent dating long distance was so rewarding and gave us many memories we will cherish forever. We spent hours on the phone having rich, meaningful conversations about our faith, our families, and friends, our aspirations, what we valued, and so on. I wouldn’t trade these conversations for the world. It also made us especially thankful for the time we got to spend with each other in person and made us live in, and be grateful for, the present moment. Some of our favorite memories are still from weekends when Nic came to Houston and we felt like the only two people on the planet. Those 48 hour trips went by in the blink of an eye because we were having so much fun. It wasn’t too long before an exciting career opportunity brought me back to Dallas in June 2021 and we got to say goodbye for the last time and goodbye to long distance. I’ll never forget the huge smile on her face when I told her the news.

Around May, I got the idea to propose to her in Nashville since this is where she met the friend that would end up introducing us to each other, and so it could always be a special part of our lives. I called Nicolette’s father in late June and asked if I could visit he and Mrs. Nelson in Huntington Beach and take them to dinner to discuss “something important.” I flew out to CA and Mr. and Mrs. Nelson gave me their blessing to ask Nicolette to marry me. Nicolette’s little brother, Cooper, gave his stamp of approval the next morning at breakfast when the three of us informed him that I did not just happen to be in town and staying with them for a “work trip.” I got the green light from Nicolette’s older brother, Tommy, the next week via phone call while interrupting his two-week vacation in Florida. I should also mention here that my dad, mom, Jackson, and Sanders were over-the-moon excited when I told them that I was going to ask Nicolette to marry me. The genuine love and joy my parents and siblings have for Nicolette and I’s future marriage is something I am forever thankful for. And so with both of our families excited, I called her cousin, Courtney and her husband Taylor who live in Nashville and we came up with a plan for us to visit them over Labor Day weekend. As we approached the Nashville weekend, I was starting to wonder whether or not she suspected it was coming that weekend, especially when she scheduled a nail appointment during her lunch break on the day we left. Well fate would have it, it was a busy day at the office for her that day, and she texted me saying she was skipping the nail appointment, The next day, on a sidewalk by the Cumberland river overlooking downtown Nashville, I got down on one knee, said a bunch of words that I don’t remember, and then asked my best friend if she would marry me and she said “yes.” The best “yes” I’ve ever received from her. Afterwards, we had an unforgettable weekend celebrating with our family and friends.

Since our engagement, we have received so much love and support from all of our family and friends cheering us on during this season and for that we are very thankful. We can hardly contain our excitement to celebrate our marriage with you all this June. When we reflect on the past 18 months of our meeting, dating, falling in love, getting engaged, and now entering into marriage, we are overwhelmed by this great, generous, and undeserved gift of grace that God has given us through our relationship with each other. And yet we know that our marriage will be only a dim hint of the true, greater marriage that we are promised someday to our true Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Our deepest longing and prayer is that for those that know us, our marriage might be a small picture of the Gospel. Thank you all for taking the time to read our story and we can’t wait to celebrate with you in Newport this June!